No visas for foreigners wanting to hire a womb

Clamping down on the “rent-a-womb” practice by foreigners and overseas Indians, the government on Tuesday directed all its missions not to issue visas to those intending to visit India for commissioning surrogacy.

Announcing withdrawal of an earlier notification of July 2012, a home ministry circular has asked all Indian Missions abroad and Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) to cancel such permission given earlier and said all those granted visa for this should be “informed of the position immediately”.

“No exit permission should be granted by FRRO to the child to be born through surrogacy to foreign nationals including OCI cardholders.”

“However, for child or children born through surrogacy already commissioned on or before issue of this circular, exit permission will be decided by FRRO on case to case basis,” the notification said.