Donor sperm cost 2026 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: sperm bank prices

This page covers Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Are you planning treatment with donor sperm and want to know what to expect? The donor sperm alone for one insemination costs between €864 and €2,476.30 at six German sperm banks according to their price lists, including shipping and one-time fees. Treatment at the fertility clinic comes on top. With donor sperm, you pay for both yourself in Germany, because statutory health insurance covers nothing here.

All prices on this page come from published price lists of sperm banks and clinics, retrieved October 4, 2026. They can be compared directly only to a limited extent: Some banks charge per sample, others per straw or portion, some charge a base fee, and not every bank says whether VAT is included. That is why, alongside the prices per portion, you will also find worked examples for a complete insemination.

What does a donor sperm treatment cost in total?

The cost of treatment with donor sperm consists of three blocks: the sperm from the sperm bank, the treatment at the clinic, and the medication. For self-pay patients in Germany, it looks like this:

A single total would therefore paint too rosy a picture. For one attempt, add up the sperm costs of your bank, the treatment costs of your clinic, and the medication. For IVF, depending on the bank, you need more sperm than for an insemination: Sperm Bank Germany recommends one straw for IUI, two to three straws for IVF, and one straw for ICSI. Cryostore recommends two portions each for insemination and IVF, and one for ICSI. At Berliner Samenbank and Erlanger Samenbank, one sample is enough for one treatment, according to the bank.

One important point: It often takes more than one attempt. What the results look like according to the German IVF Registry (Deutsches IVF-Register, D.I.R.) is covered further down under Costs for multiple attempts. So plan your budget for more than one cycle.

Couples and single women often budget only for the sperm and the procedure. But the side costs add up: monitoring appointments, hormone medications, storage of the sperm, for female couples in Germany the stepchild adoption later on, and sometimes travel and overnight stays in another city.

What does donor sperm cost? Sperm bank prices

For an insemination, the donor sperm is the largest single item. The Federal Institute for Public Health lists on familienplanung.de €700 to over €1,000 for a sperm sample and €150 to over €300 for shipping (as of January 2026). The banks' price lists show how differently the banks bill.

Fertilio does not arrange donor sperm and does not recommend any particular sperm bank. The table lists the published prices alphabetically, retrieved October 4, 2026:

No prices are published for 77 35 Kryobank in Hamburg and MAYA Sperm Bank in Hürth near Cologne. Berliner Samenbank and European Sperm Bank have belonged to the same corporate group (Fertio) since March 19, 2026. All banks with locations, target groups, and delivery terms are listed in the detailed sperm bank table.

Important for banks abroad: Only ID-release donors are an option for treatment in Germany. The German clinic must make sure that the foreign bank transmits the donor data on request to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) under Section 5(1), sentence 2 of the Sperm Donor Register Act (Samenspenderregistergesetz, SaRegG). The lower prices for no-ID donors, €775 to €925 per straw at European Sperm Bank, therefore play no role for Germany. The English price page of European Sperm Bank lists up to €1,375 for ID-release donors, and up to €1,870 per straw for donors with a low family limit. At the Danish banks, the VAT of the delivery country is added, which European Sperm Bank puts at 17% to 27%.

Worked examples: donor sperm for one insemination

Because the banks bill differently, a worked example helps: sperm for one insemination, first order, delivery to a fertility clinic outside the bank's city. Only published prices are included:

The totals are not directly comparable. At Cryobank München, the €995 fee is charged once up to the birth and includes the legally required report to the sperm donor registry; it is charged again for a sibling. According to its price list, the base fee of SEJ Samenbank does not include delivery, and the bank uses three straws per insemination. Whether the €700 at Erlanger Samenbank includes VAT is not stated by the bank. According to its own statement, Sperm Bank Germany charges no registration or base fee. No total can be calculated for 77 35 Kryobank and MAYA Sperm Bank.

At the Danish banks, shipping and VAT come on top of the price per straw: Born lists €305 for Europe, European Sperm Bank €315, and Cryos €237 to €411 within the EU, each plus VAT.

Additional sperm bank costs

Depending on the bank, further items come on top of the price per portion. Examples from the price lists:

• Shipping: German sperm banks may release donor sperm only to healthcare facilities (Section 3(1) SaRegG), so the sperm always goes to your clinic. Within Germany, the banks list, for example, €120 (Cryostore), €150 plus VAT (Erlanger Samenbank), €152 (SEJ Samenbank), €200 (Sperm Bank Germany), and €300 (Berliner Samenbank). Cryobank München charges €165 plus €285 per transport, not per straw.
• Several samples at once: Erlanger Samenbank ships at most three samples at the same time and charges shipping per shipment.
• Reservation: Berliner Samenbank charges €100 per half year, Cryobank München €400 for one year of reservation and storage of up to 6 straws, and Cryostore €297.50 for 12 months and up to 6 portions. European Sperm Bank lists €350 for a Pregnancy Slot, and Born €350 for ID-release donors. Cryos charges €350 plus VAT for quota reservation with ID-release donors and points out that prices may vary depending on the country of treatment.
• Storage: SEJ Samenbank charges €59.50 per straw and year, Sperm Bank Germany €190 per 6 months, Cryostore the first 30 days free and then €45 per month, and European Sperm Bank €20 per month (minimum 3 months) or €200 per year plus VAT. If your clinic stores the sperm, it charges for that on top, as Erlanger Samenbank points out, for example.
• Donor selection and profiles: At Berliner Samenbank, preselection is free, an extended profile costs €55, and a conversation with photo viewing €100. Sperm Bank Germany charges €50 per matching. Cryos charges €125 plus VAT for three months of access to adult photos, and straws from donors with adult photos are more expensive there. Erlanger Samenbank and Cryobank München deliberately work without an online catalog.
• Genetic matching: Gene matching costs €1,200 at Berliner Samenbank, and GeneXmatch €995 plus VAT at European Sperm Bank.
• Rush orders and changes: Berliner Samenbank charges an express surcharge of €200 or €100, €100 for revising the selection list, and a €200 change fee.
• Exclusive donors and family limits: Cryos lists €36,000 plus VAT for an exclusive donor, and Born €35,000 (5 families worldwide) or €45,000 (1 family worldwide). At European Sperm Bank, Family15 costs €8,000 and Family5 €22,000, each plus straws and without VAT; whether Family15 can be booked for Germany has not been published. For an exclusive donation, Berliner Samenbank gives no price, only “on request.”

What is included in the price? Under the TPG Tissue Ordinance (TPG-Gewebeverordnung), sperm banks must test every donor for, among other things, HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and chlamydia. The samples are stored in quarantine for at least 180 days, after which the donor is tested again. On top of that come selection conversations, storage, documentation, and the report to the sperm donor registry.

Treatment costs with donor sperm

Different treatments may be considered, depending on your findings. With donor sperm, you always pay the self-pay price in Germany.

Insemination (IUI) with donor sperm

Insemination is the simplest procedure: The clinic places the prepared donor sperm directly into the uterus at the time of ovulation. A fertility practice in Munich charges self-pay patients €470 to €540 for insemination with donor sperm and €350 to €420 with partner sperm. Monitoring appointments with ultrasound and hormone levels come on top at €150 to €170 each. With partner sperm, that comes to €800 to €900 per cycle at the practice.

If hormonal stimulation is used, medication comes on top: about €70 in Munich, and about €750 at vitro-med for the medication for a stimulated insemination. How the treatment works is explained in the article IUI treatment.

For treatment at the practice, Erlanger Samenbank lists approx. €200 to €400 per insemination cycle and approx. €2,000 to €4,000 per IVF or ICSI cycle, in each case plus storage of the donor sperm at the practice. It does not break down which services are included in these ranges. So ask your clinic for a written cost estimate.

IVF with donor sperm

In IVF, after hormonal stimulation, your eggs are retrieved and brought together with the donor sperm in the lab. The clinic then transfers an embryo into the uterus. familienplanung.de lists €3,200 to €3,600 for an IVF, and Erlanger Samenbank approx. €2,000 to €4,000 per IVF or ICSI cycle, plus storage of the donor sperm. The sperm comes on top: depending on the bank, from one sample (Berliner Samenbank and Erlanger Samenbank) to three straws (Sperm Bank Germany).

ICSI with donor sperm

In ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into the egg. Less sperm is needed for this, so several banks offer cheaper ICSI samples: €700 instead of €1,130.50 at Berliner Samenbank, and €700 per ICSI straw instead of €800 at Sperm Bank Germany. For the treatment itself, familienplanung.de lists from approx. €3,500, and Erlanger Samenbank approx. €2,000 to €4,000 per cycle, as with IVF, plus storage of the donor sperm.

Which method is the right one?

Many people wonder whether to start with insemination or go straight to IVF. It depends on your situation, and you make the decision together with the clinic. Among other things, the following play a role:

• your age
• your ovarian reserve
• whether your fallopian tubes are open
• your financial situation

Insemination costs considerably less per attempt, while IVF is more involved and physically more demanding. Have both options worked out with your clinic's prices, including for several attempts. You can find clinics that treat with donor sperm in the clinic directory with the donor sperm filter.

Costs in Germany

In Germany, the Sperm Donor Register Act (SaRegG) governs sperm donation. For your planning, that means:

• Registry: Since July 2018, the data of sperm donors has been stored in the sperm donor registry at the BfArM for 110 years (Section 8 SaRegG). This applies to medically assisted fertilizations using sperm from a sperm bank.
• Information for the child: The child has a right to information from the BfArM about the donor's identity. There is no minimum age: Before their 16th birthday, the parents can assert the claim as legal representatives, and from age 16 only the child can (Section 10 SaRegG). According to the BfArM, a parental claim to information requires that the child has the necessary maturity. Parents have no right of their own to know the donor. The BfArM may charge a fee for information, and the amount is not published.
• No home shipping from German banks: German sperm banks deliver only to healthcare facilities (Section 3(1) SaRegG). If a bank releases sperm to private individuals anyway, it faces a fine of up to €30,000 (Section 12 SaRegG).
• Number of children per donor: There is no legal upper limit in Germany. The Working Group for Donor Insemination (AKDI) recommends at most 15 families per sperm donor, which is a voluntary commitment.
• Lead time: Donor selection and shipping take a few weeks, depending on the bank. Rush orders cost a surcharge at some banks.

Treatment prices differ from clinic to clinic. With sperm, the distance to the bank sometimes matters: If your clinic is in the same city, shipping is cheaper at some banks, for example €180 instead of €300 at Berliner Samenbank. What else applies legally is covered in the guide under Legal situation.

Costs for single women and female couples

In Germany, there is no statutory regulation on which groups of people may undergo assisted reproduction. The use of donor sperm for female couples and single women is permitted (Hesse Medical Journal, 2021). Almost all German sperm banks also supply clinics for single women and lesbian couples; according to the AKDI, MAYA Sperm Bank does not. In Austria and Switzerland, treatment with donor sperm is not permitted for single women.

Single women pay for everything themselves: Statutory health insurance requires marriage, and the funding programs are aimed at couples. For tax purposes, there is so far only one ruling of the Münster Fiscal Court that recognized the costs of a single woman who was infertile due to illness (see Taxes). More on the path as a single woman can be found in the guide under Donor sperm for single women.

Female couples do not receive a statutory health insurance benefit even if they are married. Some German states do support them from their own funds, however (see Funding). Later, stepchild adoption is added in Germany: Parentage law does not yet provide for joint parenthood of same-sex couples, and the second mother becomes a legal parent only through adoption (Federal Ministry of Justice). The adoption application must be notarized (Section 1752 of the German Civil Code, BGB), which incurs notary fees. A reform that would change this has not been adopted so far. More on this under Donor sperm for female couples.

Does health insurance pay?

Coverage of donor sperm differs greatly between the countries.

Germany: statutory health insurance

For treatment with donor sperm, statutory health insurance pays nothing, neither for the sperm nor for the treatment. Section 27a of Book V of the German Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch V, SGB V) requires that the partners be married to each other and that only the spouses' own eggs and sperm cells be used. This also applies when the husband has no sperm (azoospermia), and equally to married lesbian couples.

So there is no statutory coverage for:

• any treatment with donor sperm, whether IUI, IVF, or ICSI
• unmarried couples
• female couples, even if they are married
• single women

Some health insurance funds offer a voluntary additional benefit that contributes to the cost of treatment, including for same-sex couples. The funds do not contribute to the cost of the donor sperm (both according to familienplanung.de). Which fund pays more under its bylaws is shown in the comparison What health insurance pays. Ask specifically and in writing before treatment begins.

Private health insurance

With private health insurance, your plan decides. Whether it reimburses treatment with donor sperm and the cost of the sperm is governed by your contract. Get the commitment in writing before treatment begins.

Austria and Switzerland

In Austria, the IVF Fund (IVF-Fonds) pays 70% of an IVF or ICSI when the indication fits, but never the donor sperm and no insemination. In Switzerland, mandatory basic health insurance (Grundversicherung) does not pay for IVF, and it does not regulate the cost of donor sperm. Details are below under Austria and Switzerland.

Funding from the German states with donor sperm

Federal funding requires the exclusive use of the partners' own eggs and sperm cells, so it is not available with donor sperm. In the federal-state funding program, only IVF and ICSI are funded anyway. Some states fund treatments with donor sperm from their own funds:

Thuringia is the only state in this list that also explicitly names couples consisting of a man and a woman using donor sperm. Even the Thuringian guideline of 2025 did not reimburse the cost of the sperm donation itself; the treatment is what is funded.

Berlin has discontinued its earlier program, which also funded IVF with third-party donor sperm: No funds are available for it in the 2026 and 2027 double budget. Lower Saxony has not approved any applications since June 1, 2026. You can find further states and all conditions in the coverage overview.

Deducting donor sperm costs from your taxes

In Germany, you can deduct costs you bear yourself as an extraordinary burden to the extent that they exceed your reasonable burden. That amounts to 1% to 7%, depending on income, marital status, and number of children (Section 33(3) of the Income Tax Act, EStG).

• Female couples and married couples: In 2017, the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) recognized the costs of IVF with donor sperm for an infertile woman in a same-sex partnership, including the costs of providing and preparing the donor sperm (VI R 47/15). The requirement is that the treated woman has infertility and that the treatment is in line with professional medical law. The BFH had already recognized fertilization with donor sperm for married couples earlier, and the ruling refers to this.
• Single women: There is no ruling of the BFH. In 2020, the Münster Fiscal Court recognized the costs of a single woman who was infertile due to illness. According to the court, it does not matter whether the woman is married or lives in a steady relationship (1 K 3722/18 E). The court allowed an appeal on points of law.
• Treatment abroad: It is deductible if it could have been carried out in at least one German state. In the 2017 case, the BFH also recognized the travel and overnight costs to Denmark.

What you actually save depends on your income and tax rate. You can find details in the guide Deducting fertility treatment costs from your taxes.

Costs in Austria

In Austria, sperm donation is permitted only within a marriage, registered partnership, or cohabiting partnership (Section 2(1) of the Austrian Reproductive Medicine Act, Fortpflanzungsmedizingesetz, FMedG). Female couples have access, according to the wording of the law in a registered partnership or cohabiting partnership. Single women are excluded. The Greens have submitted a motion in parliament to change this (Parliamentary Correspondence of October 17, 2025). That is not current law.

Other rules with consequences for costs:

• Notarial deed: For cohabiting partners, and always when the sperm comes from a third person, the consent must be given as a notarial deed (Section 8(1) FMedG). Notary costs apply for this.
• Only through licensed hospitals: The sperm may be made available only to an authorized hospital (Section 11 FMedG), and a donor may be used for at most three families (Section 14(2) FMedG). From age 14, the child can view the donor data (Section 20(2) FMedG).
• No trade, no advertising: The transfer of sperm may not be the subject of a paid legal transaction. Brokering and any advertising for the transfer or brokering of sperm are not permitted (Section 16 FMedG).

What treatment costs in Austria

Some Austrian fertility clinics have their own donor programs, while others obtain the sperm from sperm banks in Denmark, which deliver directly to the clinic. The clinics with their own program that were evaluated do not publish prices for recipients. One published example for an insemination with donor sperm: Next Fertility IVF Prof. Zech in Bregenz lists €1,350 including VAT, excluding the so-called pregnancy right (prices valid from April 1, 2025). Whether the sperm is included is not clearly stated in the price list.

As a self-pay price, the cost calculator for Austria assumes about €800 per insemination without medication, about €6,000 per IVF, and about €6,500 per ICSI including medication, rounded from clinic data.

IVF Fund: does not pay for the sperm

The IVF Fund covers 70% of the costs of an IVF or ICSI (Section 2 of the IVF Fund Act, IVF-Fonds-Gesetz). For donor sperm, the following applies according to the Ministry of Social Affairs:

• The fund does not co-finance the costs of providing donor sperm.
• Inseminations do not fall under the IVF Fund Act at all, not even with donor sperm.
• If at least one person in the couple has a medical indication under the IVF Fund Act, the fund still covers a required IVF or ICSI proportionally. Since January 1, 2015, same-sex couples have also been eligible.

With fund support, you pay only your out-of-pocket share for an IVF or ICSI. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, under the rates effective from July 1, 2025, that is about €970 to €1,170 per attempt excluding taxes, depending on method, age, and center (IVF €971.54 to €1,063.86, ICSI €1,078.36 to €1,170.68). A reduction of the out-of-pocket share from 30% to 25% has been announced (APA, July 18, 2026) but is not yet in the IVF Fund Act (version of October 4, 2026). You pay the donor sperm, including shipping, and any additional services in full. Further requirements include, among others, one of the specified diagnoses (such as fallopian tubes, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or male infertility), the woman being under 40, the partner being under 50, and a contracted fertility center. All conditions are listed in the coverage overview.

Costs in Switzerland

In Switzerland, donated sperm cells may be used only for married couples (Article 3(3) of the Federal Act on Medically Assisted Reproduction, Fortpflanzungsmedizingesetz, FMedG), and since July 1, 2022 also for married female couples. Sperm donation is not permitted for single women and unmarried couples. The Federal Council wants to make it available to unmarried couples in the future as well and has commissioned a draft for public consultation by the end of 2026. That is not current law.

Further rules: at most eight children per donor (Article 22(2) FMedG), donor selection only by blood type and similarity of outward appearance (Article 22(4)), release only to persons with a permit (Article 20(1)), and access to information for the child from age 18 (Article 27). According to the National Ethics Commission (2019), there are no sperm banks in Switzerland that operate independently of a fertility clinic. The published prices are therefore treatment prices of the centers:

As a self-pay price, the cost calculator for Switzerland assumes about CHF 1,300 per insemination including stimulation, about CHF 8,000 per IVF, and CHF 8,500 per ICSI including medication.

Health insurance: Basic health insurance pays for at most three insemination cycles per pregnancy, and it does not pay for IVF (Annex 1 of the Health Care Benefits Ordinance, Krankenpflege-Leistungsverordnung, KLV). The KLV does not regulate the cost of donor sperm. OVA writes that donor inseminations are not paid for by health insurance in Switzerland. University Hospital Zurich explicitly mentions coverage of up to three inseminations with the partner's sperm, while CHUV words it more openly. So clarify coverage in advance with your health insurer.

Treatment abroad: If the child was conceived through a sperm donation abroad or a private sperm donation, the mother's wife still needs a stepchild adoption (Federal Office of Justice). These follow-on costs belong in your calculation if you are considering treatment outside Switzerland.

Costs for multiple attempts

Few people become pregnant on the first attempt. That is why the total bill is usually higher than a single cycle.

Results according to the German IVF Registry:

• Insemination with donor sperm: 16.0% clinical pregnancies per insemination (2024), 14.2% births (2023 cohort)
• IVF or ICSI with donor sperm: 31.3% clinical pregnancies and 23.3% births per transfer (2023), with an average age of 37.2 years among the women

These are averages across all treatments, not a prediction for you. Your clinic can tell you what to expect in your situation.

Sperm costs for multiple attempts: Two banks publish their own examples. Sperm Bank Germany lists €2,700 for three inseminations, and Cryobank München €2,944.40 for three straws delivered to a center outside Munich. These rules affect the calculation:

• One-time fees: The €995 fee at Cryobank München applies until the birth, and it is charged again for a sibling.
• Volume price: At Cryobank München, from the 7th straw on, each additional one costs €452.20 instead of €499.80.
• Shipping: At Cryobank München and Erlanger Samenbank, billing is per transport or shipment, not per sample.
• Reordering: Erlanger Samenbank initially releases samples for at most three treatments. After a clinical pregnancy confirmed by a doctor, any number of samples from the same donor may be reordered, but you may hold at most three at the same time.
• Reservation and storage: Anyone planning further attempts or a sibling with the same donor pays reservation and storage fees, depending on the bank (see Additional costs).

Treatment costs for multiple attempts: With partner sperm, the Munich practice calculates €800 to €900 per insemination cycle, monitoring appointments included. With donor sperm, the procedure there costs €470 to €540 instead of €350 to €420, so €120 more. For three cycles with donor sperm, the treatment alone adds up to about €2,760 to €3,060, plus medication and sperm. Whether to start with insemination or go straight to IVF is covered under Which method is the right one?

Private sperm donation: costs and risks

A private sperm donation without a sperm bank involves no sperm bank bill. But it lacks the protection that the costs above pay for:

• No mandatory tests: Infection tests and 180 days of quarantine are required for sperm banks (TPG Tissue Ordinance). With a private donation, there is nothing like that, and you have to arrange and pay for tests yourselves.
• No protection from paternity: The exclusion of paternity under Section 1600d(4) BGB applies only to medically assisted fertilization in a healthcare facility using sperm from a sperm bank. According to the explanatory memorandum to the law, cup donation is expressly not covered. So the private donor can be established as the father, with a child support obligation. Future child support cannot be waived (Section 1614 BGB). Conversely, the donor himself can challenge another man's paternity (German Federal Court of Justice, Bundesgerichtshof, BGH, XII ZR 49/11).
• No registry entry: The sperm donor registry records only medically assisted fertilizations, not private donations (BfArM).
• No statutory coverage, no funding: Here too, you pay for everything yourself.

In Austria, a private donor cannot be established as the father only if the person to whom the mother is married or with whom she is in a registered partnership consented to the conception (Section 148(5) of the Austrian General Civil Code, ABGB). In Switzerland, a paternity action against the donor is possible after a private donation (Article 23(2) FMedG).

A sperm bank can also accept the sperm of a donor you know yourself. SEJ Samenbank Berlin lists a private donor item in its price list at approx. €1,400 plus €150 per delivery. Whether the donor is then protected from paternity depends on the requirements of Section 1600d(4) BGB: a medically assisted fertilization in a healthcare facility using sperm that the donor made available to a collection facility. Have it checked legally in advance whether that applies in your case. What the cup method and home insemination mean legally and for your health is explained in the guide Private sperm donation, in the sections Cup method and Home insemination.

Planning and financing the costs

Treatment with donor sperm is a major financial burden. These points help with planning:

• Read price lists correctly: Pay attention to the unit (sample, straw, portion), VAT, base fees, and shipping. The worked examples show how much this changes the total.
• Cost estimate from the clinic: in writing, with the procedure, monitoring appointments, medication, and storage of the sperm.
• Plan for multiple attempts: Reservation, storage, and shipping per transport belong in the calculation.
• Check for subsidies: state funding, voluntary benefits from your health insurance fund for the treatment, your private health insurance plan, and in Austria the IVF Fund for IVF or ICSI.
• Collect receipts: For taxes, treatment, sperm, and travel and overnight costs count.
• Financing: Some sperm banks offer financing, which is a loan with interest. Compare the interest rate and term. Ask your clinic whether it offers installment payments.

The costs of treatment with donor sperm are high, but they can be planned well with the published price lists. How the treatment works and what applies legally is explained in the sperm donation guide, in the sections Process and Legal situation. You can find clinics that treat with donor sperm in the clinic directory. The Fertility Clinic Finder helps you find clinics for your situation.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a portion of donor sperm cost?

According to the price lists of German sperm banks, it costs between €372 per portion (Cryostore) and €1,130.50 per sample (Berliner Samenbank), in each case including VAT, retrieved October 4, 2026. SEJ Samenbank Berlin charges a base fee plus a delivery price. At Danish banks, prices for ID-release donors permitted in Germany are, for example, €995 to €1,150 per straw (European Sperm Bank) or €450 to €1,980 per unit (Born), plus VAT. Because units and fees differ, it is better to compare the cost of a whole insemination: €864 to €2,476.30 at six German banks.

How much does donor sperm cost without treatment?

As a recipient, you pay the sperm bank: €864 to €2,476.30 for an insemination at six German banks, including shipping and one-time fees. With German sperm banks, it does not work without a clinic, because they may release donor sperm only to healthcare facilities (Section 3(1) SaRegG). Foreign banks do not fall directly under this provision. However, if insemination takes place outside a healthcare facility, Section 1600d(4) BGB does not protect the donor from paternity (see home insemination).

Does the sperm donor get paid?

You pay the sperm bank or clinic, not the donor. In Austria, the transfer of sperm may not be the subject of a paid legal transaction (Section 16(1) FMedG), and in Switzerland sperm donation as such is unpaid (Article 21 FMedG). So donors there do not receive a purchase price, but they do receive compensation for expenses: A fertility clinic in Vienna lists €100 per suitable sperm sample and reimbursement of expenses of up to €1,000, and a center in Olten lists CHF 150 per appointment, up to CHF 1,500. At OVA in Zurich, the base fee of CHF 2,500 covers, according to the price list, among other things the donor compensation.

Does health insurance cover the cost of donor sperm?

No. In Germany, statutory health insurance pays neither the sperm nor the treatment when donor sperm is used, not even for married couples (Section 27a SGB V). Some funds voluntarily contribute to treatment costs, according to familienplanung.de also for same-sex couples. According to familienplanung.de, the funds do not contribute to the donor sperm itself. With private insurance, your plan decides. In Austria, the IVF Fund pays 70% of an IVF or ICSI when the indication fits, but not the donor sperm and no insemination. In Switzerland, basic health insurance does not regulate the cost of donor sperm; clarify coverage of a donor insemination in advance with your insurer.

How many treatment attempts does it take?

There is no fixed number. According to the German IVF Registry, 16.0% of inseminations with donor sperm led to a clinical pregnancy in 2024, and for IVF and ICSI with donor sperm it was 31.3% per transfer in 2023. How many attempts you need depends, among other things, on your age and your test results. So plan your budget for several cycles.

Can you deduct the cost of donor sperm from your taxes?

Yes, if infertility is the underlying cause: then both the cost of the donor sperm and of the treatment, as an extraordinary burden minus the reasonable burden. The Federal Fiscal Court decided this in 2017 for a woman in a same-sex partnership (VI R 47/15), and for married couples it already applied before. For single women, there is so far only one ruling of the Münster Fiscal Court (2020). Travel and overnight costs are also deductible.

How much does a private sperm donation cost?

With a private donation, there is no sperm bank bill. But the mandatory infection tests and the quarantine are missing, the donor is not protected from paternity, and there is no entry in the sperm donor registry. This can give rise to child support claims and legal disputes. Health insurance pays nothing. More in the guide Private sperm donation.

Is donor sperm cheaper abroad?

Not automatically. Danish sperm banks also deliver to German and Austrian clinics; for ID-release donors, they list, for example, €995 to €1,150 per straw (European Sperm Bank) or €450 to €1,980 per unit (Born), in each case plus VAT. If you are treated abroad, travel and overnight costs are added. For tax purposes, the Federal Fiscal Court recognizes treatment abroad if it would be permissible in at least one German state. For female couples from Switzerland: After a sperm donation abroad, a stepchild adoption is necessary.

Sources

Sperm bank price lists (retrieved October 4, 2026)

• Trying to conceive: prices and process, Berliner Samenbank, price sheet in effect since November 24, 2023
• Fertio Group acquires Berliner Samenbank, press release of European Sperm Bank, presseportal.de, March 19, 2026
• Process and costs, SEJ Samenbank Berlin, retrieved October 4, 2026
• FAQ: Why three straws for one insemination, SEJ Samenbank Berlin, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Cost of a treatment, Erlanger Samenbank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Course of a treatment, Erlanger Samenbank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Wished-for child from abroad, Erlanger Samenbank, 2026, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Price list for sample release 2026, Cryobank München, as of 2026
• Sperm donor selection, Cryobank München, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Costs, Sperm Bank Germany, prices from April 1, 2026
• Costs, Cryostore Germany, valid from October 1, 2022
• Finding a sperm donor, 77 35 Kryobank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Sperm banks in the Working Group for Donor Insemination, AKDI, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Prices for donor sperm, European Sperm Bank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Donor sperm prices, European Sperm Bank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Prices, Born Donor Bank, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Prices and payment, Cryos International, retrieved October 4, 2026

Treatment costs and results

• Sperm donation, familienplanung.de / Federal Institute for Public Health, as of January 7, 2026
• In vitro fertilization, familienplanung.de / Federal Institute for Public Health, as of January 7, 2026
• ICSI, familienplanung.de / Federal Institute for Public Health, as of January 7, 2026
• Costs of fertility treatment, kinderwunschaerztin.de (fertility practice in Munich), 2026
• Requirements and costs of therapy, vitro-med fertility clinic, 2026
• D.I.R. Yearbook 2024, German IVF Registry, 2025

Law and health insurance in Germany

• Section 27a SGB V: Assisted reproduction, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• Fertility treatment: What is permitted and who bears the costs?, familienplanung.de / Federal Institute for Public Health, as of January 7, 2026
• Sperm Donor Register Act (SaRegG), Federal Ministry of Justice, last amended May 12, 2026
• Sperm donor registry, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), retrieved October 4, 2026
• FAQ sperm donor registry, BfArM, retrieved October 4, 2026
• TPG Tissue Ordinance, Annex 4, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• Working Group for Donor Insemination: Recommendation on the number of families per donor, AKDI, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Taupitz J: Donor insemination, Hesse Medical Journal 09/2021, Hesse State Medical Association
• Parentage law, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Section 1752 BGB: Decision of the family court, application, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• Section 1600d BGB: Judicial determination of paternity, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• Section 1614 BGB: Waiver of the claim to child support, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• Draft law to regulate the right to know one's parentage, Bundestag document 18/11291, p. 35, German Bundestag, 2017
• BGH, judgment of May 15, 2013, XII ZR 49/11, press release 89/2013, German Federal Court of Justice

Funding and taxes

• Financial support, Fertility Information Portal of the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ), 2026
• Funding check: Funding in the German states, Fertility Information Portal of the BMBFSFJ, 2026
• FAQ fertility treatment, Saarland State Office for Social Affairs, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Funding requirements for fertility treatment, Thuringian HandinHand Foundation, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Ministry of Social Affairs provides financial support for fertility treatment, TMASGFF Thuringia, 2026
• Guideline on funding assisted reproduction of May 21, 2025, TMASGFF Thuringia
• Funding for fertility treatment, Service Portal Berlin, notice of February 6, 2026
• Section 33 EStG: Extraordinary burdens, Federal Ministry of Justice, as of 2026
• BFH, judgment of October 5, 2017, VI R 47/15: Fertility treatment with donor sperm, Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof), 2017
• Assisted reproduction of a single woman, Münster Fiscal Court, press release 2020

Austria

• Reproductive Medicine Act (FMedG), Federal Legal Information System (Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes, RIS), version of October 4, 2026
• Section 148 ABGB, Federal Legal Information System (RIS), as of 2026
• IVF Fund Act, Federal Legal Information System (RIS), version of October 4, 2026
• We would like a baby: Information on the IVF Fund, Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs, as of July 25, 2025
• IVF Fund to be expanded, news.at (APA), July 18, 2026
• Costs of IVF, ICSI, and fertility treatment, Next Fertility IVF Prof. Zech Bregenz, valid from April 1, 2025
• Sperm or egg donation, Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Information on sperm donation, version 09, Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien, in effect from October 20, 2022
• Parliamentary Correspondence No. 917 of October 17, 2025, Austrian Parliament

Switzerland

• Federal Act on Medically Assisted Reproduction (FMedG), Fedlex Switzerland, as of August 1, 2025
• FAQ: Marriage for all, Federal Office of Justice, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Federal Council decides key parameters for the authorization of egg donation, Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), January 30, 2025
• Opinion No. 32/2019 on sperm donation, National Ethics Commission in the Field of Human Medicine (NEK), 2019
• KLV Annex 1: Benefits of basic health insurance, Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), 2026
• Costs, OVA IVF Clinic Zurich, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Sperm donation, fertisuisse Olten, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Costs, Fertility Medicine Unit, CHUV Lausanne, retrieved October 4, 2026
• Tariff sheet ODL_I-ENDO-046, Cantonal Fertility Center, EOC Locarno, undated
• Fertility treatment costs, University Hospital Zurich (USZ), retrieved October 4, 2026