International Egg Donation

The Donor Nexus team will work with you to determine which cycle program best suits your needs. If you would like, we will set up a phone call or Zoom video conference at a time that works for your time zone. Once we determine the specific cycle, we will help you select an egg donor or donor embryo.

We will discuss your desired characteristics and send you profiles that most closely match your criteria. Once you have chosen an egg donor or donor embryo, you will receive preliminary paperwork, a contract, and an invoice, and all items must be completed and returned to Donor Nexus within 7 days. When we receive the paperwork, signed agreement, and initial deposit, your cycle is confirmed, and we can connect you with one of our partner clinics if you have not already chosen a U.S. clinic.

Your U.S. physician will review your medical history and order pretesting that you can complete in your home country with your general practitioner (GP) or gynecologist. Some pretests need to be done on specific days of your menstrual cycle.

You can expect your physician to order the following pretesting:

• Uterine cavity evaluation, either a sonohysterogram or a hysteroscopy with mock embryo transfer (completed on cycle day 6 to 10)
• Infectious disease panel required by your clinic's state
• Semen analysis for your partner or designated sperm provider
• Any additional testing the physician requests

Once your physician reviews the results and clears you to move forward, you will work with your nurse coordinator to set cycle dates. At this point you can book flights and accommodation for your embryo transfer.

You will start treatment in your home country. Your U.S. physician and nurse coordinator will coordinate with a local clinic so your ultrasounds and blood tests are completed before you travel. Most medications can be ordered from a local pharmacy or shipped to your home if they are not available locally, and you can expect to be on medications for about 4 to 6 weeks before your embryo transfer.

For our donor egg programs, the embryo transfer takes place at the U.S. clinic you chose. For our Donor Embryo Program, the transfer takes place at our partner fertility clinic in Southern California.

On the morning of the transfer, your physician will review the results of the cycle with you, and you will decide which embryos to transfer and which to freeze. Your clinic will give you post-transfer instructions, including when it is safe to fly home.

About 10 to 12 days after the transfer, you will have your first pregnancy blood test (beta hCG) at your local clinic. If you are pregnant, you will continue monitoring locally through the first trimester, then return to your OB/GYN for the rest of your pregnancy.

We ship frozen donor eggs to clinics throughout the United States. Shipping outside the U.S. is now restricted by regulations in many countries, so most international intended parents travel to a U.S. clinic for their transfer. If you would prefer a clinic outside the U.S., we can review your country's requirements with your clinic on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. You can complete your cycle at any U.S. fertility clinic that works with donor eggs, and if you do not have one yet, we will introduce you to our partner clinics.

Most of your preparation, including medications, ultrasounds, and blood work, happens at home under your U.S. clinic's direction. Many intended parents plan a short trip around the embryo transfer itself, and your clinic will tell you how many days to schedule.

You can register for free and browse our full egg donor database from anywhere in the world. When you are ready, we can schedule a complimentary call at a time that works for your time zone to talk through the donors you are considering and your next steps.

In the United States, egg donors are compensated for their time and commitment, and compensation is set by agencies and clinics rather than capped by federal law. At Donor Nexus, our egg donors set their own compensation with guidance from our team. A handful of other countries allow a more limited payment: in the United Kingdom, donors can receive up to £985 per donation cycle under rules set by the national regulator, and countries such as Spain, Greece, and Belgium allow compensation for a donor's time and inconvenience while still treating donation as altruistic. Canada, Australia, and Brazil allow donors to be reimbursed only for their expenses, and Germany prohibits egg donation entirely. Because these rules shape how many donors are available in each country, many international intended parents choose a U.S. egg donor for access to a larger and more diverse donor pool.

Reproductive laws differ from country to country and change often, which is one of the main reasons intended parents complete egg donation treatment in the United States. The restrictions we see most often fall into a few groups:

• Donor compensation: Many countries, including Canada, Australia, and Brazil, allow only altruistic egg donation, meaning donors can be reimbursed for expenses but not paid for their time. In the United Kingdom, donors receive a fixed amount set by the national regulator.
• Donor identity: Some countries, such as the United Kingdom and parts of Australia, require donors to be identifiable to donor-conceived people once they reach adulthood, while others, such as Brazil, generally require anonymity.
• Family limits: Australian states cap how many families a single donor can help create, and these caps also apply to donor eggs imported from overseas.
• Outright bans: A few countries, including Germany, prohibit egg donation entirely.
• Imported donor eggs: Frozen donor eggs shipped into a country usually have to meet that country's own rules on compensation, identity, and family limits, which is why international shipping has become difficult for many intended parents.

Because these rules change, please confirm current requirements with your local fertility clinic or a reproductive attorney in your country. Last reviewed October 2026. This overview is general information and not legal advice.

Yes. Gender selection through embryo testing is legal in the United States, while countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia prohibit it for non-medical reasons. Learn more on our gender selection page.

Surrogacy laws vary even more widely than egg donation laws, both between countries and between U.S. states. If you will need a gestational carrier, speak with a reproductive attorney early so your plans fit the laws where you live and where your carrier lives. Our team is glad to talk through how a U.S. cycle fits your situation.

Yes. Many families also search by ethnicity or heritage, and the Heritage filter covers both sides of each donor's family. Our pages on Brazilian egg donors, Jewish egg donors and Italian egg donors show how it works.