Fertility tourism: Why Indian couples are travelling to Europe for IVF

Fertility tourism, is that even a thing? Oh, yes, it is. While medical tourism has been around for eons, and India in fact, ranks among the countries best known for it, now, ‘Fertility Tourism’ is a growing niche within that segment, and there are real social media proof on the same.

A number of people are choosing to have their fertility treatment done overseas, and Europe has become the obvious answer.

Fertility tourism: Why's the demand on such a rise?

Back in 2024, the global fertility tourism market was valued at 1.6 billion, and is expected to hit 6.1 billion dollars by 2030, a growth rate of just over 25 percent a year. While Turkey held the largest share in 2024, Spain is expected to grow fastest in the upcoming days.

People are travelling for fertility tourism when treatments are too expensive, legally restricted, or unavailable at their home countries. So, the reasons behind the boom are pretty noticeable and straightforward.

At present, infertility is affecting roughly one in six people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with around 80 million couples globally dealing with the same. As costs at home keep increasing, with options abroad keep getting better, more people are choosing to have a baby that is worth two plane tickets.

But what about the high cost?

Actually, the other way round. A study released in July by the Women’s Reproductive Health Foundation found that one IVF cycle in the US now costs over $29,000, to it add genetic testing, embryo storage, pregnancy care and delivery, making the total cost of an IVF-conceived birth to around $54000. Notably, most patients need two or three cycles before it works, so that amount climbs fast. Insurance rarely helps and many US plans don’t really cover fertility treatment, and in some states, the uncertainty over future fertility laws becomes one more reason to look for a different place than their home country.

Which countries to go to for the IVF treatment?

Spain, especially Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante and Greece's Athens and Thessaloniki top the list, but they’re not the only ones. The Czech Republic, especially in and around Prague, offers some of the most competitive prices in Europe. North Cyprus and Denmark come up often too, and globally, Turkey currently leads the entire fertility tourism market.

And interestingly, the price gap is noticeably stark. While in the US, IVF using a patient’s own eggs costs somewhere between $12,000 and $18,000 dollars in the US, even if you visit Europe’s most popular destinations, the same treatment will charge you something between € 3,000 and € 5,500, even after travel is added, the difference remains. In Greece specifically, that amount can be as low as € 2,500, whereas in The Czech Republic, from € 2,100 euros.

But why is it cheaper abroad?

The cost difference isn't a result of lower standards. Fertility clinics in these regions benefit from significantly lower operational overhead and smaller specialist salaries compared to those in the US, Canada, or Australia. High patient volume allows these centres to achieve economies of scale, driving down per-cycle expenses. Additionally, bundled pricing is common—advanced procedures like ICSI fertilization and blastocyst-stage embryo culture are often included in standard packages rather than billed as expensive add-ons.

But medical priority must strictly outweigh travel appeal when pursuing IVF abroad. Legal frameworks governing donor eggs, surrogacy, and pre-implantation genetic testing vary wildly from one country to the next. Thus, selecting a destination requires evaluating clinical standards, regulatory oversight, and specialist expertise—never just the lowest price tag or attractive marketing.

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