Most Irish intended parents who use surrogacy do so abroad. The 2024 Act sets out how international arrangements are recognised — and what you must do to bring your baby home with legal certainty.
Ireland has no licensed domestic matching agency, and domestic surrogacy must be fully altruistic. Many intended parents therefore work with established overseas programmes that handle matching, the surrogate's care, and clinic coordination. Read first-hand context in our international surrogacy article.
Going abroad does not automatically make you the legal parent in Ireland. You'll need to follow the Irish process for recognising parenthood (typically a parental order or equivalent recognition route) alongside the foreign legal steps. The 2024 Act also introduced approval steps for international arrangements — doing these in the right order is critical.
Because the international pathway involves two legal systems, specialist advice is non-negotiable. Speak to a solicitor experienced in international surrogacy before you sign with any agency or clinic abroad — and see ahrra.ie for the regulator's current guidance.
Yes. The 2024 Act recognises international surrogacy for Irish intending parents, subject to its conditions. Unlike domestic surrogacy, payments to intermediaries/agencies are permitted in the international context.
The Act introduced a framework for international arrangements, which can include pre-approval steps. The process and timing matter a great deal — get specialist Irish legal advice before you commit to a clinic or agency abroad.
Common destinations include the United States and several others with established surrogacy frameworks. Suitability depends on cost, legal recognition, and how the arrangement maps onto Irish parental-order requirements.
You will generally need to secure legal parenthood in Ireland (e.g. via a parental order/recognition process) in addition to any foreign legal steps. This is where dual-jurisdiction legal advice is essential.
Register your interest and we'll point you to the right regulated pathway and the professionals who can help. Surrogacy.ie is an information service — we don't match parties ourselves.
Register Your Interest