Anonymous sperm donation: safe and without long waiting times
Your initial consultation is free and takes place online, and an English-speaking coordinator supports you from your first question to the pregnancy test. You travel to Prague for the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer; everything else you can do at home.
Our benefits
Initial consultation free and online
You travel to Prague only once, stay 2-3 hrs, no overnight stay
Donors aged 18 to 38, medically and genetically screened
IVF cycle with donor sperm from EUR 3,250
Anonymous donation by law
English-speaking coordinator
Is IVF with donor sperm the right path for you?
We recommend treatment with donor sperm above all if one of the following applies:
- there are no sperm in your partner's ejaculate (azoospermia), and surgical sperm retrieval (MESA/TESE) was unsuccessful or is not possible
- sperm quality is so severely reduced that even IVF with ICSI offers no realistic chance
- several IVF or ICSI attempts have failed because of the male factor
- your partner has had chemotherapy or radiotherapy without freezing sperm beforehand
- there is a risk of passing on a serious hereditary disease from your partner
Before we recommend donor sperm, we check whether your partner's own sperm can still be used, for example with ICSI or surgical retrieval (MESA/TESE).
YOUR SECURITY
Costs known in advance
You know the price of your cycle before treatment begins. The price list, payment plan and cancellation terms are public and part of your treatment agreement.
You pay in three steps
At the start of treatment, on the day of egg retrieval and on the day of the embryo transfer, not everything in advance.
Donors usually available straight away
Thanks to our own donor programme, we can usually start treatment without waiting for a donor.
Released only after quarantine
We release donor sperm only after the donor has tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases again six months after donating.
COSTS
From EUR 3,250, known in advance
An IVF cycle with donor sperm at ISCARE costs from EUR 3,250: an IVF cycle with your own eggs at EUR 2,950 plus donor sperm from our sperm bank at EUR 300. All prices apply to patients without Czech public health insurance and are stated in EUR.
How often do I have to travel to Prague?
- 2 × You: For the egg retrieval: a short procedure under anaesthesia, you go home the same day
For the embryo transfer: 3 to 5 days after the retrieval. You stay in Prague or travel twice. If the embryos are frozen,
we plan the transfer for a later date. - 0 × Your partner: Your partner does not need to give a sperm sample or travel to Prague
What happens during the visits to Prague?
- During your partner's visit we take blood for the STD tests on the same day. Czech law requires us to carry out these tests in our own laboratory, so we cannot use findings from the United Kingdom for them.
- For the embryo transfer you spend 2 to 3 hours with us including preparation and rest, and can then travel home. Prague is a few hours from most UK cities by car, bus or plane; the EXTRA PLUS package includes an airport shuttle.
- You can have the semen analysis done in UK; we accept the result. If you prefer to have it done with us, it costs EUR 100.
Fresh transfer or frozen embryo transfer?
- Both are possible. In a fresh transfer we transfer the embryo on the fifth day after the eggs are retrieved from the donor. In a frozen transfer the embryo is first frozen and transferred later, at a time that suits your cycle and your plans. We decide together which option is right for you when planning the treatment.
PROCESS
How your treatment works
First contact (from home)
You write or call, our coordinator gets in touch and sends you a list of the findings and hormone tests we need.
Initial consultation (online, free, no travel)
Video consultation with a doctor, medical history, review of your findings and your partner's semen analysis, treatment plan. You do not need a referral.
Preliminary tests (in UK)
Ultrasound and hormone levels with your own gynaecologist. We tell you exactly which findings we need.
Hormonal stimulation (at home, about 10 to 12 days)
From day 2 of your cycle you take the medication according to the agreed protocol. A video guide shows you how. The monitoring scans can be done by your own gynaecologist.
Egg retrieval and fertilisation (in Prague)
The egg retrieval takes about 10 minutes under short anaesthesia. On the same day we fertilise your eggs by ICSI with the sperm of the selected donor. You can go home afterwards.
Embryo culture (in Prague, without you)
The day after the retrieval your coordinator calls you to tell you how many eggs were fertilised. After that we keep you updated on how the embryos develop.
Embryo transfer (in Prague)
The transfer is done fresh on day 3 to 5 or later as a frozen embryo transfer. It is painless, takes a few minutes and needs no anaesthesia.
Pregnancy test (at home)
About 14 days after the transfer you take a pregnancy test. Your gynaecologist takes over further care, and we stay in touch.
Timeline
How quickly can it happen?
We set the exact schedule together after the initial consultation, so you can plan travel, holidays and work.
- First contact to initial consultation
1 to 2 weeks - Preliminary tests at home
2 to 4 weeks - Choosing the donor
Usually no waiting time - Stimulation to egg retrieval
About 2 weeks - Fertilisation and embryo culture
3 to 5 days - Pregnancy test
About 14 days after the transfer
DONORS: Our own donor database
Trusted expertise in reproductive medicine since 1994
Our sperm donors come from ISCARE's own donor programme. Every donor undergoes medical, genetic and laboratory screening before donating, and we know his family medical history. We choose a suitable donor together with you, based on your partner's characteristics.
Donors' guarantee
What requirements must ISCARE sperm donors meet?
- aged between 18 and 38
- anonymous by law
- permanent residence and public health insurance in the Czech Republic, so we know his medical history
- at least completed secondary education
- good physical and mental health
- known health history of his parents, grandparents and siblings
- no dependence on addictive substances
All our donors are tested at the time of donation, in line with European legislation on human tissues and cells and the recommendations of ESHRE and the Czech Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics (SLG ČLS JEP). We release a donor for treatment only after she has passed all of the following steps.
Donors' testing
What requirements must ISCARE sperm donors meet?
- Age
18 to 38 years - Medical interview
- Health, family history, motivation
- Infection serology
HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis - Genetic testing
- Quarantine
- Repeat STD test six months after the last donation; only then do we release the sperm
- Blood group and Rh factor
For matching with you
Donor Selection Criteria
How we choose your donor?
- We look for a donor who is as close as possible to your partner: blood group and Rh factor, height, hair and eye colour, skin type and build.
- We agree the choice with you before the donor is released.
About Your Donor
What you learn about your donor?
- that he is between 18 and 38 years old
- phenotypic features: hair colour, eye colour, skin type, build, height
- blood group and Rh factor
- results of the medical and genetic tests
You will not receive his name, photos or contact details; the donation is anonymous.
GENETICS
Should I consider genetic testing of embryos (PGT-A)?
In Prague we can offer it to you. More information
For the transfer we choose an embryo with a normal number of chromosomes. This lowers the risk of miscarriage and of a chromosomal disorder in the child. PGT-A is most useful for older women or after repeated miscarriages; we discuss individually whether it helps in your situation. Prices are in the price module.
LABORATORY AND TECHNOLOGY
What laboratory technologies support your IVF treatment?
- eWitness electronic sample identification: protection against mix-ups at every step
- extended embryo culture to the blastocyst stage
- ICSI as standard in treatment with donated eggs
- time-lapse embryo monitoring in the GERI incubator
- microfluidic chip for sperm selection
- vitrification and our own cryobank
- EmbryoGlue, assisted hatching, PGT-A and PGT-M
Head of Assisted Reproduction ISCARE
MUDr. Diana Garabášová Mlynárová
“For many years I have been caring for couples who wish to have a child. I studied at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Brno and gained my clinical experience at the Institute for the Care of Mother and Child in Prague and then at Sanatorium Pronatal, where I was deputy head physician. In my work I value an individual approach, open communication and trust. I believe every couple deserves care tailored to their situation and sensitive guidance on the path to parenthood.”
“Patients do not remember the medical details or the names of medicines. They remember how they felt in our care.”
EXPERIENCES
Add your own reviewYOUR STORIES
Let's talk about your situation
FAQ: Legal questions
Who is the legal father of the child?
If you are married, your husband is generally the legal father. If you are not married, the rules depend on the law of your home country; in the UK, for example, the rules for unmarried partners differ when treatment takes place abroad. This page is not legal advice; we recommend speaking to a family law specialist in your country before treatment.
Does the donor have any rights or obligations towards the child?
No. Under Czech law the anonymous donor has no rights or obligations towards the child, and he learns nothing about you.
Can you treat single women or female couples?
No. Czech law allows treatment only for couples consisting of a woman and a man who give their consent together.
Does my partner have to consent?
Yes. Before each procedure you both sign a joint consent, which must not be older than six months.
Up to what age can I be treated?
Under Czech law, until you reach the age of 49. Your age on the day of the embryo transfer is decisive.
FAQ: Donor and anonymity
Is sperm donation anonymous?
Yes. Czech law obliges us to preserve mutual anonymity between the donor and the recipient couple. In the UK, by contrast, donor-conceived people can learn the donor's identity from the age of 18.
Can I choose the donor myself?
We make the selection for you based on your partner's characteristics and agree it with you before the donor is released. A catalogue of donor profiles is not possible under Czech law, because the donation is anonymous.
How long do I have to wait for a donor?
Usually not at all. Thanks to our own donor programme we have a wide choice of donors.
Can my child later obtain medical information about the donor?
We keep the donor's medical data for 30 years. Should your child later need medically relevant information, it can be requested through the treating doctors without disclosing the donor's identity.
FAQ: Process and travel
Does my partner have to come to Prague?
Not for the treatment itself, as we use donor sperm. You both sign the joint consent.
Can I do the stimulation at home?
Yes. You take the medication at home and your gynaecologist can do the monitoring scans. We agree with you which findings we need and when.
Is insemination (IUI) with donor sperm also possible?
Do I need a referral?
No.
FAQ: Costs
Will my health insurance cover the costs?
Usually not. Please check your personal situation directly with your health insurer.
When do I pay?
In three steps: at the start of treatment, on the day of egg retrieval and on the day of the embryo transfer. The exact amounts are in the price list.
How much does it cost to freeze embryos?
Vitrification is charged separately, including one year of storage. Prices are in the price module.
FAQ: Guarantee
What if I do not get pregnant?
If you have frozen embryos, a frozen embryo transfer is possible. Otherwise your doctor will discuss the next steps with you, including another cycle with sperm from the same donor, if available.
