Surrogacy in Georgia - Legal Overview
Choosing surrogacy is a deeply personal decision — and when that journey takes place across borders, legal clarity becomes essential. Georgia is one of the few countries in the world where surrogacy is legally allowed and regulated under the laws of Georgia. For over two decades, the legal system here has supported both Georgian and international couples in building their families.
Understanding how the law works — and what your rights and responsibilities are — is the foundation of a smooth and secure process. At Reproart, we’re here to walk you through every legal step with care, accuracy, and full transparency.
Is Surrogacy Legal in Georgia?
Yes — surrogacy has been legal in Georgia since 1997 and remains fully permitted under the legislation of Georgia. Georgia offers a legal framework for surrogacy that simplifies the process of acquiring legal parentage for Intended Parents after the birth of a child. To establish parentage, the necessary documents must be filed with the Birth Registration Authority, known as the Civil Registry.
Once the Civil Registry issues the child’s birth certificate listing the Intended Parents as the parents, no pre-parentage court order, committee approval, or post-birth court order is required. Instead, as long as the appropriate documents are submitted within the legal timeframe, the Civil Registry automatically recognizes the Intended Parents as legal parents, granting them full parental rights without any additional court orders.
The law applies equally to Georgian and foreign heterosexual couples who meet the eligibility criteria.
Who is Legally Eligible for Surrogacy in Georgia?
According to Georgian legislation, surrogacy is available to:
- Heterosexual couples who are either: legally married, or in a committed relationship of at least one year.
- Couples with a documented medical need for surrogacy.
- Importantly, foreign couples are fully eligible to enter a surrogacy agreement in Georgia, and many international patients choose Georgia for its legal clarity and supportive process.
Who Can Be a Surrogate?
According to Georgian law, traditional surrogacy is not permitted, meaning that a surrogate cannot also be an egg donor. As a result, a child born in Georgia from a surrogacy arrangement cannot have a genetic connection to the surrogate. Aside from being a legally capable individual, there are no additional specific requirements established for a surrogate to be eligible for surrogacy (e.g., age, marital status, or consent from the surrogate’s husband).
Legal (Notarial) Contract Requirement
A Surrogacy Agreement must be entered between the Intended Parents and the Surrogate. If a donor’s gamete has been or will be used in the IVF procedure, a Surrogacy and Donation Agreement must be executed between the Intended Parents, the surrogate and the donor(s). It is a mandatory requirement that either the Surrogacy Agreement or the Surrogacy and Donation Agreement be notarized by a Georgian notary with a public notarial act. If the embryos created as a result of IVF are to be transferred to the Surrogate Mother’s uterus without freezing (referred to as the “Fresh Transfer Procedure”), the Agreement must be notarized prior to the creation of the embryos (i.e., prior to IVF). However, if the IVF has already been performed, and the resulting embryos are frozen and intended for transfer to the Surrogate Mother’s uterus, the Agreement must be notarized prior to the embryo transfer.
Important Notes:
- The period from the creation of the embryos until the embryo transfer may not exceed 10 years;
- If the donor’s gamete was used in the creation of embryo(s), the donor cannot be anonymous.
The parties to the Agreement must either appear before the notary and sign the Agreement in the presence of the notary, or they may be represented by a proxy, based on a respective duly issued Power of Attorney (POA) with the exception of the surrogate.
Without this notarized agreement, the intended parents cannot be legally recognized or listed on the birth certificate.
Birth Certificate and Legal Parentage
Once the child is born:
- If the Civil Registry receives all the required documents within the timeframe established by law, it will issue the child’s birth certificate, listing the Intended Parents, within 5 working days after the documents are submitted. However, the Registry reserves the right to extend the review period based on workload or if any additional documents need to be provided. According to existing practice, if the birth certificate is not issued within 5 working days and the review period is extended, it is typically issued within up to 14 days provided that the submitted documents comply with the legal requirements.
- The intended parents are listed as the child’s only legal parents.
- The surrogate’s or donor’s name does not appear on the birth certificate.
No proof of the DNA test is required for the purposes of filing it in the Civil Registry;
However, some foreign embassies may request additional documentation — such as DNA testing — as part of their country’s own process for issuing travel documents or recognizing parental rights.
We strongly advise all intended parents to contact their embassy in advance to understand any additional requirements for exiting the country with their child.
! This information is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.
Information is accurate as of March 1, 2026 and is updated periodically on our website.
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