Planning Your Surrogacy with Shipped Frozen Embryos

If you have embryos stored from previous IVF cycles and, due to current medical conditions, you no longer plan to transfer them to yourself, shipping emerges as a viable option. This option is also beneficial in cases where you have frozen eggs predating your consideration of an IVF or surrogacy journey. Moreover, if you possess frozen sperm with superior quality compared to your current conditions, opting for material shipping stands out as the most suitable choice. This approach ensures flexibility and convenience, aligning with your evolving reproductive decisions and health considerations.

The anxiety surrounding potential damage during transportation is understandable, but with advanced hand-carry shipping services, this process has become exceptionally reliable, offering peace of mind to intended parents. In the hands of a reputable shipper, the careful monitoring of nitrogen levels in the shipping container, pre-arrangements with airports and airlines, and strict adherence to timelines ensure the safe delivery of frozen materials to the destination clinic. We understand the delicate nature of your precious cargo, and our partnered shipping companies have a proven track record of secure deliveries around the globe.

Navigating Embryo Shipment to Georgia: Legal and Medical Insights

For intended parents considering surrogacy in Georgia, it is essential to navigate the legal and medical aspects of shipping frozen embryos. Georgian regulations stipulate that only embryos genetically linked to both intended parents can be shipped for surrogacy. In Georgia, the use of frozen embryos, eggs, or sperm from anonymous donors is not permitted. 

When donor eggs or sperm are utilized, it is imperative to have comprehensive legal documentation to establish a known donation. The required legal documents include: Power of Attorney from Donor: This document authorizes specific actions related to the use of reproductive materials and signifies the donor’s consent to the process. Current Valid Passport Copy: A copy of the donor’s passport serves as a means of identification and verification of their current legal status. Original Clinic Certification: An official document from the clinic confirming that the individual is a recognized donor and has actively participated in the creation or freezing of the embryos, eggs, or sperm. These legal measures ensure transparency and legality in the assisted reproductive process, providing a clear framework for all parties involved. It is essential to have these documents in place to comply with legal requirements in Georgia and to facilitate a smooth and secure reproductive journey.

When shipping embryos, eggs or sperm to Georgia, you can bypass the need to travel before the baby’s birth, offering a more flexible approach to your surrogacy journey. However, careful preparation of legal and medical documents is crucial for a seamless process. These documents play a vital role in the successful registration of your child after birth and are mandatorily prepared before the frozen materials leave original clinic. Ensuring that the legal documents align with the regulations of Georgia is of utmost importance. In certain instances, intended parents have initiated the shipment process before completing the necessary document preparation. Unfortunately, complications have arisen when the original clinic, where the reproductive materials were collected, did not cooperate in providing the required documentation. Such situations could potentially result in legal inconveniences after the birth of the baby. It is strongly advised to secure all legal paperwork in accordance with Georgian regulations before proceeding with any reproductive material shipments to avoid complications later in the process.

Here is a checklist of the required medical and legal documentation. In the following pages, we provide samples of each document to offer you a clear understanding of the included information, the document’s appearance, and the comprehensive coverage it provides. Our aim is to assist you in ensuring the accurate preparation of these documents, guiding you through the process to meet all necessary requirements.

Legal Document Checklist:

Medical Document Checklist:

• Results of infectious diseases screening (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and Syphilis) done within three months before creating the embryos/ freezing eggs or sperm. Results shall be either stamped or signed (or preferably both) with a wet blue pen. 

• It is important to note that if blood tests were conducted more than three months prior to the creation of embryos or the freezing of eggs and sperm, we have a flexible solution. In such cases, we advise intended parents to undergo blood tests anytime after the creation of embryos/ freezing eggs or sperm. Recognizing that infectious diseases can be traced in the blood test results even if it is treated (undetectable), we accept post-creation blood test results as a viable alternative. However, the specifics of this arrangement need to be discussed and negotiated individually with our embryology team to ensure an appropriate approach for each case.

• Embryo report – a very first document that is shared with the embryology team and only after their approval above mentioned documents are organized. 

• If applicable, PGS results for embryos.