Starting a family through surrogacy or donor IVF is a life-changing journey. One of the first big decisions you’ll face as an intended parent is where to create your embryos. Many people assume that doing this locally is the best and simplest option. And for many, that’s true. However, there are situations where creating embryos abroad may offer legal clarity, better coordination, or access to more specialised care.
This guide explores why some intended parents choose to create embryos overseas, what the benefits and challenges are, and how to decide what’s right for your unique situation.
Why Some Create Embryos in Their Home Country
For most intended parents, having IVF treatment close to home offers several clear advantages:
- Easier Communication: You can meet with your fertility specialists in person or during regular business hours without the hassle of time zones.
- Familiar Legal Framework: You and your clinic share the same laws and regulations, which makes understanding consent, storage, and documentation more straightforward.
- Reduced Travel and Shipping Complexity: Embryo creation and testing happen locally, so you avoid the risks and costs of shipping embryos internationally.
- Potential Cost Savings: You save on travel, accommodation, and courier fees.
- More Control Over Your Care: Frequent appointments, quick adjustments, and close monitoring are easier when your clinic is nearby.
Because of these benefits, local IVF remains the go-to choice for many intended parents starting their family-building journey.
When Creating Embryos Abroad Might Be the Better Choice
Despite the convenience of local IVF, some intended parents consider or need to do their IVF overseas. Here are common reasons why:
- Access to Specialist Clinics: Countries like the USA have clinics with extensive experience in surrogacy cases and access to cutting-edge IVF technology.
- Donor Options: Certain donor eggs or sperm may only be available or better screened abroad.
- Better Coordination: Creating embryos at the same clinic where the surrogate will receive treatment can streamline communication and timing.
- Legal Requirements: Some surrogacy destinations require that IVF take place in their country to ensure legal parentage and documentation processes run smoothly.
- Clinic Expertise: If your local clinic cannot provide the level of care, success rates, or services you need, overseas IVF may offer better options.
Choosing IVF abroad can sometimes open doors to resources and legal protections not available locally.
What Challenges Come with Creating Embryos Abroad?
While there are good reasons to pursue embryo creation abroad, it’s important to prepare for the added layers of complexity:
- Time Zones and Communication Delays: Managing appointments, updates, and paperwork across continents can be frustrating without a responsive team on the ground.
- Embryo Shipping Risks: Although routine, transporting frozen embryos internationally requires careful planning and comes with a small degree of risk.
- Higher Costs: Travel, accommodation, documentation, and courier fees can add up quickly.
- Fragmented Coordination: When your fertility clinic, surrogate, agency, and legal team are in different countries, the risk of crossed wires increases.
- Emotional Load: The physical distance and time lag can make intended parents feel less in control of a deeply personal process.
That’s why building the right support team is critical. At Growing Families, our concierge support service is designed to help manage these challenges. We help coordinate between parties, clarify timelines, and reduce uncertainty — so you can feel confident, even from afar.
How to Decide What’s Right for You
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right place to create your embryos depends on your personal circumstances and priorities. Here are a few questions to consider:
- What is your top priority — legal certainty, convenience, access to donors, cost, or continuity of care?
- Are you planning to work with a surrogate overseas? If so, does the country require local embryo creation?
- Do you have time and budget available for travel or added logistics?
- How experienced is your local clinic with third-party reproduction?
- Will creating embryos abroad simplify your overall process or add complexity?
Speaking with professionals who understand both local and international pathways can help you weigh your options and feel more in control of your decision.
Hybrid Programs: Combining the Best of Two Worlds
For many intended parents, cost is a major factor influencing where to create embryos. Balancing quality, legal safeguards, and affordability can be challenging. That’s why some choose a hybrid approach to get the best of both worlds.
Hybrid programs combine embryo creation in a high-standard clinic, often in the USA, with surrogacy carried out in countries where costs are lower, such as Mexico or Colombia. This approach allows intended parents to access clinics with strong reputations and advanced technology while benefiting from more affordable surrogacy services.
For example, embryos may be created at a boutique IVF clinic in the USA with personalised, transparent care. The intended parents then work with a trusted agency and surrogate in a lower-cost country, reducing overall expenses without compromising quality.
Hybrid programs do require careful coordination, including planning for embryo shipping, legal compliance in multiple jurisdictions, and clear communication across all parties. But with the right support team, this model can offer an excellent balance between reassurance and cost savings.
Tips for Managing the Embryo Creation Process Abroad
If you choose to create your embryos overseas, these strategies can help make the process smoother:
- Work With a Clinic Experienced in Surrogacy Cases: They’ll be more familiar with the timing, legal implications, and communication needs of international intended parents.
- Choose a Team That Offers Personalised, Ongoing Support: Smaller or boutique clinics often provide continuity of care and a more attentive experience across your journey.
- Clarify Shipping Timelines and Procedures Early: Whether you’re planning to ship embryos or work in-country, understanding the logistics ahead of time is crucial.
- Use Clear, Centralised Communication Channels: Make sure all parties — including your surrogate’s clinic, agency, and lawyer — are on the same page.
- Expect the Unexpected: Build flexibility into your plans to accommodate time delays or additional administrative steps.
For many intended parents, creating embryos locally is the easiest and most familiar choice. But there are situations where creating embryos abroad makes more sense — especially if you are pursuing surrogacy overseas, need access to certain donors, or want to streamline your care in one location.
Whatever path you choose, the key is making an informed decision. Ask questions. Seek clarity. And don’t hesitate to reach out for professional guidance.
If you’re still exploring your options or unsure where to begin, our upcoming National Surrogacy & Donor Conception Conference in Melbourne is a great place to start. You’ll have the chance to hear from global experts and even schedule one-on-one consultations with providers who understand international journeys like yours.
Creating embryos is one of the first and most meaningful steps on your path to parenthood. You deserve to take it feeling supported, informed, and empowered.
