Sperm donation in Germany: process, costs, law and the donor register

The Sperm Donor Register Act: what it means for your child

The Sperm Donor Register Act, or Samenspenderregistergesetz, known as SaRegG, has been in force since 1 July 2018. Its main purpose is to enable people conceived through medically assisted fertilisation using donor sperm to learn about their genetic origins. The register is currently maintained by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, or BfArM. Older information still names DIMDI. Federal Ministry of Health on the sperm donor register.

Information kept for 110 years, with access before 16 as well

Register data is stored for 110 years. From the 16th birthday, only the person concerned can exercise the right to information. Before that, their legal representatives can act for them. This right belongs to the child; parents do not have a separate entitlement of their own to the donor’s identity. The common claim that a child generally has to wait until 16 to learn anything is therefore too broad. BMG: questions and answers on SaRegG.

The records include, in particular, information identifying the donor, along with recipient and treatment data needed to link the records. This is not a public donor catalogue that anyone can search. Disclosure provides information about the child’s origins, without promising a personal relationship with the donor. SaRegG, particularly sections 2, 5 and 10.

Applications go to BfArM. A person requesting information about themselves provides their birth certificate and a copy of their identity card. Before disclosure, the institute informs them about suitable counselling. If you apply as a legal representative, check with the institute which supporting documents are needed. BMG on the disclosure procedure.

Which treatments come under the register?

The statutory registration route concerns medically assisted artificial fertilisation with donor sperm within the specified institutional framework. A private home insemination is not registered automatically. For treatment before 1 July 2018, first contact the sperm bank or treating facility involved at the time. Section 13 SaRegG requires these facilities to preserve certain information that was still available then for 110 years. It does not create a complete retrospective record of every earlier sperm donation. Section 13 SaRegG.

Why the birth must also be reported

Documentation does not stop at a positive pregnancy test. Under section 4 SaRegG, the recipient must inform the treating facility about the child or children and the date of birth within three months after delivery. Ask before treatment how this update should be provided. It helps keep the records reliably linked for the child’s later right to information. SaRegG, sections 4 and 6.

Fifteen children per donor: a voluntary recommendation, not law

Germany has no statutory upper limit of 15 children per sperm donor. The familiar figure comes from professional self-regulation. The Working Group on Donor Insemination, or Arbeitskreis Donogene Insemination, abbreviated AKDI, brings together sperm banks and reproductive medicine professionals, among others. Its 2006 guideline recommended a limit of 15 living offspring. This was the group’s recommendation, not a child limit enacted by the Bundestag. AKDI guideline from 2006, section 10.

The current AKDI statement recommends a maximum of 15 families per donor. This allows several siblings within a family to have the same donor. This recommendation is also not a nationwide limit laid down by law. AKDI: statement on limiting donations to 15 families.

The difference is more than wording. If, for instance, 15 families each have two children using one donor, the total is 30 children. This calculation does not describe an average number of children; it explains why a family limit and a child limit are different.

Voluntary limits may be incorporated into a sperm bank’s contracts and procedures. But that does not mean all providers follow the same rule or that every donation a person makes worldwide is recorded. Some facilities therefore prohibit donors from donating privately at the same time or enrolling with another bank; Erlangen Sperm Bank explicitly states this condition. Erlangen Sperm Bank: donor requirements.

For your choice, concrete answers matter more than the number 15 alone:

• Does the bank limit children, recipients or families, and how does it define the unit it counts?
• Is the limit for Germany, for that bank itself or for all countries to which it supplies samples?
• How are pregnancies, births and treatments for siblings followed up?
• How are donations elsewhere, missing updates and limits found to have been exceeded later handled?

The sperm donor register serves the right to know one’s origins. Its existence does not assure you that a particular child or family limit is monitored and observed through it.

Will the sperm donor become the legal father?

Genetic descent alone does not automatically make a private sperm donor the legal father. Under section 1592 of the German Civil Code, or BGB, paternity arises particularly through marriage to the mother at birth, a valid acknowledgement or a court determination. Which possibility applies is decisive for maintenance and other parental rights. Section 1592 BGB.

The medical route laid down by law

For the regulated medical route, section 1600d(4) BGB provides important protection: where the sperm comes from a collection facility within the meaning of SaRegG and the child is conceived through medically assisted artificial fertilisation in the specified medical facility, the donor cannot be established by a court as the child’s father. These conditions matter, not merely the label sperm donor. Section 1600d BGB.

Private donation: three typical situations

This special exclusion does not apply to private home insemination. To understand the legal position, first look at the parenthood already established or planned:

There is no legal father yet

In a private donation, the donor’s paternity may then be established through a valid acknowledgement or by a court. An understanding that he is only to be a donor does not replace a statutory exclusion.

The mother is married to a man at the time of birth

As a rule, her husband is the legal father. The donor is not additionally registered as a second father. Whether the existing paternity can be challenged is a separate question with its own requirements.

The birth mother lives with a woman

Even marriage currently does not automatically make her partner a second legal mother. A planned stepparent adoption needs separate preparation; until then, your family plans do not conclusively resolve the private donor’s legal position.

The underlying provisions are section 1592 BGB and section 1600d BGB; the federal family portal explains the current law on second motherhood.

Acknowledging paternity involves more than signing a donor contract

Acknowledgement of paternity and the consents required by law must be formally authenticated by an authorised public official. Acknowledgement is possible before birth; as a rule, it is ineffective while another man’s paternity exists. Discuss who should become a legal parent before anyone makes these declarations. Section 1594 BGB, section 1595 BGB and section 1597 BGB.

The decision also binds an intended father: if he and the mother consented to artificial fertilisation using donor sperm, they cannot themselves challenge the paternity established through it. The child has an independent right to challenge, subject to additional requirements. Adults therefore cannot contract away all future parentage questions on the child’s behalf. Section 1600 BGB, particularly subsections 1 and 6.

Private sperm donation: maintenance, custody and contact

The common question of whether a donor will have rights or duties later involves several legally distinct questions. A desire for contact, an obligation to pay maintenance and authority to make decisions for the child do not arise simply from one private agreement.

A maintenance waiver does not bind the child

If a private donor becomes the legal father, statutory maintenance obligations towards the child may arise. The claim belongs to the child. The mother cannot validly waive it in advance by agreement. Even a clause requiring another adult to cover the donor’s costs does not remove the child’s statutory claim against a father liable for maintenance. The basis includes section 1601 BGB and the prohibition on waiving future maintenance in section 1614 BGB.

A professionally reviewed agreement can still arrange expenses, responsibilities and expectations among the adults. Its effect must match the actual parenthood involved. A downloaded form titled sperm donor agreement does not provide this protection by itself.

Paternity does not automatically give joint custody

For legal parents who are not married to each other, joint custody is governed by separate rules, such as joint custody declarations or a court decision. Acknowledging paternity alone is not a joint custody declaration. Section 1626a BGB.

A private donor can have contact without being the legal father

A lesser-known point: Germany’s Federal Court of Justice clarified in 2021 that a biological father who is not the legal father may also have a right to contact following private sperm donation. He must have shown a serious interest in the child, and contact must serve the child’s welfare. He must respect the legal parents’ role in bringing up the child. This is neither an automatic visitation right for every donor nor an entitlement to raise the child jointly. BGH, decision dated 16 June 2021, XII ZB 58/20; section 1686a BGB.

In that case, the mother’s partner had adopted the child. The private donor’s consent to adoption did not by itself mean he had waived contact where meeting the child and maintaining contact had been intended. A stepparent adoption therefore does not automatically settle every later contact question.

Access for single women, female couples and unmarried couples

Germany also has donor sperm treatment available for single women and lesbian couples. However, sperm banks and fertility centres follow different acceptance rules. Ask directly about your family situation, age limits, required counselling and documents before choosing a sample. General availability does not mean an individual facility has agreed to accept you. BIÖG: sperm donation.

For unmarried couples, the intended second parent’s status should be included in counselling from the outset. Consent to treatment and establishing the child’s legal parents serve different purposes. Ask the clinic which declarations it needs and which additional steps are required with the competent authorities.

For a female couple, however, under current law the birth mother’s partner does not automatically become the second legal mother through marriage alone. Stepparent adoption is the usual route. Transgender, intersex and non-binary parents may have additional questions about the attribution of parenthood. The federal family portal on parenthood explains the current differences. Do not confuse announced reforms with laws already in force.

Finding a sperm bank and a suitable donor

For the clinical route, a useful first question is which sperm banks work with your treating facility. The AKDI directory of sperm banks can help you search. It is a membership directory, not an independent ranking or a complete official list of every provider.

Do not compare only appearance, education or an appealing profile. For the long term, it is at least as important to know how verifiable the health information is, what information your child will receive later and whether the bank remains available when new findings emerge. Profile details and the selection process vary by provider.

If you may want more children with the same donor, discuss sample reservations early. Ask about storage costs, availability, cancellation conditions and the handling of samples that can no longer be used for medical reasons. A reservation should suit your family plans rather than push you towards immediate treatment.

A good provider can explain who has medical responsibility, where the sample comes from, what limit applies and how you can obtain records later. Evasive replies to these questions are a reason to continue your search.

What tests and safety rules apply?

The suitability of a clinical sperm donor is assessed by a doctor. This includes age, health and medical history, along with a questionnaire followed by a personal interview. A normal semen analysis answers only part of the question: it describes semen quality but does not replace infection testing or assessment of illnesses in the family. Section 6 of Germany’s TPG Tissue Regulation.

For heterologous use, the TPG Tissue Regulation requires, among other things, negative tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, together with a negative chlamydia nucleic acid test. Further tests are required depending on medical history. The regulation also provides for at least 180 days of quarantine and subsequent retesting; under certain conditions, for example additional nucleic acid tests for HIV, HBV and HCV, repeat blood testing can be omitted. Do not derive your own clearance rule for private samples from this. TPG Tissue Regulation, Annex 4.

With genetic tests, ask precise questions: which conditions were actually tested, what family information was available, and what conclusions can be drawn for your situation? Extensive testing does not guarantee a healthy child. AKDI also stresses that not every genetic risk is identifiable at donation and that relevant later findings must be shared with affected families. AKDI on medical information for affected families.

The detailed guides explain how to interpret results and the limitations of carrier screening in sperm donation. Take the actual reports to your medical consultation wherever possible, rather than only an advertising claim that comprehensive testing has been done.

From counselling to treatment: IUI, IVF or ICSI?

Donor sperm does not automatically decide the treatment method. In intrauterine insemination, or IUI, prepared sperm is placed in the uterus at the appropriate time. In in vitro fertilisation, or IVF, fertilisation happens in the laboratory; with ICSI, one sperm is introduced into one egg. The appropriate method depends on the medical situation.

A typical clinical process can be planned this way:

1. First consultation and assessment: Discuss your wish for a child, medical history, family situation and required examinations.
2. Counselling and documents: Clarify consents, the right to know one’s origins, parenthood and funding.
3. Donor selection and clearance: Agree on the sperm bank, donor and sample type with the clinic.
4. Ordering and treatment: Coordinate delivery, storage and the treatment date with the facilities.
5. Updates and next steps: Discuss the outcome and provide the required information, especially after a birth.

For example, the treatment pathway published by Erlangen Sperm Bank shows how these steps fit together. Other facilities may have different timings and medical plans.

A tested donor sample does not guarantee pregnancy. Chances depend partly on the age and fertility of the person who hopes to become pregnant. Ask your clinic for an assessment relevant to you, and whether the stated success rates refer to pregnancies or actual live births per attempt. BIÖG on the chances of donor sperm treatment.

How much does sperm donation cost in Germany?

The price of a sperm sample is not the treatment price. Depending on the offer, you may also pay for shipping, storage, counselling, investigations, cycle monitoring, medicines and the treatment itself. A written overall plan is therefore needed to compare costs.

A concrete example: at the time of research, Erlangen Sperm Bank listed €700 per donor sperm sample and €150 shipping plus VAT for each dispatch. For medical treatment, it additionally quoted approximately €200–€400 per insemination cycle or €2,000–€4,000 for IVF or ICSI; storage may be charged separately too. These are published indicative prices from that provider, not a complete estimate for your treatment. Erlangen Sperm Bank: costs.

Keep three levels separate when planning your budget:

One-time preparation

Counselling, initial examinations, required documents and legal advice if needed. Ask which services are charged regardless of whether treatment later begins.

Costs for each attempt

The sample, shipping and preparation if applicable, medical monitoring, medicines and treatment. Clarify which charges remain payable if a cycle is cancelled.

Longer-term expenses

Further attempts, storage of reserved samples, planning for siblings and, where needed, steps to secure the second parent’s legal status.

Do not assume that only one attempt will be needed. A transparent clinic can discuss which results should lead to a review of the plan.

Does health insurance pay for donor sperm treatment?

Standard cost sharing by Germany’s statutory health insurance for artificial fertilisation under section 27a SGB V requires, among other conditions, that only the married couple’s own egg and sperm cells are used. Treatment with donor sperm therefore does not create the standard entitlement under this provision. A wish for a child or a doctor’s recommendation alone does not remove that condition. Section 27a SGB V.

Even so, ask for a written breakdown for your specific case showing which examinations or treatments are covered and which you must pay for yourself. For private insurance, public-service medical assistance or funding schemes, approach the responsible body with the actual treatment plan. A general statement about IVF reimbursement does not amount to confirmation of cover for IVF using donor sperm.

Becoming a sperm donor: requirements and process

If you want to become a sperm donor in Germany, you apply to a sperm bank. It first assesses whether you fit its programme. Age limits differ by provider: Berlin Sperm Bank, for example, looks for people aged 20–40 from the local area who can donate regularly. That is its acceptance condition, not a nationally applicable statutory age range. Berlin Sperm Bank: application and process.

The usual steps include a questionnaire, conversations about your health and family history, a trial donation and further tests before signing the contract. Quality after freezing and thawing also matters. Being rejected by a donor programme therefore does not automatically mean you are infertile. Erlangen Sperm Bank specifically highlights this distinction. Erlangen Sperm Bank on donor suitability.

Along with appointments, consider the long-term meaning of donation. A person conceived through it may later want to know your identity. Discuss how to report new illnesses in your family, which contact details you should keep updated and what rules apply to other donations. These questions belong in the decision, even if possible contact seems a long way off.

How much money do sperm donors receive?

Sperm banks offer compensation for time and expenses. Amounts, eligible samples, trial donations and payment timings differ. A monthly earnings figure projected in an advertisement therefore says little about what you will actually receive.

Two published examples show the differences: Berlin Sperm Bank lists €80 per donation. Ludwigsburg Sperm Bank lists €100, pays in two parts and does not pay for its two trial donations. These are provider figures, not a uniform legal rate.

Before committing, read when a sample is considered suitable, what follow-up appointments are required and the conditions for the remaining payment. Plan for selection and dependable participation over a longer period, not a guaranteed additional income.

Planning private sperm donation: what to settle before your first attempt

A known donor can be a considered, suitable choice for a family: the person is available for discussion before pregnancy, and ideas about future contact can be discussed directly. Other people want to bring up a child together. That is a different family model from donation with occasional updates. Our questions to ask a sperm donor help bring these expectations into the open early.

A good first conversation is a beginning. The decision also needs verifiable information and a plan that still works after separation, moving home or a new relationship. Go through these points together:

• Role: Will the donor be a known person connected to the child’s origins, a regular figure in their life or a parent actively involved in raising them? What does that mean day to day?
• Identity and origins: How will you verify and record identity, and how will the child access this information independently later?
• Health: Which original reports are available, when were they issued, and which examinations or repeat tests does the treating professional consider necessary? Also use the overview of health information for sperm donation.
• Other donations: Are there already children conceived through donation, attempts underway or donations to other families or sperm banks? How will you learn about later changes?
• Parenthood and money: Which legal declarations, possible adoption, cost agreements and counselling steps are needed for your situation?
• Contact and conflicts: How will you plan updates, possible meetings and options to step back? Who will support you if expectations no longer align?

Write down your answers and have the medical and family-law parts checked separately by the relevant professionals. A forwarded laboratory report needs interpretation, especially regarding the timing of testing and possible newer infection risks. A promise in a chat replaces neither that assessment nor the necessary legal declarations.

Home insemination using the cup method differs from IUI. Clinical preparation and introducing sperm into the uterus require qualified professionals. Sex is not a condition for sperm donation. If someone insists on intercourse or pressures you by claiming better chances, you do not have to agree.

With a known donor, it may be worth asking about a clinical route. Whether the requirements of the register law and the statutory exclusion of donor paternity are met must be checked across the full process. A medical consultation before private insemination does not by itself make it treatment within the legally protected framework.

Donor sperm from another country and treatment abroad

A foreign donor does not automatically mean treatment outside the German register system. If a German facility uses donor sperm from abroad, section 5 SaRegG requires additional safeguards for transmitting donor data to BfArM. Have your clinic confirm both the bank and the particular donor before ordering. Section 5 SaRegG.

If the treatment itself takes place abroad, however, do not assume it will be included in Germany’s register without checking. Ask what right the child has there to know their origins, who retains the data, whether the bank counts worldwide or by country, and how information can be requested later.

The rules for legal parenthood and documentation also need to fit your family.

Origins, privacy and talking to your child

The right to information answers how your child can obtain information. When and how you discuss their conception within the family is a separate task. Finding age-appropriate language early can make the story a natural part of family life. You do not need to anticipate every later question.

The German Society for Fertility Counselling, BKiD, supports parents, donor-conceived people and donors, including preparation for possible contact. A child can be curious about similarities, health or half-siblings without questioning the parents who have raised them. BKiD: information and contact with the sperm donor.

Keep contracts, donor identification codes, facility contact details and relevant reports secure and retrievable over the long term. Public profiles and large chat groups are unsuitable for storing identity documents or complete health records. Discuss who gets access and how the child will later obtain their own documents.

The guide How do I explain sperm donation to my child? offers practical wording for family conversations. A decision about future contact can develop as the child grows; it does not have to be finalised entirely before birth.

How to prepare for your next step

A first conversation with clear questions about your own route is most useful. If you are looking for donor sperm, take these questions to the clinic or counsellor:

• Will my family situation be accepted for treatment, and what documents do I need?
• Which sperm banks or known donors can be considered?
• How are register reporting, information about origins and legal parenthood arranged?
• Which child or family limit actually applies, and how is it followed up?
• What is the cost of the complete process, including further attempts and possible plans for siblings?

If you want to donate yourself, start with the eligibility conditions and contract of a sperm bank you can reach easily. Give long-term questions as much time as medical ones. Good planning makes space for the wish for a child and for the person who may be conceived.