How to choose and verify a surrogacy agency or clinic in Colombia
Most problems in international surrogacy come from unclear contracts, unclear money and unclear legal routes. This checklist helps you ask the right questions and check the answers yourself. It is general guidance, not legal advice, and we do not recommend any provider.
Short answer. Choose a provider that gives the carrier her own attorney, shows licenses you can verify, itemizes the contract, explains who holds the money and makes no guarantees you cannot check. Verify the clinic in the national health registry and ask for references you can reach on your own.
Not legal or medical advice. This guide is written by an independent publisher, not by a lawyer or doctor. Surrogacy law abroad is unsettled and changes. Talk to an attorney in the country where the surrogacy will happen and to an attorney in your home state before making any decision.
What should you check before choosing a surrogacy provider?
- Independent legal advice for everyone. The carrier should have her own attorney, not one chosen and paid only by the agency. You should have your own attorney too. ASRM says each party should have independent counsel (ASRM 2022).
- A written, itemized contract. In a language you read, with what is included, what is not and what happens in each failure scenario. See what you pay for.
- A clear money flow. Ask who holds the funds, whether there is an escrow or trust account, and when each payment is released.
- The legal route for parentage. Ask which court process or registration route is used and for recent examples that ended with the documents you need. See the legal guide.
- The clinic. Ask which clinic does the procedures, its licenses, who is responsible for complications and where the carrier delivers.
- The carrier's wellbeing. Ask how carriers are screened, how they are paid and supported, and whether she can leave the process. See carrier protections.
- References you find yourself. Ask to speak to past clients, and also look for people the agency did not suggest.
- No guarantees. Be wary of promises about timelines, success rates or legality that nobody can guarantee.
How do you verify a clinic in Colombia?
Health providers in Colombia must be registered in the Special Registry of Health Service Providers (REPS) run by the Ministry of Health. Anyone can check it free online at the ministry's provider portal, and it shows which services a provider is enabled for (SISPRO, about REPS; Ministry of Health portal). Search by the clinic's legal name or the other details the portal offers. Check that the site address matches, that the services listed include assisted reproduction and that the registration is current. If the clinic is not listed, ask why. If you see an inconsistency, the portal says to contact the local health authority. We have not tested the portal for each type of service, so also ask the clinic for its enabling documents.
The national health superintendency (Supersalud) supervises health providers. If a clinic shows a "Vigilado Supersalud" logo, treat that as a claim to check, not as proof of quality.
How do you verify an agency or a law firm?
- Ask for the legal name, the tax number and the registered address of the company. Check that it exists in the business registry of the country where it is registered.
- Ask who the owners and the managing director are. Be careful with a site that does not say who is behind it.
- For a Colombian attorney, ask for the name and the professional card number and ask where you can check them. Check that the attorney has no conflict of interest with the agency.
- Ask where disputes are decided and under which country's law. An agency based abroad can make it hard to sue.
- Look for a "licensed" or "certified" claim and ask who issued it. A self-created seal is not a license.
How do you evaluate reviews and references?
Reviews help, but they can be selected, edited or rewarded. Read both good and bad ones. Look for details such as dates, steps and what went wrong. Ask the agency for two or three families who finished the process in the last year, and ask them: Did you get your child's passport on time? Did you pay anything not in the quote? Was the carrier treated well? Would you sign the same contract? Also search for independent forums and for court or consumer complaints. A provider that cannot give references you can reach is a warning sign.
What are red flags?
| Red flag | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The agency picks and pays the carrier's lawyer alone. | Her advice may not be independent. | Ask for an attorney she chooses. |
| Everything is paid to the agency and no one else can see the money. | You cannot verify where it is. | Ask for an escrow or trust with a neutral holder. |
| Promises of success rates, dates or "100% legal." | Nobody can guarantee these. Colombian law is unsettled. | Ask for the basis in writing. |
| Pressure to pay or sign fast. | Gives you no time for independent advice. | Slow down. |
| The carrier cannot speak with anyone outside the program. | This can signal control rather than care. | Ask about her access to her attorney and doctor. |
| No answer on the birth record and passport. | This is where legal risk sits. | Ask for the route in writing. |
| A seal, award or ranking you cannot trace. | May be self-created or sold. | Ask who issues it and what the criteria are. |
| No company name or physical address. | You cannot hold anyone to account. | Move on. |
What should be in the contract?
- The parties, with their legal names, and the role of each one.
- The services, the schedule, the number of transfers and the refund terms.
- How and when the carrier is paid, and in what form.
- Medical decisions, insurance and who pays for complications.
- What happens if a transfer fails, the pregnancy ends, the baby has a health problem or the law changes.
- The legal route for parentage and who pays if a court is needed.
- Where and how disputes are settled, and in which language.
- Confidentiality and the use of your data.
How do the agency, the clinic and the lawyer differ?
An agency coordinates the process and usually collects the money. A clinic provides medical care and is the part that the health authority regulates. A lawyer advises one side. Be careful when one company plays all roles. A conflict of interest can arise when the agency chooses the lawyer and holds the money. Prefer a setup where the carrier's lawyer, your lawyer and the money holder are separate.
What do we do about providers on this site?
Today no provider is listed. We list a provider only if it meets the published criteria, and every provider pays the same flat fee. Read our ethics policy and the ethics guide. We cannot vouch for any provider's quality or legal results.
What should you ask about privacy and your data?
Surrogacy involves sensitive health and family information. Ask what the agency collects, who sees it (including the clinic and the lawyers), how long it is kept, where it is stored and whether it is shared with other companies. Ask how the donor, carrier and child records are kept and what the child can learn later. The Colombian child welfare agency lists the child's identity and the right to know their origins among the rights at stake (ICBF, 2026). Do not send medical records or family details through a first contact form. Our own site asks for the minimum, and never for medical or orientation data.
How can you run a due-diligence call?
- Send the questions in writing before the call and ask the provider to reply in writing.
- Ask for the company's legal name and tax number, the clinic's name and its registry entry, and the names of the attorneys.
- Ask for a sample contract and an itemized quote (what you pay for).
- Ask for two recent families and call them yourself.
- Check each answer independently: the clinic in the national registry, the company in its business registry, the attorney with the bar or court records.
- Give the contract and the quote to your own attorney and wait for the answer before you pay.
A provider that welcomes this process is a better sign than one that tries to shorten it.
Key takeaways
- Check the clinic in the national registry and the agency as a company.
- Insist on independent attorneys for both sides and a neutral money holder.
- Do not trust guarantees or seals you cannot trace.
- Talk to families the agency did not choose for you.
What to ask on the first call
- Who is the carrier's attorney, and who chose and pays that attorney?
- Where is the money held, and how and when is it released?
- Which clinic, and what is its registration number?
- What is the exact legal route for the birth record and the passport, and what are your last three results?
- What happens if the law changes?
- Can I speak with two families who finished in the last year?
Common mistakes
- Choosing on price or on a friendly sales call.
- Using the agency's lawyer as your lawyer.
- Trusting a review page the agency controls.
- Signing a contract you did not have translated or reviewed.
Next step
Read what can go wrong, then talk to your own attorney. If you want independent information, you can request it here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a surrogacy agency in Colombia?
Check that the carrier has her own independent attorney, that the clinic is registered in the national health registry, that the contract is itemized and in a language you read, and that a neutral party holds the money. Avoid guarantees and pressure. Talk to families the agency did not choose and have your own attorney read everything.
How do I check that a clinic in Colombia is licensed?
Use the Ministry of Health's public provider registry (REPS), which is free online and shows the services a provider is enabled for. Search by the clinic's legal name or the other details the portal offers and confirm the address and services. Also ask the clinic for its enabling documents. A logo on a website is not proof.
Should I pay the agency everything up front?
Be careful. Ask who holds the funds, whether an escrow or trust account is used and when each payment is released. Have your attorney review the payment schedule before you pay. Avoid cash payments, personal accounts and pressure to pay today to hold a spot.
Can I talk to the surrogate?
Practices differ. Some programs allow contact and some do not. Ask what contact is possible, what she wants and whether she can talk to her own attorney and doctor without the agency present. A carrier who cannot speak with anyone outside the program is a warning sign.
What are the biggest red flags in a surrogacy agency?
Warning signs include the agency choosing and paying the carrier's lawyer alone, all money going to the agency, promises of success rates or legality, pressure to sign fast, no company details and no clear answer on the baby's birth record and passport. Slow down if you see any of them.
Are online reviews reliable for surrogacy agencies?
Only partly. Reviews can be selected, edited or rewarded. Read negative ones too, look for specifics and ask for references you can reach on your own. Also look for independent forums and court or consumer complaints. A provider that cannot give references is a risk.
Do you recommend any agency?
No. We are an independent information site and do not recommend providers. Today none is listed here. If we list providers later, they must meet published criteria and all pay the same flat fee, which does not depend on inquiries or results.
Do I need my own lawyer if the agency has one?
Yes. The agency's lawyer serves the agency, not you. ASRM says each party should have independent counsel licensed where the arrangement happens. You need a lawyer in Colombia for the birth record and one at home for parentage and immigration questions.