Egg donation in Greece: legal framework, anonymity and why there is no waiting list

When someone asks me why there is ‘no waiting list’ in Greece, the answer has less to do with demographics than with the legal framework. Understanding this framework also helps you know which questions to ask a clinic — and which ones are pointless.

A long-standing and comprehensive regulatory framework

Greece introduced legislation on medically assisted reproduction as early as 2002 (Law 3089/2002), supplemented in 2005 by a detailed implementing law (Law 3305/2005). An independent national authority grants licences to clinics, inspects them and maintains the national register of donors.

This point is worth emphasising, as it is often misunderstood: gamete donation in Greece is not a practice tolerated in a legal vacuum; it is a regulated, authorised and monitored activity.

Anonymity: the key difference compared with France

Greek law provides for anonymous donation. The donor and the recipients do not know each other’s identities. The clinic retains the donor’s medical records, which are accessible for health reasons, but her civil identity is not disclosed.

This is the opposite of the approach taken in France since the 2021 reform: in France, any child born through donation after September 2022 may, upon reaching the age of majority, access the donor’s identity. This approach responds to a long-standing and legitimate demand from people born through donation. It has also, inevitably, had an effect on the number of available donors during the transition period.

There is no ‘right’ system in absolute terms: these are two different trade-offs between a child’s right to know their origins and the availability of donations. What is important to note, however, is that the applicable system is that of the country where the donation takes place. If you use an anonymous donation in Greece, your child will not have access to the donor’s identity, even if they grow up in France. This is a question you need to consider carefully beforehand, not afterwards.

Who can be a donor

• Women aged between 18 and 35 who are in good health.
• A full medical examination, screening for infectious diseases and genetic tests.
• Psychological assessment.
• Written consent, given freely and revocable under the conditions laid down by law.
• A cap on the number of births per donor, to limit the risk of unintended consanguinity.

Compensation, not remuneration

Donation is free of charge in the legal sense. The donor receives a lump-sum allowance, the amount of which is set by the national authority, intended to cover time spent, travel, absence from work and the inconvenience caused by examinations and treatment.

This distinction is not merely a formality: it prevents an egg from being treated as a product whose price varies according to the donor’s characteristics. If an intermediary offers to let you ‘choose’ a donor based on price-based criteria, you are operating outside the legal framework — end the conversation immediately.

What you can find out about the donor

Under the anonymous scheme, clinics generally provide basic physical characteristics — blood group, eye and hair colour, height, build — as well as phenotypic matching and the results of the screening tests carried out. You will not be given a photograph, a name or a detailed profile.

Requests for extensive selection have no place within this framework, and a reputable clinic will tell you so. What you can legitimately ask for, however, is details of the genetic screening carried out and the clinic’s policy regarding genetic compatibility between the donor and the partner, where a test is available.

Why there is no waiting list

Three factors come into play. The anonymous system maintains a stable pool of donors. Greek clinics actively recruit and work with gamete banks. Finally, their long-standing international activity has led to donation programmes being scaled up accordingly.

This does not mean ‘immediately’: it takes time to put together your application, carry out the tests and, where applicable, receive a response to your S2 application. However, the delay then depends on you and the French authorities, not on a waiting list.

And what about parentage in France?

This is a common concern, and it is quickly dispelled. Parental status is established in accordance with French law: the woman who gives birth is the mother, and the second parent establishes parental status in accordance with the procedures laid down by French law for their situation. The fact that the donation took place abroad does not affect the civil status of the child born in France.

For specific situations — female couples, advance joint recognition, ROPA — the procedures differ, and I always recommend consulting a legal professional in France before treatment, rather than finding out about the issue at the maternity ward. I am not a lawyer and cannot substitute for such advice.

Useful questions to ask a clinic

• What genetic screening tests are carried out on donors, and according to which protocol?
• How is phenotypic matching carried out?
• How many eggs are allocated per recipient, and under what conditions?
• What happens if no embryos are produced? What is the policy in the event of a cancelled cycle?
• Are surplus embryos frozen, at what cost, and for how long?
• Is the clinic listed among the units approved by the national authority?

Frequently asked questions