Surrogacy Cost in Australia for Intended Parents Explained.
For intended parents considering Surrogacy in Australia, the financial side of the journey is as important to consider as the medical and legal aspects of the journey. One of the first questions families ask in relation to surrogacy is ‘How much does Surrogacy Cost in Australia?’
There is no single cost for a surrogacy journey, as the amount depends on factors such as the type of fertility treatment required, whether or not donor eggs are required for embryo creation, the amount of embryo transfers required, as well as other costs including legal services, counselling, the surrogate’s pregnancy related expenses, travel and more.
This is distinct from countries where commercial surrogacy is offered by package and intended parent’s budget to pay a surrogate for their pregnancy. In Australia, surrogacy is conducted on an altruistic basis only and therefore while a surrogate’s expenses are covered by the intended parents, those expenses are considered to be eligible and reasonable and form part of the intended parents’ overall budget for their journey.
Note that when comparing the cost of surrogacy in Australia to packages offered in other countries, one must look beyond the stated cost of the package as there are significant differences between countries offering altruistic surrogacy and those offering commercial surrogacy.
Surrogacy Cost Australia: What Should You Budget?
The cost to have a surrogacy in Australia can differ from family to family.
One of the main aspects of planning for a surrogacy journey is the cost. Many surrogacy journeys can cost between $50,000 and $100,000+ and this is just a rough guide and can vary from family to family depending on what treatment they need to complete their journey.
This will make an excellent starting point for intended parents to understand broadly the cost of a Surrogacy journey in Australia and can be used as a starting point to determine a budget for their individual circumstances.
For example, a couple who already have suitable embryos in storage may have a very different financial journey compared to a couple who need to undertake IVF using donor eggs and go through several embryo transfers, some of which may require further medical treatment.
A Simple Way to Look at the Budget
| Expense Area | Indicative Cost / Budget Consideration |
|---|---|
| Fertility consultation and assessment | AUD $200 – $500+ |
| IVF treatment | AUD $8,000 – $15,000+ |
| IVF medications | AUD $2,000 – $6,000+ |
| ICSI, if required | Additional cost |
| Embryo creation and laboratory services | AUD $2,000 – $5,000+ |
| Embryo freezing and storage | Additional cost |
| Frozen embryo transfer | AUD $2,000 – $5,000+ |
| Donor egg treatment | Provider-specific / additional |
| Counselling and psychological services | Variable |
| Legal services | Variable |
| Surrogate-related eligible expenses | Variable |
| Pregnancy and maternity care | Variable |
| Additional treatment | If required |
| Travel and accommodation | Separate budget |
| Overall planning range | Approximately AUD $50,000 – $100,000+ |
Why the Final Price Can Be Difficult to Predict
When couples discuss the cost of surrogacy they refer to the overall cost of the process rather than one single treatment. The cost of surrogacy is made up of several separate stages, fertility treatment, embryo creation, the arrangements with the surrogate and her pregnancy, the birth of the baby and the legal process to gain parentage of the child.
Think of the journey as:
Another factor is that the cost of Surrogacy involves several separate aspects of the fertility treatment process, such as: fertility treatment, embryo creation, Surrogate arrangement, pregnancy, birth, legal parentage of the children.
Each stage can introduce different expenses.
The costs for two people who are going through the same fertility treatment at the same clinic can vary significantly.
For example, one family may need another embryo transfer to achieve a pregnancy, whereas another family may use their own eggs or require the eggs of a donor. Additionally, if you or your partner are traveling from overseas, you will need to factor in additional costs for accommodation and transport to and from treatment, which would not apply to an Australian resident.
This is why a budget should include a contingency amount to cover any unexpected costs rather than relying on a first quote.
Surrogacy Packages in Australia: What Is Usually Included?
People searching for surrogacy packages in Australia may expect to find one fixed package covering everything from IVF through to the birth of your child.
The Australian system does not work that simply.
Each individual service provider (such as fertility clinics, lawyers, counselors and more) may charge separately for their services and vary depending on the individual’s circumstances and the specific treatment plan in place.
A surrogacy service or package provider should have a comprehensive list of inclusions and exclusions for a client to review before comparing packages.
Before comparing the different packages, ask for a complete list of what is included in the quoted price and what is not.
- Fertility consultations
- IVF or ICSI
- Fertility medications
- Embryo creation
- Embryo freezing
- Embryo storage
- Embryo transfer
- Donor-related services
- Counselling
- Legal advice
- Surrogate-related expenses
- Pregnancy care
- Delivery
- Additional embryo transfers
- Genetic testing
- Travel and accommodation
- Post-birth legal documentation
Just because a more expensive package is offered, doesn’t necessarily mean you are being ripped off. The extra funds you pay could actually be for services that the other provider charge as an extra!
Surrogate Mother Cost in Australia
The term surrogate mother cost in Australia needs to be understood carefully.
The Australian market for surrogacy is primarily altruistic, meaning there is no payment made to a woman for her pregnancy.
Though the costs of a legitimate arrangement may need to be paid by the intended parents, these costs are legitimate.
Some examples of legitimate expenses for the Surrogate’s and pregnancy include:
The key point to understand is that the Surrogate’s involvement is not to be treated as if she was undertaking a service in the normal commercial way of some other country’s programs and paid a listed fee for her surrogacy.
For intended parents, the more useful question is:
What expenses need to be budgeted for in relation to the surrogate and the pregnancy?
It will depend upon the state or territory in which the surrogate resides as well as the individual circumstances and agreement of the parties.
IVF Surrogacy Cost Australia
IVF Surrogacy Cost in Australia – IVF is typically a large portion of the cost of a surrogacy arrangement for Intended Parents.
IVF may involve several separate charges, including:
- Fertility specialist consultations
- Blood tests and ultrasound monitoring
- Ovarian stimulation
- Egg collection
- Sperm preparation
- Embryo laboratory work
- ICSI, where clinically appropriate
- Embryo culture
- Embryo freezing
- Embryo storage
- Frozen embryo transfer
Not every intended parent will require every service.
For example, if a family already has embryos from prior IVF cycles, they would not need to include the cost of another egg collection cycle in their intended parent budget. Conversely, a family who does not get suitable embryos in the first cycle of IVF may require additional rounds of treatment.
In essence, the cost of IVF should be discussed with a fertility specialist in order to arrive at a total cost for surrogacy.
Gestational Surrogacy Cost Australia
Gestational Surrogacy Cost Australia – Created by Embryo in IVF.
Gestational Surrogacy: This type of surrogacy involves the surrogate carrying an embryo created by IVF using the intended parents’ eggs and/or sperm.
There are several possible pathways.
Own Eggs and Intended Father’s Sperm
This is generally how intended parents create their embryos for Gestational Surrogacy where appropriate.
The main cost for this type of fertility treatment is the initial fertility treatment as well as the subsequent embryo transfer(s), and also the associated medication, and egg collection.
Donor Eggs
All costs listed for Gestational Surrogacy above assume use of the intended mother’s eggs. Costs for Gestational Surrogacy using donor eggs are significantly higher and include the costs of the donor program as listed below.
Additional services for donor-related services such as screening and coordination are also provided within the treatment process.
Existing Frozen Embryos
Some intended parents already have frozen embryos from previous fertility treatment.
There are also existing embryos which have been left in storage by couples who have undergone previous fertility treatment and are now looking for an alternative way to have a child.
The reason for this is the third party involved in Gestational Surrogacy – Donor Eggs.
Donor Egg Surrogacy Cost in Australia
The cost for Donor Egg Surrogacy in Australia will generally be greater than that for the intended mother’s eggs as there are additional costs associated with the donor and their services.
The cost depends on the specific donor program and fertility clinic you are using.
Possible areas of expenditure include:
- Donor program access
- Donor screening
- Medical assessment
- Fertility treatment
- Egg collection
- Laboratory services
- Embryo creation
- Embryo freezing
- Embryo transfer
- Legal and counselling requirements where applicable
These components should be detailed and listed separately in a financial estimate for donor egg treatment as well.
Own Eggs vs Donor Eggs
| Treatment Pathway | Main Financial Considerations |
|---|---|
| IVF, medication, egg collection and embryo creation | IVF treatment, fertility medications, egg collection, laboratory services and embryo creation |
| Donor Eggs + Gestational Surrogacy | Donor-related services, IVF treatment, medications and embryo creation |
| Existing Frozen Embryos + Surrogacy | Embryo storage, preparation and frozen embryo transfer |
| Additional IVF Cycle | Additional IVF treatment, medications, monitoring and laboratory costs |
| Additional Embryo Transfer | Additional embryo transfer and associated treatment costs |
| Genetic Testing | Additional genetic testing and laboratory expenses |
Can You Find Low Cost Surrogacy in Australia?
Increased awareness of surrogacy around the world has seen many people searching for low cost surrogacy in Australia.
Most importantly though, the lowest starting price does not necessarily equal the lowest final cost!
Also, a seemingly cheap start price for an IVF cycle does not necessarily mean that there are no additional costs for medication, for example, for further embryo transfers, for genetic testing etc. also for legal services etc.
Compare costs – beware of hidden extras -eg cost of travel, accommodation for the surrogacy meeting, cost of other pregnancy related expenses not included in the service description.
Instead of asking only:
“Who offers the cheapest surrogacy?”
intended parents should ask:
“While you are searching for low cost surrogacy in Australia, what will be the total cost for your intended parents of the complete journey and what will be included in the clinic’s costs for IVF?
This approach provides a more realistic comparison.
What Can Increase the Surrogacy Cost in Australia?
Several circumstances can change the final budget
- A Second IVF Cycle
- Multiple IVF Cycles (e.g. second round of IVF).
- More Than One Embryo Transfer
- The cost to the family of further embryo transfer(s) in order to achieve a successful pregnancy.
Donor Eggs
The cost of Donor Eggs is an additional expense when using a donor rather than the Intended Mother’s eggs.
Genetic Testing
The cost for embryo genetic testing for some families as it is another lab fee that is incurred during their pregnancy.
Pregnancy-Related Expenses
There are extra appointments, tests, treatments and even hospitalization costs as part of pregnancy.
Legal Services
Surrogacy requires a number of legal documents to be completed which can incur additional costs for intended parents such as the cost of their independent legal advice.
Travel
If you are traveling from interstate or overseas, you will also need to factor in flights, accommodation, travel and time spent away from work.
A Better Way to Compare a Surrogacy Package in Australia
When reviewing a surrogacy package Australia create two columns:
Included and Not Included
Then compare each provider using the same checklist.
| Cost Area | Included | Not Included / Additional Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fertility consultation | Check provider | Check provider |
| IVF treatment | Check provider | Check provider |
| IVF medication | Check provider | Check provider |
| ICSI | Check provider | Check provider |
| Embryo freezing | Check provider | Check provider |
| Embryo storage | Check provider | Check provider |
| Embryo transfer | Check provider | Check provider |
| Donor egg services | If applicable | Check provider |
| Counselling | Check provider | Check provider |
| Legal services | Check provider | Check provider |
| Surrogate-related expenses | Check arrangement | Variable |
| Pregnancy care | Check arrangement | Variable |
| Delivery | Check arrangement | Variable |
| Additional embryo transfer | Usually additional | Yes |
| Genetic testing | If required | Usually additional |
| Travel and accommodation | Usually excluded | Separate cost |
It’s easy to compare seemingly low-priced treatments and find out later that they cost a lot more.
What Should Intended Parents Ask Before Starting?
We recommend that before intending parents pay a deposit and commence their treatment that they get a written cost analysis from the IVF clinic and relevant health care professionals.
Useful questions include:
- What is included in the IVF quotation?
- Are fertility medications included?
- Is ICSI included?
- How many embryo transfers are included?
- What happens if the first transfer fails?
- What are the embryo freezing and storage charges?
- Are donor egg costs included?
- What legal fees should we expect?
- What surrogate-related expenses should we budget for?
- Are counselling costs included?
- What pregnancy-related costs could arise?
- Are delivery expenses included?
- Is genetic testing included?
- What travel costs should we expect?
- Are there state or territory-specific requirements that could affect the budget?
A written list of the estimated expenses is more useful than a single figure.
How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Australia?
So, how much does surrogacy cost in Australia?
There is no universal answer.
The approximate range of $50,000 + $100,000 is useful for financial planning purposes for some intended parents, but the costs for individual intended parents can exceed this range.
The final amount can depend on:
- IVF requirements
- Medication
- Number of treatment cycles
- Embryo transfers
- Donor eggs
- Genetic testing
- Counselling
- Legal services
- Surrogate-related eligible expenses
- Pregnancy and delivery
- Travel and accommodation
- Other individual circumstances
Rather than purchasing a generic online package, create a budget based on your real treatment plans.
Final Thoughts
Remember that the cost of a surrogacy journey includes the total cost of your journey, not just the cost of one cycle of IVF treatment.
Intended parents should calculate the full cost of their medical treatment plus the costs of their lawyer and the counseling required for both intended parents and the birth mother. A further amount should be included for contingencies that may arise during the course of their journey such as the need for additional treatment and travel.
Most importantly, compare the total cost of a complete journey rather than a advertised starting price.
Look for a complete price list of all services to be provided. Make sure you know all the included services and all the excluded services and even if there are some services that can be added later and that cost even more.
Frequently Asked Questions about Surrogacy Cost in Australia
What is the surrogacy cost Australia?
A family’s budget can vary quite greatly in planning for surrogacy and the cost in planning for this process can vary greatly as well in Australia and typically would range from AUD $50,000 to over AUD $100,000+ in planning and paying for this process.
How much does surrogacy cost in Australia for international intended parents?
The travel, accommodation and length of stay for fertility treatment, legal matters and other individual circumstances will vary for international intended parents.
Is commercial surrogacy allowed in Australia?
While commercial surrogacy is not permitted in Australia, altruistic surrogacy is legal in Australia. However, laws in relation to surrogacy vary from state to territory, so intended parents should obtain up-to-date legal advice in relation to their specific circumstances.
What is the surrogate mother cost in Australia?
There is no set commercial rate for a surrogate’s fee in Australia. All surrogacy is conducted on an altruistic basis and therefore the only expenditure that a surrogacy arrangement may cover is that which is considered to be eligible under the relevant state or territory laws.
Is IVF included in surrogacy packages in Australia?
Services such as IVF cycles, embryo creation, pathology testing, obstetric care etc may be provided separately and clients should obtain a full and detailed breakdown of all costs and services included in the quoted price.
Is donor egg surrogacy more expensive?
Yes. Donor related expenses can add additional costs to the price of IVF and the cost of embryo creation.
What is the cheapest surrogacy option in Australia?
All family building options need to be costed out in full and then the most cost effective option determined. However, if a family has existing embryos that are suitable for use, this can often be the least expensive option of all IVF to use a surrogate.
Do failed embryo transfers increase the total cost of a journey?
Yes, it can be. The cost of an additional embryo transfer (embryo thaw, embryo transfer, accompanying monitoring, treatment, blood tests, and other expenses related to it) will need to be added to the cost of the previous embryo transfer/s.