Belgium is nearby, recognises female couples and is phasing out anonymous donation; Greece treats women up to the age of 54 and retains anonymous donation by default. Your age and family situation almost always determine the choice.
Belgium or Greece for assisted reproduction? Both countries are open, regulated by law and accustomed to patients coming from abroad. However, they do not cater to the same situations. Belgium is close by for many European patients, recognises female couples as couples and is preparing to phase out anonymous donation. Greece treats patients up to the age of 54 and retains anonymous donation by default.
I work in Greece, so I do not claim to be impartial. But for certain situations, Belgium is clearly the best choice, and I say so. Here are the criteria in the order I consider them: age, family situation, donor anonymity, then cost and travel.
This table summarises the legislation in each country as of October 2026; the changes currently underway are explained below.
| Criterion | Belgium | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Age limit for women | egg retrieval and application up to 45 years of age; embryo transfer or insemination up to 47 years of age | 54 years of age, with authorisation from the National Authority from the age of 50 |
| Single woman | yes | yes, with consent by notarised deed |
| Female couple | yes, as a couple | not as a couple: one of the two follows the treatment pathway as a single woman |
| Donation by a known person | permitted, by agreement between the donor and recipients | possible since 2022, though still rare in practice |
| Anonymous donation | still possible; the Constitutional Court has upheld the current rule until 30 June 2027 at the latest | default rule |
| Payment to the donor | prohibited; an allowance may cover expenses | prohibited; expenses and compensation set by the National Authority |
The Belgian Act of 6 July 2007 sets two age limits. Egg retrieval, as well as requests for embryo transfer or insemination, is permitted for women aged 45 or under. Embryo transfer or insemination can no longer be carried out after the age of 47. Between the ages of 45 and 47, it is therefore possible to complete a treatment programme in Belgium that was started in time, but not to begin a new one. Donor insemination is compared country by country in the article on insemination abroad.
In Greece, Law 4958/2022 raised the age limit to 54 years, specifically ‘54 years and 0 days’. From the age of 50 years and one day, the clinic must obtain authorisation from the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction. After the age of 47, treatment in Belgium is therefore no longer an option, whereas in Greece it remains possible for several more years. The procedure is detailed in the article on the age limit in Greece.
Belgian law does not apply to any specific type of family: it refers to ‘the person initiating the parental project’, that is to say, any person who has decided to become a parent through medically assisted reproduction. A single woman is eligible, and a female couple is treated as a couple. As the law also permits non-anonymous donation agreed between the donor and the recipient, a female couple may consider the ROPA method, whereby one carries the embryo created from the other’s eggs.
In Greece, a single woman is accepted regardless of her family status; the Civil Code merely requires that her consent be given by a notarised deed. A female couple, on the other hand, is not recognised as a couple for assisted reproductive technology (ART) purposes: one of the two women must undergo the process as a single woman, and the ROPA method is not available. If you are in a relationship with a woman and recognition of the couple is important from the outset, Belgium offers a better option. Both situations are detailed in assisted reproduction as a single woman in Greece and female couples and assisted reproduction in Greece.
Currently, in Belgium, the clinic must ensure that any data that could identify an anonymous donor is inaccessible; non-anonymous donation, agreed between the donor and the recipients, is already permitted. On 26 September 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that completely preventing a child from obtaining any information about the donor was contrary to the Constitution. It upheld the current rule until a new law comes into force, and at the latest until 30 June 2027.
On 20 June 2026, the federal government approved, at second reading, a preliminary draft bill that abolishes anonymous donation for future donations and establishes a central register of donor data. The text has been referred to the Council of State for its opinion. At the time of writing, in October 2026, it has not yet been passed by Parliament: its provisions, such as the age at which a child may request the donor’s identity, may still change.
In Greece, donation is anonymous by default; since 2022, the law has also provided for non-anonymous forms of donation, but these remain rare in practice. The Civil Code provides that the donor’s identity may remain anonymous, be disclosed, or be revealed to the child once they reach the age of majority. This is a decision to be made before treatment begins, bearing in mind what your child may one day come to know.
I have not found any recent official figures on waiting times for egg donation in Belgium. The law there provides for donation free of charge, with at most compensation for expenses, such as travel costs or loss of earnings, and donation by someone you know remains possible. Ask the clinic, in writing, about the actual waiting time before a transfer with an anonymous donor, and what the new law will mean for you.
In Greece, the National Authority recorded nearly 2,500 foreign nationals who had received donor eggs in 2025, of whom more than 2,000 received a donation carried out in Greece. Between the initial contact and the transfer, you should generally allow two to four months, mainly to prepare the paperwork. The stay itself lasts two to four days for an egg donation transfer, all in a single trip.
In Belgium, the compulsory health insurance scheme (INAMI) covers part of the IVF costs for people insured in Belgium, in the form of lump-sum payments, provided the woman is under 43 years of age and for a maximum of six such payments. A patient insured in another country is not eligible for this. If you are insured in France, the rule is the same for both Belgium and Greece: partial coverage requires prior authorisation from the National Centre for Healthcare Abroad, in the form of the S2 form. The procedure is explained in the article on the S2 form.
In Greece, according to the price lists published in 2026 by licensed clinics, a cycle involving egg donation generally costs between 5,000 and 8,000 euros, and IVF using your own eggs between 3,000 and 5,000 euros, excluding medication and travel costs. I do not have a comparable official source for Belgian prices: compare written quotes, line by line.
The journey also matters. If you live in Belgium, northern France or the Netherlands, Belgium allows for several return trips without flying. Greece requires a flight, but much of the follow-up is carried out at home, with ultrasound scans sent to the clinic.
Other countries are compared in which country to choose for IVF abroad, and the laws are set out side by side in the table of European laws. If you would like us to look at your situation together, please write to me.
Belgian law permits egg retrieval and applications for ART up to the age of 45; embryo transfer or insemination may no longer be carried out after the age of 47. In Greece, the age limit is 54, with authorisation from the National Authority required from the age of 50.
Yes, for the time being, unless a non-anonymous donation has been agreed between the donor and the recipients. The Constitutional Court has ruled that absolute anonymity is contrary to the Constitution, with a deadline set for 30 June 2027; the bill abolishing anonymous donation had not yet been passed by October 2026.
A single woman can, in both countries; in Greece, her consent is given by a notarised deed. A female couple is recognised as a couple in Belgium, but not in Greece, where one of the two women undergoes the treatment as a single woman.
Not by the Belgian health insurance scheme, which is reserved for those insured in Belgium. As with Greece, partial coverage by the French health insurance scheme requires prior authorisation from the National Centre for Healthcare Abroad, using form S2.
Source: https://fertilitegrece.com/en/blog/belgium-vs-greece-ivf/ — Triada Baloukoudis, IVF patient coordination in Greece. General information, not medical or legal advice. Printed on
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