Real guidance. From real experience.
Surrogacy in the USA — a practical guide for intended parents
A dad of twins born through surrogacy in the US, guiding intended parents through the process. Everything I learned along the way is here — costs, agencies, clinics, legal steps and citizenship, in plain language.
- Guiding parents since 2014
- Dad of twin girls
- 40+ guides & checklists
Topics
What are you trying to figure out?
Every article on the site, grouped by where it belongs in the journey.
The numbers follow the journey, from the first decision to life at home. Start wherever you are.
You
Money & funding
Choosing your team
Medical & embryos
Egg donor
Your surrogate
Legal, citizenship & paperwork
- Before Signing With an Agency – 10 Contract Clauses You Must Fully Understand
- The Israeli Judicial Parentage Order – Completing Your Family on Paper Too (and Why the First 90 Days Are Critical)
- From Birth to Registration in Israel – The U.S. Judgment, the Passport and the DNA Test, Step by Step
Birth & the first days
Your family
Guides & tools
First time here
Six to start with
If you read nothing else, read these. Roughly in order.
- Is there a good time to have kids?To be honest, you’re never really ready for it. The only way is to dive right in.The decision
- How Much Does U.S. Surrogacy Really Cost in 2026?It's the first question every couple asks me, usually in a whisper: "How much does it really cost?" And the honest answer is – more than what's written on the agency's homepage, and less than what keeps you up at night. Let's break it down, in today's numbers.The decision
- We’ve decided it’s time to be parents – what’s the best country for surrogacy processes?What a fun and exciting time! I remember how excited I was when I started our journey.Legal, citizenship & paperwork
- Independent Surrogacy vs. an Agency – Who Is It Really Right For?In my post about "a second journey without an agency" I wrote about couples returning for a second journey with the same surrogate and skipping the agency. But lately I meet more and more couples considering skipping the agency in their first journey – what English-speaking communities call an Indy Journey. The savings are tempting: agency fees run tens of thousands of dollars. So let's talk about what you actually give up when you give up an agency.Choosing your team
- Surrogacy Scams – The Red Flags That Will Save YouAfter accompanying hundreds of parents through this process, I can tell you one thing with certainty: Most people in this industry genuinely care and are deeply dedicated to what they do. But wherever there's enormous emotion, big money and the dream of a family – there are also those who exploit it. In recent years we've seen too many cases of parents losing money, precious time, and sometimes embryos – because of untrustworthy players.The decision
- How Many Embryos Do You Need Before You Start? The Math of the OddsOne of the hardest questions to get a straight answer to: "We have X embryos – is that enough?" The clinic answers cautiously, the agency says "it depends", and in the groups everyone tells a different story. So let's bring some order to the math – no promises, but with logic.Medical & embryos
Hi, I'm Erez
A dad of twin girls born through US surrogacy. Since 2014 I've written down everything I learned — the good, the hard, and the parts nobody warns you about.
Quick answers
How much does surrogacy in the U.S. cost?
Most journeys land between $150,000 and $220,000 all in. The spread comes from agency fees, insurance, how many transfers you need, and whether you use an egg donor. These figures are for the United States — cost varies a great deal by country, and a journey elsewhere can be considerably cheaper or considerably more expensive.
The full cost breakdownHow long does the whole process take?
From first call to holding a baby, usually 18–30 months. Matching with a surrogate is the step that varies most.
Why matching takes so longCan same-sex male couples do surrogacy in the U.S.?
Yes, in most states. Which state you work in matters a great deal for the legal side, and that is worth deciding early.
Where a journey startsDo we need to be in the U.S. for the whole pregnancy?
No. Most parents travel for the transfer, sometimes for a scan, then arrive shortly before the due date and stay a few weeks after.
A month in the US, step by stepWhat documents will our baby get at birth?
A U.S. birth certificate and a court judgment establishing your parentage, plus a passport and social security number. Each one needs an apostille before it is useful back home.
Every document, in orderDo you have to be married to do surrogacy in the US?
No. Single people go through the process, and so do unmarried couples. What does change is the legal side in Israel, when parentage is registered.
Single-parent surrogacyWhat is a parentage order, and why does everyone talk about it?
It is the US judgment that establishes who the child's parents are. Some states issue it before the birth and some after, and that shapes everything downstream — the birth certificate, the passport, and registration in Israel.
The Israeli parentage orderWhen and where is the DNA test done?
Most families complete it in Israel after coming home. There is a consulate route in the US, but it is the exception.
From birth to registration in IsraelHow long do you stay in the US after the birth?
Usually three to six weeks — long enough to obtain a birth certificate, a passport and a social security number. The baby enters Israel on a US passport, which also means an ETA-IL.
A month in the US with a newborn