From "Is Russian Surrogacy Legal", to "Can foreigners still go?"

But now? The world has changed, and the winds have completely shifted.

If you are still searching online for "Russian surrogacy process", then the 80% information you see may be "expired food". The Russian surrogacy market, for us Chinese, has changed from the "gold" to the "big hole" in the market.

In this post today, I'm going to help you make sense of these three accounts:

• Redline Accounts: Is it true that the door to surrogacy for foreigners in Russia is now "welded shut"? (Do not listen to the salesman, read the article).
• Value Account: If it can't be used for surrogacy, is Russia wasted? Does it still have a use in assisted reproduction? (Spoiler alert: yes, and it's huge).
• Program Accounts: In 2025, what is a smarter and less expensive alternative for Chinese families than "going to Russia"?

90-Second Quick Take: Can Foreigners Still Surrogate in Russia? (Read the conclusion first)

So as not to waste your time, let's watch the ending first.

Bottom line.

List of different population groups (in pairs)

Don't just listen to the agents out there shouting "you can do it all", take a look at the table below, the legal boundaries have long been drawn to death. This is based on Existing Russian federal laws in 2025 Organized:

How to read this article

Legal framework of surrogacy in Russia: from "open to the whole world" to "reserved for nationals"

This part may be a bit boring, but I strongly recommend you to read it twice. Because only when you understand how the law has changed, you will be able to recognize at a glance what lies are being told by those agents who are still posting "Russian surrogacy hot recruitment" in their circles.

Russia in the past: why was it once a "surrogacy hot spot"?

Let's turn the clock back to the year 2020. At that time, Russia was really the world's "carnival" of surrogacy.

Why? Two reasons. Two reasons: poverty and slackness.
It was a time when the Russian economy was in the doldrums, the ruble was devalued, and a large number of Russian women were willing to improve their lives through surrogacy. At the same time, commercial surrogacy was legal by law and there was little defense against foreigners. As long as you paid money, the hospital would do it for you, and after the baby was born, the surrogate mother would sign a waiver of parental rights, and your name would be written on the birth paper.

In those days, the reproductive centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg were filled with Chinese, Europeans and Americans. It was indeed a "golden age".

Basic panels of existing laws

But it's all in the December 2022 It came to an abrupt end.

The definitions of surrogacy in the Russian Family Code and the Law on the Protection of Citizens' Health are now very strict:

• The genetic link must exist: At least one of the commissioning parents (that's you) must provide the genes (sperm or eggs).
• Parental rights are vested: The mother remains a surrogate mother in the legal sense until the birth of the child is registered with the Civil Administration (ZAGS). She must voluntarily sign a document giving up in order for the genetic parents to "take over". This remains unchanged and is one of the biggest legal pitfalls.

A key twist for 2022: banning foreigners from using Russian surrogacy services

That's the point.2022 In December, Putin signed a federal law overhauling the relevant provisions.

How did this happen?
The political climate in Russia at that time, as you know, emphasized "traditional values" and "national security". The Chairman of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, made a very strong statement to the effect that "foreigners, especially Westerners, should not be allowed to buy Russian children; this is child trafficking."

Looking back in 2025: surrogacy is still legal in Russia, but "who it's open to" has changed completely

It is now 2025, more than two years after the ban was imposed.

What I'm trying to tell you is this:Russia does not prohibit "surrogacy techniques" per se. Surrogate babies are still being born every day in Moscow's hospitals, except that the parents of these babies are all locals with Russian passports.

For us foreigners, Russian hospitals can only do one thing now:Help you with the IVF and get the embryos matched. As for into whose womb the embryo was placed? I'm sorry, but that's a legal no-go area. Russian hospitals don't dare touch it, and touching it is a criminal offense.

Who else can legally surrogate in Russia?

I've just given you an overview, but let's break down the "qualifications" into smaller pieces. In particular, some agents like to play word games, we have to fill in these holes.

Heterosexual married Russian couples

This is by far the most "authentic" customer base.

• Hard indicators: Both have Russian citizenship and a legal marriage license.
• Medical Indicators: It is not possible to substitute whenever you want. The woman must provide proof that she does not have a uterus, uterine abnormalities, or habitual miscarriages more than 3 times.
• Status: Even for nationals, the vetting is much stricter than before.

Russian single women

There is a big pit in this area. In the past, single women could "buy sperm + eggs + surrogacy", and the child was not related to them. Not anymore! The law states that single women looking for surrogacy must use their own eggs. This means that if you are an older single woman of Russian nationality with failing ovaries and want to be an egg donor surrogate? Sorry, the law doesn't allow it. This is to ensure that there is a direct blood connection between the child and the client.

Intercountry marriages in which one of the parties is a Russian citizen

This is a major concern for many Chinese and Russian families.Theory: As long as one of the parties is of Russian nationality, the law allows it. Howeverpractical difficultyIt's hard as hell:

• Marriage registration: It must be a legal marriage registered in Russia.
• Visa & Accompaniment: One of the Chinese nationals will need to enter and exit Russia frequently throughout the process, and while visas are easier now, they can be interrupted at any time if there are geopolitical fluctuations.
• Nationality of the child: The child was born with a Russian passport. To bring it back to China involves an extremely complicated process of recognizing nationality and obtaining a travel permit. In the current international situation, this step is fraught with uncertainty.

Both spouses are foreigners / Chinese

It doesn't matter if you have a green card from the U.S. or permanent residence in Europe, as long as the passports you're both holding aren't Russian, the matter is off the table.

I've seen how some shady brokers operate: they ask you to get a fake "work visa" or "permanent residence", or even a fake marriage.Don't ever believe it! Russia's customs and immigration authorities are very strict these days, and if you are found out, your child will be sent to an orphanage, and you will face jail time. It's not a "pay for lessons" thing anymore, it's a disaster.

same-sex couple & single males

Not only has Russia now banned surrogacy for foreigners, but even the LGBT propaganda law has been upgraded.

• Same-sex couples: Russia doesn't recognize same-sex marriage at all, so you're legally two unrelated men or women who can't sign a surrogacy contract as "parents".
• Single males: The law says that "single women" are allowed, but there is no mention of "single men". In the civil law system, there is no mention of "single male". No regular hospital dares to accept cases of surrogacy from single men.

Feasibility of Chinese families: the "fatal details" that agents don't tell you

This part is the "soul" of the whole article. We Chinese people are afraid of "information asymmetry". I'm going to dig out the details that are hidden in the cracks of the contract and show them to you.

The three most common types of "Russian surrogacy propaganda" on the Internet

Open Baidu or Xiaohongshu, you search "Russian surrogacy", the probability of seeing these three types of things, pay attention to screening:

Practical feasibility under different family structures

Let's analyze the situation and see what we can do for Chinese families:

• Dual Chinese couples (most common):Feasibility of surrogacy in Russia:0%I don't know. Don't struggle, really. Even if you have a high budget, you will not be able to go through the regular route. You have only two choices: either to go to the USA (expensive), or to use a combination of "Russian IVF + surrogacy in neighboring countries" (cost-effective).
• Chinese families who have emigrated to other countries:Some of my clients ask me, "I have a Canadian passport, or I took a St. Kitts passport, can I be considered a 'different kind of foreigner'?"Answer: Useless. In the eyes of Russian law, as long as one is not a Russian Citizen, it doesn't matter if one is American or Zambian, the treatment is the same - NO.
• For those who want a mixed-race babySingle men::It used to be a big selling point for Russia. Now? Surrogacy viability in Russia:0%. If you have to have a mixed-race baby, the way to do it now is to go to Russia, buy legal Asian/European eggs (Russian egg banks are still open to foreigners), make embryos, and ship them to other countries that allow single surrogates (e.g., the U.S., Kyrgyzstan, etc.) to have babies. This is what I call "global resourcing".

How to Quickly Identify "Yard Sale" Russian Surrogacy Programs

Old costs and processes: don't be fooled by the 2021 quotation

Many of my friends come to me with a quotation from another agency and ask me, "Look at this one, it's only 450,000 RMB all-inclusive, and success is guaranteed, is it a good deal?"

Dude, that's not a leak, that's a pit.

To help you recognize "outdated information" at a glance, I've put together this listComparative Tables of the Old and New Eras. If you see a promotion that fits this column on the left, blackball the person immediately.

Risk dismantling: what else could you be facing besides getting scammed out of your money?

Some parents have a big heart and feel "rich and famous" and want to take a gamble. As someone who has been there, I have to show you the real risks you may face if you have to go through with Russian surrogacy in 2025. It's not just about the money.

Russian IVF + Third Country Surrogacy: The Golden Circle of Life by 2025

Okay, enough scary talk, let's talk about hope.

If Russia doesn't allow surrogacy for foreigners, why do I still say that Russia is still important in the assisted reproduction landscape?
Because there's one thing Russia hasn't lost:World-class in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology and great value for money.

💡

The dominant play is now:"Embryos are created in Russia and children are born in third countries."For example:Russian IVF + Kyrgyz surrogacy in 2025 (joint program)It's like this: you draw the plans and make the core components in the best design house in the world (Russia) and then ship them to the factory with the friendliest policy and the right labor cost (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, etc.) to assemble and produce them.

Not only is this legal, but it can save you a ton of money.

• 1

  Step 1: Pre-assessment & Program Design

  Don't come up and buy a plane ticket. Do a medical checkup in your country first and send your hormone six, AMH, and semen analysis to a Russian doctor to look at. Key Decision Points: This is the time to decide "where to go for the second half of the trip".

  • On a tight budget and looking for great value for money? Choose Surrogacy in KyrgyzstanThe
  • Seeking a more stable Central Asian environment? Choose Surrogacy in KazakhstanThe
  • Extremely high budget and non-American? Choose Surrogacy in the United States(And yes, Russian embryos can be shipped to the U.S., which is quite a bit cheaper than doing IVF directly in the U.S.).
• 2

  Step 2: Going to Russia for three-generation test tube (IVF + PGT)

  This is the core technical aspect of the entire process. Ovulation for egg retrieval: The woman goes to Moscow for about 15 days. Fertilized and nurtured sac: Russian laboratory techniques for raising cysts are very strong, especially in cases of advanced age and poor ovarian function. PGT screening (focus): PGT-A (chromosome screening) is very cheap and widespread in Russia. This step eliminates those embryos that are not only such, but are prone to miscarriage, leaving only the healthiest. This is the key to ensuring a successful surrogacy at a later stage.
• 3

  Step 3: Embryo freezing and transnational transfer

  After the embryos have passed screening, they are frozen in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196°C. This is when professional medical cold chain transportation companies come into play. Check-in: The hospital issues an Export Permit. Physical transportation: Your embryos are hand-carried in a tank of liquid nitrogen and flown on a plane to be "escorted" to a fertility center in a third country. Risk Tip: You must find a licensed professional cold chain for this step, don't save the thousands of dollars.
• 4

  Step 4: Matching with a surrogate mom in the destination country & starting the process

  Once the embryos arrive in the third country (e.g., Kyrgyzstan), the rest of the process is the same as regular surrogacy. Choose a surrogate mom: The doctor checks the body of the surrogate mother and the lining is up to standard. Sign the contract: Sign a legal surrogacy agreement in the presence of a local lawyer (note: surrogacy is legal for foreigners in these countries). Transplant: Thawed embryos and transferred into the womb of the surrogate mother.
• 5

  Step 5: Delivery and Repatriation

  The child was born in a third country after 10 months of pregnancy. Licensing: Take the birth certificate from the hospital in the third country and register it with the civil administration. Return: Go to the Chinese Embassy in your local country to get a travel permit for your child, and then you can buy a plane ticket to carry your baby back to your home country to get a household registration.

Summary of Costs & Cycles (Summary Table)

What is the approximate cost of this program? Give a hands-on reference range (in Russian IVF + Surrogacy in Kyrgyzstan (for example):

Comparison of other countries: If not to Russian surrogates, where else?

Of course, all roads lead to Rome. If you think cross-country transit is too much of a toss-up, or you're really psyched about Russia, let's look at other purely single-country options.

Pitfall Scenarios & Scam Checklist: Don't be the "Big Foul"

It's a deep, deep water in this business. For this last piece, I'm going to give you a list. If you encounter any of the following during your counseling session, alarm bells are going off immediately.

Case in point: foreign couple fooled by "outdated policy propaganda"

Three-step fraud prevention checklist (life preserver)

FAQ: "Can foreigners still have surrogacy in Russia? 8 follow-up questions on "Can foreigners still be surrogates in Russia?

Every question here has been learned with real money and even blood and tears. It is recommended that you read them over and over again and even torture your agent with these questions.

Summary:

After all this writing, there are actually a thousand words that come together in one sentence:This way is not possible, but there is no dead end.

As a 10-year veteran of this industry, I sincerely hope that we can shift our focus from "can we still go to Russia to pick up the pieces" to "what is the safest way to do it".

Change the question from "Can we still go?" to "What is the safest combination?"

3 Tips for Readers at Different Stages