Surrogacy in Bogota, Colombia: law, courts and practical checks
Bogota is where most of the providers we found operate, and where the Court's best-known case began. The legal route is unsettled and there is no separate local law. This guide covers the city-level checks.
Short answer. Bogota is where the Constitutional Court's T-127 case began: a girl born there in 2020 whose Colombian passport was cancelled after a court removed the surrogate as mother. The city has clinics and courts that handle these cases, but no local rule. Verify the clinic in the national registry and ask how your child will be registered.
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.
Why does Bogota matter for surrogacy?
In our October 2026 read of provider websites, Bogota was the city most programs name. The Constitutional Court's ruling T-127 of 2024 started with a girl born in Bogota in 2020 to a surrogate, whose father is a U.S. national (T-127). A Bogota family court later declared that the carrier was not the mother, the new birth record listed no mother, and the Foreign Ministry cancelled the child's Colombian passport. The consulate in Orlando refused a new one, and the Court upheld that refusal in 2024.
The Constitutional Court, which sits in Bogota, is also reviewing three new surrogacy cases, according to a court order of 24 April 2026 that we could not open (source). Treat this as to verify. National law applies in Bogota, and there is no separate city rule. Read the Colombia legal guide first.
How are births registered in Bogota?
A birth is registered with the birth certificate issued by the hospital at a notary or registry office. A newspaper reports that the Judiciary Council counted 8,435 lawsuits challenging maternity or paternity in 2024, many filed by clinics (Publimetro). Those cover all such cases, not only surrogacy. Another newspaper reports about 80 maternity challenges reach family courts every month (El Colombiano). Neither figure is official data on surrogacy. A 2026 explainer says a notary agreement signed by everyone can avoid a lawsuit in some reported cases, and that a lawsuit can take 1.5 to 2 years (Vanguardia). Ask your attorney which route a Bogota provider uses and for recent results.
How do you verify a clinic in Bogota?
Check the Ministry of Health's free registry of health providers (REPS) for the clinic's legal name, address and enabled services (provider portal). Ask the clinic where the carrier delivers and who is responsible for complications. See the checklist.
What documents will you need to get in Bogota?
You will need the hospital birth certificate, the civil registry of birth, a possible DNA test and an apostille for use in the United States. The Registraduría validates the document and the Foreign Ministry issues the apostille online (Foreign Ministry). The U.S. Embassy is in Bogota, but its birth-abroad page did not open for us. Ask for appointments and requirements early. See bringing your baby home.
What local checks should you do before you pay?
| Check | Where | What a good result looks like |
|---|---|---|
| The clinic exists and is enabled | Ministry of Health provider registry (REPS) | Legal name, address and assisted-reproduction services match what the clinic told you. |
| The agency is a real company | Business registry where it is registered | A named company, tax number and address you can verify. |
| The attorney for the carrier is independent | Ask for the name and meet by video without the agency | She has met her attorney alone and has the contract in her language. |
| The legal route for the record | Your Colombian attorney | A written plan: notary agreement, court process or other, with recent results. |
| The U.S. documents plan | Your immigration attorney | A plan for DNA, apostille, CRBA and passport, with who does what. |
Bogota is also where the national offices that appear in these cases sit, such as the Foreign Ministry, the civil registry and the child welfare agency. That can make it easier to get documents, but it does not change the law. If the 2026 ban bill passed, its rules would apply in Bogota and everywhere else (bill guide).
Key takeaways
- National law applies in Bogota. There is no city rule for surrogacy.
- The T-127 case began in Bogota and shows the passport and registration risks.
- Verify the clinic in the national registry, not by its logo.
What to ask
- How will our child be registered in Bogota, and who will be named on the record?
- Which court or notary route do you use, and with what results this year?
- Which clinic does the procedures, and is it enabled for these services?
- Who is the carrier's independent attorney?
- Do we need to travel for the transfer and the birth?
Common mistakes
- Assuming a big-city clinic means a clear legal route.
- Not asking where the carrier will deliver.
- Leaving apostille and DNA until the last week.
Next step
See the legal disputes guide and the citizenship paperwork. We found no verified sources for guides on other Colombian cities, so we have not written them.
Frequently asked questions
Is surrogacy legal in Bogota?
National law applies in Bogota. Colombia has no statute that regulates or expressly bans surrogacy, and no separate city rule. Courts decide cases one by one. A 2026 bill to ban it is not law. Confirm with a Colombian attorney how your child will be registered.
What happened in the T-127 case in Bogota?
A girl born in Bogota in 2020 had her Colombian passport cancelled after a family court declared the surrogate was not her mother and the new record listed no mother. The consulate in Orlando refused a new passport, and in 2024 the Court upheld the refusal because the girl held another nationality.
Can my baby get a passport easily in Bogota?
A U.S. citizen baby needs a U.S. passport, which depends on proof of citizenship and the embassy's process. A Colombian passport is unlikely for a baby of tourists. The T-127 case shows passport problems can arise. Ask your attorneys for the plan and the timeline before you start.
How do I check that a clinic in Bogota is licensed?
Search the Ministry of Health's public provider registry (REPS) by the clinic's legal name or the other details the portal offers. Confirm the address and that the services include assisted reproduction. Also ask the clinic for its enabling documents. A logo or a claim of supervision on a website is not proof.
Do I need to be in Bogota for the transfer and the birth?
Providers differ and we could not verify a rule. Many ask intended parents to be there for the birth and the first weeks. Ask for the exact visits and the number of days in writing, and plan extra days in case documents are late.
Are there guides for Medellin or Cali?
Not yet. We found no verified English-language sources and no providers we could check for those cities, so we have not written about them. The national law applies everywhere in Colombia. We will add city pages only if we can verify them.