Surrogacy loans and other ways to finance a journey abroad

Yes, you can get a loan for surrogacy, and many intended parents do. Because surrogacy outside your home country is paid in stages, often in a foreign currency, how you borrow matters as much as how much. Start with a realistic budget for your destination from our guide to international surrogacy costs, then work out what you can cover from savings before choosing any of the options below.

Surrogacy loan options compared

The main ways to finance surrogacy are unsecured personal or fertility loans, borrowing against home equity, loans from a workplace retirement plan, employer fertility benefits and charitable grants. Unsecured loans are quicker but usually cost more; secured borrowing is cheaper but puts an asset at risk.

Personal loans and fertility lenders

An unsecured personal loan is the simplest way to borrow for surrogacy. The lender approves an amount based on your credit and income, pays it to you, and you repay in fixed instalments. Specialist fertility lenders work similarly but may pay clinics or programmes directly and only approve certain providers.

Before you sign, compare the annual percentage rate (APR), any origination fee, the total repayable and whether there is a penalty for paying early. Specialist lenders can be useful, but check whether they will fund a programme or clinic outside your home country; some will not. Be wary of any arrangement where a surrogacy agency earns a referral fee from a lender, and ask about it directly.

Home equity loans and HELOCs

Borrowing against your home usually costs less than an unsecured loan, but the risk is higher. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that if you fall behind or cannot repay on schedule, you could lose your home. HELOC rates are often variable, so payments can rise.

Surrogacy timelines are hard to predict. A failed transfer, a change of surrogate or a longer stay abroad can add months. If your home secures the debt, stress-test the budget against a longer journey and higher rates before you draw on it.

401(k) and other retirement-plan loans

If your US employer's plan allows loans, you can usually borrow the lesser of $50,000 or the greater of $10,000 and half your vested balance. Repayment is generally due within five years. If you do not repay as required, the balance is treated as a taxable distribution, possibly with an additional 10% tax.

These limits come from the IRS retirement-plan loan rules (opens in new tab). Not every plan offers loans, and money borrowed is no longer invested. Ask your plan administrator what happens to the loan if you change jobs during the journey.

Employer fertility benefits

Some employers offer fertility or family-building benefits, either through their health plan or through a specialist benefits platform that pays a set amount towards treatment, adoption or surrogacy. These are worth checking first because they do not need to be repaid, but surrogacy coverage is often partial or excluded.

Read the benefit terms for three things: whether surrogacy is included at all, whether it pays for treatment or services outside your home country, and the lifetime maximum. Even where state law requires fertility cover, such as California's SB 729, regulator guidance says the gestational carrier's compensation, legal and agency fees and pregnancy costs are not covered. Our post on whether insurance covers surrogacy explains the insurance side in detail.

Surrogacy grants

A handful of US nonprofits give grants or discounts that can be used for surrogacy, but competition is intense and many require treatment in the US. Check the current rules of any programme before applying, and never pay a fee to apply for a grant.

Two examples we confirmed as active in October 2026:

• Baby Quest Foundation funds treatments including gestational surrogacy, with two grant cycles a year. Its FAQs state that applicants must be US permanent residents treated by a reproductive endocrinologist at an accredited US facility, so it does not fund journeys abroad.
• Men Having Babies runs the Gay Parenting Assistance Program for gay men, offering cash grants, provider discounts and free services. Full eligibility is listed for residents of the USA, Canada, Taiwan, Israel and several European countries; Stage II applications are reviewed from February 1 to March 31 each year. Its published guidance is framed around US journeys, so confirm whether your destination qualifies.

For broader planning as a same-sex couple, see our guide to surrogacy abroad for gay couples.

Tax: are surrogacy costs deductible?

In the US, generally not. IRS Publication 502 says you cannot include amounts paid to identify, retain, compensate and provide medical care for a gestational surrogate, because she is not you, your spouse or your dependant. Your own IVF costs, such as egg or sperm retrieval, may still be deductible.

Two private letter rulings reached the same conclusion. PLR 202114001 (opens in new tab) (2021) denied deductions for egg donation, IVF and gestational surrogacy costs for a married male couple, while allowing costs directly attributable to the taxpayers such as sperm donation and freezing. PLR 202518023 (2025) allowed a couple's own IVF costs but denied the carrier's medical care, insurance, legal fees and compensation. Private letter rulings bind only the taxpayers who requested them, but they show how the IRS applies the rule. Because HSA and FSA eligibility uses the same definition, surrogate costs are generally not eligible there either.

Currency risk, staged payments and escrow

International programmes are usually paid in stages over one to two years, often in US dollars or euros. If you earn in another currency, exchange-rate movements can raise your real cost. Ask for a written payment schedule and, where possible, pay into a separately held escrow or client account.

1. Get the schedule in writing. Each payment should be linked to a milestone such as matching, embryo transfer, confirmed pregnancy or birth, with refund terms if a stage does not happen.
2. Understand where the money sits. An independent escrow or client account can protect funds meant for the surrogate's compensation and expenses. Ask who controls it, whether it is regulated and how often you receive statements.
3. Plan for exchange rates. Compare bank and specialist transfer costs, and consider keeping a buffer in the payment currency. Do not move large sums based on instructions in an unexpected email; confirm bank details by phone.
4. Keep a contingency. Extra transfers, a longer stay abroad or newborn medical care can add significant cost. Our post on surrogacy contracts abroad covers how agreements should handle these.

Whatever mix you choose, borrow only what your budget can repay even if the journey takes longer than planned. A free consultation can help you compare destinations by total cost, but we do not arrange loans or give personalised financial advice.