Law guide
How to check if an egg donor agency or ART Bank is registered in India
Only a registered ART Bank may screen and supply an egg donor. Agents and brokers are not part of the law. Ask for the certificate and the registration number, then confirm both on the national registry.
Medically reviewed by Dr Yashodhara. Updated 12 November 2026.
Registered ART Bank
URN MH/AB/2022/10691/Mumbai/83
The short answer
Is an egg donor agency legal in India?
No. The ART Act, 2021 says no person may run an agency, a racket or an organisation for selling, purchasing or trading in human gametes (Act s.33(1)(b)). No person may use intermediaries to obtain or purchase gamete donors (Act s.33(1)(g)).
Egg donors can be screened and supplied only by a bank registered under the Act (Act s.27(1)). So the lawful route to an egg donor is a registered ART Bank.
Side by side
Registered ART Bank or agent
| Registered ART Bank | Agent or agency | |
|---|---|---|
| May it provide an egg donor? | Yes, if registered as an independent entity Act s.27(1) | No. Using intermediaries to obtain donors is an offence Act s.33(1)(g) |
| Can it sell gametes? | No. It 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, 2 Dec 2022 | Running an agency or organisation to trade in gametes is an offence Act s.33(1)(b) |
| Who screens the donor? | The bank Act s.27(1) | Not provided for in the Act |
| One donor, one family? | Yes. One donor is supplied to one couple or woman only Act s.27(3) | Not provided for in the Act |
| Donor details recorded? | Yes: name, Aadhaar, address and a written confidentiality undertaking Act s.27(6) | Not provided for in the Act |
| Penalty for breaking the law | First contravention: fine of 5 to 10 lakh rupees. Later contravention: 3 to 8 years in prison and a fine of 10 to 20 lakh rupees. Act s.33(2) | |
The check
Six steps to verify a bank
- 1Ask for the certificateA registered bank must display its certificate of registration at its place of business (Rules r.8, Form 3). It can show you.
- 2Find the registration numberEvery registered bank has a registration number (Act s.16(1)(i)). Ours is MH/AB/2022/10691/Mumbai/83.
- 3Read the certificateForm 3 shows the name and address of the bank, whether it is government or private, and the period of registration.
- 4Read the validityRegistration runs for a set period (Act s.16(6) and (7)). It can be renewed (Act s.17), suspended or cancelled (Act s.18).
- 5Confirm it on the portalOpen the National ART and Surrogacy Registry at registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in. Find the bank by name and registration number and open its certificate.
- 6Check it names an ART BankThe same form covers clinics and banks. Make sure the certificate says ART Bank, not only clinic.
A bank and a clinic register separately
Even on the same premises, each must hold its own registration (Government of India, File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR, 9 Mar 2023, Q2). A clinic certificate does not prove a bank is registered. Ask for the bank’s own.
Warning signs
Four red flags
If you see any of these, ask the bank to explain before you go further.
Act s.33(1)(g)
Act s.33(1)(b); File No. I.11019/51/2022-HR
Rules r.8
File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR
Donor privacy
No real donor photos or identities
Details of the couple, the woman and the donor stay confidential (Act s.21(e)). We never show a real donor’s photo, name or identity.
Our donor cards are illustrations, labelled as not real donors. A card is withdrawn once its donor is allocated, because each donor goes to one couple only (Act s.27(3)). A registered bank also keeps donor records and updates the national registry (Rules r.3(2)(iv)).
Our registration
Zoi Fertility, registered ART Bank
MH/AB/2022/10691/Mumbai/83
Egg Donor India is the donor programme of Zoi Fertility, a registered ART Bank in Powai, Mumbai. Treatment takes place at our registered Level 2 ART clinic.
Donor eggs cannot be sent out of India (Act s.29), and bringing gametes into India is an offence (Act s.33(1)(c)). Families travel to India. Read the NRI and OCI guide.
If you cannot confirm a bank
If the bank is not on the portal list, or the details do not match, write to the central registry team at support-artsurrogacy@gov.in and to the appropriate authority for your State or Union Territory, and ask them to verify. Keep a copy of the certificate and number the bank gave you. The portal can lag behind or change its layout, and we update this page when the official process changes.
For a longer read, see red flags in egg donation.
Questions
Questions families ask
Ask the bank for its certificate 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 registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in.
No. The Act prohibits running an agency, a racket or an organisation for selling, purchasing or trading in gametes (Act s.33(1)(b)).
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)).
We never show a real donor’s photo, name or identity, because donor details are confidential (Act s.21(e)). Our donor cards are illustrations, labelled as not real donors, and each card is withdrawn once its donor is allocated, since one donor goes to one couple (Act s.27(3)).
Yes, even on the same premises (File No. I.11019/37/2023-HR dated 9 Mar 2023, Q2).
Yes, but it cannot sell gametes (File No. I.11019/51/2022-HR dated 2 Dec 2022, Q1 to 3).
No. Donor eggs cannot be sent out of India (Act s.29), and importing gametes is an offence (Act s.33(1)(c)). Parents travel to India.
A fine of 5 to 10 lakh rupees for a first contravention. For a later one, 3 to 8 years in prison and a fine of 10 to 20 lakh rupees (Act s.33(2)).
Sources: ART Act 2021, ART Rules 2022, Department of Health Research clarifications. This page explains the law as published. It is not legal advice.
Talk to a registered ART Bank
Ask us anything about registration, the law or the first step.