• Title of the law: The Law on treatment of infertility and procedures of fertilization with biomedical assistance (Zakon o zdravljenju neplodnosti in postopkih oploditve z biomedicinsko pomočjo (ZZNPOB))
• Date of adoption and entry into force 28 July 2000 / 8 September 2000
• Published in Uradni list RS 70/2000 z dne 8 August 2000 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, 8 August 2000, 3307).
• Indicate if process of revision is ongoing and, in your answers, provide information on provision in the draft law:  Not at present

1. Is access to medically assisted procreation (MAP)

a. restricted to heterosexual couples? Yes. Art. 5: MAP is available to heterosexual couples living in marriage or in extra-marital relationship, which must exist at the time the procedure is performed.

b. possible for women not living in a heterosexual couple? No. For single women and women in same-sex partnerships is expected to be possible in near future. The amendment has been just submitted to Parliament for approval.

19. Is there an important current debate in your country on these or related issues? 

The Constitutional Court found certain provisions of the Law on Infertility Treatment and Procedures of Medically Assisted Reproduction to be unconstitutional, specifically regarding access to assisted reproduction procedures for single women and women in same-sex partnerships. The Court ordered that the unconstitutional provisions be amended within one year through a legislative amendment. The Ministry of Health has prepared the required changes and submitted the amendment to Parliament for approval. It is expected that the amendment will be adopted. The legal position on surrogacy remains unchanged, and surrogacy continues to be prohibited.

20. Delegations are invited to provide information, in this section, on particular cases encountered in their country, and especially their case-law. 

6. Is donation of sperm/oocytes/embryos permitted in your country? sperm Yes/oocytes Yes/embryos No

Embryo donation as well as MAP with both gametes donated is not allowed (Art. 13, Art. 7), on the basis of the principle that the child born with the MAP procedure should be genetically related to at least one of the parents.

7. Are there specific compensation arrangements for donations of sperm/oocytes/embryos? No. Donation is altruistic. Gamete donors are entitled to reimbursement of expenses related to travel to the center, accommodation, return travel, medical examinations, and the collection of gametes.

8. Are there specific criteria for donation of sperm/oocytes/embryos? sperm Yes/oocytes Yes/embryos NA

General Criteria for Sperm and Egg Donors (Slovenia)

1. Age:

 Sperm donors: typically between 18 and 55 years old.

 Egg donors: typically between 18 and 35 years old.

2. Health status:

   Must be in good physical and mental health.

   Free from chronic illnesses and hereditary genetic disorders.

   Must test negative for transmissible infections (e.g., HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis)

3. Genetic screening:

   No known hereditary diseases.

   No significant family history of genetic or congenital disorders.

4. Psychological evaluation:

   Must undergo assessment to ensure emotional stability and readiness for donation.

   Pre-donation counseling is provided, including a discussion of long-term implications.

5. Lifestyle factors:

   No high-risk behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, promiscuity).

6. Legal consent:

   Donors must sign informed consent forms.

   Donation is voluntary and altruistic; in Slovenia, donation is typically anonymous.

9. Are there specific non-medical criteria for selection of gametes/embryos to be used for MAP? Yes. 

1. Physical characteristics:

   * Skin color

   * Eye color

   * Hair color

   * Height and weight

2. Blood type and Rh factor:

In Slovenia, donation is generally anonymous, and these non-medical criteria are used by the medical team to select a suitable donor, not by the recipients themselves.

Non-medical criteria

The law does not explicitly prohibit the consideration of non-medical criteria, such as matching the appearance, ethnicity or other physical characteristics of the donor with the parents.

In practice, clinics often allow the selection of donors based on basic physical characteristics (e.g. height, hair/eye color, blood type).

Prohibitions of discrimination

Nevertheless, the law explicitly prohibits the selection of embryos or gametes based on sex (except for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases) or other characteristics that could lead to eugenics.

10. Are there special measures for the prevention of consanguinity? Yes. In Slovenia, there is a national donor registry, and each donor is allowed to donate for births in a maximum of two families.

11. In a homosexual couple, is a legal relationship possible between a child and the partner of the legal parent? Not allowed

16. Is donation of sperm/oocytes/embryos anonymous?

sperm Yes / oocytes Yes / embryos Not allowed

According to the law. 

17. Is it possible to obtain information about the biological origin of a child born after gametes of embryo donation? 

i. For the child him or herself No; ii. For the parents No; iii. For a court Yes

a. Identity of the donor(s)

ii. For the child him or herself No; ii. For the parents No; iii. For a court Yes. 

b. Certain health information concerning the donor(s)

iii. For the child him or herself Yes; ii. For the parents Yes; iii. For a court Yes.

Dans les limites définies

c. Other information

iv. For the child him or herself No; ii. For the parents No; iii. For a court Yes. 

A child conceived through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) using donated gametes may, for medical reasons, request the fertility center to disclose medically relevant information about the donor, provided the child is competent and at least 15 years old. The child's legal representative may access such information only with the permission of the court in a non-contentious procedure, and only if there are exceptional, medically justified reasons.

The child’s physician has the right, for the child’s medical reasons, to access the national donor registry and obtain relevant information about the donor.

Courts and administrative authorities have the right to access the national donor registry and obtain information if such access is necessary for fulfilling their duties in accordance with the provisions of this law.

18. Is it possible to contest maternity and paternity of children born utilising MAP and under which conditions? 

No. Within defined limits

In Slovenia, it is possible to contest maternity and paternity of children conceived through Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP), but only under specific and limited legal conditions, as regulated by the Family Code.

Maternity:The mother of the child is the woman who gives birth to the child.

Maternity cannot generally be contested, even if the child was conceived using a donated egg.

Paternity: If the procedure was carried out without his consent or was unlawful, he may contest paternity by filing a legal claim.

If MAP with the informed consent of the partner, legal parenthood is established and cannot be revoked, based on the principle that one cannot later contest what they voluntarily agreed to ("volenti non fit iniuria").

3. Are MAP procedures covered by the social security system? Yes. 

Leading medical organizations—including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART) officially classify infertility as a disease of the reproductive system.

Infertility affects not just reproductive capacity but also mental, emotional, and social health. Like other diseases, infertility can be diagnosed through medical testing and has a wide range of evidence-based treatments, including medication, surgery, and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF.

4. Are there specific criteria for such coverage? Yes. The law stipulates that a woman must be of an age that is considered appropriate for childbearing.

5. Is the financial coverage limited to a number of MAP procedures? Yes. Six IVF cycles are covered for the first live birth, and four IVF cycles for each subsequent live birth.

2. Are there specific criteria for access to MAP? 

Medical reasons:

a. Infertility:

For a heterosexual couple? Yes/No; For women not living in a heterosexual couple? Not allowed

b. Risk of transmission of a disease

For a heterosexual couple Yes/No; For women not living in a heterosexual couple? Not allowed

In Slovenia, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is permitted and performed to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases to offspring.

c. Other N/A