A clear guide to what surrogacy involves in Ireland under the 2024 Act — eligibility, the process, your legal protections, what expenses you can claim, and how to register with AHRRA.
Note: This page provides general information only. It is not legal or medical advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor and medical professional before making decisions about surrogacy.
Ireland's Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 made Ireland one of the few countries with a clear, rights-based legal framework for surrogacy. Surrogacy in Ireland is altruistic — you cannot be paid a fee, but you can be fully reimbursed for documented pregnancy-related expenses.
As a surrogate, you are protected by law. You must have your own independent solicitor, complete mandatory counselling, and register with AHRRA. No arrangement can proceed without your ongoing consent at every stage.
The 2024 Act sets out clear requirements. You must meet all of these before an arrangement can be approved by AHRRA.
You must be at least 25 years old at the time you register with AHRRA.
You must have previously given birth to at least one child of your own.
A medical assessment confirms you are physically fit to carry a pregnancy safely.
A psychological evaluation confirms you understand the emotional implications and are mentally prepared.
You must obtain independent legal advice from your own solicitor before signing any agreement.
You must register with AHRRA — the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority — before any formal arrangement begins.
Here is what to expect at each stage of the process under the 2024 Act framework.
Becoming a surrogate is a significant physical, emotional, and time commitment. Before anything formal, speak with people who have done it. Read widely. Discuss it honestly with your partner or family if applicable. Consider whether your support network understands and supports your decision.
Mandatory counselling with a therapist experienced in surrogacy and reproductive issues is required before any arrangement can proceed. This is for your benefit — to explore your motivations, expectations, and how you will manage attachment, the birth, and handing the baby to intended parents. Many surrogates find this genuinely valuable, not just a hurdle.
A fertility clinic carries out a thorough medical assessment to confirm you are physically suitable to carry a pregnancy. This includes screening for medical conditions, blood tests, uterine assessment, and review of your previous pregnancy history.
Register independently with AHRRA. You will be placed on the national register. Intended parents and surrogates are connected through AHRRA-facilitated channels (not commercial agencies). The registration process includes submission of all assessments and a formal expression of willingness to act as a surrogate.
You must instruct your own solicitor — completely independent of the intended parents' solicitor. Your solicitor will explain your rights, review the surrogacy agreement before you sign, and ensure the arrangement is legally sound and fair. This protects you, not the intended parents.
Once all approvals are in place and the agreement is signed, the fertility clinic carries out the embryo transfer. You will have your own obstetric care throughout the pregnancy. The intended parents are typically involved in agreed ways — present at scans, regular communication — as set out in your surrogacy plan.
At birth, you are registered as the legal mother. The intended parents will then apply to the court for a parental order — typically within 6 months. Your consent is required at this stage. Once the parental order is granted, the intended parents become the legal parents and your legal responsibilities end.
The 2024 Act was designed to protect surrogates. These are the key legal protections you have.
You must have your own solicitor, paid for separately. No arrangement is valid unless you've received and understood independent legal advice.
Your consent is required at multiple points in the process, not just at the start. No one can proceed without it.
You have the right to your own GP, midwife, and obstetric care team throughout the pregnancy — independent of the fertility clinic.
Ireland bans commercial surrogacy. No one may pay you — or withhold payment from you — to influence your decisions during the pregnancy or at birth.
You are entitled to access counselling at any stage — before, during, and after the pregnancy — at the intended parents' expense.
AHRRA oversees the entire process. If anything goes wrong, the regulatory authority has powers to investigate and intervene.
You cannot be paid a fee for surrogacy in Ireland. But you can be reimbursed in full for reasonable, documented expenses directly related to the pregnancy. These should be agreed in writing in the surrogacy agreement.
AHRRA requires that expenses are reasonable, documented, and agreed in advance in the surrogacy agreement. Keep receipts and records from the start. Your solicitor will help ensure the expense framework in your agreement is fair and AHRRA-compliant.
As a surrogate, you need a solicitor and a counsellor — both mandatory under the Act. Both are paid for by the intended parents.
Your solicitor must be independent of the intended parents' legal team. Find firms in Ireland with AHR Act expertise.
View solicitors →Mandatory counselling from a therapist experienced in surrogacy and reproductive issues — before, during, and after the pregnancy.
View counsellors →Under the 2024 Act, a surrogate must be at least 25 years old, have previously given birth to at least one child, be in good physical and mental health, and register with AHRRA. A thorough medical and psychological assessment is required before any surrogacy arrangement is approved.
No. Ireland's 2024 Act establishes altruistic surrogacy only — you cannot be paid a fee for carrying the pregnancy. However, reasonable, documented expenses can be reimbursed: medical costs, maternity clothing, travel, lost wages during recovery, and similar out-of-pocket costs directly related to the pregnancy.
Yes — it is mandatory under the 2024 Act. You must obtain independent legal advice from your own solicitor (separate from the intended parents' solicitor) before signing any surrogacy agreement. This protects your rights and ensures you fully understand the arrangement before committing.
Under Irish law, the surrogate is registered as the legal mother at birth. She retains this status until the intended parents obtain a parental order from the court. The surrogate's consent is required for the parental order to proceed. If she withdraws consent before the order is granted, the situation becomes legally complex — which is why the pre-arrangement process is rigorous.
AHRRA (the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority) is the body established under the 2024 Act to oversee surrogacy in Ireland. Surrogates register independently with AHRRA and complete the required screening and counselling process before any formal arrangement can begin. Visit ahrra.ie for current registration guidance.
In most cases, surrogacy under the 2024 Act is gestational — the embryo is created from the intended parents' gametes (or a donor's), not the surrogate's. The surrogate carries the pregnancy but has no genetic connection to the child. Traditional surrogacy (using the surrogate's own egg) is possible but less common and more legally complex.
Whether you're curious, exploring, or ready to take the first step — we can point you in the right direction.
Contact UsThinking about becoming a surrogate? Register your interest and we'll guide you to AHRRA registration and the independent support every surrogate is entitled to. No obligation.