Uncompromising German legislation. In 1991, the Embryo Protection Act came into force, which de facto banned German reproductive medicine as well as many practices related to the human embryo. In Germany, there are several forms of artificial insemination forbidden by law: the fertilization of more than three eggs simultaneously, the fertilization of women intending to give up their unborn child for adoption—and egg donation (sperm donation is not prohibited). In an attempt to circumvent the strict prohibition of surrogacy in Germany, German couples often turn to other countries where this type of reproduction is permitted.
The following statistics depict the need for surrogate parenting and prospective parents’ actual possibilities in Germany:
- 1% (7,000 per year) — of births after artificial insemination
- 120 infertility treatment clinics
- 52% of families who want a child address a fertility doctor
- 33% of chances of becoming pregnant through embryo transfer
- 10000€ — an average cost of successful medically assisted conception in Germany
In Germany, not everything technically possible is available. As a result, many aspiring parents travel abroad to find an affordable solution.
Surrogacy Agency In Germany: Is it possible?
What about surrogacy agencies in Germany? In America and Canada, surrogacy services are expensive. In Eastern European countries like Georgia or Ukraine—where the procedure is more budget-friendly—addressing an international agency will get you a final price that includes all required fees.
In Germany, all women are forbidden to use their uterus to carry another couple’s child.
A couple who dreams of having a child can go abroad – but it is not a fact that they will be able to return together. In German law, the mother is defined as the woman who gives birth to a child. Neither genetic tests proving that a child is related to its biological parents nor foreign birth certificates issued by officials are sufficient proof of parenthood in this case.
Surrogacy Cost In Germany: What are the options?
Germany does not recognize a child born to a surrogate mother as its national. Also, LGBT individuals and couples face challenges in building a family by non-traditional means. In Germany, they are generally not allowed to adopt; the only exception is when gay men may be granted permission to adopt their partner’s children from an earlier relationship.
The court seemed like a glimmer of hope for same-sex couples when it recognized, in 2014, that a child born via surrogate in California is theirs. It was agreed that foreign authorities should have the final say in these matters if this does not interfere with a child’s well-being.
Surrogacy in Germany remains strictly prohibited. However, we see the possibility of changes in this country’s attitude toward surrogacy in Germany. So, we hope Germans can fulfill their dream at home shortly without additional worries.
What about surrogacy costs in Germany? While for intended parents from other countries, surrogacy abroad is one of the options available to them—here in Germany, it’s your only chance at parenthood. For childless singles and couples struggling with infertility issues, there are few, if any, alternatives left.