Question 1

When was the first IVF baby born in Greece?

Accepted Answer

The first IVF baby in Greece was a boy born on July 8, 1987, in Thessaloniki.

This landmark achievement was accomplished by doctors J. Bontis, S. Lagos, and B. C. Tarlatzis at the GENIKI KLINIKI. Shortly after this birth, at the end of July 1987, Dr. Spyros Sarris also reported the delivery of an IVF baby in Athens, having established his IVF Center in 1986.

Later advancements in Greek IVF included the birth of a baby boy in 2019 using Maternal Spindle Transfer, a three-person IVF technique, and in June 2024, the first child born following autologous ovarian tissue transplantation at the GENESIS ATHENS Clinic.

Question 2

Is embryo donation legal in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Embryo donation is legal in Greece and is regulated under the laws governing assisted reproduction, with specific provisions for donor conception and embryo transfer.

The legal framework in Greece is comprehensive and patient-friendly, permitting the donation of unused embryos from couples who have undergone IVF, potentially utilizing donor eggs and sperm, to individuals or couples seeking parenthood. Written informed consent is mandatory from both donors and recipients, with notarized consent required for unmarried individuals, and single women or unmarried couples must provide a notarial deed confirming their wish to have a child through these methods.

Greek legislation provides options for donor anonymity, including anonymous donation, named donation (open ID), or ID release after the child reaches 18 years of age, with recent legislation (Law 4958/2022) allowing donors to choose their preferred level of anonymity and recipients to choose whether they want to know the donor’s identity.

Question 3

Can single women do IVF in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Yes, single women can pursue IVF in Greece, as the country has a progressive legal framework allowing access to assisted reproductive technologies like IVF.

Greek law, specifically Law 3305/2005, explicitly permits fertility treatments for single women, prioritizing the well-being of the child. Single women are required to sign a notarial deed confirming their consent to pursue treatment independently, a legal requirement often arranged by the fertility clinic and potentially involving a notary and translator. They also have access to donor sperm, which is anonymous by law, with clinics offering a range of screened and tested options.

Women undergoing IVF in Greece must be under 54 years of age, and those between 50 and 54 may require additional medical clearance. The cost of a standard IVF cycle generally ranges from €3,000 to €6,000, while packages including donor eggs typically cost between €5,000 and €7,000, though these costs can vary.

Question 4

What is the IVF success rate in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Greece demonstrates high IVF success rates, often exceeding European averages, with an overall pregnancy rate of approximately 50.8% per cycle.

Success rates vary by age group when using a woman’s own eggs, ranging from approximately 43.4% to 65% for those under 34 on the first attempt, and falling between 32.6% and 55% for those aged 35-39. For women 40 and over, success rates with fresh embryos are around 31% pregnancy and 17.32% live birth, though PGT-A frozen transfers for ages 40-42 show around 70% pregnancy and 60% live birth.

IVF with donor eggs in Greece also shows high success rates, with an overall pregnancy rate of around 51.5% for all age groups, and some clinics reporting rates as high as 78.2% on the first attempt, rising to 98.5% by the third attempt. These rates are competitive internationally, with Greek success rates for women under 34 and 35-39 exceeding the European averages.

Question 5

Is reciprocal IVF (ROPA) allowed in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal IVF (ROPA) is permitted in Greece for female couples, allowing both partners to be recognized as mothers of the child.

This method allows one partner to contribute the eggs while the other carries the pregnancy, and Greek law facilitates shared motherhood with equal parental rights and duties for both partners. Couples do not need to be married to access ROPA treatment, but a written agreement outlining their intentions is required before beginning treatment.

Generally, the egg-donating partner needs a good ovarian reserve, and the pregnancy-carrying partner must be in good health, though specific medical requirements are determined by the fertility clinic. Several clinics throughout Greece, such as emBIO Medical Center and Newlife IVF Greece, offer ROPA to international patients and adhere to strict screening protocols.

Question 6

How much does IVF cost in Greece?

Accepted Answer

The cost of IVF in Greece typically ranges from €2,500 to €8,000 for a complete cycle, with the final price depending on the specific treatments and services required.

A standard IVF cycle using a patient’s own eggs generally costs between €2,500 and €6,200, while IVF with egg donation is usually priced between €5,000 and €8,000. Medication costs for a stimulated cycle typically range from €1,000 to €2,500, but can be lower with donor-egg or natural-cycle protocols, costing around €100 to €300. Many clinics offer comprehensive packages that include consultations, egg retrieval, embryo culture, and transfer.

Additional procedures can add to the overall cost; ICSI is often included in packages, but PGT can range from €1,500 to €3,000, vitrification (embryo freezing) with one year of storage costs around €520, and a frozen embryo transfer (FET) is approximately €1,100.

Question 7

Can lesbians do IVF in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Lesbian couples can undergo IVF treatment in Greece through a specific legal process that allows access to treatment and parental recognition.

Although same-sex couples are not explicitly permitted to have IVF, one partner can declare herself as a single woman undergoing treatment with donor sperm via a notarial deed, enabling clinics to accommodate their needs. Donor sperm is available in Greece, and while traditionally anonymous, recent legal changes now allow for open or known donations if preferred. A signed notarial deed is also required for non-married couples, and can state the partner’s agreement to the treatment and even recognize both partners as legal parents of the child.

It's important to note that sex selection is prohibited except to avoid hereditary diseases, women can access IVF up to age 50 (with additional requirements for those aged 50-54), and there is no age limit for men providing sperm.

Question 8

Are egg donors anonymous in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Egg donation in Greece is primarily anonymous, although non-anonymous donation is possible under certain conditions, respecting the privacy of both donors and recipients.

Greek law legally protects the identity of egg donors, preventing its disclosure to recipients or any resulting child; however, recipients receive detailed physical descriptions and comprehensive health histories to aid in matching. Donors are limited to a maximum of ten offspring to ensure genetic diversity, and while discussions about abandoning anonymity have taken place, it remains the prevailing legal principle.

Currently, children conceived through egg donation in Greece cannot access their donor’s identity upon reaching the age of 18, though access to donor-related information for medical reasons is possible, and open ID or known donation options are available under specific conditions that align with the existing legal framework.

Question 9

Can gay couples do IVF in Greece?

Accepted Answer

IVF treatment in Greece is possible for gay couples, but options are limited and depend on the couple’s composition; surrogacy is not currently an option for gay male couples.

For same-sex female couples, IVF with donor sperm can be facilitated, typically requiring one partner to sign a notarial deed stating she is undergoing treatment as a single woman, with the partner’s agreement. Male same-sex couples are excluded from commissioning surrogacy under recent legislative amendments, as surrogacy is now only accessible to women who are medically incapable of bearing children, with both the intended parent and surrogate needing Greek residency.

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in February 2024, same-sex couples in Greece are granted equal marriage and automatic parental rights, meaning children born within a same-sex marriage will have both parents legally recognized.

Question 10

What is the age limit for IVF in Greece?

Accepted Answer

In Greece, the legal age limit for women undergoing IVF treatment is 54 years old, applying to both treatments using a woman’s own eggs and those involving donor eggs.

Women between the ages of 50 and 54 require special permission from the Greek National Authority of Assisted Reproduction, supported by medical reports confirming their physical and mental health for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. While the legal limit is 54, individual clinics assess each patient’s health and suitability for pregnancy, often recommending donor eggs for women over 50 due to declining egg quality.

For women using their own eggs over the age of 40, up to four embryos may be transferred per cycle, while a maximum of two embryos are allowed for all patients using donor eggs, regardless of age. Male patients do not have an age limit for IVF treatment in Greece.

Question 11

Is IVF legal in Greece?

Accepted Answer

IVF is legal and regulated in Greece, operating under a comprehensive and patient-centered legal framework for assisted reproduction.

The practice is governed by laws including 3089/2002, 3305/2005, and most recently, 4958/2022, overseen by the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction. Eligibility extends to married couples, unmarried couples, cohabiting couples, and single women of reproductive age, with women able to undergo treatment up to age 54, potentially requiring a special permit between 50 and 54. There is no age limit for men.

Greek law mandates thorough consultations and written informed consent from all patients, with additional notarization required for unmarried individuals or couples. IVF is primarily intended to address infertility or prevent the transmission of genetic diseases, and both egg and sperm donation are permitted with screening processes for donors, who generally must be under 40 for sperm and under 35 for egg donation. Cryopreservation of genetic material is also allowed, with recent changes removing previous duration limits.

Question 12

Is egg donation legal in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Egg donation is legal in Greece and operates under a detailed and supportive legal framework, recognized as one of the most progressive in Europe.

Greek law, specifically Law 3305/2005 and subsequent amendments like Law 4958/2022, provides clear regulations for procedures such as egg donation, with a focus on protecting the rights of children born through assisted reproduction. The National Authority of Medically Assisted Reproduction manages a National Donor Registry to track all donor and recipient information, ensuring the traceability of reproductive materials.

Egg donors in Greece are subject to thorough screening for infectious diseases like HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C, as well as clinical and laboratory tests to prevent transmission of infections. Donors must also meet health criteria including a normal Body Mass Index, no family history of genetic diseases, and no psychiatric history, and undergo comprehensive genetic screening. Women up to the age of 54 are eligible to receive egg donation treatment, and the treatment is available to married and unmarried heterosexual couples, as well as single women.

Question 13

Can you choose gender with IVF in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Gender selection in Greece with IVF is generally prohibited except in specific medical circumstances.

Greek law prohibits choosing the sex of a child for non-medical reasons like family balancing or personal preference; however, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) or Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is permitted to diagnose genetic malformations and serious hereditary diseases, and incidentally reveals the embryo's sex.

An exception exists when there's a risk of passing on a serious genetic disease linked to a specific sex, allowing gender selection to prevent the transmission of these disorders, particularly those carried on the X chromosome.

Question 14

Is surrogacy legal in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Greece permits altruistic gestational surrogacy with judicial approval, but commercial surrogacy is prohibited.

Altruistic surrogacy is legal for heterosexual married or unmarried couples and single women with medical reasons preventing them from carrying a pregnancy. The surrogate mother can be reimbursed for expenses and lost wages, up to a maximum of approximately €10,000, but cannot profit from the arrangement. Judicial authorization is mandatory for legal recognition, and once granted, the intended parents are recognized as the legal parents from birth, with their names appearing on the child’s birth certificate.

There are specific eligibility requirements for intended parents, including a medical certificate proving the intended mother’s inability to carry a pregnancy, an age limit of 54 years or younger for the intended mother, and a restriction limiting surrogacy to female intended parents; single men and gay male couples are excluded, and even married lesbian spouses will only have one legal parent. As of May 2025, both the intended mother and the surrogate mother must be legal residents of Greece.

Question 15

Is sperm donation legal in Greece?

Accepted Answer

Sperm donation is legal in Greece and is regulated by Law 3305/2005, which is considered a progressive law in Europe concerning medically assisted reproduction.

The law permits sperm donation for couples experiencing male infertility and also for single women seeking to conceive. While frozen donor sperm is allowed, the use of fresh sperm from a third donor is not. Sperm donors in Greece are legally anonymous, though recipients can access non-identifiable information about the donor, such as physical characteristics, educational background, and hobbies, and donor-conceived children may access coded medical information when medically justified.

Donors must be under 40 years of age and undergo comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations, including testing for sexually transmitted diseases and genetic screening. Greek law also limits the number of children born from a single donor to ten, unless a family wishes to have siblings from the same donor, and donation is intended to be altruistic, with donors only reimbursed for reasonable expenses.

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