Though surrogacy is banned in Portugal, an Israeli company has nevertheless opened an office in Lisbon to offer its services to Portuguese couples. Roy Nir, the company’s CEO, spoke to the local press, confirming that Tammuz’s activities “would be entirely legal because the process would be implemented outside Portugal”. Clearly, the agencies are banned but their office will bypass the ban because it will be “delighted to welcome on board anyone interested in the process outside Portugal”.
The CEO is taking the opportunity to explain how the agency works, pointing out that it has already “created more than 750 families” in ten years; the pregnancies take place either in Ukraine, for infertile heterosexual couples, or the US for others. “Ukranian women receive between €20,000 and €22,000 and American women around $50,000, i.e. €42,000”. The overall cost for intended parent(s) is between €40,000 and €85,000.
Although the process is complex from start to finish (finding egg and sperm donors, surrogate mothers, doctors, clinics, legal services, etc.), Roy Nir presents a company “that takes care of everything”, “from initial client contact through to taking the newborn infant home”.
Surrogacy is currently banned in Portugal[1], except for women who cannot conceive because they do not have a uterus. In this case, it is prohibited to pay the surrogate mother, who must bear the child in an altruistic and disinterested manner[2].
[1] Portugal overrides the presidential veto and authorises surrogacy
[2] Surrogacy in Portugal: grandmother to give birth to grandson
The Portugal News (17/05/2018)