Age limit for surrogacy: international standards

1. The age threshold for surrogacy in 2026 is in the range from 18 to 45 years
2. Age threshold for surrogacy and success rates
3. Eligibility criteria and age restriction for surrogacy at Feskov Human Reproduction Group
4. Legal and clinical age restrictions for a surrogate mother: the average regulated age is 40 years old
5. Why do we need an age restriction for a surrogate mother?
6. Increased risk of complications after the upper age threshold for surrogacy

This age limit for a surrogate mother allows you to minimize the risk of pregnancy complications for both the surrogate mother and the unborn child.

The age limit for surrogacy is determined by the medical protocols of clinics and the legislation of the countries where the program is carried out with the participation of a surrogate mother.

The question of whether there is an age limit for surrogacy is one of the key issues in the selection of candidates, which directly affects the success rates of the program and the safety of the surrogate mother and child. Here medical and legal criteria meet the expectations of future parents. Some want a younger surrogate mother – for biological reasons, others – proven, with experience of giving birth to children in programs, still others are afraid of young surrogate mothers with "wind in their heads" who may want to keep the child.

In our clinic, the following practice is adopted: on the basis of many procedures, come to the best combination of age group, biology, psychological portrait and readiness.

In some cases, the clinic may change the age range based on its experience with a particular surrogate mother. This is normal, since with warranty programs, the guarantor clinic is interested in the best (quick and easy) option for gestation, without abortions and IVF repetitions.

Feskov Human Reproduction Group is the best reproductive clinic that guarantees an unlimited number of IVF and the birth of a healthy child of the desired sex under a fixed-price contract. We will tell you how in our clinic we select surrogate mothers, set an age limit and ensure the birth of a healthy daughter or son.

Legal and clinical age restrictions for a surrogate mother: the average regulated age is 40 years old

The definition of what are the age limits for surrogacy is two-sided: it includes a minimum legal threshold (20-21 years) and a maximum clinical limit (40-42 years). The age limit for a surrogate mother is set in the interests of her health and guarantees the maximum success rate of pregnancy.

The minimum age of 20-21 years guarantees the full legal capacity and maturity of the surrogate mother to make such an important decision, as well as the experience of previous births.

The maximum age is due to a sharp increase in medical risks after 40 years, regardless of the ideal external physical shape of a woman. The Feskov Human Reproduction Group clinic adheres to strict selection criteria to ensure the safety of the program. With perfect health of a woman, the upper age limit for surrogacy can be 42 years.

The age threshold for surrogacy in 2026 is in the range from 18 to 45 years

Typical age restrictions for surrogacy in Europe (including the age limit for surrogacy in the UK) and the United States, adopted in international programs, we have collected in the table:

Although the legal age threshold for surrogacy may vary, international clinical practice sets the upper age threshold for surrogacy at 39-42 years old to ensure optimal gestation conditions.

Why do we need an age restriction for a surrogate mother?

The age restriction for a surrogate mother is necessary to reduce the risk of complications associated with carrying a fetus. The older the woman, the higher the likelihood of developing diseases and pathological conditions that can threaten both the health of the surrogate mother and the well-being of the child. Even if the surrogate mother is in perfect health, biological processes in the body after 40 years can provoke pregnancy complications.

The medical need to comply with the age limit for surrogacy is associated with several key risk factors.

Increased risk of complications after the upper age threshold for surrogacy

The main complications of pregnancy, which increase sharply after 40 years:

1. Hypertension and preeclampsia: An increase in blood pressure can lead to a threatening condition requiring an emergency cesarean section (ECS), which is critically important for the surrogate.
2. Gestational diabetes: The development of diabetes during pregnancy may require complex treatment and also leads to the risk of a large fetus and birth complications.
3. Placental abnormalities: increased risk of placenta previa or premature placental abruption. These conditions pose a direct threat to life.
4. Preterm birth: a higher probability of giving birth before the 37th week, which requires long and expensive nursing of the baby and reduces his health indicators.
5. The need for a cesarean section: the risk of operative delivery increases, which slows down the postpartum recovery of the surrogate mother.

From the above, it becomes clear whether there is an age limit for surrogacy and for what reasons.

Age threshold for surrogacy and success rates

The age limit for surrogacy directly affects the success rates of the program for future parents. The older the surrogate mother, the lower the probability of successful implantation, successful gestation and birth of a healthy child, even if a genetically healthy embryo of good quality, created from the genetic material of a young oocyte donor is implanted. For a clinic that guarantees results, such as Feskov Human Reproduction Group, it is extremely important to use all available methods to maximize the chances.

While the age limit for surrogacy protects the surrogate, it is also a time factor for intending parents or an individual parent in surrogacy programs for individual parents.

Strict adherence to the upper age threshold for surrogacy is one of our key strategies to ensure that our obligations to future parents are met and that we maintain high IVF success rates.

Eligibility criteria and age restriction for surrogacy at Feskov Human Reproduction Group

The question of what are the age limits for surrogacy is especially relevant in the context of international standards. For example, the age limit for surrogacy in Ukraine does not have a strict legal maximum, but clinical guidelines in private clinics usually set the upper age threshold for surrogacy around 35-42 years old for medical reasons.

The Feskov Human Reproduction Group clinic applies comprehensive selection criteria that go beyond just age. Each candidate undergoes a thorough medical, reproductive health and social background check to confirm that her body is ready for embryo transfer and gestation.

The selection process includes:

• the minimum number of previous births: usually one or two healthy own children;
• ideal general health: absence of chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular and endocrine diseases;
• absence of bad habits: checked by dynamic blood tests before the program and its entire period;
• psychological screening: assessment of psychological readiness for the surrogacy program;
• legal history: no problems with the law;
• voluntary signed and notarized consent of the woman and her spouse to participate in the program.

Even if a woman is younger than the upper age threshold for surrogacy but does not meet any of these eligibility criteria, she will be disqualified. This further emphasizes that the age limit for surrogacy is only one of many parameters, albeit a significant one.

In 2026, Feskov Human Reproduction Group complies with one of the strictest age thresholds for surrogacy in Europe in order to guarantee the safety and high efficiency of all its programs. This reflects our understanding that the age limit for surrogacy is not only a

matter of law, but also of professional ethics and care for the health of your child. Get a free individual legal roadmap for the birth of your child – contact the manager on the website!