Short answer. To check if an ART Bank is registered, ask the bank for its certificate of registration and registration number. The Rules require a registered bank to display its certificate at its place of business (Rules r.8, Form 3), and the appropriate authority gives each registered bank a registration number (Act s.16(1)(i)). Then confirm it on the government’s National ART and Surrogacy Registry portal (registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in), which lists registered banks with their registration numbers. The law does not allow using an agent to obtain donors (Act s.33(1)(g)).
Once the bank is confirmed, read how an Indian egg donor is supplied lawfully.
How to check if an ART Bank is registered
No one may run an ART bank unless it is registered under the ART Act, 2021 (Act s.15(1)). Egg donors can be screened and supplied only by a registered bank (Act s.27(1)). Use this checklist.
- Ask for the certificate. The Rules require the registered bank to display a copy of its certificate of registration at a conspicuous place at its place of business (Rules r.8, Form 3). A registered bank can show it.
- Find the registration number. Zoi Fertility’s registration number (URN) is MH/AB/2022/10691/Mumbai/83.
- Read the certificate. Form 3 shows the name and address of the ART Bank, whether it is a government or private institution, and the period for which registration is granted.
- Read the validity period. The certificate shows the period for which registration is granted (Act s.16(6) and (7)). Registration can be renewed (Act s.17) and can also be suspended or cancelled (Act s.18).
- Confirm it on the official portal. Open the National ART and Surrogacy Registry at registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in and go to the list of registered banks. Look for the bank by name and registration number, and open its certificate. The portal is an online public record of registered clinics and banks.
- Check it is a bank certificate. The certificate form covers an ART clinic or an ART bank. Make sure the certificate names an ART Bank.
A bank and a clinic register separately
A bank and a clinic must each be registered, even when they sit on the same premises (Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Health Research), File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR dated 9 Mar 2023, Q2). A clinic’s certificate does not prove that a bank is registered. Ask for the bank’s own certificate.
The National Registry
The Act sets up the National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Registry (Act s.9). It works as a central database of the details of all clinics and banks (Act s.11(a)). Banks must keep their donor records and update the Registry regularly (Rules r.3(2)(iv)).
So ask the bank to show its certificate and number, then match them with the portal list. A clinic can ask the bank for the same documents before it works with it.
The portal is run by the Government of India and can lag behind or change its layout. We update this page when the official process changes.
If you cannot confirm it
If the bank is not on the portal list, or the details do not match, write to the central government team at the registry (support-artsurrogacy@gov.in) and to the appropriate authority for your State or Union Territory, and ask them to verify the registration. Keep a copy of the certificate and number the bank gave you.
Red flags
The law supports these warning signs:
- An agent or middleman. Using intermediaries to obtain or purchase gamete donors is an offence (Act s.33(1)(g)).
- A price for a donor or her eggs. Selling gametes, or running an agency or organisation to trade in them, is an offence (Act s.33(1)(b)). A registered ART Bank may charge for its services, but it cannot sell gametes (Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Health Research), File No. I.11019/51/2022-HR dated 2 Dec 2022, Q1 to 3).
- No certificate to show. A registered bank displays its certificate (Rules r.8).
- Only a clinic’s registration. A bank must be registered separately (File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR dated 9 Mar 2023, Q2).
If you see any of these, ask the bank to explain before you go further. Our post Are egg donors paid in India? explains the rules on money.
Find a donor · Read the full law guide
Questions
How do I check if an ART bank is registered?
Ask the bank for its certificate of registration and registration number, read the name, address and validity on it (Rules r.8, Form 3; Act s.16(1)(i)), and match them with the list of registered banks on the National ART and Surrogacy Registry portal, registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in.
Do an ART bank and an ART clinic need separate registration?
Yes, even on the same premises (File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR dated 9 Mar 2023, Q2).
Can an agent supply an egg donor?
No. Using intermediaries to obtain or purchase gamete donors is an offence (Act s.33(1)(g)). Only a registered bank may screen and supply donors (Act s.27(1)).
Can a registered ART bank charge for its services?
Yes, but it cannot sell gametes (File No. I.11019/51/2022-HR dated 2 Dec 2022, Q1 to 3).
References
- Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 (Act No. 42 of 2021): section 9; section 11(a); section 15(1); section 16(1), (6) and (7); sections 17 and 18; section 27(1); section 33(1)(b) and (g).
- Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Rules, 2022 (G.S.R. 419(E)): rules 3(2)(iv) and 8 (Form 3).
- Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Health Research): File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR dated 9 Mar 2023; File No. I.11019/51/2022-HR dated 2 Dec 2022.
This page explains the law as published. It is not legal advice.
