IVF in Turkey

This section comes first because it decides whether Turkey is an option for you at all, and it is the point people most often discover too late.

• Donor eggs, donor sperm and donor embryos are not permitted in Turkey. Treatment uses the eggs and sperm of the couple being treated. If your plan needs a donor, you will need a country that allows it.
• Surrogacy is not permitted in Turkey.
• Choosing the sex of your baby is not available in Turkey for non medical reasons. Genetic testing of embryos is used where there is a medical reason for it. Ask the clinic to confirm what applies in your case before you travel.
• Treatment is provided to married couples. Clinics will ask for identity and marriage documentation before starting a cycle. Ask what they need, and in what form, well before you book flights.

Ask any clinic to confirm in writing that it can lawfully provide the treatment you are asking for, in your circumstances, before you pay a deposit. If Turkey is not the right fit, tell us and we will show you countries that are.

Each clinic sets its own price, and the clinic list on this page shows 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 Rather than repeating a number here that would go out of date, it is more useful to know what makes two quotes differ: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 covers one cycle or a package of more than one attempt.
• Medication, which is a substantial part of the total and is usually quoted separately. Doses differ between patients, so this is not a fixed figure.
• Tests and scans before the cycle, and whether they are done at home or at the clinic.
• Added techniques such as ICSI, IMSI or genetic testing of embryos, which are priced on top.
• Freezing and yearly storage of embryos, which continues as a cost after the cycle ends.
• Flights, accommodation and time off work, which are yours to budget unless the quote says otherwise.

Ask for a written quote that separates the cycle from medication, tests, added techniques, and freezing and storage. Then ask the question people most often forget: what happens to the price if the cycle is cancelled before egg collection, or if no embryo is suitable for transfer.

IVF is used for blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, endometriosis, ovulation disorders, male factor infertility and unexplained infertility, among others. In Turkey it is provided using the couple's own eggs and sperm, so treatment plans that depend on a donor are not possible there.

Age affects the chance of success and clinics differ in where they set their limits, so ask a clinic directly what it advises in your case rather than working from a general rule. Your test results, your medical history and any previous cycles all feed into that judgement, and it is made by a specialist rather than by a website.

This depends on your protocol and on how much monitoring your clinic is willing to have done at home. Some patients complete a cycle in a single trip; others come for the stimulation phase and again for transfer, or return later for a frozen embryo transfer.

Ask for the plan that applies to you before you book anything, and ask two specific questions: who arranges your monitoring scans at home, and who reads the results. Keep your travel flexible, because the dates follow your cycle.

IVF is generally well tolerated, but it is a medical treatment and your clinic should go through the risks that apply to you before you consent. Common side effects during a cycle include bloating, cramping, breast tenderness, headaches, mood changes and bruising at injection sites. Beyond those:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a reaction to the stimulation medication. It is usually mild, but it can become serious, and clinics monitor for it during the cycle.
• Multiple pregnancy if more than one embryo is transferred, which raises the risk for both the pregnant person and the babies. Many clinics recommend transferring a single embryo for that reason.
• Bleeding, infection or discomfort after egg collection, which is a minor procedure but still a procedure.
• A cycle cancelled before egg collection, or one that produces no embryo suitable for transfer. This happens, and it is worth knowing in advance what it would mean for your costs and your plans.
• The emotional load of treatment, which is real and is often heavier away from home and away from your usual support. Ask what counselling the clinic offers and what you can arrange locally.

Seek urgent medical attention if you have severe abdominal pain or swelling, difficulty breathing, severe or persistent vomiting, a sharp drop in how much you are passing urine, or heavy bleeding, whether you are still in Turkey or already home. If you have travelled home, contact your local emergency services first, then tell the clinic what has happened.

• Send your test results, previous cycle records and any scans ahead of the consultation, so the protocol is built on real information.
• List every medicine and supplement you take, and ask which to continue and which to pause. Do not stop anything on your own.
• Sort your identity and marriage documentation early, because the clinic will need it before a cycle can start.
• Ask for a letter covering any medication you carry, since fertility drugs are injectable and often need refrigeration in transit.
• Book flexible flights and accommodation near the clinic, and arrange for someone to be with you around egg collection if you can.
• Agree in writing what follow up you get, and who to contact once you are home.