# Nervous breakdown! Please help (posted in the right place this time!)



## mayaraifa

Hi everyone

So I posted here before about 6 weeks ago and got great help.  Here's my problem:
We were going with India - Sai Kiran Clinic.  They seem great.  We live in IRELAND.  We booked our flights - for May.  We looked for our medical visa.  We were fully honest about what the visa is for.  I was interviewed by the Embassy to see had we done our due diligence.  I demonstrated that I had.  He rang the clinic.  He decided the visa would be fine.  Then he called to tell me to hold off paying down any deposit.  He now emailed me to say that apparently the Indian authorities have said not to issue visas for this purpose to foreign nationals as legislation is in the drafting phase and will be going through the Indian Parliament.  Until it goes through, no visas can be granted...  So, way to hit a brick wall!  I'm devastated.  But just down, not out.  
Can anyone on the forum advise me as to the pluses and minuses of any clinics in Georgia or Ukraine?  If you can PM me names of reputable clinics, I'd be grateful.  One clinic in Ukraine is quoting prices of apx €32,000, considerably higher than Sai Kiran (by about €8,000, and with less included in the package).  One clinic in Georgia is quoting apx €23,500 but again with much less included in the package.  I would welcome advice as to people's experience with either country.  I mean in terms of the efficiency of the clincis used, the level of communication, the legals involved and the level of support once you're there to collect baby (and the language challenge, along with translation costs).

Any advice would be so welcome.  We were due to fly over to Hyderabad on May 21st...

Thanks

Mary


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## ♥JJ1♥

Mary I am so sorry that your indian trip has fallen through you must be devastated. I hope others can help on the thread x


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## Want-a-baby

Hi Mary,
Sorry to hear about that hun. That must be really frustrating...!!!
Over the last months I have been contacting some surrogacy clinics in India, Ukraine and Georgia. Since you cannot proceed with India at this point, I would recommend "La Vita Felice" (Kharkov, Ukraine) or Intersono (Lvov, Ukraine). I haven't used any of them (yet) but think they are both good choices.
Good luck,  WAB


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## napy

Hi Mary,
I can understand your distress right now after all the planning and waiting for your trip to India. Currently my husband and I are getting ready for a FET to two different surrogate mothers in Ukraine. We are using La Vita Felice in Kharkov.  We have done two fresh cycles before this and my husband has been over there twice so far.  Although we have not had any success yet (there are people on this site who have though) our experiences have been ok.  Communication is sometimes lacking, but they do get back to us eventually and seem competent. The prices are comparable to India I think.  I do know of someone who used Intersono and he and his wife were very happy with them, but he recently emailed me and said there was a waiting list for surrogate mothers at Intersono.  I don't think there is a waiting list with La Vita Felice, however I have heard they are starting to use a clinic in Russia for new customers (Kharkov is close to the border).  You would have to ask them about that.

Napy


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## LouGhevaert

Hi Mary

If you wish to parent your child in Ireland (where you are based), you'll need to get to grips with applicable Irish law as well as all the medical and logistical considerations. The Irish authorities have recently issued some guidance in relation to surrogacy arrangements and the law, including citizenship, parentage, guardianship and travel documents - http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/JELR/20120221%20Guidance%20Document.pdf/Files/20120221%20Guidance%20Document.pdf.

I hope this helps and best of luck.

Louisa


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## kare72

Hi just wondering why you applied for a medical visa?  Did they ask you was it for surrogacy or did you tell them this yourself?  We will hopefully going for baby pickup in a few months and just wondering what raised the red flag


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## mayaraifa

We applied for the medical visa as the clinic told us to do that and I'm guessing as well that if a person is going over for any sort of medical procedure, then that is what is supposed to be sought. But total honesty had backfired at least temporarily, as there is a temporary worldwide ban on visas for surrogacy on India while the legislation is going through parliament. 
Thanks to suggestions about Ukraine and Georgia. I had looked at them but don't get the same good feeling as India. I may look at Cyprus if things don't change soon. Can anyone give me an idea of the costs there roughly? Is it very much more expensive than India?
Thanks for the advices. I haven't been checking the site over the last two weeks as I've been pondering our various options. As the song says, 'everything's not lost'.
Hugs,
Mary


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## otto

Dear Mary,  I am Irish and seem to be at a similar place as you.  We were hoping to travel to India to start the journey for IVF and Gestational Carrier on the 28th May - we were hoping to work with the Akanksha Clinic.  I did a fair amount of research for Ukraine but it scared me a bit.  We have done 3 1/2 previous treatments here (before it was banned) and in London with a family member. We started in 2005.  I am going to look into the visa / legal side of India over the next few days and so can keep you posted.  I would love to chat to you or even meet up some time.  Best wishes to you,  Charlotte


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## kare72

Hi Otto
We and the  five couples that I know who have all brought home children through India have used tourist visas to go over.  Those couples had no issues when bringing home their children.  It seems the key is not to mention surrogacy.  I attended Dr Patel in Anand sept 2011 so if you have any questions give me a shout.  We are thankfully 20 weeks pregnant through a clinic in Delhi.  We had also used clinic in Ukraine but unfortunately had no luck there.  Good luck


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## yorkshirebunny

Hi
We are also pregnant with a surrogate in Mumbai and were advised to get a tourist visa to avoid unncessary complications. It was fine on both occassions and we would also suggest only getting a tourist visa for surrogacy. Good luck!


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## rosebud_05_99

hi
im just wondering how you have all got on since , we are booked to go to india in april with deposit paid, however the new laws seem to be coming int effect  there nw and they are advising medical visas from ips , like the original poster here im scared to apply for medical visa in case they refuse it (im irish as well) and scared to go ahead on a tourist one as they are chatting about ips breaking the law if we are out on the wrong visa, me and my dh are very upset and annoyed about this as surrogacy is our last hope after so many failed ivfs and we have flights paid for as well as the deposit. 

thanks
rosebud


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## kare72

Just with regards to medical visa through Dublin Indian Embassy - we picked up our baby back in September when all this talk started.  I enquired with the Embassy in Dub and they told me there was no visa for surrogacy - not medical, etc..  Thankfully I had used my sister email and name when enquiring so when hubby and I applied for tourist visas for pickup we were granted them. 


We went to India and picked up our baby and had no issues when going to India FRRO for exit visa for baby.


Just when enquiring to Dublin embassy maybe not to use your real name (no it sounds silly) but to avoid being blacklisted.


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## lily17

Hi Ladies

Sorry to hear you are off to a bad start with the Indian visa problem. Have you considered surrogacy closer to home? We did UK surrogacy and found a surrogate ourselves and did all the paperwork etc for the courts ourselves, and we now have a 6 month old baby boy, all the paperwork done and our surrogate have moved on and is doing another baby for someone else now! 
It wasnt difficult and I dont understand why more couples dont do surrogacy closer to home in the UK....Everything is so straight forward there are no problems with paperwork or long distances/flights/getting baby home etc etc
I am happy to offer advice to anyone considering UK surrogacy.
Lily x


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## kare72

Hi Lily are you an Irish resident?


We were told by Surrogacy UK and cOTs that only domiciled UK citizens could do surrogacy in UK due to Parental Order.  


That is why India was our choice and to be honest we were thrilled with doctor, clinic and every aspect of our trip.  


We are actually planning number 2 already    as we have 11 frozen embies in Delhi


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## rosebud_05_99

hi

we are going ahead with india and hoping if it works out we will get home ok, india has to realise a lot of the things they are looking for  to get a exit visa are unrealistic, and frankly as long as i get my irish passport to take baby home i cant see indian officials refusing to let us leave due to having a tourist visa or a letter not worded correctly , i dont think they would want the media attention of holding a western couple and their baby hostage when their home country has issued a passport to bring the baby home. the clinic told me that by the time i will have to sort this out it should be resolved. im hoping this is right.

re uk surrogacy, i looked into this a few yrs ago even traveled over for a consult, however as we are irish domiciled not uk we were told we would not be allowed a parental order we considered moving to uk to do it we are so desperate at this stage but that would be resident not domiciled so no good either, 

believe me we have looked into everything and as the usa is completly beyond our means india or ukeraine were the only options left and i know a few people who have has success in india and no one i know has in ukeraine so thats what made me finally decide. 

im hoping and praying this works out for us medically and legally as you can see by my signature what we have been through in the last 18 yrs trying for a baby has not been easy.

rosebud


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