Can I have IVF in Cyprus?
Yes — IVF and medically assisted reproduction are legal and regulated. Clinics must be licensed by the Ministry of Health and comply with the EU tissue/cell directives. The Council for Medically Assisted Reproduction (CMAR) supervises. Egg/sperm donation is legal on the basis of anonymity and altruism (profit banned). Surrogacy is legal but altruistic only, requiring court approval before embryo transfer plus CMAR written authorisation. Eligible: heterosexual couples with infertility and single women. In short: yes, at a licensed clinic and under conditions.
📋 The rules
- Clinics licensed by the Health Ministry
- Overseen by the MAR Council (written authorisations)
- Gamete donation: anonymous & altruistic
- Surrogacy: altruistic only + court approval
- Single women are eligible too
🔓 Exceptions
- Surrogacy: gestational only (not the surrogate's eggs); couple are the parents
- Commercial surrogacy: banned
- Donor/recipient age limits: from clinics, unverified in the statute
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Commercial surrogacy (for payment) is banned; only reimbursement of reasonable expenses is allowed. Running a clinic or procedure without a licence/CMAR authorisation is an offence. Beware a myth: "I can find a surrogate and agree a fee privately" is false — it needs court approval before embryo transfer, CMAR written authorisation and a no-compensation agreement, and both women must reside in the Republic. Note: specific age limits for donors/recipients/surrogates couldn't be confirmed in the statute text. Tip: start with a licensed clinic and CMAR.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Is IVF legal in Cyprus?
Yes. IVF and medically assisted reproduction are legal and regulated. Clinics must be licensed by the Ministry of Health and comply with the EU tissue and cell directives, under the supervision of the Council for Medically Assisted Reproduction (CMAR).
Is egg or sperm donation allowed?
Yes, gamete donation is legal, on the basis of anonymity and altruism. Sale or profit is prohibited, and only reimbursement of reasonable expenses or loss of income is allowed. The process is carried out through a licensed clinic under the regulatory framework.
Is surrogacy allowed?
Yes, but altruistic only, with no payment. It requires court approval before embryo transfer, written authorisation from the CMAR, and a written no-compensation agreement. It's gestational surrogacy, and the legal parents are the couple who apply for it.
Can a single woman have IVF?
Yes. The law was amended to include single women, who can proceed with assisted reproduction with CMAR approval. The Council handles separate application streams, including surrogacy, single person and age-limit exemption, for those seeking treatment in Cyprus.
Are there age limits?
There are age limits for donors, recipients and surrogates, but the specific bands are reported by clinics and law firms and weren't confirmed here in the statute text itself. The CMAR also handles age-limit exemption applications on a case-by-case basis.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “ivf cyprus law”
- “assisted reproduction cyprus”
- “surrogacy cyprus”
- “egg donation cyprus”
- “cmar cyprus”
- “fertility treatment cyprus”