Surrogacy in Greece
NEWS 20 MAY 2025 –
From now on, surrogacy arrangements under Greek law will be legally permitted only if:
– The intended mother (the applicant) and The surrogate mother both have their legal residence in Greece
Judicial authorization for surrogacy will only be granted under these conditions, limiting access to cross-border surrogacy procedures conducted via Greek courts.
Surrogacy in Greece. You are required to obtain permission of the Court in Greece before entering into a surrogacy arrangement. There has recently been an investigation at one popular clinic relating to human trafficking allegations. In that case, the lawyer was attached to the agency/clinic. It is essential for your advice to be from an independent lawyer in Greece, not one attached to the agency. Please read about surrogacy abroad first.
Surrogacy in Greece is available for married or unmarried heterosexual couples or single women. Less established is the law for single men or homosexual couples though there are signs of progression.
Careful advice and planning is required to complete your arrangement. It is important to do extensive research and make sure that whatever decision you make, is legal in Greece.
The better surrogacy clinics/agencies will be transparent about the surrogate recruitment policy and the monies paid to the surrogate. The onus is on you and us to ask relevant questions to make sure that exploitation does not take place. I advise that you have private discussions with your surrogate and hire an interpreter where necessary. If you do not do this, you risk there being serious misunderstandings between you and the surrogate. Always beware of agencies that offer you a surrogate from different jurisdictions. There is a high risk of human trafficking.
Having conducted surrogacy cases for many years, I am in a good position to advise you of the pitfalls. I also have experience with the citizenship and passport procedure to get you back to the UK with your child swiftly.
If you are considering surrogacy in Greece or any other destination, please do not hesitate to contact me for advice.
Regardless of the surrogacy law in Greece, the surrogate is always the legal mother. Whether one of you is the legal father will depend on the insemination or transfer and whether the surrogate is married. It is essential that you get advice before you start the process. I will advise you on whether you can become legal parents to the child(ren) and how to return to England with the child. I will then provide a bespoke service for you to obtain a Parental Order.
A Parental Order extinguishes any legal rights that the surrogate and her husband have for the child. If you do not apply for a Parental Order by the time the child is 6 months old, you may need to consider alternatives such as adoption. This deadline has been extended in some cases. I will work with you to ensure that all of the necessary paperwork is in place for the Parental Order process within the deadline.
Please call our surrogacy lawyers for advice on surrogacy in Greece today on 01727 884 688 or e-mail directly on harjit@surrogacylawyers.co.uk
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I provide legal advice on surrogacy based on the law in England and Wales.
I have acted for clients working with many agencies across the world. I will not recommend any surrogacy provider, destination, agency or clinic. If my advice concludes that you can become legal parents following the arrangement you are considering, it should not be taken as advice to proceed. If I have acted for couples who have entered into similar arrangements, you should not take that as advice to proceed. You must always do your own due diligence on any agency / destination. A successful arrangement for someone else won’t always mean a successful arrangement for you. I will not take part in any negotiations for your surrogacy arrangement nor, will I review your surrogacy contract.