Colombia has been providing surrogacy to foreigners for around eight years. Initially, only one Bogota-based clinic was providing these services, so as demand increased, wait times for everything from donor matching to surrogate embryo transfers exploded. It meant that for years, Growing Families was hesitant to refer clients in, conscious of the long wait times in an overstretched system.
However in the last 18 months, that has all changed, with a range of IVF clinics in Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena now offering surrogacy services.
In September 2024, I visited a number of these. Seeing it all up close gave me an even deeper appreciation for what Colombia offers to Intended Parents — and I’m excited to share more about what I learned.
Meeting the Providers
During my trip, I made it a priority to visit several agencies and clinics we already work with, as well as some we’re considering in the future. At Growing Families, we hold all our partners to strict ethical standards, and I wanted to see firsthand how these organizations align with our values of transparency, support, and ethical treatment of both Intended Parents and surrogates.
The IVF clinics I visited included Celagem, Inser, BabyNova, Conceptum and Fertivida. Other clinics offering surrogacy-related IVF include Reprotec, Eugin, Fecundar and Dejando Huellas Fertilida in Medellin.
However, IVF clinics will not recruit and manage surrogates or manage the legal issues. So, I also met with surrogacy lawyers and staff from four different surrogacy agencies.
While there is not space to explain here, it is vital to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each provider. Below, I explored a few key areas that are helping to shape Colombia as a rising destination for surrogacy.
Strict Screening
A fundamental aspect of Colombia’s surrogacy landscape is its unwavering commitment to ethical practices and the well-being of all parties involved. This commitment is reflected in the strict screening processes implemented by various programs, ensuring that surrogates are respected, supported, and properly cared for.
Many programs are designed to ensure the well-being of Intended Parents, donors and surrogates. Strict psychological screening means only 30% of surrogates are accepted. Surrogates can carry on only two occasions. No Colombia clinics I spoke to will allow double embryo transfer, given the risk to surrogates and the high risk of premature delivery.
If a Colombian has had a c-section delivery, she will not be approved to carry as a surrogate until at least two years have passed.
Read more about Surrogacy in Colombia
Read NowA Look at Provider Caseloads
One agency and clinic I met was clearly overloaded with cases. Patient and surrogate satisfaction was suffering as a result, given the lengthy wait times to match with donors, create embryos and recruit surrogates.
In contrast, smaller providers were offering far shorter wait times for donors, IVF and surrogate matching.
With demand for surrogacy so high in Colombia, some agencies have opened branches in other cities such as Medellin and Cartagena. The advantages for intended parents include better surrogate availability and a less congested, more pleasant location for their child’s birth and early weeks
Donor Regulations
Some clinics allow a donor to provide eggs on no more than six occasions – others cap this at three. Most only allow an 18-month egg donation window. Genetic carrier screening of egg donors is standard practice.
Under Colombian law, donors must be anonymous, so most agencies will not share images of egg donors, except on a call with intended parents. Instead, they ask intended parents to nominate the physical characteristics they seek in a donor and will send through profiles that match these.
Just two agencies I met skirt around the Colombian laws about anonymity by hosting their donor databases on platforms based outside Colombia, thus allowing intended parents to see images of donors.
Colombian IVF clinics vary in the number of pre-screened donors they have ‘on database’. Some maintain around 30 donors – others boast of 80 or 100 donors. Having said that, agencies with larger databases will always advise intended parents to shortlist at least three donors as it is very common for ‘listed’ donors to be unavailable – booked up by another couple or have moved on from donating.
IVF Success Rates
Audited clinic success rates are only available for US and UK IVF clinics. However, I was impressed with the investment recently made into state-of-the-art IVF labs in Bogota. PGT-A testing, where it is requested, is typically sent to Genomics in Florida.
Anecdotally, based on the large number of surrogacy cases of which Growing Families has oversight globally, we are seeing higher success rates in Colombia than in either Argentina or Mexico.
Understanding the Legal Framework in Colombia
I spent time speaking with Colombian legal experts who explained how surrogacy contracts work, the protections in place for all parties, and how the birth process is handled legally.
While the country has no national laws related to surrogacy, case law has supported the processes over the past decade. For some countries, a single person or a couple can obtain the Colombian civil birth registration directly from the biological father or parents and with only their last names.
For other countries, a single person or a couple must request through a judicial process, to obtain the civil birth registration, which mentions only the biological parents and includes only their last names.
This process has been approved and carried out for many cases in Colombia and can take between 8 and 12 months depending on the judge assigned to the case.
In most cases, the intended parents do not need to be present at any stage during this legal process after birth, unless there is a request from the judge, which is very unlikely.
Should You Engage in Surrogacy in Colombia?
My recent trip has reinforced my belief that Colombia is a compelling option for Intended Parents considering surrogacy. With its combination of affordability, high-quality healthcare, and available surrogates, Colombia stands out as a viable choice.
For those still exploring options, I encourage you to consider Colombia. Although it may not be as widely recognized as other locations, the dedication of the professionals and the quality of care make it particularly appealing, especially for Intended Parents who have faced challenges in previous attempts.
Many programs in Colombia offer guarantees, providing peace of mind and added security during your surrogacy journey. We are actively building partnerships with top agencies and clinics to ensure that Intended Parents have access to trusted and vetted providers.
My goal with these visits is to equip you with the most accurate and up-to-date information about your family-building options. If you have any questions or want to learn more about what Colombia can offer your surrogacy journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
