A handful of fertility hospitals and clinics offer surrogacy services in Goa. If you are among the intended parents who are considering surrogacy, then here are the things you need to know.
Qualifications for intended parents
Surrogacy in the country is legal but it is no longer open for foreigners since 2015. The government banned commercial surrogacy to prevent the exploitation of poor women and eliminate the so-called Indian baby farms.
According to the law, only Indian nationals or Indian passport holders with fertility issues are qualified to seek surrogacy in Goa and elsewhere in the country. Foreigners married to Indian citizens are also qualified. Couples who are considering surrogacy must present a doctor’s certificate of their infertility as proof.
Restrictions
The law further reiterates that only Indian couples who have been married for at least five years may apply for surrogacy services. Live-in couples and single parents are, therefore, not allowed to seek this form of fertility treatment. Homosexual couples are also not allowed. Talk to a fertility specialist for alternatives.
The surrogate
Surrogates are only chosen from the close relative of the intended parents. She can be a sibling or a cousin of one of the intended parents. The potential mother should be at least 35 years old, must be already married, and must already have a biological child. Consent from the husband of the potential surrogate is required.
Surrogacy in Goa involves a legally binding contract. Once signed, the volunteer surrogate mother won’t have the right to stop pregnancy except under certain circumstances.
Altruistic or unpaid surrogacy
Commercial surrogacy has been replaced by altruistic or unpaid surrogacy. In this arrangement, the surrogate mother who volunteers to carry the child in her womb will not receive payment from the couple who is her close kin.