From first inquiry to delivery, plan on roughly 10 to 15 months on average, though the exact surrogacy timeline varies with screening results, matching speed, and embryo transfer success. The milestones run from medical and psychological screening through matching, IVF, transfer, pregnancy monitoring, and delivery. Your most useful first step is gathering medical records and contacting a clinic or intake team so screening can begin without delay.
TL;DR:
- Gather medical, pregnancy, delivery, and insurance records early; missing documents commonly stall intake, and psychological evaluations may need repeating after a year.
- After matching, both parties need independent counsel, and the signed contract, escrow setup, insurance review, and clinic clearance letter must precede IVF.
- Ovarian stimulation typically takes 2 to 6 weeks, blastocysts develop in 5 to 7 days, and genetic testing adds 1 to 2 weeks when used.
- Clinics favor single embryo transfer; blood tests usually start 9 to 11 days afterward, followed by a viability ultrasound around 6 to 7 weeks’ gestation.
- Begin the prebirth order process after the first trimester, and allow 6 to 12 weeks of administrative buffer because court and treatment timelines can shift.
Table of Contents
- Initial Screening: Medical Tests and Psychological Evaluation
- Matching and Legal Contracts: Sequencing the Steps
- IVF Cycle Timing: From Stimulation to Embryo Storage
- Transfer Day and the First Weeks of Pregnancy Confirmation
- The Trimester Calendar: Prenatal Testing Windows
- Pre-Birth Orders and Delivery-Day Legal Logistics
- Birth Certificates and Final Parentage Steps After Delivery
- Why Timeline Variability Is Normal, Not a Red Flag
- How We Support You Through Every Stage of the Timeline
- FAQ
- Sources
Initial Screening: Medical Tests and Psychological Evaluation
Before any medical treatment starts, an application collects identification, medical history, prior pregnancy and delivery records, and insurance details. This intake phase typically moves quickly once documents are in hand, but incomplete records are the most common reason it stalls.
From there, ASRM practice guidance calls for a thorough medical and psychologic evaluation of gestational carriers and genetic contributors, including infectious disease testing and a uterine evaluation, both of which influence how soon a transfer can be scheduled. We walk intended parents through a clinic-backed medical screening checklist that maps each test to its expected turnaround.
Screening generally includes:
- Comprehensive medical history review and physical exam for the gestational carrier
- Infectious disease panels and uterine cavity evaluation
- Psychologic evaluation, repeated if more than a year has passed since the last one
Matching and Legal Contracts: Sequencing the Steps
Matching speed depends heavily on whether intended parents already have a directed match (a known gestational carrier) or need agency matching, which typically takes longer because it includes additional vetting. Once a match is confirmed, legal work begins immediately, since ASRM guidance recommends that a fully executed legal agreement and legal clearance letter be in place before IVF treatment starts.
The gestational carrier contract covers compensation, medical decision-making, and expectations around multiple embryo scenarios, and both parties need independent legal counsel to execute it validly. Our legal process guidance outlines escrow setup and insurance vetting alongside contract drafting, since all three typically close around the same pre-transfer deadline.
A practical sequence looks like this:
- Confirm the match and exchange medical and background documentation
- Retain independent counsel for both the intended parents and the gestational carrier
- Finalize the contract, establish escrow, and verify insurance coverage
- Submit the legal clearance letter to the fertility clinic before treatment begins
IVF Cycle Timing: From Stimulation to Embryo Storage
Ovarian stimulation and monitoring for the egg source typically run 2 to 6 weeks before retrieval, depending on protocol and response. After retrieval, fertilized eggs develop into transferable blastocysts over days 5 through 7, after which embryos are frozen while legal and medical clearance steps catch up.
Preimplantation genetic testing, when used, adds time because samples go to an outside lab and results typically take one to two weeks to return. Additional IVF cycles, needed when egg or embryo quality falls short, extend the overall timeline substantially and are worth budgeting for even when a first cycle looks promising.
- Stimulation and monitoring: roughly 2 to 6 weeks
- Fertilization to blastocyst stage: 5 to 7 days
- PGT lab turnaround: typically 1 to 2 weeks when ordered
Pro Tip: Ask your clinic for its average number of retrieval cycles per successful transfer so your planning buffer reflects real outcomes, not best-case assumptions.
Transfer Day and the First Weeks of Pregnancy Confirmation
Transfer day itself is brief, but the lining preparation leading up to it is carefully timed with hormone monitoring to make sure the uterine environment is ready. ASRM strongly encourages single embryo transfer to reduce the risks tied to multiple gestation, which shapes how clinics schedule transfers and plan follow-up care.
- Embryo transfer occurs after the uterine lining reaches the target thickness and pattern
- Beta-hCG blood testing usually begins about 9 to 11 days after transfer to confirm pregnancy
- A first viability ultrasound typically follows around 6 to 7 weeks gestation, with follow-up scans scheduled every 1 to 2 weeks through early pregnancy
The Trimester Calendar: Prenatal Testing Windows
Once pregnancy is confirmed, care shifts to a routine obstetric schedule that mirrors any singleton pregnancy, with slightly more frequent early check-ins given the surrogacy arrangement. ACOG and SMFM guidance now treats cell-free DNA screening as the most sensitive first-line option for common chromosomal conditions, and it is typically offered early in the first trimester alongside nuchal translucency ultrasound.
Cell-free DNA screening is now recommended as the most sensitive first-line test for common aneuploidies, according to updated ACOG and SMFM guidance, which also outlines follow-up steps when results come back positive or inconclusive.
The trimester-by-trimester rhythm generally includes:
- First trimester: cfDNA screening and nuchal translucency ultrasound, usually completed by 13 weeks
- Second trimester: the anatomy scan, recommended between 18 and 22 weeks for detailed structural evaluation
- Third trimester: growth scans, fetal monitoring, and hospital pre-registration as delivery approaches
This obstetric calendar runs in parallel with the legal steps intended parents need to track, which makes early coordination between medical and legal teams worth prioritizing rather than leaving until the third trimester.
Pre-Birth Orders and Delivery-Day Legal Logistics
Legal preparation for parentage should start well before delivery, not in the final weeks. RESOLVE's legal guidance recommends beginning the pre-birth order process once the gestational carrier has completed the first trimester, which gives courts enough time to process the order before the due date and helps ensure intended parents' names appear correctly on the birth certificate.
Alongside that filing, a few logistical items deserve attention well ahead of delivery:
- Confirm with the hospital's legal or birth records staff who will be listed at delivery and what documentation they require
- Verify escrow funding and insurance coverage are current heading into the third trimester
- Finalize a birth plan that reflects both the gestational carrier's preferences and the intended parents' involvement
Birth Certificates and Final Parentage Steps After Delivery
The weeks right after birth involve their own short timeline. Hospitals typically process birth certificate paperwork within days of discharge, though final parentage documentation depends on whether the pre-birth order was already in place or requires a post-birth amendment.
- Bring the pre-birth order and any court documentation to the hospital, and loop in your attorney before admission
- Confirm which parent or parents will be listed on the original birth certificate versus any amended version
- Schedule the gestational carrier's postpartum medical follow-up, typically within 1 to 2 weeks of delivery
- Complete newborn administrative tasks, including insurance enrollment and a pediatrician visit in the first week
Why Timeline Variability Is Normal, Not a Red Flag
Every surrogacy timeline bends around biology and court calendars, and that variability is expected rather than a sign something went wrong. RESOLVE notes that fertility treatment often requires more than one attempt, and many clinics build 6 to 12 weeks of administrative buffer into their projections for exactly this reason.
The intended parents who navigate this best start legal engagement early and keep documentation organized from the first screening step onward, rather than treating paperwork as something to catch up on later.
— Florent Letronne, PhD
How We Support You Through Every Stage of the Timeline
Coordinating a surrogacy journey means keeping medical, legal, and logistical threads moving together, and that coordination is the core of what we do. We manage matching, legal guidance, escrow oversight, and medical scheduling under one roof, with particular attention to the needs of LGBTQ+ intended parents, singles, and international families building through surrogacy in Colombia.
Our team includes legal and medical professionals who understand the realistic pacing behind each milestone in this timeline, from screening through the pre-birth order process. If you are planning a journey from outside Colombia, our international couples program addresses cross-border document processing and travel logistics specifically, so nothing falls through the cracks between your home country's requirements and Colombia's legal framework.
Reach out to start your intake and get a realistic timeline built around your specific circumstances rather than a generic average.
This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified doctor. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.
FAQ
How long does surrogacy take from start to finish?
Most journeys take roughly 10 to 15 months from initial screening to delivery, though timelines vary based on matching speed, IVF response, and whether additional embryo transfer attempts are needed. Screening and legal clearance alone typically add several weeks before any medical treatment can begin.
Can I be a surrogate if I'm 35?
Age eligibility depends on the clinic's medical screening criteria rather than a single fixed cutoff, and a thorough medical evaluation determines candidacy on a case-by-case basis. Each gestational carrier candidate undergoes the same ASRM-recommended screening process regardless of age within the clinic's accepted range.
How many babies do surrogates usually have?
Clinics strongly favor single embryo transfer for each surrogacy cycle to reduce the risks associated with multiple gestation, according to ASRM ethics guidance. A gestational carrier may complete more than one surrogacy journey over time, but each individual pregnancy typically involves a single embryo.
When should the pre-birth order process start?
Legal guidance recommends beginning the pre-birth order process once the gestational carrier has completed the first trimester, which allows courts enough processing time before delivery. Starting earlier reduces the risk of parentage paperwork delays at the hospital.
Sources
- Recommendations for practices using gestational carriers: a committee opinion (2022) | ASRM
- Consideration of the gestational carrier: an Ethics Committee opinion (2023) | ASRM
- Screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities — ACOG practice advisory (2026)
- Start of journey, getting oriented & resourced | RESOLVE