Overseas surrogacy continues to grow in acceptance and popularity in the UK, but many people still enter into arrangements without a full understanding of how they will bring their newborn back to the UK.
This may particularly be the case with British intended parents, who have no history of dealing with the Home Office and its intrusive application processes. There is also a common misconception that legal recognition of the intended parents’ status in a child’s country of birth will mean automatic recognition under UK law, which is simply not the case.
The UK’s legal position in respect of ‘legal parentage’ is clear for immigration and nationality purposes. At birth, the surrogate is the child’s legal mother. If she is married, her spouse will be the child’s legal father. If she is not married, then an intended father can be recognised as the legal father if he is also the child’s biological father.
This means it is often not simply a case of applying for a British passport once the child is born. The exact route open to the family will depend on their particular circumstances. Relevant factors include the background of the intended parent(s), the nationality and marital status of the surrogate mother and the country where the child is born.
Very broadly speaking, there are three general routes available to surrogate-born babies. However, some babies have more than one option, while others don’t fall within any of the main routes.
Route one: Child qualifies for a British passport at birth
A child may be a British citizen at birth if:
- The surrogate mother is unmarried
- An intended father is also the biological father of the child
- That intended father is British
The British father needs to be ‘British otherwise than by descent’, which means that if he was born abroad, he must not have ‘inherited’ his own citizenship from a parent.
If the child is British at birth, they will be entitled to apply for a British passport.
Route two: Child can apply for British citizenship
A child may not be British at birth but the intended parents may be able to apply for British citizenship for the child in the following three scenarios:
Scenario one
- The surrogate mother is married
- An intended father is the biological father of the child
- That intended father is British otherwise than by descent
Scenario two
- An intended father is not the biological father of the child
- That intended father is British otherwise than by descent
- That intended father has been recognised as the child’s father in its jurisdiction of birth
- The surrogate mother has consented to this recognition at least six weeks after the child’s birth
The above scenarios are very generalised indications of when an application for British citizenship is likely to be successful. There are additional, less common, circumstances in which an application could be made.
The application process generally takes around four-six months, after which the child will qualify for a British passport.
Scenario three
- The intended mother is British otherwise than by descent
- She has been recognised as the child’s mother in its jurisdiction of birth
- The surrogate mother has consented to this recognition at least six weeks after birth
The above scenarios are very generalised indications of when an application for British citizenship is likely to be successful. There are additional, less common, circumstances in which an application could be made.
The application process generally takes around four-six months, after which the child will qualify for a British passport.
Route three: Child qualifies for a visa
The child may qualify for a visa in the following two situations:
Scenario one: British/settled parents
- At least one parent is the child’s genetic parent
- A ‘parental order’ is likely to be made in favour of the intended parents
- The intended parent(s) can show they will be able to maintain and accommodate the child
Scenario two: Settlement Scheme
- The surrogate mother is unmarried
- An intended father is also the biological father of the child
- That intended father has status under the Settlement Scheme
It is important to remember that a visa nearly always needs a passport, without which it won’t usually be possible to make the application.
The duration and cost of the visa will depend on the circumstances of the family. Scenario one is generally very costly and could result in a one-year or a permanent visa. Scenario two is generally free and will result in the child being given permission in line with that of the relevant father.
Other situations
If the family falls within none of the above categories, then it may still be possible to make a visa application, but it is significantly more complicated. The Home Office could well have concerns about whether the intended parents will qualify for a parental order, which in turn could affect their willingness to grant a visa.
There are also situations where a child qualifies for a passport from a ‘non-visa national’ country, such as the USA, Colombia or an EU state. In these cases, intended parents may simply be able to request entry on arrival in the UK. However, it is important to note that this is entirely at the discretion of the border official, who is within their rights to refuse entry. This is because such entry is usually only granted for the purpose of ‘visiting’ the UK.
The above is a very general summary of the main routes, but anyone considering surrogacy should always take legal advice from specialised immigration and family solicitors as early as possible to have a clear understanding of what lies ahead. The arrival of a much longed-for child can feel like an end goal but in many cases, this is just the start of a lengthy legal process.
For more information about our Immigration, Asylum and Nationality team and the services we offer to individuals, visit our web page here.