Ukraine surrogacy laws and legal parenthood
Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world where surrogacy is legal and well regulated. While the vast majority of other countries in Europe have chosen not to regulate or prohibit this activity, in Ukraine.
The Order of the Ministry of Public Health of Ukraine № 787 guarantees all legal rights to the parties involved in infertility treatment processes. Provision of safe and effective reproductive health services is of paramount importance for Ukrainian legislation. In addition, this law aims to ensure respect and legal protection of the rights of both donors and patients during the whole process.
The legislation of Ukraine clearly defines the duties of program participants. Rights of program participants are:
On the other hand, the quality of medical services provided in surrogacy programs is systematically monitored to ensure maximum safety for all parties involved. All participants in the program (both the intended parents and the surrogate mother) will receive detailed information about all procedures and examinations, possible risks, as well as the legal framework establishing mutual rights and obligations.
To protect their rights and interests, the parties involved sign an agreement that stipulates the financial compensation due to the surrogate or gestational mother, her obligation to deliver the baby to the intended parents after birth and the legal recognition that the intended parents are the sole parents of the child, without the right to challenge it in court.
The law specifies that the names of the biological parents are immediately inscribed on the baby’s birth certificate, without any additional approval from the authorities.
Filiation and adoption proceedings
Not in all countries do babies born through surrogacy directly obtain the nationality of their parents, and therefore additional procedures are necessary. It is very common that the intended mother must also adopt her husband’s child in her country.
Requirements to start a process in Ukraine
Not all citizens can start a surrogacy process in Ukraine, as there are a number of legal and medical requirements. The profiles that can and cannot start a surrogacy process are as follows:
Heterosexual marriages
Heterosexual married couples who are unable to conceive due to female infertility can resort to surrogacy in Ukraine. At least one of the two partners must provide their genetic material, and it is highly recommended that at least the male partner does so. In addition, the woman must also provide a valid medical certificate stating the reasons for her inability to carry out the gestation process.
Unmarried heterosexual couples
Heterosexual unmarried couples cannot go to Ukraine for surrogacy, even if the woman has a report attesting to her infertility. For these couples there are options in Georgia, Mexico and Colombia.
Single men or single women
Both single men and single women or same-sex couples will not be able to carry out surrogacy in Ukraine. For single men the best options are Mexico, Colombia and Czech Republic. For single women the best options are Mexico, Colombia and Greece.
LGBTQ+ couples or marriages
Same-sex couples will not be able to carry out surrogacy in Ukraine, nor will single men and single women. There are other countries where it is possible for these family models to use surrogacy to become parents. For gay couples the best options are Mexico, Colombia and the Czech Republic. For lesbian couples the best options are Mexico and Colombia.
Best surrogacy agency in Ukraine
There are several agencies in Ukraine, but without a doubt OneSurrogacy is the undisputed leader in this country. OneSurrogacy is internationally recognized for its ethics and excellence in surrogacy.
Among the services offered are the selection of a surrogate mother, pregnancy monitoring and all the documentation related to the process.
In addition, OneSurrogacy has a large pool of surrogate mothers available for those couples who are going to start a process without delay. Our agency strives to ensure that surrogate mothers receive adequate medical care and fair compensation.
OneSurrogacy agency is therefore the best choice in case you are looking for a surrogacy agency in Ukraine.
Advantages in Ukraine to carry out a process
Among the advantages of surrogacy in Ukraine are excellent fertility clinics and very explicit surrogacy legislation:
First class fertility clinics
Surrogacy programs in Ukraine are performed only in clinics or medical institutions accredited and approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
Possibility to select embryo sex
In Ukraine, sex selection of the baby is completely legal. This process is performed through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Therefore, in case parents wish to have a boy or a girl expressly, they can do it legally through assisted reproduction.
Child’s birth certificate
Days after the birth, we will obtain the baby’s birth certificate from the Civil Registry in the name of the intended parents, and the name of the pregnant woman will not be shown on the certificate. That is why the pregnant woman does not acquire any type of right over the newborn.
Obtaining a passport or travel document
At the end of the process, the newborn will obtain Ukrainian citizenship and finally a passport to be able to travel with his or her parents to their country.
Fair remuneration to the surrogate
Surrogates are paid between 15,000 and 20,000 euros, in addition to all medical expenses related to the pregnancy.
Opinions and testimonials of surrogacy in Ukraine
In recent years, there has been a growing movement in support of surrogacy in Ukraine, as the experiences of both the surrogate and intended parents are very positive, thanks to both the legislation and the first-rate clinics. Therefore, the opinions in the vast majority of cases are very positive.
Requirements of a surrogate mother in Ukraine
The good health of the surrogate is vital for the success of the process, and that is why we take this point very seriously. Therefore, we carry out the strictest medical and psychological examinations of the candidates before they can be part of a surrogacy program. These are the requirements for surrogate mothers:
Another basic aspect is the assisted reproduction clinic where fertility treatments and pregnancy monitoring are performed, such as the Victoria clinic in Kiev.
Victoria fertility clinic in Kiev
Ukraine has been holding reproductive medicine congresses every year, which give medical specialists from all over the world the opportunity to showcase their experience and exchange knowledge. With a large number of private infertility clinics (in cities such as Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa and Dnipro) operating in the country, Ukraine has managed to help more than 15,000 births. It is for this and more reasons that Ukraine has quickly become a center of medical tourism, encouraging couples from many countries to seek infertility treatment here.
A great reference for fertility treatments is the Victoria clinic. This clinic is located in Kiev and its assets include state-of-the-art fertility treatments, high success rates and strict testing of pregnant women.
More information about Victoria Reproductive Genetics ClinicPrices and surrogacy programs in Ukraine
Among the great advantages of surrogacy in Ukraine compared to competitors such as the United States are the much cheaper prices and the existence of unlimited surrogacy programs, always with the legal certainty that guarantees both the surrogate and the intended parents a series of rights and obligations.
The opinions about surrogacy in Ukraine from practically all couples who have undergone surrogacy in this country are very positive, and they would repeat the process again.