Paid-for global surrogacy destinations shrink
Paid-for international surrogacy is becoming concentrated in a smaller number of countries as established destinations introduce restrictions and agencies reduce or end operations.
Regulatory controls over international fertility treatment are also increasing, particularly for advertising, embryo movement, and protection of surrogates.
Export of gametes
In September 2025, Colombia's Ministry of Health introduced requirements concerning the import and export of gametes, pre-embryos, and embryos.
The rules include requirements concerning authorised reproductive-health institutions, consent, donor information, and reporting.
In Spain, prosecutors in February 2026 sought action against websites belonging to 13 international surrogacy agencies advertising services to Spanish residents.
The agencies were associated with international destinations including the US, Mexico, Georgia, Ukraine, and Colombia.
The international surrogacy sector is now operating through a smaller group of countries and providers.
India, Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia have all restricted commercial surrogacy for ‘commissioning’ parents.
International access to Ukraine has been substantially affected by the war.
Greece has introduced tighter eligibility and residency requirements, while Kazakhstan has restricted access to surrogacy to married citizens meeting specified requirements.
The US, Georgia, Colombia, and Mexico remain among the principal destinations for international surrogacy, but baby deals that previously took 15 months can now take extend to three years.
In Colombia, the Bogotá-based Celagem business has announced that it will immediately stop providing surrogate recruitment services to clients and partner agencies.
In Georgia, New Life Georgia and BetaPlus Fertility have ended their working relationship.
BetaPlus has stated that it will no longer conduct embryo transfers for New Life Global clients.
Unpaid bills
The dispute involves claims concerning unpaid bills.
Kindbody, a US venture-capital-backed fertility company, has closed a number of fertility clinics and reduced operations.
The commercial surrogacy agency World Center of Baby announced in February 2026 that it was filing for bankruptcy, triggering disruption across its international operations in countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Mexico, and Albania.
An investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported that ‘commissioning’ parents had lost tens of thousands of dollars and that some had paid up to $100,000 or more.
Surrogate mothers reported that payments had stopped, while some pregnant surrogates were left without expected agency support.
Medical and other service providers were also reportedly left unpaid.
OCCRP subsequently reported that the organisation's Kyiv clinic had closed.
Meanwhile, a landmark UN report recently proposed a global ban on surrogacy in all its forms.
The report, A/80/158, by Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, declares that surrogacy is a system of violence, exploitation, and abuse that must be globally abolished.