IVF in Spain, for Americans
Spain's law on assisted reproduction treats single women and couples of two women. Here is what it says, and what it leaves to each clinic.
Treatment in Spain is governed by Ley 14/2006 on assisted human reproduction techniques. The law decides who a clinic may treat, how donation works and how many embryos can be transferred. It does not set every rule: some important limits, such as the maximum age a clinic will accept, are set by each clinic. That is why two clinics in Spain can give you two different answers, and why we ask them in writing.
Who can be treated in Spain
| Your situation | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Single women | Can be treated Any woman aged 18 or over with full legal capacity can be treated, whatever her marital status (art. 6.1). |
| Couples of two women | Can be treated Treatment does not depend on sexual orientation (art. 6.1). A woman married to the birth mother can be recognised as the child's legal parent (art. 7.3). |
| Couples of a man and a woman | Can be treated The woman must be 18 or over with full legal capacity (art. 6.1). |
| Age | The law sets no upper age limit. Clinics set their own limits on medical grounds, and they differ from clinic to clinic. |
| Egg and sperm donation | Donation of eggs and sperm is anonymous (art. 5.5). |
| Embryos per transfer | No more than three embryos may be transferred in one cycle (art. 3.2). |
What we would check for you
The law is the starting point. The answers that decide your plan come from the clinic, so we ask each clinic we suggest the same questions and get the answers in writing.
- The clinic's own age limit, for your own eggs and for donor eggs, since the law leaves this to the clinic.
- An itemized written quote: what is included, and what is extra, such as medication, freezing or genetic testing.
- Monitoring scans near home: whether the clinic accepts scan and blood test results from a clinic in your state, and how they want them sent.
- Parentage paperwork, if you are a couple of two women, so you know what the clinic needs from you before treatment.
- How many trips you need, and which steps can happen by video call.
- What happens to frozen embryos: storage at the clinic, and what moving them later would involve.
- Who you talk to: whether you have an English-speaking contact at the clinic during your treatment.
Source
Ley 14/2006, de 26 de mayo, sobre técnicas de reproducción humana asistida, consolidated text in the Boletín Oficial del Estado: BOE-A-2006-9292.
This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Laws change, and clinics apply their own rules on top of the law. Before you commit to anything, we confirm your eligibility with the clinic in writing for your case.
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