Starting fertility treatment abroad often comes with many questions. Patients want clarity not only about procedures, but also about legal requirements, costs, timelines, and what to expect at every step.
At SILK Medical in Tbilisi, Georgia – and through our branch in Yerevan, Armenia – we assist couples and individuals from around the world by providing transparent, reliable care based on internationally recognized standards. Surrogacy remains legally permitted in Georgia, and recent updates confirm that surrogacy continues without restrictions for international intended parents.
Here, we answer the ten most common questions we receive from patients planning IVF and surrogacy with SILK Medical.
1. Can Single Individuals Participate in Surrogacy Programs?
Surrogacy programs in Georgia are available exclusively to heterosexual married couples or couples able to prove at least one year of cohabitation. Single individuals, whether male or female, are not eligible for surrogacy in Georgia.
SILK Medical offers an alternative through its branch in Yerevan, Armenia. Armenian law allows single women and single men to pursue surrogacy, provided they are biologically related to the child and use a non-Armenian surrogate mother.
2. What Documents Are Required for Surrogacy?
In Georgia, intended parents must present either an original marriage certificate or proof of cohabitation for at least one year. Proof can include previous IVF attempts, shared bank accounts, common property ownership, or utility bills listing both partners. All documents must be notarized and apostilled.
For programs in Armenia, single intended parents must submit a certificate confirming their single status, issued by a civil authority and apostilled.
Passports and a medical anamnesis confirming infertility are required for both Georgia and Armenia. For those using shipped embryos, additional documentation such as embryo creation and freezing certificates is also necessary.
3. What Are the Costs and What’s Included?
Surrogacy program costs at SILK Medical range from $38,900 to $70,000, depending on the program type and services included. The price covers surrogate matching, medical procedures such as embryo transfer, pregnancy management, surrogate support, and full legal documentation after birth.
Additional fees may apply for situations like C-section deliveries, managing a multiple pregnancy, or replacing a surrogate if necessary.
4. What Happens if the Embryo Transfer Fails?
In Guaranteed Programs, SILK Medical continues treatment without additional charges until a live birth is achieved.
In non-guaranteed programs, if an embryo transfer fails, intended parents would typically pay an additional fee to match with a new surrogate and arrange a new embryo transfer. The fee for a new surrogate match is generally $2,500.
5. Can Embryos Be Shipped to SILK Medical?
Yes. SILK Medical accepts embryo shipments from international clinics, including those in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Patients must provide properly prepared and apostilled documents: embryo creation certificates, freezing certificates, and embryo culture protocols.
Our embryology lab is compatible with most major embryo freezing methods, and our team assists with handling all import procedures safely and legally.
6. Is Gender Selection Available?
Gender selection is available through Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A). This testing checks for chromosomal normalcy and determines the gender of embryos before transfer.
PGT-A is already included in several IVF and surrogacy packages at SILK Medical, allowing intended parents to select an embryo of the desired gender as part of the treatment plan.
7. Who Are the Surrogate Mothers at SILK Medical?
Surrogate mothers working with SILK Medical primarily come from Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. Each candidate goes through a detailed medical, psychological, and legal screening before entering our database.
Some surrogates travel for the embryo transfer and return home until the 28th week of pregnancy, after which they relocate to Tbilisi for closer monitoring. Others remain in Georgia for the entire pregnancy. Housing and care support are organized accordingly.
8. What Infectious Disease Testing Is Required?
Before embryo creation or starting a surrogacy program, both partners must provide negative test results for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. These tests must be completed no more than six months prior to the embryo creation date.
This timeframe is critical to ensure compliance with medical and legal requirements. Tests older than six months cannot validate the embryos for transfer.
9. How Long Does It Take to Match with a Surrogate?
Matching with a surrogate mother typically takes up to three months. If intended parents have specific criteria for the surrogate, such as a narrower age range, the matching time might be slightly longer.
An expedited matching option is available for an additional fee of $3,000, securing a match within approximately one month.
10. What Happens After Birth Regarding Legal Documentation?
After delivery, SILK Medical’s legal team assists intended parents with registering the birth and obtaining the child’s birth certificate. Under Georgian law, intended parents are automatically recognized as the legal parents from the moment of birth.
The surrogate mother has no parental rights. Full legal support, including document translation, notarization, and assistance with civil registration, is included in the surrogacy programs.
For an overview of Georgian surrogacy law, you can read the summary on Wikipedia.
Final Thoughts
Planning for IVF and surrogacy abroad can seem complicated, but with clear information and structured support, it becomes a focused, manageable process. SILK Medical offers patients a legally secure environment, internationally recognized technologies, and transparent care standards in both Georgia and Armenia.
If you would like to learn more about how to start your journey with SILK Medical, or if you have additional questions beyond what is covered here, our team is available to guide you.
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