How Does California Surrogacy Work? A Step-by-Step Guide for Intended Parents

Planning a California surrogacy journey from outside the United States can involve many questions about the process, medical care, legal services, travel, and coordination.

At Westwood Surrogacy, we support intended parents from the United States, Canada, China, and other countries as they navigate the California surrogacy process. This guide answers common questions international intended parents ask before beginning their journey and explains how our coordination services can help connect the different professionals involved.

1. Can international intended parents pursue surrogacy in California?

Yes. International intended parents may pursue a gestational surrogacy journey in California, even when they live outside the United States.

An international surrogacy journey typically involves several different components, including fertility care, embryo creation or transfer planning, gestational carrier matching, medical screening, legal services, escrow and insurance coordination, pregnancy support, and planning for the baby's birth and return to the parents' home country.

Because international families may have additional medical, legal, travel, immigration, and documentation considerations, it is important to work with qualified professionals who understand both the California process and the family's home-country requirements.

Westwood Surrogacy helps coordinate the different professionals and services involved in a California surrogacy journey and provides personalized support throughout the process.

2. Do international intended parents need to live in California?

No. Intended parents do not necessarily need to live in California throughout their entire surrogacy journey.

Many international intended parents coordinate their fertility treatment, legal process, surrogate matching, and pregnancy journey from outside the United States. However, the amount and timing of travel can vary depending on the family's fertility treatment, medical appointments, legal requirements, surrogate's pregnancy, and plans surrounding the birth.

Westwood works with intended parents to coordinate the different stages of their journey and help them understand when travel to California may be appropriate.

3. Can Canadian intended parents pursue surrogacy in California?

Yes. Canadian intended parents can explore a gestational surrogacy journey in California.

For Canadian families, pursuing surrogacy in the United States means coordinating a journey that crosses two countries. In addition to the California surrogacy process, families may need to consider fertility care, legal services, travel, birth documentation, and the requirements involved in returning home with their baby.

Westwood Surrogacy provides personalized coordination for intended parents throughout the California journey and can help connect families with appropriate professionals and resources in both the United States and Canada.

Canadian intended parents should also obtain independent legal advice regarding their individual circumstances, including parentage, citizenship, documentation, and returning to Canada with their child.

4. What should Canadian intended parents know before starting surrogacy in California?

Canadian intended parents should consider the process as a cross-border journey rather than simply a U.S. surrogacy arrangement.

Before beginning, families may want to understand how their fertility treatment and embryo planning will be coordinated, how a gestational carrier is matched and medically screened, what legal professionals will be involved, how escrow and insurance are handled, when travel to California may be necessary, and what documentation may be required after the baby's birth.

Because Canadian families may need to coordinate requirements in both countries, having clear communication between U.S. professionals and Canadian resources can make the journey easier to navigate.

Westwood Surrogacy helps intended parents coordinate the different parts of the California journey and provides personalized support based on each family's circumstances.

5. How does Westwood support Canadian intended parents?

Westwood Surrogacy is based in Beverly Hills, California, while also maintaining connections with resources in Canada. This allows us to help Canadian intended parents navigate the distance between their home country and their California surrogacy journey.

Depending on each family's needs, coordination may involve fertility care, surrogate matching, legal services, insurance, escrow, travel planning, pregnancy support, and post-birth coordination.

Our goal is not to replace the independent professionals involved in the process, but to help intended parents understand how the different pieces fit together and communicate with the appropriate professionals at each stage.

6. Can Chinese intended parents pursue surrogacy in California?

Yes. Chinese intended parents may explore gestational surrogacy in California while living outside the United States.

International intended parents often need to coordinate fertility care, embryo planning, surrogate matching, legal services, travel, financial arrangements, and post-birth documentation from another country.

Westwood Surrogacy provides personalized coordination and support for international intended parents and can assist families in communicating with the different professionals involved in their journey.

Families should obtain independent legal advice regarding their individual circumstances, particularly when the intended parents and child will have connections to more than one country.