What is egg donation and is it legal in Norway?

Some women have ovaries that do not produce eggs, either for genetic reasons, due to age or premature menopause. If this woman is to become pregnant, she must receive eggs from another woman. The egg is fertilized with the man's sperm and returned to her uterine cavity to develop after hormonal pre-treatment of the uterine lining, so that it is ready to receive a fertilized egg.

Egg donation was allowed in Norway from 01.01.2021. Medicus was approved to offer egg donation treatment at the end of May 2021. Since 2024, Medicus has also approval as a sperm and egg bank, which means that we recruit our own Norwegian donors. In addition, we cooperate with the Finnish egg bank OvulationThis means that we have ample access to both Norwegian and Finnish donor eggs, and can offer a quick start with egg donation with us.  

Read more about how the egg donation process works here.

Partner donation was allowed in Norway from 01.01.2021. When the changes to the Biotechnology Act came in 2020, egg donation from a partner had to be medically justified. This was changed in May 2021, so that women in same-sex couples can choose which of the women will become pregnant with the couple's child without there being a medical reason. 

The law states that one of the parties must have a biological connection to the child. Therefore, single and heterosexual couples cannot have both eggs and sperm donated.

Unfortunately, there are still some who are not covered by the law. Since the Biotechnology Act requires that the identity of at least one party must be known, singles cannot receive egg donation. Nor can two women, if the egg does not come from one of the parties (partner donation).

Read more about what we think about egg donation in our article here.