In France, there is a 17-month waiting list for a sperm donation. In Greece, it’s just a few weeks. But the legal framework is different, and you need to be aware of it before you go.
Since 2021, single women and female couples have been able to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) involving sperm donation in France. This change was a step forward; it has also caused demand at CECOS clinics to skyrocket, with an average waiting time of around 17 to 18 months by 2025, according to the French Biomedicine Agency. For a 40-year-old woman, this is a timeframe that can change her plans.
Law 3305/2005 authorises sperm donation for heterosexual couples in cases of male infertility or the risk of disease transmission, and for single women. For female couples, Greek law does not recognise the couple as such: one of the two partners accesses treatment as a single woman, and parentage is established only in relation to her. This is an important legal point to discuss with a French solicitor before travelling, as the recognition of the second mother will subsequently be governed by French law.
Donation is anonymous and compensated by a lump sum. The donor must be under 40 years of age, undergo medical and genetic tests, and the same donor may not father more than ten children in Greece. The child cannot obtain the donor’s identity, unlike under the French system since 2022; however, once they reach the age of majority, they may access non-identifying medical data.
Greek clinics work with their own bank or with accredited European banks (notably Danish ones). You do not choose the donor from a catalogue: the clinic carries out a phenotypic match (height, eye and hair colour, blood group, ethnicity) based on your characteristics or those of your partner. You may express preferences; the final decision rests with the clinic. Compulsory tests include serological tests, karyotyping and screening for common recessive genetic disorders.
This is the first medical decision, and it depends on you, not the donor. If you are under 38, have a good ovarian reserve and patent fallopian tubes, intrauterine insemination with a donor (IAD) is the simplest option: minimal medication, a painless procedure, and a two-day stay. The success rate per attempt is around 15 to 20 per cent, and several cycles are often required. If you are over 38, have a reduced ovarian reserve or a history of fallopian tube problems, IVF with donor sperm offers significantly higher success rates per attempt, though this involves stimulation and egg retrieval. Your doctor should explain both options to you, including the relevant statistics.
As a guide: 1,000 to 1,600 euros for IUI, including donor sperm — the insemination procedure alone is quoted at around 700 euros in major clinics in Athens; 3,500 to 6,000 euros for IVF with donor sperm, excluding medication. Donor sperm alone costs 500 to 1,000 euros per strainer, depending on the sperm bank. A full breakdown of prices is available here.
Register with CECOS if you are eligible: it’s free and keeps your options open. Then consider what the waiting time means at your age. And if you’re in a relationship with a woman, make an appointment with a specialist solicitor before committing to any treatment abroad: the issue of the second mother’s legal parentage needs to be sorted out in advance, not discovered after the birth. The article on the journey for single women complements this one.
Yes. Greek law expressly permits single women to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) involving sperm donation, up to the age of 54, following the signing of a notarised document.
Greek law does not recognise female couples as such: one of the partners undergoes the treatment as a single woman. The legal parentage of the second mother is then governed by French law and must be arranged in advance with a solicitor.
Yes, anonymity is guaranteed by law. The child will not be able to obtain the donor’s identity, but will have access to non-identifying medical data upon reaching the age of majority.
No, not from a catalogue. The clinic carries out a phenotypic match based on your characteristics, and whilst you may express preferences, the final decision rests with the clinic.
Source: https://fertilitegrece.com/en/blog/sperm-donation-greece/ — Triada Baloukoudis, IVF patient coordination in Greece. General information, not medical or legal advice. Printed on
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