Intended Parents

All You Need to Know About Completing a Surrogacy in Mexico


Key Points:
  • Understand whether or not completing surrogacy in Mexico is possible for American parents.
  • Learn more about the legal implications of pursuing surrogacy in Mexico.
  • Find the best way for you to go through the surrogacy process by contacting a surrogacy agency today.

Surrogacy in Mexico is similar to other international surrogacy programs.  The country has new regulations that limit who can enter into a surrogacy agreement.

You can find out more about how American surrogacy agencies help people become parents in the United States by contacting a surrogacy professional today. But, continue reading to find out what Mexican surrogacy restrictions and regulations mean for you.

Is Surrogacy Legal in Mexico?

Since 1997, surrogacy has been legal in Tabasco, Mexico, because of a modification in the state’s civil code. It stated that a child born from a surrogate mother would legally belong to the parent who contracted the birth. No more detailed regulations for the Mexican surrogacy process were enacted.

In response to growing controversies in surrogacy programs around the world, the Tabasco government recognized the need for safe surrogacy regulations in 2016. That year, new laws banned international intended parents from completing a surrogacy in Mexico. Mexican LGBT individuals and couples and heterosexual singles were also prohibited from the surrogacy process.

Today, only heterosexual couples with Mexican citizenship, between the age of 25 and 40, who can prove their inability to carry a pregnancy, are allowed to pursue surrogacy in Mexico.

Therefore, international intended parents who wish to pursue surrogacy in Mexico would be doing so illegally.

Why Has Mexican Surrogacy Been Banned?

The lack of regulations when the surrogacy process was first legalized led to many risks and complications for surrogacies in Mexico. As the number of international intended parents coming to Mexico skyrocketed, surrogacy professionals could not keep up with the demand, and protections for intended parents and surrogates began to fall by the wayside.

Surrogacy in Mexico was plagued with many of the controversies that other international programs experienced: no regulations for surrogate compensation, unlicensed clinics and fertility specialists, “baby factories” where surrogates were kept until giving birth, higher mortality rate in childbirth and more. Despite these risks, many women turned to surrogacy for the financial gain, with some getting pregnant year after year — and falling victim to the medical risks involved.

While surrogacy in Mexico did not have as high-profile cases like Thailand did with the “Baby Gammy” case, Mexican officials recognized the potential for these situations in an unregulated surrogacy process. Therefore, the Mexican surrogacy restrictions were passed shortly after those international scandals made headlines around the world.

Will Mexican Surrogacy Ever Be Legal Again?

It’s difficult to say whether Mexican legislators will allow international intended parents the chance to pursue surrogacy in this country again but, because the restrictions are so recent, it’s reasonable to expect more time before the laws are revisited again.

Those who were pursuing surrogacy in Mexico at the time these restrictions were enacted were given a nine-month delay in order to obtain a proper birth certificate for their child. However, while there were some intended parents with pregnant surrogates at the time, others were still in the early stages of the process — meaning they needed more than nine months to successfully complete their surrogacy in Mexico. The New York Times reported that an estimated 100 babies were still expected to be born even a year into the surrogacy ban.

For intended parents in that situation and for those still awaiting papers for their newborns, the only option was to sue the Mexican government. There are many families still in this process, and their future remains uncertain.

If you’re thinking about pursuing surrogacy in Mexico, do so with caution. There are still some surrogacy agencies in Mexico that operate with intended parents from the U.S., using a combination of IVF treatments in Mexico with a birth in the U.S. to reduce costs involved. If you are interested in working with one of these professionals, make sure they clearly lay out the legal protections you and your surrogate will be given, as well as how the legal process will work. Building a family is an important process — and it’s not one to be left up to chance and risk.

That’s why one of the best places to pursue surrogacy is actually in the United States, where you can find multiple surrogacy-friendly states for protection for you and your surrogate during the process. Unlike in Mexico and other countries, the surrogacy laws in the U.S. aren’t as likely to change quickly, which means you can pursue a safer surrogacy process as an intended parent.

Wherever you decide to pursue surrogacy, make sure you speak with an experienced surrogacy agency to learn more about what options are available to you.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the US, surrogates and intended parents are matched in an average of 1 - 6 months. This makes it faster to reach your surrogacy goals.

Next Steps to Starting a Successful Surrogacy Journey

Are you interested in learning more about surrogacy or starting the process? Complete our form to request free surrogacy information now.

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