When you first begin looking into surrogacy in Virginia, it can seem somewhat overwhelming at first. That's true whether you're interested in becoming a surrogate mother or you’re intended parents hoping to grow your family through surrogacy. Our "ultimate guide" for Virginia residents interested in surrogacy includes information on the surrogacy process, how to become a surrogate, how to find a surrogate, and much more.
Virginia is a surrogacy-friendly state for both gestational carriers and intended parents. Whether you live in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Charlottesville—or anywhere else in the state—you'll find everything you need to know about gestational surrogacy on this page.
Surrogacy enables couples and individuals from various backgrounds, ages, and sexual orientations to build their families. Intended parents who use surrogacy include:
Each surrogacy journey is as unique as the intended parents themselves and their reasons for taking the first steps.
The surrogacy process can feel complicated and overwhelming because there is so much to manage. Working with an agency can help you navigate the milestones and events throughout your journey. The intended parent process and surrogate process are different, but they share a common goal: delivery day!
Circle Surrogacy has been helping straight and LGBTQ+ singles and couples grow their families through surrogacy and egg donation since opening their Boston office in 1995, making us one of the first full-service surrogacy agencies in the U.S.
There are many surrogacy agencies out there, all sizes and located across the country; so how do you choose an agency that’s right for you? Developing good chemistry with the agency team and ensuring that the agency shares your surrogacy views are important factors to consider when selecting a surrogacy agency. Those factors are really the keys to a successful surrogacy journey. Beginning your quest toward surrogacy is a big step, so it's essential to do your research!
Choosing an agency with lawyers knowledgeable in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and surrogacy law is essential because laws vary by state (and even by county!). Our lawyers will help you understand the surrogacy laws in Virginia.
Before being matched with a surrogate, if you require an egg donor, you may be asked to match with an egg donor and create your embryos before your gestational carrier match. Our egg donor database contains information about the smart, ambitious young women who are excited about the opportunity to help you grow your family.
Finding the perfect surrogate match is an effort that your Matching Team assists you with, encouraging you to form a strong bond with the woman who will carry your baby or babies. If you'd like to find a surrogate with specific criteria, you can share your preference with your Matching team.
Relationships with surrogates continue to develop during pregnancy. If the surrogate lives close to Virginia, that may even include visiting her for appointments. Your agency supports you through each milestone, helping you prepare to travel for the birth and ensuring you have everything you need to return home safely and securely.
Making an informed decision to grow your family through surrogacy involves understanding surrogacy laws, the surrogacy process, and surrogacy costs.
Virginia residents who are ready to start a surrogacy journey as intended parents have multiple benefits, including:
At Circle, surrogacy costs in Virginia are fixed in an all-inclusive cost program called the Journey Protection Guarantee Program.
In general, surrogacy costs can be divided into 4 categories:
Circle Surrogacy offers fixed costs for professional fees, gestational carrier and egg donor fees, and medical & insurance expenses, something that sets us apart from most agencies. Without fixed costs, surprise fees and financial uncertainty can be a part of the surrogacy journey.
Circle Surrogacy's programs and pricing are structured to achieve two primary goals: success and cost security.
Circle is proud to offer intended parents in Virginia our Journey Protection Guarantee Program, designed to help as many intended parents as possible bring home a baby while reducing variable costs.
Journey Protection Guarantee Program
Surrogacy only: $148,750
Surrogacy plus egg donation: $172,750
(both prices exclude IVF)
Our Journey Protection Guarantee offers Intended Parents:
The costs outlined above are for our Surrogacy Only and Surrogacy Plus Egg Donation Programs. For more information about the costs of our other programs, please email us or call us at 617.439.9900.
One of the most exciting milestones in your surrogacy journey is being matched with your surrogate mother. We work with many surrogate mothers from Virginia, in addition to those from surrounding states. With headquarters in Boston and an office in New York City, we are well-represented on the East Coast and in Virginia, making it even easier for surrogates and intended parents to connect. While it’s not a requirement to live near your surrogate, some intended parents prefer to be near the woman carrying their baby(ies).
Our Intended Parent Profile
We use the intended parent profile to get to know you and help our Matching Team find your surrogate match. This profile is filled with information about you and your:
Sharing photos of yourself, your loved ones, and anything else that gives a good sense of who you are as people is an important part of finding the ideal match.
Intended Parent Matching Criteria
In addition to your profile, there are certain criteria on which you will be matched with your gestational carrier. Intended parent matching criteria includes your preferences on:
Even if you are looking for a surrogate on your own, it can be helpful to consider these criteria when searching for a good match.
We recommend intended parents consider the following criteria when searching for a surrogate mother in Virginia:
Circle Surrogacy conducts a full screening of their surrogates to determine which are the most likely to be successful surrogate mothers before matching with intended parents.
Egg donors are sometimes needed by intended parents who want to grow their family. Choosing the eggs of a young woman who will provide half of your child's biology is a significant part of the journey to becoming parents.
Qualities to Consider
Carefully thinking about the type of women you're looking for is the first step to finding your perfect egg donor match. Are you looking for someone who has similar qualities that you or your partner possess? Or do you wish for a woman whose traits complement your personality or appearance? These are a few things to think about when beginning your egg donor search.
As you start searching, have some thoughts as to what's important to you in an egg donor match, such as:
And remember, nature vs. nurture – not every characteristic or trait is hereditary!
Search Through Our Egg Donor Database
Starting your egg donor search in an egg donor database is an excellent idea. Most databases allow you to search for egg donors based on certain criteria. Circle Surrogacy's egg donor database is easy to use and simple to navigate.
Within each donor profile, you'll find a tremendous amount of additional information, including:
It's okay if you're not sure about what you're looking for in a donor. The "I'll know her when I see her" approach works well for some intended parents.
Compensated surrogacy is legal in the great state of Virginia. However, intended parents are not able to obtain Pre-Birth Orders per court of law. With a surrogacy birth, the gestational carrier is deemed the mother of the child. Once the baby is born, the intended parents must complete an administrative birth certificate amendment process in order to have their names on the birth certificate.
This process does not require court approval or even a court hearing. Rather, the gestational carrier completes paperwork that is submitted to the State Registrar of Vital Records three days after the birth of the child. This paperwork includes a document relinquishing the carrier’s parental rights, along with the gestational carrier agreement and a statement from the physician who performed the assisted conception procedure. Thereafter, it takes at least 12 weeks to receive an amended birth certificate.
For same-sex married couples, the birth certificate amendment process is often followed by a second parent adoption so that the intended parent who is not genetically related to the child may adopt the child to cement the parent-child relationship.
At Circle, our Virginia surrogates receive the support and guidance of our experienced social workers and program coordinators, many who have been surrogates themselves. We support women wherever they are in the process whether they are ready to apply now or are interested but want to talk with experienced surrogates or Surrogate Advisors. Here is an overview of the process:
Learn more about the surrogacy process at Circle.
Virginia residents who wish to apply to become a surrogate can work with Circle Surrogacy. We can help you become a surrogate in Richmond, Norfolk, or anywhere else in Virginia. Since 1995, we've helped numerous intended parents and surrogates achieve successful surrogacies in the East and all over the United States.
Requirements for Becoming a Surrogate in Virginia
Here are some requirements an applicant must meet to become a surrogate in Virginia:
Working with an East Coast surrogacy agency as a surrogate in Virginia offers many benefits, including the fact that we work with many intended parents from the East Coast. Surrogates from Virginia will have the opportunity to work with intended parents who live relatively close to them. Plus, Circle has staff local to Virginia and surrounding states, some of whom are experienced carriers!
As a Virginia surrogate, you may also enjoy other benefits, including:
Women apply to become surrogate mothers in Virginia because they want to help others experience the joy of parenthood. Even though compensation is part of becoming a surrogate, the monetary incentive isn't the primary reason women choose to become surrogates. Surrogates enjoy an indescribable sense of fulfillment from helping intended families bring a child into the world, and that's a feeling that cannot be found doing anything else.
As a Virginia surrogate, you have the opportunity to earn between $50,000 and $60,000 in total payments and benefits. Surrogate mothers are paid a base fee of $30,000 to $35,000 plus additional compensation and benefits for milestones along their journey.
Calculate your surrogate pay with our surrogate compensation calculator.
Surrogate payments are made monthly, and surrogate mothers start earning compensation and benefits even before they are pregnant.
There is no substitute for experience, which is why Circle Surrogacy provides such excellent support to our surrogates. Many members of our staff have been surrogates themselves, and they understand what's needed on this unique journey.
Here are some of the ways we support surrogates:
Read our blog post about the 10 steps to becoming a surrogate.
As a gestational surrogate in Virginia, being matched with appropriate intended parents is as important as your decision to become a surrogate. This is a personal journey unlike any other, and you want to be sure that you connect with and trust them fully. That’s why Circle Surrogacy built an extensive and thorough matching process.
First, our Surrogate Support Team searches for the perfect intended parent(s) based on personality fit and legal circumstances. You’ll get to review each other’s profiles, ask questions, and generally get to know one another. There will also be an initial Skype call and, possibly, an in-person meeting. It’s all about making sure both you and the intended parent(s) feel entirely comfortable with the match. And of course, the surrogacy agreement only moves forward if you do.
Circle works with single parents, LGBTQ+ and heterosexual couples, domestic and international couples, and more. We’re confident you’ll be able to find a great match.
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