This guide is informational and educational only, and is not legal or medical advice. Surrogacy law varies by country and changes over time, so confirm current requirements with a qualified local legal practitioner before beginning any arrangement.
What Surrogacy Is
Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman — the surrogate — carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of intended parents. The most common form today is gestational surrogacy, where the embryo carried by the surrogate is not genetically related to her. It's typically created through IVF using the intended parents' own eggs and sperm, or donor material, and then transferred to the surrogate. This is distinct from traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate's own egg is used — a far less common arrangement that raises additional legal questions in most jurisdictions.
Families consider surrogacy for many reasons: medical conditions that make carrying a pregnancy unsafe or impossible, prior losses, or as part of a path to parenthood for same-sex couples and single intended parents.
How the Process Generally Works
While every case differs, a surrogacy journey typically follows a broad shape: intended parents and a prospective surrogate are matched (independently or through an agency), medical and psychological screening takes place, legal agreements are drawn up covering parentage, compensation where permitted, and the responsibilities of each party, and an embryo is created and transferred to the surrogate under a fertility clinic's care. Once a pregnancy is confirmed and carried to term, the legal process for establishing the intended parents' parentage — and, where the arrangement crosses borders, the child's travel documentation — is completed according to the rules of the relevant jurisdiction.
Because parentage, citizenship and consent rules differ so significantly between countries, independent legal advice in every jurisdiction involved is a standard, necessary part of any surrogacy arrangement — not an extra precaution.
Where Surrogacy Is Legally Recognized
Surrogacy law is not consistent internationally. Some countries permit it under specific conditions, some restrict arrangements to unpaid ("altruistic") surrogacy only, and some prohibit it outright. The rules on parentage, citizenship and travel documentation for the resulting child also vary and are subject to change, so this section should be read as general orientation rather than a current legal statement for any specific country.
According to publicly available information, gestational surrogacy is legally recognized in Iran, with an established legal process for confirming parentage and arranging the resulting travel documentation for the child. As with any jurisdiction, the exact requirements are set and administered by the relevant national authorities, are subject to change, and should be confirmed directly with a qualified local legal practitioner before any arrangement begins.
Our Role in a Surrogacy Journey
Embryo Links is a specialist biological courier — not a surrogacy agency, and not a source of legal or medical advice. Where a surrogacy arrangement involves moving embryos, eggs or sperm between the intended parents' clinic and the surrogate's clinic, including across international borders, that transport is the part we handle: coordinating clinic agreements, export and import documentation, customs release, and a UN3373 qualified courier carrying the material in the aircraft cabin under our usual chain-of-custody standard.
We don't match intended parents with surrogates, draft or review surrogacy agreements, or advise on parentage law. For those parts of the journey, your fertility clinic and a qualified reproductive law practitioner remain the right people to speak to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gestational surrogacy?
Gestational surrogacy is where a surrogate carries a pregnancy created from an embryo that is not genetically related to her — typically formed from the intended parents' own eggs and sperm, or donor material, through IVF. This is different from traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate's own egg is used, which is far less common and raises additional legal questions in most jurisdictions.
Is surrogacy legal everywhere?
No. Surrogacy law varies enormously by country — some permit it under specific conditions, some restrict it to altruistic (unpaid) arrangements, and some prohibit it outright. The rules on parentage, citizenship and travel documentation for the resulting child also differ significantly. This is a fast-changing area of law, so current requirements should always be confirmed directly with a qualified local legal practitioner before any arrangement begins.
Is surrogacy legally recognized in Iran?
According to publicly available information, gestational surrogacy is legally recognized in Iran, with an established legal process for confirming parentage and arranging the resulting travel documentation for the child. As with any jurisdiction, exact requirements are set by the relevant national authorities, are subject to change, and should be verified directly with qualified local legal counsel.
Does Embryo Links arrange surrogacy?
No. Embryo Links is a specialist biological courier, not a surrogacy agency. We do not arrange surrogacy agreements, match intended parents with surrogates, or provide legal or medical advice. Where a surrogacy arrangement involves moving embryos, eggs or sperm between the intended parents' clinic and the surrogate's clinic — including across borders — that transport is the part we handle.
If your surrogacy journey involves transporting embryos, eggs or sperm between clinics — including internationally — talk to us about the logistics side. We handle the documentation, customs and courier; your clinic and legal team handle the rest.
Chat on WhatsAppLast reviewed: 19 July 2026.