There is nothing to prevent a British patient from undergoing IVF or egg donation in Greece. However, several UK regulations still apply: the donor’s identity, parentage if you are not married, NHS funding and the possible return of embryos.
When arranging IVF in Greece from the UK, you need to bear two sets of laws in mind: Greek law for the treatment itself, and UK law for everything that happens after your return. The UK’s fertility regulator, the HFEA, states this itself: it has no authority over overseas clinics and cannot handle a complaint regarding treatment received outside the UK. In Greece, it is the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction that accredits and regulates the clinics.
Here are the points that will make a practical difference to you, in the order in which I check them.
On its page dedicated to treatment abroad, the HFEA emphasises three points:
In the UK, the donor’s identity may be disclosed for all donations where information was provided on or after 1 April 2005. In Greece, donation is anonymous by default; since 2022, the law has also provided for forms of non-anonymous donation, but these remain rare in practice. Greek law provides for three options: an anonymous donation, a donation by an identified person, or a donation where the donor’s identity will be disclosed to the child once they reach the age of majority, should they request it.
The number of families is the other difference. Greek law limits the number of children from the same donor to twelve when the recipients reside in Greece; since 2024, this limit has not applied to recipients residing abroad. You should therefore ask the clinic what limit it applies itself. These two points cannot be sorted out afterwards: read the Greek framework for egg donation and how to talk to your child about donation before making your choice.
The UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 provides the answer depending on your circumstances. The location of the treatment is only relevant in one case:
| Your situation | After treatment in Greece |
|---|---|
| The woman who gives birth | She is the legal mother, even if a donor’s egg was used, regardless of where the treatment took place. |
| Married couple or civil partners | The spouse is the legal parent, regardless of where the treatment took place, unless it is established that they did not consent to it. |
| Unmarried couple | Consent to parenthood given in the UK is only valid for treatment at a licensed clinic in the UK: a partner with no genetic link to the child is not automatically a parent. |
The HFEA advises seeking legal advice when undergoing treatment abroad. For an unmarried couple using donor sperm, this is essential and must be done before treatment begins.
In England, the funding of IVF by the National Health Service (NHS) is the responsibility of local health authorities, the integrated care boards (ICBs). In its guidance revised in March 2026, NICE, the body responsible for issuing national guidance, recommends offering three full cycles before the age of 40, followed by up to three further cycles, and one cycle at the age of 40 or 41 for a woman who has never undergone IVF. However, according to data from the Department of Health (September 2025), only three ICBs funded three cycles, whilst most funded just one. Most also require a body mass index (BMI) of between 19 and 30 for the woman, two non-smoking partners and two years of unprotected intercourse without pregnancy.
This funding applies to UK clinics. For treatment within the European Union, there is a procedure – the S2 form – but it only covers public sector care in the host country, under the same conditions as for its residents. It assumes that the NHS would offer you this treatment but is unable to do so within a medically acceptable timeframe, and the application must be approved before treatment begins. It does not apply to IVF at a private clinic in Greece. Finally, the GHIC card does not cover travel for scheduled treatment: see travel insurance during IVF.
Gametes or embryos stored in the UK may be sent to an approved overseas clinic, provided the necessary written consents are in place and the remaining storage period is at least six months. This is the solution, for example, when the partner’s sperm is already frozen at a UK clinic.
The return journey is more complicated. To import embryos without special authorisation, the HFEA requires, amongst other things, that the individuals who provided the gametes be identifiable and that their compensation complies with UK regulations. Embryos conceived using anonymous donations do not, in principle, meet these conditions: only a UK clinic may then apply to the HFEA for special authorisation, and the decision rests with the HFEA. Storage periods also differ: up to 55 years in the UK, with consent renewed every ten years; in Greece, five years for embryos, extendable in five-year periods upon written request. See the transport of embryos between countries.
British citizens may enter Greece without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, taking into account all countries within the Schengen Area. The UK government reminds travellers of two passport rules: it must have been issued less than ten years before your arrival, and must remain valid for at least three months after your planned date of departure from the Schengen Area.
The European Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: in principle, it records your fingerprints and a facial photograph. However, regarding Greece, the UK government states that the Greek authorities have indicated they will not collect this data from British travellers; please follow the instructions given on arrival. The ETIAS travel authorisation, which will cost 20 euros, is not yet in operation: as of October 2026, applications are not yet open. Further details can be found in the article on visas, the EES and ETIAS, and on transporting IVF medication to Greece.
Four points, in this order: the type of donor you want and what the clinic can actually offer, your relationship status with regard to British parentage, what you will do with any remaining embryos, and a travel schedule that complies with the 90-day rule. If you’d like us to look at your situation together, please write to me.
Yes, there are no UK regulations prohibiting this. However, the HFEA has no authority over overseas clinics: in Greece, it is the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction that accredits and regulates clinics.
In practice, no. Funding for IVF applies only to UK clinics, and the S2 form covers only public sector care in the host country, subject to prior approval. The GHIC card does not cover planned treatment.
Generally speaking, no: in Greece, donation is anonymous by default. Since 2022, the law has also provided for forms of non-anonymous donation, but these remain rare in practice. With a British donor, the child can find out the donor’s identity at the age of 18.
Not automatically if they have no genetic link to the child: UK consents to parenthood are only valid for treatment at a licensed clinic in the UK. Seek legal advice before undergoing treatment.
Source: https://fertilitegrece.com/en/blog/uk-patients-ivf-greece/ — Triada Baloukoudis, IVF patient coordination in Greece. General information, not medical or legal advice. Printed on
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