Every year, thousands of patients pack their medical records and travel to another country for fertility treatment. But why?
We asked them. In 2024, we surveyed 1,189 patients from around the world who were actively looking for IVF treatment abroad. The survey ran from January to June 2024 and reached patients through our network of nine fertility websites in four languages.
The answer turns out to depend heavily on one thing: where you live.
The four big reasons patients look abroad
Globally, four motivations dominate. And they are surprisingly close together.
- Cost – 41%. The price of private treatment at home was the most common reason to look abroad.
- Restrictive laws – 35%. The treatment patients needed was not legal, or not available to them, in their home country.
- Treatment availability – 35%. Patients wanted options they simply couldn’t get at home, such as egg donation or advanced IVF techniques.
- Treatment quality – 34%. Patients believed they would get better care abroad.
A further 9% said they were not eligible for publicly funded treatment at home. And most patients were clear about what was pushing them: 62% gave one single reason for looking abroad.
Four drivers within seven percentage points of each other. It looks like a tie. It isn’t. The moment you split the results by country, the picture changes completely.
In English-speaking countries, it’s about money
Patients from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand told a story about price.
In North America, cost wasn’t just the top answer – it crushed everything else. Among 141 North American respondents, cost was named around four times more often than any other factor. Only a small minority pointed to legislation. That makes sense. Most treatments are legal and available in the US and Canada. They are just expensive. A single IVF cycle in the US can cost more than four full cycles in parts of Europe.
The UK and Ireland followed the same pattern. Among 255 respondents from the region, cost of private treatment came first, named by two in three patients. Availability of treatments came second. Long waiting times for donor eggs and strict eligibility rules for funded treatment push many patients to look across the Channel.
In continental Europe, it’s about the law
Cross the Channel and the story flips.
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, restrictive legislation at home was by far the most common reason to seek treatment abroad – named by 61% of the region’s 198 respondents, double the votes of the next factor. Egg donation remains heavily restricted in Germany and Switzerland, so patients who need donor eggs often have no domestic option at all.
France showed the same pattern. Over half of French respondents pointed to legislation as their main driver. Strict eligibility rules and long waiting lists for donor treatment at home send French patients mainly to Spain – and IVF with donor eggs was the number one treatment they were looking for.
In Scandinavia, legislation again topped the list, named by more than half of respondents. Italy matched the trend, with 46% citing the law – but with a twist: treatment quality came a close second, mentioned by 40% of Italian respondents.
The outliers: the Netherlands and Australasia
Two markets broke the pattern.
The Netherlands was the only major European market where treatment availability came first, named by 44% of Dutch respondents – just ahead of legislation and quality. Australian and New Zealand patients said the same: availability of the treatment they needed was their number one driver, named by 57%. For both groups, donor egg IVF was the most sought-after treatment, reflecting limited donor pools at home.
What treatments are patients actually looking for?
Across all 1,189 respondents, the search splits almost perfectly down the middle:
- 51% were looking for IVF with donor eggs
- 48% were looking for IVF with their own eggs
- 13% were interested in embryo donation
- 8% in insemination (IUI or AID)
- 5% in egg freezing
Three in four patients (76%) were looking for one specific treatment. They knew what they needed. They just couldn’t get it – or couldn’t afford it – at home.
One more number worth knowing: 60% of the patients searching abroad had already been through at least one round of IVF. One in four had been through four or more. For many, going abroad isn’t the first option. It’s the next option.
What this means if you’re considering IVF abroad
Your reason for looking abroad shapes your entire search.
If cost is your driver, you’re in the largest group – and you have real leverage. Popular destinations offer full IVF cycles from around €2,100–€3,500, and donor egg programs from around €5,500. Compare full itemised quotes, not headline prices.
If the law is your barrier, your shortlist is defined by legislation, not price. Age limits, donor anonymity rules, and access for single women or same-sex couples vary radically between countries. Check the legal framework first, clinics second.
And if you’re chasing availability or quality, look at donor pool sizes, waiting times and age-stratified success rates – and expect big differences even between neighbouring countries.
Wherever you start, you’re not alone. More than a thousand patients told us the same thing: the journey abroad usually begins because something at home – the price tag, the law, or the waiting list – closed a door.
FAQ
What is the most common reason patients go abroad for IVF?
Cost. In our 2024 survey of 1,189 patients, 41% named the price of private treatment in their home country as their reason for seeking IVF abroad – the single most common answer worldwide.
Why do German and French patients go abroad for IVF?
Mainly because of restrictive laws at home. Legislation was the top driver in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), France, Scandinavia and Italy. Egg donation is heavily restricted or hard to access in several of these countries.
Why do American and British patients go abroad for IVF?
Mainly cost. In North America, cost was named around four times more often than any other factor. In the UK and Ireland, two in three patients pointed to the price of private treatment at home.
What treatment do patients most often seek abroad?
IVF with donor eggs, sought by 51% of patients – just ahead of IVF with own eggs at 48%. Limited donor availability at home is one of the main reasons patients cross borders.
This article is based on “Seeking IVF Treatment Abroad: Patient Research 2024” – IVF Media’s survey of 1,189 patients worldwide, conducted January–June 2024. Read more about the research here →
Read the full series
This article is part of our five-part series based on our 2024 survey of 1,189 patients researching IVF treatment abroad:
- Why Patients Go Abroad for IVF: Cost Drives the English-Speaking World, Law Drives Europe (this article)
- The Most Popular IVF Destinations Abroad – and Who Chooses Them
- How Much Are Patients Willing to Pay for IVF Abroad? Half Budget Under €7,000
- Google First, Clinic Websites Second: How Patients Research IVF Clinics Abroad – and What They Can’t Find
- What Makes Patients Choose an IVF Clinic Abroad? The Doctor, Not the Building
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