Why Greece
No miracles, no shortcuts: a clear legal framework, no waiting lists for donation, and twenty years’ experience in treating international patients.
The starting point: waiting times in France
Since the 2021 amendment to the Bioethics Act, assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been available in France to female couples and single women. This is a real step forward, but it has been hampered by a shortage of gametes, a situation that the end of donor anonymity – which came into force in September 2022 – has done nothing to alleviate. The result: waiting times measured in years for an egg donation, in a field where every year counts.
Added to this are strict age limits for treatment and a ban on certain practices, such as the ROPA method, whereby a woman carries the embryo derived from her partner’s egg.
What Greece is changing
Greece has regulated medically assisted reproduction since 2002 through comprehensive legislation (Law 3305/2005 and Law 3089/2002), overseen by an independent national authority. Donation is anonymous and compensated according to a statutory scale; there are many donors, and so there is no waiting list. The country has been welcoming international patients for over twenty years: the teams, protocols and administrative procedures are well-established.
- No waiting time for egg donation, whereas in France the wait is typically 17 to 24 months
- Anonymous donation regulated by law, with medical, genetic and psychological assessments of donors
- Age limit of 54 for women, one of the highest in Europe
- Single women accepted, with no marital status requirements
- Costs significantly lower than those in Spain, the United Kingdom or the United States, whilst offering a comparable standard of facilities
- Short stays: 2 to 4 days are sufficient for an embryo transfer involving a donor
- Partial reimbursement may be available from the National Insurance Scheme via the S2 form
- Daily direct flights from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Brussels and Geneva
A clear legal framework, not a grey area
This is the first question most people ask when they write to me, and it is a legitimate one.
Receiving treatment in another European Union member state is a right recognised by Directive 2011/24/EU on cross-border healthcare. You are not acting illegally: you are exercising a freedom provided for by European law, in a country where the treatment is legal, regulated and monitored.
The treatment is carried out in accordance with Greek law, at a clinic accredited by the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction, which issues authorisations, inspects the clinics and maintains the national register. I do not work with any clinic that is not on this list.
The parentage of a child born following a donation abroad is recognised in France provided that civil status rules are complied with: a child born to a woman giving birth in France is her child, and the second parent establishes parentage in accordance with the procedures laid down by French law.
What Greek law provides for
- Anonymous, unpaid gamete donation, with a lump-sum allowance set by the national authority
- Donors aged between 18 and 35, subject to medical, genetic and psychological screening
- A limit on the number of births per donor to prevent unintended family ties
- The clinic retains the donor’s health records, under the authority’s supervision
- Written consent is mandatory; a notarised deed is required in certain cases
- Open access for couples and single women up to the age of 54
What Greece does not address
An honest account must also mention this.
- No country can improve a medical prognosis. Success rates depend primarily on your clinical situation, in particular the age of the eggs. A Greek clinic will not perform better than a French clinic under the same circumstances — the advantage lies in access, waiting times and cost, not in biology.
- Distance comes at a real cost, both in terms of money and fatigue: flights, accommodation, days off work, and the mental strain of organising all this in a language you don’t speak. That is precisely the part I take care of.
- Reimbursement is never guaranteed. S2 cover depends on a decision by your health insurance provider, and at best it covers only part of the costs, at the Greek social security rate. Be wary of anyone who promises you a full refund.
- Medical care remains a joint responsibility between Greece and France. You will therefore need a gynaecologist in France who is willing to carry out local scans and blood tests. If you do not yet have one, this is something you should sort out early on.
Is Greece the right option for you?
Sometimes the answer is no, and I’ll tell you so. That’s exactly what our initial discussion is for.