Authorization to preserve human embryos
Published on 4 April 2025
The conservation of human embryos for research purposes is strictly regulated by law and requires prior authorization issued by the Agence de la biomédecine, after consulting the Conseil d'orientation. This applies in particular to embryos intended for research and those of particular interest because they are stored at an early stage of development. On this page, you will find the procedure to follow, as well as the documents you need to submit your application to the Agency.
Initial request
The file should preferably be sent electronically or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, or handed in against a receipt, to the following address
Agence de la biomédecine - Direction juridique - 1 avenue du Stade de France
93212 Saint-Denis La Plaine Cedex
Please note that medical biology laboratories authorized in accordance with article L. 2142-1 may store embryos proposed for research in application of 2° of II of article L. 2141-4 without holding the authorization mentioned in the first paragraph of this article (authorization issued by the ARS for the storage of embryos within the framework of AMP with a view to a parental project or with a view to research).
After checking the admissibility of the authorization application, the Agency acknowledges receipt. Where the required documents or information are missing, the Agency sets a deadline by which they must be supplied.
The General Management of the Agence de la biomédecine notifies the applicant establishment or organization of its decision within 4 months of submission of the application. Silence on the application during this period is deemed to constitute an implicit decision to refuse authorization.
The person in charge of the research sends an annual report to the Agency's Director General, and a final report as soon as the research has been completed.
Request for modification of conservation authorization
The Agency must be systematically informed by letter of any modification occurring during the implementation of an authorized embryo research protocol.
The Agency's legal department will then indicate whether the change constitutes a substantial modification. In this case, a new authorization application file must be submitted. It will then be examined according to the same procedure as the initial application (see above).
If this is not the case, only the technical information required by the Agence de la biomédecine to keep files up to date will need to be provided.
Renewal request
Authorizations to store embryos for research purposes are issued for a maximum of 5 years. In accordance with legislative and regulatory provisions, the person responsible for the research must send the Agency a final report on completion of the research.
If you wish to continue conserving embryos for research purposes, you must submit a new application for authorization to the Agency.
The application will be processed under the same conditions as the initial application (see above).
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