IVF treatment abroad

Flymedi lists IVF clinics in the countries below. Each destination page shows the clinics available there, what they charge and what the local rules allow.

• Turkey and Cyprus: well established for international fertility patients, with clinics used to coordinating monitoring with a doctor at home. Rules on donor treatment differ between the two, so check what applies to your case before you choose.
• Spain: a long standing destination for European patients, particularly for donor egg treatment. Widely used by patients travelling from within the EU.
• Poland, Romania and Germany: options within Europe with shorter journeys for patients already in the region, which matters when a protocol needs more than one trip.
• Mexico and Colombia: closer for patients travelling from North America, which shortens both the journey and the time away from work.
• Thailand: an established medical travel destination with clinics experienced in treating international patients. The journey is long from Europe and North America, so factor that into a protocol that needs repeat visits.

Prices differ by country and by clinic. The cost by destination section above and the clinic list on this page show what each one currently charges, and what that figure covers. Rather than repeating a number here that would go out of date, it is more useful to know what makes two quotes differ:

• Whether the price is for one cycle or a package covering more than one attempt.
• Medication, which is a substantial part of the total and is often quoted separately.
• Tests and scans before the cycle starts, and whether they are done at home or at the clinic.
• Added techniques such as ICSI or genetic testing of embryos, which are usually priced on top.
• Donor eggs or sperm, which change the cost structure completely.
• Freezing and yearly storage of embryos, which is an ongoing cost after the cycle ends.
• Travel, accommodation and time off work, which are yours to budget unless the quote says otherwise.

Ask every clinic for a written quote that separates the cycle from medication, tests, added techniques, freezing and storage, and states plainly what happens to the price if the cycle is cancelled before egg collection or if no embryo is suitable for transfer. That last question is the one most people forget to ask.

An IVF cycle runs to your body's timetable rather than to a booking, which is what makes planning travel around it different from other treatment abroad. Most clinics split the work between home and the clinic:

1. A remote consultation, where the clinic reviews your history and any tests you already have and proposes a protocol.
2. Tests and, in many protocols, the start of medication at home, monitored by scans and blood tests arranged locally.
3. Travel to the clinic when your monitoring shows you are ready, which is why flexible flights matter more here than for planned surgery.
4. Egg collection, fertilisation in the laboratory, and the embryo transfer if an embryo is suitable.
5. A pregnancy test and follow up, usually arranged at home, with the clinic contactable if something is wrong.

How many trips this takes and how long you stay depend on the protocol and the clinic. Some can complete a cycle in a single trip, others split it. Ask for the plan that applies to you before you book anything, and ask who arranges your monitoring at home and who reads the results.

Published success figures are the hardest thing to compare in fertility care, because clinics measure them differently and can present them in ways that flatter. Before you compare two numbers, make sure they are the same number.

• Ask what the figure counts: a positive pregnancy test, a clinical pregnancy, or a live birth. These are not the same and the difference is large.
• Ask what it is measured per: per cycle started, per egg collection, or per embryo transfer. Per transfer excludes everyone whose cycle did not reach that point.
• Ask for the figure broken down by age band, and for your own age band specifically.
• Ask whether own egg and donor egg cycles are reported together, because combining them raises the headline figure.
• Check the clinic's accreditation and whether its laboratory is separately certified, since the laboratory does much of the work that decides the outcome.
• Ask who your named doctor is, who performs the egg collection and transfer, and who you speak to when the clinic is closed.
• Be cautious with any clinic that promises a result. No clinic can promise that IVF will work.

IVF is generally well tolerated, but it is a medical treatment with risks, and your clinic should go through the ones that apply to you before you consent. In general terms:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a reaction to the medication used to stimulate the ovaries. It is usually mild but can be serious, and clinics monitor for it during the cycle.
• Multiple pregnancy if more than one embryo is transferred, which carries higher risk for both the pregnant person and the babies. Many clinics recommend transferring a single embryo for this reason.
• Bleeding, infection or discomfort after egg collection, which is a minor procedure done under sedation or anaesthesia.
• Side effects from the medication, such as bloating, headaches or mood changes.
• A cycle that is cancelled before egg collection, or that produces no embryo suitable for transfer. This happens, and it is worth knowing in advance what it means for your costs and your plans.
• The emotional load of treatment, which is real and is often heavier when you are away from home. Ask what counselling the clinic offers and what support you can arrange locally.

Seek urgent medical attention if you have severe abdominal pain or swelling, difficulty breathing, severe or persistent vomiting, reduced urine output, or heavy bleeding, whether you are still abroad or already home. If you have travelled home, contact your local emergency services first, then tell the clinic what has happened.

Instalment plans are available for many treatments booked through Flymedi, with terms, limits and interest depending on the country you live in and the finance provider available there. Ask a coordinator what applies to you and get the total repayable in writing before you commit.

Two things worth budgeting for that people often miss: medication, which is usually quoted separately, and the possibility of more than one cycle. Ask each clinic whether it offers a multi cycle package and what happens to the money if you conceive on the first attempt or stop partway through.

Planned fertility treatment abroad is usually not covered by domestic health insurance or standard travel insurance. Check with your insurer before you book, and ask specifically about cover if a complication needed treatment after you returned.