Find the right page for your situation
Choose the question that matters most first.
Start here
Anonymous vs identifiable
This is the first donor-related decision. Some countries are anonymous only. Others require future identity access, and one offers a clear choice. Start here if you have not decided which system matters most to you.
Go to the comparison →Anonymous systems
Anonymous donors
Spain, Czech Republic, North Cyprus, and South Africa are anonymous-only systems. This page explains what anonymous donation means in practice and what you can still find out about your donor.
Go to anonymous donors →Identity access
Identifiable donors
The UK and Portugal use identifiable systems only. Denmark offers a clear choice. Greece is not a reliable identifiable option. This page is for users who want future identity access to matter in the shortlist.
Go to identifiable donors →Donor background
Donor ethnicity and availability
Donor background can narrow the shortlist quickly. Outside the main donor pool in each country, availability is often more limited and more clinic-dependent. Use this page if ethnicity is part of your decision.
Go to donor ethnicity →Donor system by country
Donor type is set mainly by national law, and that affects what your child may be able to access later. Matching approach is less fixed and often varies by clinic, even when certain country patterns are common.
| Country | Donor system | Typical matching approach | Single women accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Anonymous only | Often clinic-led | Yes |
| Czech Republic | Anonymous only | Often clinic-led | No |
| North Cyprus | Anonymous only | Often coordinator-led | Yes |
| South Africa | Anonymous only | Often more patient-led | Yes |
| Portugal | Identifiable only | Often coordinator-led | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Identifiable only | Often more patient-led | Yes |
| Denmark | Choice | Often more patient-led | Yes |
| Greece | Mixed, open-ID rarely available1 | Often coordinator-led | Yes |
What the table shows
- Spain, Czech Republic, North Cyprus, and South Africa are anonymous only. You cannot opt into future identity access in these countries. Czech Republic also excludes single women, which makes it the most restrictive option in the covered set.
- The UK and Portugal are identifiable only. Your child may be able to seek donor information from adulthood. The legal route differs by country, but future identity access is built into the system.
- Denmark is the clearest donor-type choice country. Greece is more mixed. Open-ID may exist in theory, but most clinics still work mainly with anonymous donor pools.
- Matching approach can also affect the shortlist. Some countries more often use clinic-led matching, while others give patients more input or access to profiles. This still varies by clinic, so treat the table as a guide to common patterns, not a fixed rule.
How donor matching works
Across the covered countries, clinics often use one of three matching approaches. The main difference is how much say you have in the final selection and how much donor information you see before treatment. These patterns are common, but practice still varies by clinic.
Clinic-led
The clinic selects the donor for you.
- You share your physical characteristics and key preferences
- You don't browse donor profiles directly
- Profile information available to you is usually limited
- This approach tends to move faster
Often seen in Spain and Czech Republic
Coordinator-led
A coordinator shortlists donors, and you approve.
- You share your preferences and matching priorities
- The clinic or coordinator returns a small number of profiles
- You usually see more information before confirming
- Timing is often moderate
Often seen in Greece, Portugal, and sometimes North Cyprus
More patient-led
You review available profiles more directly.
- Searchable or browsable donor databases may be available
- Profiles may contain more background detail
- You usually have more control over the final choice
- Matching can take longer if you need a specific profile
Often seen in the UK, Denmark, and some South African programs
- If browsing profiles or having more say in donor selection matters to you, clinic-led systems may be a weaker fit.
- More patient-led systems tend to suit users who want to review profiles more directly before deciding.
- More control often comes with a smaller pool or longer matching time.
- Practice still varies by clinic regardless of country pattern.
What you'll learn about your donor
Anonymous does not mean no information. Most programs share non-identifying physical details, and some share more. The biggest differences are usually profile depth, whether photos are typically shown, and whether future identity access exists.
| Country | Donor system | Typical profile detail | Photos | Future identity access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Anonymous only | Usually detailed physical details, with more limited background information | Usually not shown | No |
| Czech Republic | Anonymous only | Usually basic to moderate non-identifying details | Usually not shown | No |
| North Cyprus | Anonymous only | Often more profile detail than stricter anonymous systems | May be available in some programs | No |
| South Africa | Anonymous only | Often more detailed anonymous profiles | May be available in some programs | No |
| Portugal | Identifiable only | Often more detailed profiles | Usually not shown | Yes |
| UK | Identifiable only | Often more detailed profiles | Usually not shown | Yes |
| Denmark | Choice | Often more detailed profiles, especially in extended-profile programs | May be available in some extended-profile programs | Yes, if open-ID is chosen |
| Greece | Mixed, open-ID rarely available1 | Often moderate profile detail | Usually not shown | Rarely available |
The biggest differences are usually future identity access and whether some programs offer richer profiles or photos, not whether anonymous systems provide information at all.
Donor ethnicity and availability
Caucasian donor matching is usually the easiest across the covered countries. Other donor backgrounds can narrow the shortlist quickly, and availability is often more clinic-dependent than country-level comparisons suggest.
South Africa is the strongest starting point in the covered set. The UK may also be stronger than many European alternatives, but should not be treated as equivalent. Availability is still clinic-dependent.
No covered country has a clear advantage. Availability is less predictable than Caucasian matching and depends heavily on current donor recruitment at the specific clinic.
One of the harder backgrounds to match across the covered set. Availability is often limited. External egg banks may be the more practical route regardless of country.
Spain is the strongest covered starting point. Availability still varies by clinic and current donor pool.
Ethnicity can narrow the shortlist more than many clinic websites suggest. The donor ethnicity guide covers all backgrounds in more detail, including a dedicated guide for Black donor matching.
If donor type is now clearer, move to the country comparison or use the shortlist tool to narrow the options that still fit. If you are still undecided on anonymity, start with the donor-system comparison.
Compare all 8 countries · Build a shortlist · Anonymous vs identifiable
- Greek law allows anonymous and identity-release donors, but most clinics still primarily operate with anonymous donor pools.