A lot of families struggle with where to do IVF, especially when surrogacy is involved. Honestly, pick the right country and you’ll dodge half the problems. Russia has solid surrogacy laws and mature third-generation IVF technology, but it’s not your only option—what matters is your budget and timeline.
Russia vs Georgia: How to Choose Surrogacy Agencies
Surrogacy is legal nationwide in Russia. Moscow-based surrogacy agencies get the highest recommendations, with surrogate mothers covered by medical insurance throughout the pregnancy after embryo transfer. Georgia runs about 30% cheaper, but only allows heterosexual married couples. Russian clinics handle the full process from contract to birth certificate, while Georgian agencies often require you to coordinate medical and legal steps separately. If you’re same-sex or single, Russia and the US are your realistic options—Georgia’s laws explicitly exclude you.
Third-Generation IVF: Lab Standards Determine Blastocyst Rates
Not all third-generation IVF programs can culture embryos to day-5 blastocysts. Top-tier labs with ISO 15189 certification hit 62% blastocyst rates, while average clinics might only reach 40%. What’s the difference? Incubator oxygen concentration, embryologist timing on egg retrieval, biopsy technique during PGT-A screening—these details directly impact whether your embryos make it to transfer. When you’re comparing clinics, ask to see their actual blastocyst conversion rates by age bracket, not just overall success rates. A clinic quoting you 70% success without breaking down by patient age is hiding something.
Real Timeline: From Stimulation to Flying Home with Your Baby
Many people think they can start stimulation right after signing the contract. Reality check: preliminary medical exams and legal document notarization alone take 6-8 weeks. Then add 10-14 days for ovarian stimulation, 5-6 days for blastocyst culture, another 2-3 weeks for PGT-A results if you’re doing genetic screening. Once you transfer to a surrogate, you’re looking at 9 months of pregnancy plus 2-4 weeks for birth certificate processing and passport application for the baby. Total timeline from contract signature to boarding your flight home: 12-14 months minimum for surrogacy, 2-3 months if you’re carrying yourself.
Where to do IVF has no one-size-fits-all answer, but for surrogacy you must choose a country with clear legal frameworks, for third-generation IVF you must verify lab credentials, and post-transfer pregnancy management plus birth certificate processing are equally critical. Break these three pieces apart when interviewing agencies—if they can’t give straight answers, cross them off your list immediately.
📌 Extended reading: Where to Do IVF? Complete Kyrgyzstan Surrogacy Process Documented