Georgia has quietly emerged as one of the world’s most active surrogacy destinations, drawing intended parents and surrogate mothers from across Europe, Russia, and Ukraine.

The country’s rise as a surrogacy hub accelerated following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which prompted many international agencies to relocate their operations to the Caucasus nation.

Russia banned foreign customers from signing surrogacy contracts that same year, redirecting a significant flow of international clients who had previously relied on the Russian market.

According to Georgia’s Public Service Development Agency, more than 3,000 surrogate mothers were registered across the country in 2023, with over 5,000 children born through surrogacy since 2012.

The numbers reflect dramatic growth in a short period, with an estimated 300 surrogate births recorded in 2021 rising sharply to over 1,100 by 2023, coinciding with the onset of the war in Ukraine.

Georgia offers considerably lower costs than comparable markets, with agency service fees in cities like Tbilisi and Batumi ranging from approximately 45,000 euros to 55,000 euros, roughly a third of what agencies in other countries charge.

Surrogate mothers working in Georgia report earning between 18,000 euros and 28,000 euros on average, with additional premiums available for carrying twins or other multiple pregnancies.

Anastasia, a 39-year-old Russian surrogate mother currently working in Georgia, has completed three surrogate pregnancies, using earnings from her first to finance a property down payment.

“I live in an apartment with another surrogate mother who carried twins to term. This program was the easiest and most practical one for me, but maybe I just got lucky with the right clinic,” Anastasia told DW.

She also acknowledged that not all surrogate mothers share her experience, noting that others reported waiting extended periods after giving birth before receiving payment from agencies or clinics.

Olga and Daniel, a Hamburg couple who traveled to Georgia in search of a surrogate, described months of searching before gaining access to lists of women from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.

“We were a little concerned that not every agency could give clear answers about the health of some of the surrogate mothers,” the couple recounted, both working in the medical field and noting their detailed health questions sometimes seemed unwelcome.

The couple ultimately selected a 30-year-old Ukrainian woman named Elena, who had previously served as a surrogate for a European couple, meeting her during a visit to Tbilisi in the spring of 2024.

A significant concern arose when the couple discovered Elena planned to return to Ukraine, a country at war, for several months after embryo implantation, contrary to what the agency had initially told them.

Human rights lawyer Nino Bogveradze told DW that Georgian law contains a significant gap, regulating relationships between surrogate mothers, intended parents, and clinics, but failing to account for the role agencies play.

Surrogate mothers in Georgia have limited legal protections, with most matters related to pregnancy, medical care, and payment governed by private contracts rather than enforceable national standards.

Human Rights Watch and the International Women’s Health Coalition have both criticized established surrogacy practices in Georgia, arguing they violate women’s rights to reproductive self-determination.

Olga Doletskaya from the University of Leeds told DW that agencies “often speak of their special mission to help people have the child they’ve been dreaming of,” but are “primarily driven by financial interests” and exploit the precarious situations of both surrogate mothers and intended parents.

Olga from Hamburg described feeling subjected to sustained pressure tactics, including being told other couples were competing for the same surrogate and being asked by an agency representative how long she wanted to remain childless.

“I felt like I was being manipulated,” she said, and the couple ultimately returned to Germany and decided to set aside their surrogacy plans, at least for the foreseeable future.