When talking about donating eggs, the question that often arises is whether the donor is paid remuneration for her precious gift. In Finland, fertility treatments, and consequently also the remuneration paid to donors, are determined by the Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments, which states the following:
”No remuneration may be given or promised for the donation of gametes. However, the donor may be paid a reasonable sum in compensation of expenses, loss of income and other inconvenience arising from the donation as provided for in greater detail in the Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.”
(the Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments, the Ministry of Justice’s unofficial translation)
In other words, the Act states that we can pay an egg donor compensation for the costs resulting from the donation, but not an actual remuneration. This is the legislator’s way of ensuring that no one in Finland will donate their eggs in exchange for money, but instead will be motivated by a sincere desire to help someone who is unable to conceive naturally.
How much is the compensation for egg donation at Ovumia?
An egg donor’s compensation consists of kilometre allowance, daily allowance and compensation for temporary discomfort. An egg donor is paid a kilometre allowance and KELA’s daily allowance for each time she visits the clinic.
The amount of the kilometre and daily allowances varies slightly every year. For example in 2023, the travelling allowance was 53 cents per kilometre and daily allowance was 37,21€ per day. The child increment to the daily allowance is 7,01€ for the first child, 10,29€ for the second and 13,26€ per day for the third and subsequent children. Daily allowance is taxable income and tax will be taken from it according to the individual tax rate reported by the donor. If the donor lives further than 100 kilometres away, she will be compensated for her travel expenses according to the cost of travel by the least expensive means of transport regardless of which she uses.
In addition, egg donors are paid 250€ in compensation for temporary discomfort for the day of their egg collection.
Why does a donor only receive small compensation, although the treatment using donor eggs costs a lot more?
A lot of people wonder why egg donors are only paid compensation for their expenses when the price of treatment using donor eggs is considerably higher than the compensation paid to a donor. As mentioned above, the compensation paid to egg donors is determined by the Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments.
Often, people don’t realise that the price of donor egg treatment consists of many factors, such as laboratory equipment, the medication used in the treatment of the donor and the work of doctors, embryologists and nurses. All these things cost something and that is naturally reflected also in the price of the donor egg treatment.
For the recipient, the donated egg is a gift more precious than gold and, in reality, its value cannot be measured in money at all.
