Egg Donation in Spain: How the process works for international patients

A clear guide for patients travelling to Spain

Choosing egg donation is often the result of a long personal journey. For many women and couples, it represents not a last resort, but a new and hopeful path towards parenthood.

If you are considering egg donation from abroad, it is normal to have questions not only about the medical aspects, but also about logistics:

Can I start the process online? Do I need to travel many times? Can some tests be done in my home country?

In this article, we explain what egg donation involves, how the process works step by step, and how treatment can be safely planned from outside Spain, with as few trips as possible.

What is egg donation?

Egg donation is a fertility treatment in which pregnancy is achieved using eggs donated by a young, healthy woman. These eggs are fertilised in the laboratory with sperm from the partner or a donor, and the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus of the intended mother.

Egg donation is commonly recommended in cases such as:

• Low ovarian reserve or ovarian failure.
• Advanced maternal age.
• Repeated IVF failure with own eggs.
• Genetic conditions that should not be passed on.
• Absence of viable eggs following certain medical treatments.

It is currently one of the fertility treatments with the highest success rates, especially when performed in experienced centres.

The emotional side: accepting egg donation

Beyond the medical aspects, egg donation has an important emotional dimension.

For some women and couples, accepting that the baby will not carry their genetic material can be challenging.

This process, often referred to as genetic grief, is completely normal. It may involve mixed emotions at first, doubts, fear, or sadness, which usually evolve into clarity and peace as the focus shifts towards the real goal: becoming a parent.

”Love is not defined by genetics”

”Your baby may not carry your DNA, but they will carry your voice, your care and your love”

At our clinic, emotional support is considered an essential part of treatment, especially for international patients who may be going through this process far from home.

How the egg donation in Spain process works

1. First online consultation

The process can begin with a free online medical consultation, so you do not need to travel to Spain for your first appointment.

During this consultation, our medical team will review your medical and reproductive history, previous fertility treatments and any tests you have already undergone. We will assess whether egg donation is the most suitable option for you and explain how the treatment would be organised in your particular case.

This is also an opportunity to discuss the practical aspects of undergoing treatment abroad, including which tests can be completed in your home country and when you will need to travel to Málaga.

If any additional tests are required before starting treatment, our team will explain which ones you need and why they are important.

2. Medical tests in your home country

In many cases, the tests and monitoring required before treatment can be performed locally, in your country of residence.

Depending on your individual circumstances, these may include:

• Blood tests
• Hormonal analysis
• Ultrasound scans
• Semen analysis
• Other diagnostic tests when medically indicated

The results are reviewed by our medical team before planning the next steps.

Being able to complete much of this process at home helps reduce unnecessary travel and makes undergoing egg donation treatment in Spain easier for international patients.

3. Donor selection and matching

At URE Centro Gutenberg, we have our own egg donor programme and do not rely on external egg banks. This allows our team to manage the donor selection and matching process directly according to our own medical and quality criteria.

All potential donors undergo comprehensive medical, gynaecological, psychological, infectious disease and genetic screening before being accepted into our programme.

Once a donor has been approved, our specialised team assigns the most suitable donor to each recipient, taking into account physical characteristics and blood group compatibility, in accordance with Spanish legislation.

Egg donation in Spain is anonymous, which means recipients do not choose or meet their donor.

Genetic matching can also be performed when appropriate or requested, comparing the donor’s genetic carrier screening with that of the male partner to reduce the risk of both being carriers of the same recessive genetic condition.

If you would like to understand this process in more detail, read our complete guide to how egg donors in Spain are selected and matched at URE Centro Gutenberg.

4. Endometrial preparation 

Before embryo transfer, the recipient’s endometrium needs to be adequately prepared and synchronised with the embryo.

This can generally be achieved in two ways:

Natural cycle. The woman’s own ovulatory cycle is used to prepare the endometrium, without medication being required to stimulate endometrial development.

Medicated cycle or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). When a natural cycle is not possible or advisable, oestrogen and progesterone are administered sequentially to prepare the endometrium for embryo transfer.

When medically appropriate, a natural cycle can offer a more physiological approach with less medication.

Our medical team will assess which option is most suitable according to each patient’s individual circumstances and needs.

The cycle is monitored with ultrasound and hormonal checks to identify the optimal moment for embryo transfer, when the uterus is most receptive.

5. Fertilisation and embryo development

Once the donor’s eggs have been retrieved, they are fertilised in our own IVF laboratory using sperm from the partner or, when required, donor sperm.

When using the partner’s sperm, the sample can be provided fresh on the day of fertilisation if the partner is in Málaga, or a previously frozen sample can be used. In many international cases, sperm can be frozen in advance during an earlier visit to our clinic, making it unnecessary for both partners to travel again on the day the donor’s eggs are retrieved.

Our medical team will plan this with you in advance so that the timing of the donor’s egg retrieval and fertilisation can be coordinated with your travel arrangements.

From that moment, our embryology team monitors embryo development under carefully controlled laboratory conditions.

Embryos are usually cultured until the blastocyst stage, around day five, before the embryo selected for transfer is identified.

Once the embryo for transfer has been selected, any additional good-quality embryos suitable for cryopreservation are vitrified and stored for future use.

At URE Centro Gutenberg, approximately 80% of egg donation cycles result in additional embryos being available for vitrification. This means that, in many cases, patients may have embryos stored for a future attempt or for the possibility of having another child without needing to undergo a new egg donation cycle.

Our embryology team will inform you about the number and development of your embryos and whether any additional embryos have been vitrified.

6. Embryo transfer and travel to Spain

Once the endometrium is adequately prepared and synchronised with the embryo, the embryo transfer is performed.

The procedure consists of carefully placing the selected embryo inside the uterus using a thin catheter. It does not normally require anaesthesia or hospitalisation, and patients can usually resume their normal activities afterwards, following the recommendations of our medical team.

If a sperm sample from the partner has already been frozen in advance, the partner does not need to be in Málaga for the fertilisation or embryo transfer. This can make travel arrangements considerably easier for international patients.

7. Pregnancy test and follow-up at home

After embryo transfer comes the waiting period commonly known as the two-week wait.

Following a blastocyst transfer, the beta-hCG blood test is generally performed around 11 days after embryo transfer.

The test can normally be carried out in your home country and the result shared with our medical team. Testing too early may give an inconclusive result, so it is important to follow the date recommended by your doctor.

Early pregnancy monitoring can also be coordinated locally while you remain in contact with our team.

If you would like to know more, read our guide to when to take a pregnancy test after IVF and when the result is most reliable.

How Long Do I Need to Stay in Spain for Egg Donation Treatment?

If you are travelling to Málaga for egg donation treatment, you do not need to stay in Spain for the entire process. Most of the preparation and monitoring can be carried out in your home country in coordination with our medical team.

For the final stage of treatment, patients undergoing IVF with donor eggs typically need to stay in Málaga for around 6–7 days, although the exact length of your stay will depend on your individual treatment plan.

Our international team will help coordinate each stage so that you know in advance when you need to travel and can organise your stay as easily as possible.

You can find more practical information in our guide on how to plan IVF treatment from abroad and how long you will need to stay in Spain.

What Are the Success Rates of Egg Donation?

Egg donation is one of the fertility treatments with the highest success rates because the eggs come from young, healthy and carefully selected donors.

At URE Centro Gutenberg, we publish our clinical pregnancy rates based on pregnancies confirmed by ultrasound, when the presence of a gestational sac has been verified.

Our results are compared with the national data published by the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF), allowing patients to consult transparent and clinically meaningful information about treatment outcomes.

You can view our most recent clinical results here.

How Much Does Egg Donation Cost in Spain?

At URE Centro Gutenberg, a full IVF–ICSI cycle using donor eggs currently costs €6,800.

We believe international patients should be able to understand the cost of treatment before making the decision to travel. You can see exactly what is included in the treatment on our prices and financing page.

Starting Egg Donation Treatment in Spain

Undergoing egg donation abroad may initially seem complicated, but much of the process can be organised from your home country with the right medical coordination.

At URE Centro Gutenberg, our team accompanies international patients from the first online consultation through donor matching, treatment planning, embryo transfer and follow-up, helping you understand and organise each stage before you travel.

Your first online consultation is free, giving you the opportunity to discuss your individual case with our medical team, ask your questions and understand the next steps before making any decisions. You can leave your details here, and our medical team will contact you to guide you through the next steps.

The journey to parenthood may look different from the one you originally imagined, but it can still lead to the family you hope to build.