Are you considering donating your eggs? Helping someone else to have a family of their own is a generous and rewarding experience for any woman to do.
At Care Fertility, we want to make the process of egg donation as easy and straightforward as possible and give you all the information you need to decide whether egg donation is right for you. That’s why we’ve put together some of the most commonly asked questions by women considering donating their eggs, to help you decide.
Quick jump:
Egg donation compensation in the UK
Egg donors in the UK receive £985 per donation cycle as regulated by the HFEA, plus reimbursement of reasonable expenses. A donation cycle means one complete round of treatment, ending when your eggs are collected and donated.
Egg donation in the UK is altruistic, so this isn’t a payment for your eggs. It’s there to help cover the time, travel and practical costs involved in donating.
What are the criteria for donating eggs?
- You must be between 18 and 35 years old
- You need to be fit and healthy, with no family history of hereditary illnesses
- For your safety, we can only accept donors with a BMI below 35
- You should be a non-smoker (this includes vaping)
If this sounds like you, click here to fill in our egg donation enquiry form, and one of our expert team members will be in touch to arrange a date for you to visit the clinic for your assessment tests.
What are the benefits of donating my eggs?
Egg donation is an opportunity to give someone the chance of becoming a parent, and it can be a truly rewarding experience. Your generosity can make a real difference to someone’s life and there are some great benefits to donating:
- Free fertility assessment: As part of the donor screening process, you’ll receive a free full fertility assessment. You’ll have a test to assess your levels of Antimullerian Hormone (AMH) and an ultrasound scan called an AFC, these will indicate your ovarian reserves, giving valuable insight into how you might manage your own fertility in the future.
- Compensation for your time: all our egg donors receive a payment of £985 per donation cycle to cover any expenses incurred while taking the time to donate.
- Giving someone the precious gift of parenthood: Having IVF treatment with donated eggs can increase chances of success from <5% to potentially over 80%, removing the pain of unsuccessful treatment and miscarriage so you know you’re truly making a difference.
Why become an egg donor?
For lots of people, donated eggs are their only shot at having children. By donating, you’re giving them a chance they might not otherwise have. That’s a massive gift—and one that often means just as much to the donor as it does to the person on the receiving end.
As one of our previous donors said: “I just kept thinking, if I were in their shoes, I’d hope someone would do the same for me.” That simple empathy motivates so many people to donate. It’s not about being selfless—it’s about being human.
Read more about why Claire donated her eggs here
And while your motivation might be to help others, there are benefits for you too. As part of the donation process, you’ll receive a free, in-depth fertility assessment, including:
- An ultrasound scan
- An Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) blood test
- Genetic and infection screening
You’ll also receive £985 in compensation for your time and commitment, in line with guidance from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
What does egg donation involve?
Step 1: Getting in touch
It starts with a simple enquiry—either online or over the phone. Our donor team will send you a short health questionnaire to understand more about your lifestyle, medical background, and family history.
To be eligible, you’ll need to be:
- Aged 18 to 35 (up to 35 years and 6 months)
- In good health, with no known hereditary conditions
- A non-smoker with a BMI under 35
Step 2: First phone appointment
You’ll speak with one of our experienced donation nurses. They’ll explain the process in detail and answer any questions you may have—nothing’s off-limits. If you feel happy to proceed, we’ll arrange your fertility assessment at your local Care Fertility clinic.
Step 3: In-clinic assessment
At this visit, we’ll:
- Check your height, weight, and blood pressure
- Do a blood test to check your AMH levels
- Perform an internal ultrasound to count your ovarian follicles
It’s also a good chance to meet the people who’ll support you throughout your journey. Our teams genuinely care—many of us have been through fertility treatment ourselves, so we get it.
Step 4: Second phone appointment
Once we’ve reviewed your test results, we’ll be back in touch. If everything looks good, we’ll guide you through the next stage, which includes:
- Completing your donor information form
- Talking through the legal and emotional implications of donation
- Signing your initial consent forms
You can book a free session with one of our counsellors at any point, even if you’re still deciding. Many of our donors say it helped them think things through with a clear head.
Step 5: Health screening
This stage includes more detailed testing to make sure you’re suitable to donate. You’ll have:
- Further blood and urine tests (including full blood count, genetic screening, and STI checks)
Step 6: A final health review by our team
Once your screening results are in, we’ll book your nurse planning appointment. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How and when to take your hormone injections
- When to come in for monitoring scans (usually 2 or 3)
- When and how to take your “trigger shot” ahead of egg collection
Our team will be on hand via your companion app if you ever need a refresher.
Step 7: Egg collection day
Egg collection is a quick procedure that takes around 15–20 minutes. It’s carried out under sedation or a local anaesthetic, so you’ll be relaxed and comfortable.
After the procedure, you’ll rest for an hour or so in our recovery suite, then head home. Most people feel well enough to get back to light activity the next day.
We’ll call you later to let you know how many eggs were collected. It’s a proud moment for many our donors
Read more about what happens during an egg collection here
Step 8: Recovery and follow-up
Recovery is usually smooth and straightforward. We recommend:
- Resting for at least 24 hours
- Staying hydrated
- Avoiding alcohol and intense exercise for a few days
- Using a heat pad or paracetamol if you feel crampy
A few weeks later, we’ll check in to see how you’re feeling and confirm that your compensation has been processed. You’ll also have the chance to book another counselling session if you’d like.
What happens to your eggs?
After collection, your eggs are carefully stored and matched with someone in need of donor eggs. A single donation can support up to 10 families, depending on the number and quality of eggs retrieved.
The eggs can be stored for up to 55 years. You decide how long they’re kept, and you have the option to find out whether any of your eggs resulted in a birth. If you’d like, you can also learn the year and sex of the child.
Things to consider
This isn’t just a medical process, it’s an emotional one too. One important thing to understand is that since 2005, all egg donors in the UK are identifiable. That means any child born from your donation can request your name and last known address when they turn 18.
You won’t be financially or legally responsible for any child born from your donation. The people who receive your eggs are the legal parents. You won’t be named on any birth certificates, and you won’t have any rights or responsibilities.
Some donors feel curious about the children their donation might help. Others prefer not to think too much about it. Either way is fine. What matters is that you feel well-informed and comfortable with your decision.
How it might feel
Some donors are curious about the children their eggs might help create. Others are more private. Either way is OK. What matters is understanding what you’re signing up for and making a decision that feels right for you.
Many of our donors tell us the experience was more meaningful than they ever expected. Some even choose to donate more than once.
We're ready when you are
There’s no right or wrong time to explore egg donation. If it’s something you’ve been thinking about, we’re here to help you make an informed choice.
Call us on 0808 1782 860 or start your journey online
We’ll support you every step of the way.
Frequently asked questions
We'll do whatever we can to make sure your donation isn't too disruptive. During the short monitoring stage, we'll need you to attend the clinic on specific days, but the appointments won't take long and can be scheduled to suit you where possible.
It will be necessary to take the day off of work on the day of your egg collection. Sometimes, donors feel more comfortable if they also take the next day off after their egg collection, but this is generally not necessary.
In reality, you should only have to visit the clinic around six times, but we'll give you as much support as possible to make sure your visits are convenient and stress-free.
No, not at all – and it can give you an insight into your own fertility potential!
Women are born with all the egg cells they are ever going to have, between 1 and 2 million. By the time you’re in your 30s, you’ll have around 75,000 eggs left and each month you lose up to 1,000 eggs in a natural cycle, even though only one egg is naturally matured for fertilisation.
This means that the eggs we collect during your donation would either have been ovulated or absorbed by your body, and if you donate eggs, you’ll still have thousands of eggs left. Many of our donors even donate more than once.
No, you shouldn't feel any pain. You may feel some discomfort, and of course different people respond differently to medical procedures, but our clinical teams work incredibly hard to keep you as comfortable as possible throughout your donation.
In the UK, there is a shortage of egg donors of all ethnicities, and many more eggs are needed to help women and couples to achieve their dream of having a baby. If you think you could give the gift of life or have any further questions or concerns regarding egg donation at Care Fertility, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
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