Kazakhstan to ban surrogacy for foreigners

Foreigners will be prohibited from seeking surrogacy services from Kazakh women / Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

Kazakhstan is set to restrict access to surrogacy services to its own citizens. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said an initiative to bar foreigners from using Kazakhstani surrogacy programs will soon be submitted to parliament for consideration.

«There is a pressing need to amend legislation to establish a provision under which surrogacy services in Kazakhstan would be available exclusively to citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan,» Bozumbayev said.

According to Bozumbayev, the proposed changes to the Code on Marriage and Family were drafted by the Ministry of Health and are now under review by relevant government agencies. Once approved at that level, the documents will be formally introduced in parliament.

For now, foreign nationals may still legally pursue surrogacy arrangements in Kazakhstan. However, officials say disputes and court cases involving foreign clients have become increasingly common. Authorities argue that these conflicts expose legal gaps and create risks for all parties involved, prompting the push to limit surrogacy to Kazakhstani citizens.

The proposed amendments also envision tighter regulation of the industry, including the possible licensing of agencies that recruit or coordinate surrogacy arrangements.