Female couples can access fertility treatment in several European countries, but the treatment options differ considerably.
Spain, Portugal and Denmark allow reciprocal IVF, usually called ROPA or partner egg donation. Greece allows female couples to access assisted reproduction but does not currently allow one partner’s egg to be transferred to the other. Czech Republic requires treatment to involve a woman and a man.
The most important questions are therefore not only where IVF is available, but whose eggs can be used, who can carry the pregnancy, whether donor sperm is permitted and how parenthood is recognised.
Key takeaways
- Spain: female couples can access IVF and ROPA.
- Portugal: female couples can access IVF and ROPA.
- Denmark: partner egg donation is available; from 1 January 2025 it no longer requires a separate medical justification.
- Greece: female couples can access assisted reproduction, but ROPA is not permitted.
- Czech Republic: current law requires a woman and a man to request treatment together.
- Donor sperm is required when neither partner provides sperm.
- Donor-identity rules are different in each country.
IVF for female couples: Country comparison
| Country | Female couples | Donor sperm | ROPA / partner eggs | Main age rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Yes | Yes | Yes | No numerical statutory maximum |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 50 |
| Greece | Yes | Yes | No | Up to 54 |
| Denmark | Yes | Yes | Yes | Treatment while woman carrying pregnancy is 45 or younger |
What fertility treatments can female couples use?
There are several possible routes depending on whether one partner wants to use her eggs and whether both partners want to participate physically in treatment.
IUI with donor sperm
One partner undergoes insemination using donor sperm. This can be an option where IVF is not medically required.
IVF with one partner’s eggs and donor sperm
One partner provides the eggs and also carries the pregnancy.
The eggs are fertilised using donor sperm.
ROPA or reciprocal IVF
One partner provides the eggs. The embryos are then transferred to the other partner, who carries the pregnancy.
ROPA therefore allows both women to take part biologically in treatment.
Donor egg IVF
If neither partner’s eggs are being used, donor eggs may be considered where legally and medically appropriate. Donor sperm will also normally be required.
Quick comparison
| Country | Legal access for female couples | ROPA / partner egg donation | Double donation | Donor identity rules | Maximum treatment age | Legal parenthood | Important limitation or practical point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Yes. Adult women can access assisted reproduction regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. | Yes. One partner provides the eggs and the other carries the pregnancy. | Yes, where medically appropriate. | Sperm and egg donation are anonymous. The clinic selects a medically and phenotypically compatible donor; patients cannot choose an identified donor. | Spanish law does not establish a general statutory maximum for private treatment, but clinics set their own age limits. | Spanish law allows the female spouse of the birth mother to consent to filiation in her favour. | Couples living outside Spain should verify whether both parents will be recognised and how the child must be registered in their home country. |
| Portugal | Yes. Portuguese law explicitly permits female couples to access medically assisted reproduction. | Yes. Embryos created using one partner’s eggs can be transferred to the other partner. | Yes, when clinically and legally appropriate. | Portugal operates an identity-release system. Donor-conceived adults can obtain identifying information about their donor. | 50 for the woman undergoing treatment. | CNPMA states that the couple’s informed-consent document is used during registration and is sufficient to establish parenthood under the Portuguese system. | Couples should still check whether Portuguese parenthood documents will be recognised automatically in their country of residence. |
| Greece | Yes, for female couples who are married or in a civil partnership. Both partners must provide written consent. | No. An embryo created using one partner’s eggs cannot currently be transferred to the other partner. | May be clinically possible for the woman undergoing treatment, but it does not operate as ROPA. | Gamete donation is regulated under Greek assisted-reproduction rules. Clinics should explain the applicable donor-information framework before treatment. | Up to 54 years and 0 days. EAIYA authorisation is required after age 50. | ART establishes maternity for the woman who carries and gives birth. It does not automatically make both female partners legal parents simply because they are married or in a civil partnership. | Greece provides access to treatment but not reciprocal IVF. Second-parent recognition and recognition abroad require particular attention. |
| Denmark | Yes. Female couples can access fertility treatment, including treatment using donor sperm. | Yes. Since 1 January 2025, partner egg donation no longer requires a separate medical justification. | Possible in certain circumstances, with additional legal and consent requirements. | Both anonymous and non-anonymous sperm and egg donor options are permitted. Available donor categories and information can vary by clinic or sperm bank. | Treatment can take place while the woman carrying the pregnancy is 45, but not from age 46. | Parenthood documentation depends on the treatment arrangement and the required consent procedures. International couples should confirm recognition at home. | Couples should ask the clinic which donor categories are available, what information the child may receive and which consent documents are required. |
Spain vs Greece for female couples
The main difference is ROPA.
Spain allows one partner’s eggs to be used to create embryos that the other partner carries.
Greece allows female couples to access assisted reproduction but does not allow that partner-to-partner egg arrangement under current EAIYA guidance.
Greece does, however, have a higher statutory treatment age, reaching 54.
What should female couples ask before treatment?
Before choosing a country or clinic, confirm:
- Can both partners legally participate in treatment?
- Is ROPA available?
- Which partner will provide the eggs?
- Which partner will carry the pregnancy?
- Which age limit applies?
- Is donor sperm anonymous or identifiable?
- Can the future child obtain donor identity?
- What consent documents must each partner sign?
- How will parenthood be registered?
- Will parenthood be recognised in the home country?
- Can tests and monitoring be completed before travelling?
For international treatment, legal parenthood deserves the same attention as clinic price.
IVF Abroad for Female Couples – FAQ
Which European countries offer ROPA?
Spain, Portugal and Denmark permit reciprocal or partner-egg IVF.
ROPA is permitted in Spain, Portugal, North Cyprus and Denmark, but not in Greece, the Czech Republic or Latvia.
ROPA is permitted in Spain, Portugal and Denmark, but not in North Cyprus, Greece, the Czech Republic or Latvia.
Sources: Best Country for Donor Egg IVF – Success Rates, Costs & Laws and IVF and Egg Donation Abroad – Most Popular Destinations, Egg Donation Friends (IVF Media Ltd.), updated September 2026. Both sites are part of IVF Media Ltd.
Access to treatment and access to ROPA are not the same question, and it is worth separating them. Donor egg IVF for female same-sex couples is available in Spain, Greece, North Cyprus, Portugal, Finland, Latvia and the UK – a wider list than the ROPA one, because several of those countries treat female couples without permitting reciprocal IVF.
Is ROPA legal in Greece?
No under the current EAIYA framework. One female partner’s egg cannot currently be used to create an embryo that is transferred to the other partner.
Can female couples have IVF in Greece?
Yes, if the couple is married or in a civil partnership, subject to the applicable requirements. Both partners must consent.
Can female couples have IVF in Czech Republic?
No under the current assisted-reproduction framework because treatment requires a woman and a man to apply together.
Which country has the highest treatment age?
Greece has an explicit maximum of 54, although ROPA is not available.
Sources:
- Spain: Law 14/2006 on Assisted Human Reproduction Techniques — access regardless of sexual orientation, donor sperm and filiation.
- Portugal: CNPMA — access for female couples, ROPA consent and age requirements.
- Greece: EAIYA guidance of April 2024 — access for female couples, parenthood and prohibition of ROPA.
- Denmark: Danish assisted-reproduction legislation and 2024 reform effective January 2025 — partner egg donation, donor sperm and age.
