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Hong Kong Lifts 10-Year Storage Limit for Frozen Eggs and Embryos

Hong Kong Lifts 10-Year Storage Limit for Frozen Eggs and Embryos

Hong Kong Lifts 10-Year Storage Limit for Frozen Eggs and Embryos

Beginning 1 December 2025, Hong Kong will remove the statutory 10-year maximum storage period for gametes and embryos stored for personal use.

This marks a meaningful shift in the region’s fertility landscape – offering greater flexibility, autonomy, and long-term planning options for individuals and couples preserving their fertility.

What’s Changing?

Under current Hong Kong law:

  • Licensed centres must discard gametes or embryos stored for personal use after 10 years,

  • Or by the time the depositor reaches age 55, in certain medical-use cases.

The upcoming amendment removes this storage limit entirely for personal-use preservation, meaning:

➡️ Patients may store their eggs, sperm, or embryos indefinitely, provided consent and regulatory requirements are maintained.

Why This Matters

1. Greater reproductive flexibility

People can plan fertility around their careers, relationships, health, and life goals – without the pressure of a legal expiration date.

2. Better support for medical-need preservation

Patients undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, or other treatments now have significantly more breathing room for future family planning.

3. Modernised policy to match global standards

Many countries already allow long-term or indefinite storage.

Hong Kong’s shift reflects:

  • Improved cryogenic safety,

  • Changing societal needs, and

  • Growing demand for fertility preservation.

Key Details & Conditions

  • The law is expected to take effect 1 December 2025.

  • Licensed centres must still follow requirements such as:

    • Maintaining informed consent

    • Providing counselling for long-term storage

    • Clear documentation for future use

  • Existing eggs/embryos stored under the 10-year limit will follow current rules unless specific transitional arrangements apply.

A Positive Step Toward Patient-Centred Fertility Care

The removal of Hong Kong’s 10-year storage limit reflects both technological progress and shifting societal needs.

As cryogenic methods improve and fertility journeys become more global, flexible regulations are essential.

For clinics, patients, and fertility-support teams, this update expands possibilities and creates a more supportive environment for long-term family planning.

And as always – if you or your patients require safe, compliant, hand-carried international transport for gametes or embryos, our team is here to support every step of the journey.

Sources & References

  • Hong Kong Health Bureau (HKB) – Press release on proposed amendments to the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance regarding the removal of the 10-year storage limit for gametes and embryos (2025). : https://www.healthbureau.gov.hk

  • Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) – Human Reproductive Technology (Amendment) Proposal and public consultation documents detailing changes to storage regulations. : https://www.legco.gov.hk