It is illegal in the UK to donate sperm or eggs in exchange for financial compenstation, however you can receive payment to cover fair expenses.

In the UK you can donate sperm if you are a man and usually between 18 and 41 years old in exchange for up to £35 to cover expenses. As you can see this is no way going to make you rich, however if you are interested in helping other people to become a parent then there is no harm in taking part.

In the UK you can donate your eggs if you are a woman usually between 18 and 35 years old in exchange for up to £750 to cover expenses. You will need to pass certain health tests to ensure you won’t pass on any disease to baby or mother. Some clinics also have further restrictions on certain characteristics such as Body Mass Index and the history of your family health.

Note that whether it is sperm or eggs you are donating, there are stringent checks and controls in place. Even though you will not have any legal rights to any child conceived you cannot donate anonymously which means that when the child becomes 18 they can ask for your name, date of birth and last known address.

This information is purely focused on the UK market. Different countries will have different laws and levels of compensation.

Top Tip

Clearly donating your sperm or eggs is a big choice and we wouldn’t encourage it purely as a way to make money but have included it on this site for completeness of information.

Sites to use

HFEA – The UK’s independent regulatory body for fertility treatment set up by the government