Skip to Content
Blond boy leans against a log with a neutral face
Frontpage/Egg donation/What is egg donation?

What is egg do­na­tion

Get guidance on how to donate eggs and current egg donation legislation.

Egg donation is the donation of eggs from a person who can conceive to another person who can conceive and wishes to become pregnant through assisted reproduction treatment.

You can read more abouttreatment on this website.

The rules on egg donation are set out in the Act on Assisted Reproduction etc. and the Human Tissue Act.

Read moreabout egg donation on borger.dk.

Who can become an egg donor?

To become an egg donor, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be maximum 35 years of age
  • Be fit and healthy
  • Have no known serious hereditary diseases in the family
  • Have a negative test for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis

Your regional fertility clinic may impose additional medical requirements for eligibility as an egg donor. If you have questions about the conditions at your regional fertility clinic, contact the patient advisor in your region.

You can find contact information for the patient advisors in your region here:

How do you become an egg donor?

If you want to become an egg donor, you need to go to a public fertility clinic. You can either do this on your own or with the person you want to donate eggs to.

For a list ofpublic fertility clinics, visit sundhed.dk.

You can read about the egg retrieval process on the Donors for Egg Donation, Treatment Guide page on the website for Rigshospitalet

The sale of human eggs is strictly prohibited, which means offering payment for egg donation is not allowed. However, donors can receive compensation for travel expenses and lost earnings associated with the donation process. It is up to the individual fertility clinic to determine whether compensation will be provided. The maximum allowable compensation is up to DKK 7,000.

Can you change your mind about egg donation?

Once eggs are donated, the donor relinquishes all rights to them. This means the donor will not be registered as the mother of any child born from the donated eggs. However, if the egg donor is the partner of the person giving birth, they may be registered as the father or co-mother, provided they meet the necessary legal requirements.

You can read more aboutregistration of parentage here on the website.

Read more aboutegg donation to my partner here on the website.

Egg donation is voluntary and you can withdraw your consent at any time during the treatment process. If you change your mind about egg donation once the eggs have been retrieved, they will be destroyed. You are entitled to change your mind about the donation up until the point when the person who can conceive has had the eggs transferred.

Links to other relevant information