Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 and end nearly half a century of precedent, American women have sought out countries to move to where reproductive rights are protected. It’s rarely the sole factor in an aspiring emigrant’s decision to leave the U.S., but it’s a significant one.

International law regarding abortion varies considerably and can involve time limits and other legal grounds, but these are countries where abortion is legal or largely protected.

Albania

Albania will permit abortion on request up to 12 weeks after conception; 22 weeks on economic grounds, rape, or risk to health; and no limit on fetal impairment. Check out Expatsi’s country guide to Albania.

Argentina

Argentina will permit abortion up to 14 weeks on request or fetal impairment. It sets no limits on abortion for rape or risks to the mother’s life and mental health.

Australia

Australia allows for abortion on all grounds with no cutoff date. The Northern Territory (NT) requires approval by medical professionals to get an abortion on request.

Austria

Austria allows for abortion up to three months for economic or social reasons, rape, and on request. There’s no limit for fetal impairment or risk to mother’s health.

Belarus

Belarus allows for abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy on request, 22 weeks for rape, social or economic grounds, and no limit for other reasons (fetal impairment, preserve health/life).

Belgium

Belgium allows for abortion on up to 14 weeks after last menstrual period for request, economic reasons, or rape. There’s no limit on abortion access for fetal impairment or health of the mother..

Bulgaria

Bulgaria grants abortion by request or for economic reasons up to 12 weeks. Abortion is allowed up to 20 weeks when needed to protect women’s health. It sets no limits on fetal impairment or risk of mother’s life.

Cambodia

Cambodia allows for abortions up to 12 weeks by request or risk to health. There’s no limit on risk to life, fetal impairment, or rape.

Canada

Canada will grant an abortion for all reasons without time limits.

China

China strives to protect abortion access throughout pregnancy. The country’s abortion law will grant the procedure for all reasons without time limits.

Colombia

Colombia marks the first appearance for Latin America on this list. By judicial decision, Colombia allows abortions up to 24 weeks for economic reasons or by request. There’s no limit on abortion for other reasons (rape, risk to health, fetal impairment).

Cyprus

Cyprus will grant abortions for request or economic reasons up to 12 weeks after conception. It allows up t0 19 weeks for rape victims and permits the procedure for health or fetal impairment.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic allows abortions up to 12 weeks for request, economic reasons, or rape. There’s a 24-week limit for risk to parental health and no limit for risk to life or fetal impairment.

Denmark

Denmark grants abortions by request up to 12 weeks after conception; this limit is waived for minors and those unable to care for the child properly. There’s no limits on other reasons for the procedure, such as protecting the mother’s mental health.

Estonia

Estonia allows abortion up to 12 weeks for rape, economic reasons, or by request. This limit goes up to 22 weeks for women under 15 or over 45. Abortion is allowed for risk of health or fetal impairment up to 22 weeks for all.

Finland

Finland grants abortion by request up to 12 weeks after conception. There’s a 20-week limit for rape or economic reasons, 24 weeks for fetal impairment, and no limit for risk to parent’s life or health.

France

France allows abortion up to 14 weeks for rape, socioeconomic reasons, or by request. No term limit applies for fetal impairment or risk to parent’s health or life.

Georgia

The eastern European country of Georgia grants abortions up to 12 weeks for economic reasons or by request. There’s a 22 weeks cutoff for other reasons for abortion, including rape, parental health, or fetal impairment.

Germany

Germany will grant an abortion up to 12 weeks if the woman requests it, reports economic reasons, suspects fetal impairment, or is a victim of rape. The country sets no limits on abortion to protect the mother’s health or life.

Greece

Greece will grant an abortion up to 12 weeks on request or for economic reasons. Minors and rape victims can get an abortion up to 19 weeks after conception. Greece doesn’t set limits on abortion to protect the mother’s health or life.

Iceland

While Iceland reports a 22-week limit on abortions by request, there’s no limits on other reasons for the procedure. In practice, this likely translates to abortion on demand through gestation.

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland sets a 12-week limit on abortion by request, for rape, or social-economic reasons. Ireland allows abortion for fetal impairment. There’s no gestational limits when the parent’s health or life is at risk.

Italy

Italy allows abortions by request up to 90 days after conception; the same limit applies for economic reasons, fetal impairment, or victims of rape. No gestation limit applies when abortion’s needed to protect the physical or mental health of the mother.

Latvia

Latvia, the Baltic nation, grants abortions up to 12 weeks for rape, fetal impairment, economic reasons, or on demand. This becomes a 24-week limit when the mother’s health is at risk. No term limits apply when the mother’s life is at risk.

Lithuania

Latvia’s southern neighbor Lithuania grants abortion access up to 12 weeks for economic reasons, victims of rape, and on demand. It eliminates term limits for fetal impairment, risk to health. There’s also no gestational limits for women over 49 years old or children under 13.

Luxembourg

The small European country of Luxembourg establishes a 14-week limit for abortions on demand, victims of rape, and economic reasons. No gestation limit applies for fetal impairment or risks to mother’s health.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands grants abortions for victims of rape up to 24 weeks after conception; the same limit applies for economic reasons and abortion on demand. The Dutch allow the procedure through all weeks of pregnancy for fetal impairment or to preserve health.

New Zealand

Named Aotearoa by its Māori natives, New Zealand’s liberal abortion laws grant access on demand up to 20 weeks after conception. Women can get the procedure under any other circumstance without term limits.

North Macedonia

Found in Southeastern Europe, North Macedonia grants abortions on demand up to 12 weeks after conception. This increases to 22 weeks for fetal impairment, rape, or economic reasons, though this limit can be waived in some cases. No term limit applies when abortion is required to protect the mother’s life or health.

Norway

Norway sets a 12-week gestation limit for abortion on demand. This rises to 22 weeks for economics, fetal impairment,  or sexual assault victims. No limit applies when the mother’s health is at risk.

Romania

Romania establishes a 14-week limit for receiving an abortion by request. All other reasons for abortion, including economic burden, are offered without restrictions.

Russia

Russia allows abortions for economic reasons or on demand up to 12 weeks after conception. There’s a 22-week cutoff for victims of sexual assault, and sets no limits for mother’s health or fetal impairment. We strongly discourage US expats from moving to Russia while it wages war on Ukraine.

Singapore

Singapore grants abortion access up to 24 weeks for economic reasons, rape, or on demand; there’s no limit on abortion for fetal impairment or mother’s health.

Slovakia

Found in central Europe, Slovakia grants abortion access up to 12 weeks by request, for sexual assault victims, and economic reasons. No limit applies when abortion protects the mother’s life or fetal impairment is detected.

South Africa

South Africa gives abortion on demand up to 12 weeks; up to 20 weeks for parent’s health, socioeconomic reasons, and rape victims; and no limit for fetal impairment or the physical or mental health of the mother.

South Korea

South Korea grants abortion access up to 24 weeks to protect mother’s health or victims of rape. Judicial decision allows abortion under all other circumstances without defined gestational limits.

Spain

Spain, one of the best destinations for US expats, establishes a 14-week abortion limit for rape, economics, and by request. There’s a 22-week cutoff for fetal impairment or risk to mother’s well-being.

Sweden

Sweden grants abortion access during all weeks of pregnancy to protect the physical or mental health of the mother. It sets an 18-week limit for abortion on demand.

Switzerland

Switzerland allows abortion on demand up to 12 weeks after conception; the same limit applies for fetal impairment and sexual assault victims. The Swiss grant abortion at any time to protect the mother’s life and health.

Thailand

Thai law grants abortion-on-demand access for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Thailand offers abortion without limits for other health-related reasons (parental health, fetal impairment, rape).

Tunisia

Africa’s northernmost country, Tunisia allows abortion on demand up to three months post-conception. There’s no limit on abortion to protect the mother or for fetal impairment.

Ukraine

Ukraine secures 12 weeks of on-demand abortion for women aged 15-45. In all other cases, this reproductive procedure is available up to 22 weeks.

Uruguay

Another appearance for Latin America, Uruguay allows abortion on demand up to 12 weeks after conception. There’s a 14-week limit for victims of rape, while women can seek an abortion throughout pregnancy for fetal impairment or to protect their own health.

Vietnam

Vietnam offers a 22-week window to get an abortion by request. Vietnamese law permits the procedure throughout pregnancy for all other causes to preserve health of the mother.

Resource: Wikipedia.

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