Donating your embryos
If you’ve had fertility treatment, you may have frozen embryos which you decide not to use yourself. If you'd prefer not to discard them, you could think about donating them to someone else's treatment, fertility research or training. Find out more about donating your embryos.
I/we don’t want to discard my/our embryos, what are the options?
If you’d prefer not to discard your embryos, you have three options.
- You can donate your embryos to a woman or couple who need them and who otherwise might not be able to have a much longed-for family. In the case of the woman, using a donated embryo allows her to experience pregnancy, which she wouldn’t be able to have with other options like adoption.
Your other options are to
- donate your embryos to vitally important research into infertility and genetic diseases. There are strict rules around using embryos for research you must agree to.
- donate your embryos for use in training, all laboratory staff need training.
Can I donate embryos that have been created with donor sperm or eggs?
It depends on what the egg or sperm donor originally consented to and whether their donation has already been given to the maximum of 10 families for treatment purposes. You should speak to your clinic about whether this might be an option.
Who’s eligible to donate their embryos?
If you’re donating to research or training purposes, then there are no eligibility criteria. If you’re donating to someone’s treatment, then most clinics require the egg donor to be between 18 and 35 years old and the sperm donor between 18 and 45. In exceptional circumstances a clinic may accept donors outside this age bracket.
You’ll also need to go through the same health checks that any other sperm or egg donor would have. These are to reduce the risk of passing on medical conditions to any resulting child.
To find out about the health checks required please go to Find out more about donating your eggs or Find out more about donating your sperm.
You and your partner (if you have one) would also need to sign relevant consent forms and you’ll be offered counselling to make sure you’re completely happy with your decision.
If I/we donating to someone else’s treatment, can I/we do so anonymously?
If you’re donating to someone else’s treatment, then no. A change in the law in 2005 means that most people conceived from donations made after 1st April 2005 can ask for their donor’s name, date of birth and last known address when they turn 18. Children can apply for identifying information about you when they turn 18, which could allow them to contact you if they choose to.
Not everyone will ask for their donor’s details though or will decide to contact them.
It’s also possible that someone could unintentionally or intentionally piece together publicly available information and find out or work out your identity and, perhaps, work out that you donated, using information that’s available outside of the HFEA’s carefully managed system of releasing donor information. This could happen if, for example, they or one of their close genetic relatives has used a home DNA testing kit, opted in to matching services and then has been matched with you or close genetic relatives of yours. Find out more about DNA testing and matching websites and the implications for donors’ anonymity.
Why is important to keep my contact details up to date?
We notify donors when the first donor-conceived individual has requested identifiable information about them, using the donor’s last known address.
Please contact us if you change your address. This means that donor-conceived individuals who apply for this information are given the correct address. It also means that we can notify you before we release your name and contact details to a donor-conceived person who has requested them and reduces the risk of information being sent to the address you lived at when you donated if you have since moved.
In addition to your postal address, you can also choose to provide your email address and/or phone number and state a preference as to which method of contact you would prefer. Please note that they are not obligated to use this method of contact, and that these details will be released in addition to your postal address, not instead of your postal address.
You’ll need to provide proof of identity and address when you update your address.
Do I have any legal rights and responsibilities for children conceived from my/our embryo donation?
In most cases, providing you donate through a licensed UK fertility clinic you'll have no legal rights or responsibilities to children conceived from your donation. You’ll have no say over their upbringing and won’t be required to pay anything towards their care.
Children born from your donation will be able to request your name and address when they reach 18 and contact you if they wish to. It’s up to you whether you want to have any kind of relationship with them at that point.
Writing a personal description and goodwill message can be very helpful to both parents of donor-conceived children and donor-conceived people themselves in the years to come.
Read our information about writing your personal and goodwill message
If you created embryos with your sperm for use in your partner’s treatment and wish to donate these to a recipient who is single, the legal parenthood situation may be more complex. Find out more about legal parenthood.
What can I/we find out about any children conceived with my/our embryo donation?
You can find out:
- the number of children born
- their gender
- their year of birth.
We can’t give you any information that would potentially identify the children conceived with your donation.
What if I change my mind?
You can change your mind about donating your embryos at any time up to the point they are used in someone’s treatment. This is true even if you’ve given written consent.
What compensation is available?
You may be able to receive up to £45 for each subsequent clinic visit you make. Talk to your clinic about what’s available.
What about the emotional impact of donating my embryos?
Before you donate your embryos your clinic is required by law to offer you counselling. This will be an opportunity for you to think about questions like how and when to talk to your own children about your donation, and how you’ll feel if any children conceived from your donation get in touch with you in the future.
Can I find out if my donation has been successful?
Yes, your clinic should be able to tell you if the woman or couple you've donated to has become pregnant.
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Review date: 1 October 2026
