Join as an Intended Parent
Criteria for Intended Parents
Unable to Sustain a Pregnancy Personally
Applicants must be able to provide evidence that they are unable to carry a pregnancy to term, or that carrying a pregnancy would pose a significant risk to their own health or the health of the baby. Supporting evidence will be requested from your GP/consultant/medical expert.
Relationship Status
If applying as a couple, intended parents must be in an enduring relationship or married. Solo or individual intended parents are also welcome to apply and must be eligible to apply for a parental order under UK law.
Gametes
One intended parent must be genetically related to any baby born through surrogacy, so they must be able to use their own embryos, or only use donor sperm OR donor eggs. Double donation is not allowed.
Residency
Intended parents must be domiciled in the UK and, if in a couple, be living together.
If you are not resident in the UK you must be able to prove your domicile status and how you can support your surrogate throughout the pregnancy.
Ethos
To be eligible for membership, intended parents must be committed to building and maintaining a genuine friendship with their surrogate that continues beyond the birth. Ongoing contact is expected, and intended parents should be willing for the child born through surrogacy to know and have a relationship with their surrogate as they grow up.
How to become an intended parent with Surrogacy UK:
Consultation & Application
Before submitting an application, you will be asked to attend a consultation with a member of our team. This is an opportunity to ask questions and explore whether SurrogacyUK is the right fit for you.
To arrange this, please email us. The consultation is an informal to go over our eligibility requirements, and for you to ask any questions before applying.
Following your consultation, you can submit your online application form (link below) and pay the £800 administration and application fee to begin your application.
This fee covers the administration and assessment work involved in processing your application and is non-refundable.
Applying does not guarantee membership. Where membership is offered, there may be a short waiting period (currently around 8 weeks) to maintain a balanced surrogate-to-intended parent ratio.
If membership is offered, you will be invited to pay a £2,000 membership fee and an annual renewal fee of £240.
Information Gathering
As part of your application, the welfare of any child born through surrogacy is central to our assessment and underpins all aspects of the process.
We gather a range of information and ask you to complete key stages designed to support both safeguarding and our ongoing assessment. This includes checks such as ID verification, background checks, and health and wellbeing information.
You will also take part in our Surrogacy Preparation Course, which forms an important part of both your learning and our assessment. This helps you to understand the legal, emotional, and practical aspects of surrogacy, while also allowing us to better understand your expectations, approach, and readiness for the journey.
Throughout this stage, we build a holistic understanding of your application, considering not only eligibility, but also your readiness for surrogacy, your expectations of the journey, and your ability to engage in an open, respectful, and non-coercive relationship with a surrogate.
We also consider how your approach aligns with SurrogacyUK’s ethos and values, including openness, mutual respect, and a commitment to the welfare of the child.
Self Reflection
At this stage, you will take time to reflect on your motivations, expectations, and approach to surrogacy.
This includes completing our Self Reflection Form, which forms part of a wider reflective process rather than a standalone task. It is an opportunity to think more deeply about your upcoming journey, the relationships involved, the long-term implications of surrogacy, and how best to prioritise the needs and welfare of any child born through the process.
In some cases, applicants may also be invited to attend a session with an independent counsellor as part of this stage.
This stage allows you to further develop your understanding and approach before your application moves forward.
Membership Decision
Once all stages of the application process are complete, a decision will be made based on the full picture developed throughout your application.
Not all applications will be progressed to membership. This may include situations where we feel an applicant is not yet ready for surrogacy, or where their expectations or approach are not fully aligned with how we support journeys within our community.
Where membership is offered, you will be invited to join SurrogacyUK by paying the £2,000 membership fee.
This marks the beginning of your active involvement within the SurrogacyUK community, where you will continue to build connections, engage with others, and prepare for a potential surrogacy journey.
Our process is designed to ensure that those joining the community are well-informed, appropriately prepared, and aligned with our values, helping to create the best possible foundations for a safe and supported surrogacy journey.