What is international surrogacy?
International surrogacy is when intended parents work with a surrogate in a different country, typically because of cost, waiting times, eligibility rules, or legal practicalities at home. In most international arrangements, the intended parents create embryos via IVF (using their own eggs and sperm, or donor eggs and sperm), then a gestational surrogate carries the pregnancy with no genetic link to the baby.
In countries like the US and UK, surrogacy is often associated with extremely high costs and long waiting times. As a result, many families begin to explore options abroad as part of their research, even if they initially assumed they would stay closer to home.
What is different in the UK context?
The UK operates an altruistic, often called compassionate model. That means the surrogate is not meant to be paid beyond reasonable expenses, and paid-for brokering and advertising is restricted.
Some people still pursue UK surrogacy, but others explore international routes because availability can be tighter and processes can feel slower or less certain.
How common is surrogacy in the US and UK?
US
- ASRM summarises national trends showing gestational carrier use is growing but still relatively uncommon within ART overall, and clinics reported 11,515 gestational carrier cycles in 2023.
UK
- There is no single perfect count of surrogacy births, but parental orders are one of the best available indicators. Nuffield reports parental orders granted in England and Wales rose from 117 (2011) to 424 (2021), and notes estimates that the “true” number of children born through surrogacy to UK intended parents each year may be closer to 500.
- HFEA reports surrogacy cycles in UK licensed clinics are a very small share of IVF (0.4% in 2022), and the number of people acting as surrogates in treatment increased from about 130 (2012) to 230 (2022).
Why people choose international surrogacy
Common drivers tend to fall into five buckets:
- affordability and predictability
- shorter timelines and easier access to a surrogate match
- eligibility, for example single parents and same-sex couples depending on the country
- legal clarity and smoother parentage processes
- access to donor eggs and sperm options, including anonymity in some destinations
How the process works
While each journey is personal, most follow this structure:
- planning and medical strategy
- You agree the pathway (your own gametes vs donor eggs and sperm, whether embryos are created at home or in-country, any genetic testing plans, and what travel looks like).
- screening and matching
- Surrogates are medically and psychologically screened, and then matched based on agreed criteria and compatibility.
- legal framework
- Contracts set expectations, finances, medical decision-making, confidentiality, and what happens in different cases. Legal steps differ by country, and you also plan for your home country requirements.
- embryo transfer and pregnancy
- The embryo transfer takes place, then pregnancy monitoring begins with structured updates and clear escalation paths.
- birth, parentage, and return home
- You plan delivery, documentation, and the steps needed to bring baby home (which can vary depending on nationality and home-country rules).
A note on travel models
Many intended parents choose one of two models:
- travel for key medical moments and birth, with the journey managed end-to-end in one place
- begin at home with your preferred clinic, then transfer embryos or gametes for the surrogacy stage in Ghana, minimising travel
International surrogacy in Ghana with New Leaf
Ghana can be an attractive option for intended parents who want a more affordable, streamlined journey with English-language care and in-country coordination. It is a stable, English-speaking country with a legal system rooted in common law and a growing private healthcare sector that regularly supports international patients. Accra, the capital, is well connected to the UK, Europe, and the US, and offers reliable infrastructure for medical travel, including established hospitals, private clinics, and accommodation suited to longer stays. For intended parents, Ghana combines legal familiarity, language accessibility, and practical ease, making it a location that feels navigable and well supported when approached with the right coordination.
What New Leaf supports in Ghana
- gestational surrogacy pathway with structured screening, matching, and coordinated care
- international-standard clinical pathways with partner clinics and hospitals
- legal partner coordination and document readiness for post-birth steps
- concierge-style in-country support around accommodation, logistics, and birth planning
Costs, what should I expect to spend?
New Leaf packages start from $53,350. Actual costs vary based on your circumstances, for example whether you need donor eggs and sperm, additional testing, or more complex medical support. Where non-standard arrangements are required, there may be costs not covered by standard agreements, and you should plan for contingencies.
Is Ghana safe for surrogacy?
Safety depends less on the country label and more on governance: clinic standards, safeguarding, surrogate support, and legal coordination. In the UK context, official and expert bodies stress that surrogacy involves significant legal complexity and the need for specialist advice, which is even more true cross-border.
Work and leave, UK intended parents
If you are UK-based, you may be eligible for adoption leave and pay when having a child through surrogacy, depending on your situation and employer requirements.
Questions to ask any international surrogacy provider
- what screening is done for surrogates, and what would disqualify someone
- who holds medical decision-making during pregnancy, and how risks are handled
- what support the surrogate receives, housing, wellbeing, and aftercare
- what the legal path is pre-birth and post-birth, and what is required for your home country
- how costs are structured, what is included, and what triggers additional fees
- how updates work, cadence, format, and escalation if something changes
If you are researching international surrogacy and want to talk things through calmly and without pressure, our team is here to help you make sense of what is possible and what the next steps could look like, when and if you are ready.
