Fertility · United Kingdom
Egg sharing - free or subsidised IVF, HFEA-regulated.
A route to IVF you can afford, in exchange for donating half your eggs to a woman who cannot use her own. Only in a HFEA-licensed clinic - and only after real counselling.
Indicative pricing
What egg sharing costs - and what you keep.
The whole point of egg sharing is that the IVF cycle costs you very little. What varies is the add-ons - ICSI, HFEA fees, and any later frozen transfer.
In short
A full IVF cycle for £0 to £2,500 - versus a private full-fee cycle at £5,000–£8,000.
| Item | Indicative cost | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg-sharing IVF cycle (free) | £0 | One IVF cycle | Free / heavily subsidised |
| Egg-sharing IVF cycle (subsidised) | £1,500–£2,500 | One IVF cycle | Full stimulation and transfer |
| Add-on: ICSI (if male-factor) | £1,200–£1,800 | Same cycle | Same visit |
| Add-on: HFEA fee | £80–£90 | One-off | Per cycle |
| Add-on: Frozen embryo transfer (later) | £1,200–£2,800 | Separate cycle | Weeks |
| Consultation only | £200–£400 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
The share itself is either free or heavily subsidised - no cash is paid to sharers under UK law.
The problem
Egg sharing is easy to mis-sell. We slow it down.
The free cycle is real. The identity-release consent, the low-yield risk, and the possibility that another woman’s baby carries your genes are also real. Both need to be understood before you sign.
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Worried the counselling is a rubber stamp?
It shouldn’t be. We only introduce clinics whose implications counselling is a real one-hour BICA session, not a pre-signed form.
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Weighing identity-release?
From 2023, donor-conceived 18-year-olds can find you. If that feels wrong, egg sharing is not the right route - and we will say so.
Eligibility
When egg sharing is the right route - and when it isn’t.
The clinical criteria are strict on purpose: clinics need to be confident the split will yield enough eggs for both women. The emotional criteria matter just as much.
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IVF is needed and cost is the barrier
You need IVF but a full-fee private cycle (£5,000–£8,000) is not affordable - egg sharing brings it to free or heavily subsidised.
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Under 36 with good ovarian reserve
AMH above 10 pmol/L or antral follicle count above 12 - clinics need confidence the split will yield enough eggs for both women.
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BMI within the sharing range
Most programmes require BMI 19–30. Outside that range, sharing usually cannot proceed on safety grounds.
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Comfortable with identity-release
From 2023, any donor-conceived child born from 1 April 2005 can request identifying information about you at 18. You must be at peace with that.
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Comfortable with the 10-family limit
Your eggs can create children in up to 10 families in the UK. Some sharers find that reassuring, others find it too much.
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Clean medical and genetic history
Same screening as a pure egg donor - genetic panel, karyotype, hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, CMV. Anything flagged usually rules sharing out.
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Emotionally prepared to share
You may never know if the recipient had a baby. Some sharers grieve that another woman succeeded with their eggs when their own cycle failed.
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Red flag: sharing to fund social freezing
Egg sharing is for women who genuinely need IVF now. Sharing to fund elective freezing is not permitted under HFEA rules - do not present it that way.
Share protocols
The split isn’t identical everywhere.
Every clinic runs egg sharing slightly differently - especially in the low-yield scenario. The right question, asked before consent, matters more than any other.
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Standard 50/50 egg share
Eggs are collected, then split evenly between you and the recipient. The most common arrangement across UK licensed clinics.
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Minimum-donation share (8-egg rule)
Some clinics require at least eight eggs to be donated - the sharer keeps the balance. Others reverse it if the yield is low.
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Low-yield: sharer-priority protocol
A minority of clinics give the sharer priority if collection yields fewer than eight eggs. Ask specifically - it is a material difference.
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Low-yield: split-anyway protocol
Other clinics still split what is collected, even at low yield. You may end up with three or four eggs - a real risk worth understanding.
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Egg share with ICSI
If male-factor infertility applies, ICSI is added to fertilisation. The sharing arrangement itself is unchanged.
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Egg share with PGT (rare)
Pre-implantation genetic testing is rarely combined with sharing - the eggs are split before fertilisation, so PGT applies only to your own embryos.
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Frozen egg-sharing (batch banking)
A small number of clinics bank sharer eggs and match them later. Less common in the UK than fresh sharing.
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Consultation only
An honest discussion of whether egg sharing is the right route - or whether a subsidised NHS cycle, IVF loan, or refund guarantee might fit better.
Safety, law and ethics
What to expect - honestly, and in law.
Egg sharing is safe, legal, and well-regulated - but it carries permanent implications for you and any child conceived from your eggs. These are the things worth understanding before consent.
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HFEA licensing is non-negotiable
Egg sharing can only take place in an HFEA-licensed centre with sharing on its licence. Cross-border or unlicensed arrangements are unlawful in the UK.
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No cash - only free or subsidised IVF
UK law prohibits paying egg donors. The only compensation permitted for sharers is a free or heavily discounted IVF cycle (plus a £750 reasonable-expenses allowance for pure donors).
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Identity-release from 2023 onwards
Children born from donated eggs on or after 1 April 2005 can, from their 18th birthday, request identifying information from the HFEA. The first cohort reached 18 in 2023.
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A 10-family UK limit applies
Your eggs can be used to create children in up to 10 families in the UK. There is no cap on the number of children per family.
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Mandatory implications counselling
Under the HFEA code of practice, sharers must have implications counselling before signing consent. This is a legal requirement, not optional.
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Screening is identical to pure egg donation
You will have a full genetic panel, karyotype, and infectious-disease screen. Carrier status for certain conditions may rule sharing out.
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Emotional risk is real
Some sharers describe a genuine grief if their own cycle fails and they later learn (or suspect) the recipient succeeded. Counselling exists precisely for this.
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Recipient outcomes are ~40–50% per transfer
Live-birth rates per embryo transfer using shared eggs are broadly similar to standard IVF with the sharer’s age group - because the eggs are, by definition, from a young woman with good reserve.
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Red flags
Any clinic that skips counselling, offers cash payment, or is vague about the low-yield protocol is a clinic to walk away from.
Reading your cycle summary
Your cycle summary in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whatever the outcome, the summary the clinic sends you keeps to the same shape - and includes confirmation that your HFEA identity-release consent is properly lodged.
A quiet reminder
Fertility language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the summary before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Cycle summary and split
Number of eggs collected, how they were split, and how many went to the recipient - the core record for your own future reference and your child’s.
- 02 Technique
Stimulation, collection and fertilisation
The stimulation protocol used, egg yield, maturity rate, fertilisation rate on your half, and whether ICSI was needed.
- 03 Findings
Embryo grades and transfer decision
Grade of embryos, day of transfer (day 3 or day 5), and any embryos frozen for you. The recipient’s outcomes are not shared with you.
- 04 Impression
Outcome, follow-up and HFEA record
Read this first: your pregnancy result, next steps if unsuccessful, and confirmation that your identity-release consent is lodged with the HFEA register.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Most UK health insurers do not cover IVF or egg sharing - but investigations that lead to a diagnosis of infertility often are.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about egg sharing.
Quick answers on eligibility, cost, identity-release, the 10-family limit, and what happens if the yield is low.
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What is egg sharing?
Egg sharing is an HFEA-regulated arrangement where a woman having IVF donates half her eggs to another woman who cannot use her own - in exchange for a free or heavily discounted IVF cycle. It is only legal in a HFEA-licensed clinic with sharing on its licence.
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Who is eligible to be an egg sharer in the UK?
Usually women under 36, with BMI 19–30, AMH above 10 pmol/L or antral follicle count above 12, a clean genetic and infectious-disease screen, and no significant family history of hereditary conditions. Individual clinics vary - some accept up to 38.
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Do I get paid to share my eggs?
No. UK law prohibits paying egg donors or sharers. The only compensation permitted is a free or subsidised IVF cycle (typically saving £5,000–£8,000). Pure altruistic donors may receive up to £750 for reasonable expenses.
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What happens if fewer than eight eggs are collected?
Every clinic handles this differently - and the answer is one of the most important questions you can ask. Some clinics still split whatever is collected; others give the sharer priority if the yield is low; a few cancel the share. Get the protocol in writing before you sign.
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Will my donor-conceived children be able to find me?
Yes. Since a 2005 UK law change, any donor-conceived person born from 1 April 2005 onwards can, from their 18th birthday, request identifying information about their donor from the HFEA. The first cohort became eligible in 2023. You cannot share anonymously.
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How many families can my eggs create?
Under HFEA rules, your donated eggs can be used to create children in up to 10 families in the UK. There is no cap on the number of children per family. Your own children do not count towards this limit.
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What are the success rates using shared eggs?
Recipient live-birth rates per embryo transfer are typically 40–50% - comparable to standard IVF with a young woman’s eggs, because sharers must have good ovarian reserve to qualify. Your own success rate depends on your circumstances.
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How does the counselling work - and can I skip it?
No, it is mandatory under the HFEA code of practice. You have a one-hour session with a BICA-registered counsellor covering identity-release, the 10-family limit, and the emotional implications. It is a genuine conversation, not a form-signing exercise.
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