Brazilians go abroad to fulfill their dream of having children; investment can reach up to R$1 million

The advancement of reproductive medicine and the differences between countries' legislation have led Brazilians who wish to form a family to seek treatments and alternatives abroad.

In vitro fertilization, egg donation and surrogacy - popularly known as surrogacy - are among the paths sought by patients who, for different reasons, do not find the possibility or necessary conditions in Brazil to continue with their parenthood projects.

"In Brazil, the possibility is a supportive belly, and this was not a possible path for me. I needed to find an alternative in another country to be able to carry out my fatherhood project. It was very important for me to know that, in the end, my children would have the correct documentation and that I would be recognized as a father", says L.M., 46 years old, from Minas Gerais, who had his two children in Colombia.

When talking to g1 about the journey they had to go through to become parents, those interviewed preferred to remain anonymous. In addition to wanting to maintain the family's privacy, they are afraid of suffering some type of prejudice.

Ana Paula Del Padre, who works at Tammuz Family, an agency that works with intermediation and monitoring Brazilians during their reproduction processes abroad, explains that, because there is still a lot of lack of knowledge on the subject, there are often judgments and invasive questions.

"Most of the time, discretion is not about shame, it's about care. Be careful with your own privacy, with the woman who is willing to give birth and, above all, with the child, who one day will have the right to know and tell their own story, in their own time and in their own way", he believes.

Why look abroad?

In Brazil there is still no specific law regulating, for example, surrogacy. What exists are rules from the Federal Council of Medicine that establish a series of conditions for carrying out the procedure.

Here, the temporary transfer of the uterus cannot be of a commercial nature and, as a rule, the woman who is going to give birth must have at least one living child and belong to the family of one of the future parents, up to the fourth degree of kinship.

In other countries, there are specific legal models for surrogacy, including specific rules on the relationship between future parents and the pregnant woman, contracts, parenting and procedures after birth.

Legal advice to ensure the legality of the entire process and deal with bureaucratic issues, which are very relevant, is essential.

Lawyer Larissa Mocelim explains that the choice of destination can vary greatly, depending on each client's objective and the availability of value.

"I wouldn't simply say that it is easier outside of Brazil. What exists, in certain countries, is a legal structure that may be more suitable for some family profiles and that brings greater predictability to this process. It is important to analyze the legislation of the chosen country, the validity and content of contracts, how parenthood will be established after birth, which documents will be issued to the child and how this parentage and documentation will be recognized later in Brazil", she highlights.

What is the average cost of the procedures?

Prices can vary greatly depending on the country chosen, the procedure and the expectations of each family.

Some future parents, for example, need to donate genetic material, while others already have frozen embryos in Brazil and just need a solution that includes transport to the destination where the process will be carried out.

The United States is a traditional destination for people seeking different types of assisted reproduction procedures. The country was the choice of several famous Brazilians, including: comedian Paulo Gustavo; the singer Ludmilla and his wife, Brunna Gonçalves; and influencer Lucas Rangel are some of them.

There, values ​​can reach, on average, US$200,000, the equivalent of R$1 million.

T.M, 50 years old, made this choice. In 2019, the process began to realize the dream of being a mother, which became reality in 2021 through a surrogate pregnancy, which occurred through in vitro fertilization, through an anonymous egg donor.

"I was looking for a context that offered me the possibility of creating embryos through an anonymous egg donor, surrogate pregnancy until birth and also all the legal aspects. This included the documentation of my daughter in my name, recognition of parenthood and assistance from lawyers. I looked for an alternative that would give me support, legal and medical security", he details.

Until a few years ago, some countries in Asia were also a reference, but the scenario changed due to the restriction or closure of these markets, and countries like Colombia and Mexico, here in Latin America, started to gain more and more space due to their geographic proximity to Brazil and more affordable costs: the average is US$80 thousand.

L.M., 46 years old, from Minas Gerais, sought out Colombia for the birth of his two children, the first in 2022 and the second this year. The package he closed included the collection of his genetic material, choosing the egg donor, in vitro fertilization, choosing the pregnant woman and monitoring the pregnancy and birth of the children.

Profile of Brazilians seeking the procedure outside the country

The profile is quite diverse. There are women and couples who have faced infertility or medical contraindications to pregnancy, couples who have postponed having children, people who wish to parent independently and same-sex couples.

In relation to the age group, it is common for demand to be greater among people over 35/40 years old, especially among couples who enter the process after several attempts at assisted reproduction.

This was the case of P.S.M, 53 years old. With the process underway in Georgia, she is anxiously awaiting the birth of her son, which should happen soon. She and her husband chose an egg donor, created the embryos, in vitro fertilization and fertilized the pregnant woman they chose in the country.

Initially, in 2024, the couple had sought Argentina to carry out the entire procedure, but a change in legislation created the need for transfer. In Georgia, the average price is $65,000.

"We sought to carry out the process abroad after several events in our personal lives: our own attempts and stories that did not have the outcome we expected. Given this, we looked outside Brazil for a possibility of realizing the dream of motherhood and fatherhood, with medical and legal support and support", he states.