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Many patients from the UK travel abroad for IVF treatment with donor eggs. This is due to several factors, particularly the limited availability of egg cells and the high costs of treatment in the UK. An additional factor that may discourage Britons from opting for egg donation IVF in the UK is the fact that egg donation is not anonymous in the United Kingdom. There are also patients who are seeking non-anonymous donors but, due to limited availability in the UK, choose to go abroad.
Why Do Patients from the UK Decide on IVF with Donor Eggs Outside the UK?
Patients from the UK traveling abroad for IVF with donor eggs can expect lower treatment costs, high-quality care in reputable clinics conducted by experienced doctors, and a wide selection of egg donors of various ethnic backgrounds.
Egg Donation Outside the UK – Why Is It Worth Considering?
- Lower Costs: Regardless of the country you choose, the costs of IVF treatment with donor eggs can be lower than in the UK.
- Comprehensive Packages: As part of an egg donation package, you typically receive more than in the UK—such as a higher number of egg cells and additional procedures, including those in the in vitro laboratory (e.g., additional genetic tests of the donor, embryo monitoring). By the way read our review of Top Egg Donation Programs in Europe.
- Guarantees: In popular countries, clinics offer egg donation packages that include guarantees, such as a minimum number of egg cells or a minimum number of embryos guaranteed by a specific day of their development—either day 3 or day 5.
- Diverse Donor Selection: Popular destinations offer quick access to egg donors of diverse ethnicities, available both directly through clinics and donor banks.
- Anonymity Options: You have the option to choose between anonymous and non-anonymous egg donors.
How Does IVF Treatment with Donor Eggs Outside the UK Differ?
Generally, popular countries offer varying laws regarding IVF, different availability of egg donors (ethnicity), and treatment costs differ across countries. In individual countries, there are differences in the availability of treatment for patients, including:
- Maximum Age of the Patient: This varies between countries.
- Single Women: In some countries, single women cannot receive treatment—for example, the Czech Republic and Poland.
- BMI Limitations: Some clinics may have restrictions on the maximum BMI of the patient.
- Treatment for Lesbian Couples: Only in certain countries is treatment possible for lesbian couples using ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner)—Spain, Denmark, and Portugal. Although there are clinics in North Cyprus that advertise such treatment as possible, it is not legally regulated there.
| Donor Egg IVF outside UK | IVF Age Limit Outside UK | Egg Donation Cost Outside UK | Egg Donors Availability Outside UK | IVF Treatment for Single Woman Outside UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egg Donation IVF Spain | 50 some clinics may accept older patients based on individual circumstances | €5,900-11,000 | Caucasian, Latino, African / Black, Arab, Indian | Allowed |
| Egg Donation IVF Portugal | 49 (+364 days) | €6,000-8,000 | Caucasian, Scandinavian, Hispanic, Asian, African | Allowed |
| Egg Donation and IVF Czech Republic | 48 (+365 days) | €4,500-8,000 | Caucasian, Scandinavian | Not allowed |
| Egg Donation IVF Greece | 54 some clinics may accept older patients based on individual circumstances | €5,000-8,000 | Caucasian, Latino, Indian, Arab | Allowed |
| Egg Donation IVF North Cyprus | 58 over 45 – subject to additional tests and Ministry of Health approval is required. woman over 55 – additionally require an ethical committee meeting with the presence of the patient. | €4,500-6,000 | Caucasian, African / Black, Arab | Allowed |
| Egg Donation IVF Latvia | No limit not specified by legislation, decided by each clinic individually | €5,000-8,000 | Caucasian, Scandinavian | Allowed |
What Is the Cost of Egg Donation Outside the UK?
Costs depend on the destination country. The most expensive country is Spain, where an egg donation package can cost from 6,600 EUR to even 11,000 EUR. However, on average in Europe, egg donation IVF costs around 5,000 EUR to 8,500 EUR.
Egg Donation Outside the UK – Most Popular Countries
Which countries do Britons choose for donor egg IVF outside the UK? Most often, patients from the UK choose Europe; few travel for treatment to the USA or the Middle East. There is also a group of patients who, due to their origin, choose to undergo treatment in India.
| Egg Donation Country Outside UK | Reason to Go | Popular Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Very experienced doctors, a large number of clinics—including those serving international patients, possibility of treating patients up to 50 years of age | Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao |
| Greece | Many clinics have doctors who trained in the UK, possibility of treating patients up to 54 years of age | Athens, Thessaloniki |
| North Cyprus | Low treatment costs and patient age limit up to 58 years | Kyrenia, Famagusta |
| Czech Republic | Affordable treatment costs, experienced clinics, possibility of treating patients up to 49 years of age | Prague |
| Portugal | Access to non-anonymous egg donors, possibility of treating patients up to 50 years of age | Coimbra, Lisbon |
Best Egg Donation Clinics Outside the UK
Patients often ask which is the best IVF clinic abroad, but the answer to this question is very difficult. This is understandable because patients have limited means to assess a clinic before deciding on treatment. Many patients use IVF forums and Facebook groups where they can learn about other patients’ experiences. More and more clinics provide the option to review them, for example, on Google Business Reviews, and they moderate these reviews.
However, the truth is that there is no one best clinic for all patients. Each patient has different expectations and perceptions about IVF treatment.
Many patients try to choose a clinic based on its published success rates. In the case of donor egg success rates, data in many clinics are very similar. In practice, even the age of the patient in egg donation treatment does not play a key role; it is assumed that the effectiveness of IVF with donor eggs does not change with the patient’s age.
So, how do you choose a clinic outside the UK?
First of all, nowadays practically all clinics offer the possibility of online consultations. Therefore, the best way is to prepare a list of clinics that fit your budget, can provide treatment appropriate to your situation, and offer services you are interested in, and then schedule online consultations with them. This way, you will get to know the clinic’s philosophy and the people who will be responsible for your treatment.
Clinics that offer and specialize in treating foreign patients, especially those in popular countries, present a very high medical quality of treatment and have experience in organizing the treatment process for patients from abroad.
Below you will find a list of clinics that are most frequently chosen for IVF treatment with donor eggs abroad by patients from the UK.
Egg donation clinics in Spain >
Clinica Tambre – Madrid, UR Vistahermosa – Alicante, Eugin – Barcelona, Barcelona IVF, ReproClinic – Barcelona and more…
Egg donation clinics in Greece >
emBio – Athens, Pelargos – Athens, NewLife IVF – Thessaloniki and more…
Egg donation clinics in North Cyprus >
Dunya IVF, Cyprus IVF Hospital
Egg donation clinics in Czech Republic >
UNICA, Gynem IVF and more…
Egg donation clinics in Portugal >
Ferticentro – Coimbra, Eugin – Coimbra
Whenever possible, it’s better to undergo IVF treatment, including donor egg procedures, in your home country. If donors are available, stay in the UK and choose one of the top IVF clinics in the UK. However, if for any reason you have already decided to go abroad, be cautious. Do your research and ask questions before selecting a clinic.
