01Know your legal landscape
UK surrogacy is legal and altruistic. Surrogates can receive only reasonable expenses, typically £10,000 to £15,000 (HFEA). Brilliant Beginnings suggests an overall UK budget of £50,000 to £60,000 once IVF, donor eggs, screening and legal fees are included. The surrogate is the legal mother at birth, regardless of genetics. Since 3 January 2019 a single applicant can apply for a parental order (section 54A of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008) if your own sperm was used, the child's home is with you and you are domiciled in the UK. Reform proposed by the Law Commission in 2023 has been postponed; the current parental-order process applies. Get specialist legal advice from a surrogacy solicitor at the start.
02Connect with the surrogacy organisations
Solo fatherhood via surrogacy is less common than for couples. Surrogacy UK, Brilliant Beginnings and My Surrogacy Journey match intended parents with surrogates; ask each whether it works with single intended fathers. There are more intended parents than surrogates, so matching can take a long time.
03Find your surrogate
The matching process involves conversations about values, expectations for the relationship during and after pregnancy, and what role (if any) your surrogate would like in your child's life.
04Choose your egg donor
In the UK, egg donors are identifiable at your child's request from age 18. UK egg banks are available. A UK clinic can also import eggs from an overseas bank, but only from donors who meet UK rules, including being identifiable to your child at 18. Ask your clinic to confirm this before you choose. When choosing, consider health screening and whether the donor has donated before.
05IVF treatment
Your sperm is used to fertilise the donor eggs via IVF or ICSI at an HFEA-licensed clinic. Resulting embryos are graded and a selected embryo is transferred to your surrogate. Many dads freeze additional embryos at this stage, preserving the option for a second child from the same donor.
06Supporting your surrogate
Most arrangements involve regular contact and attending scans where invited. Agree boundaries and expectations early, and revisit them as the pregnancy goes on.
07Birth and parental order
Apply for your parental order within 6 months of the birth. As a single applicant you must show that your sperm was used, that the child's home is with you and that you are domiciled in the UK; the surrogate's consent counts only once the child is at least six weeks old. The process is possible, but it often takes a long time and involves a court process. A specialist solicitor usually prepares the application.
08Solo fatherhood: building your village
Arrange practical childcare, trusted family or friends, and contact with other solo parents before your child arrives. The wider solo parent networks include solo dads by choice.