Egg Donation
Last updated: February 2026
What is egg donation?
Egg donation is “when a woman goes through part of the IVF process in order to have some of her eggs collected, which she can then donate to someone else’s treatment” (HFEA). The donor’s eggs are fertilised with the recipient’s partner’s sperm (or donor sperm), and the resulting embryo is transferred to the recipient’s uterus.
Why it matters
Egg quality declines with age. By 43, birth rates per IVF cycle with own eggs drop to around 4% (HFEA, 2021). With donor eggs, pregnancy rates stay above 50% per fresh transfer regardless of the recipient’s age (ESHRE EIM, 2019). That difference is not marginal.
In 2019, 82,373 egg donation cycles were performed across 40 European countries, producing 25,156 deliveries (ESHRE EIM, 2019). Spain alone accounted for 35,674 of those cycles: 43% of all European egg donation.
How it works
The donor takes daily hormone injections for roughly two weeks to stimulate egg production, followed by egg collection under sedation (about 30 minutes). The collected eggs are then fertilised in the lab and the embryo is transferred to the recipient, who has been taking medication to prepare her uterine lining. The whole process takes 2-3 months from initial screening to transfer (HFEA).
Eggs can be used fresh on the day of collection or frozen via vitrification for later use. Fresh donated oocyte transfers achieve a pregnancy rate of 50.5% per transfer. Frozen oocyte transfers: 29.5% (ESHRE EIM, 2019).
Legal landscape
The rules vary enormously across Europe:
| Country | Status | Donor anonymity | Donor age limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Legal | Anonymous (by law) | 18-34 |
| Czech Republic | Legal | Anonymous | 18-35 |
| Greece | Legal | Anonymous | Up to 35 |
| UK | Legal | Non-anonymous since 2005 | 18-35 |
| Austria | Legal | Non-anonymous | N/A |
| Portugal | Legal | Non-anonymous | N/A |
| Germany | Banned | N/A | N/A |
| Norway | Banned | N/A | N/A |
| Switzerland | Banned | N/A | N/A |
(ESHRE, PMC7002185)
Germany bans egg donation under its 1990 Embryo Protection Act to prevent “divided motherhood” where the genetic mother and birth mother differ. Germany has updated its internet infrastructure since then but not this.
Full details: Egg Donation Laws in Europe.
Donor compensation
- UK: GBP 985 per cycle (HFEA)
- Spain: approximately EUR 1,000 (Civio, 2022)
- Greece: approximately EUR 1,200 (Civio, 2022)
- Portugal: EUR 878, fixed by law (Civio, 2022)
- France, Italy: zero, compensation prohibited
What to ask your clinic
- Do you use fresh or frozen donor eggs, and what are your pregnancy rates for each?
- What screening does the donor go through before being matched?
- What is your waiting time for a donor match?
- Is the donor anonymous or identifiable, and what information will my child have access to?
Looking for clinics that offer egg donation? Get a personalised quote or estimate costs.
Related research
- Fresh vs frozen donor eggs: does it matter?: a study comparing outcomes between the two approaches.
Sources
- HFEA. Donating Your Eggs: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/donation/donors/donating-your-eggs/
- HFEA. Egg Donation: A Factsheet: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/media-centre/egg-donation-a-factsheet/
- ART in Europe 2019, ESHRE EIM Consortium: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10694409/
- ESHRE Survey on ART Legislation: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7002185/
- Civio. Egg and Sperm Donor Compensation in Europe (2022): https://civio.es/sanidad/2022/03/07/egg-sperm-donors-financial-compensation-europe/
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified fertility specialist before making treatment decisions.