It’s never an easy decision to undergo fertility treatment outside of your home country. While the cost savings of going overseas can be great, there’s a lot of different inputs that go into weighing up if it’s the right option for you. 

​

The laws of the country itself:

Not all countries’ medical, legal and political systems are robust and reliable. Of the estimated 103 countries around the globe with fertility centers, 42 operate with what’s deemed “legislative oversight” (i.e. a regulatory system), 26 with voluntary guidelines, and 35 operate with neither. Interestingly, the US falls into the “voluntary” category, which basically means fertility doctors self-regulate and most European countries practicing non-medical freezing don’t have a specific law governing it. It’s a good idea to check around and see which laws, regulations and guidelines around assisted reproductive technologies are in place for the country you’re traveling to, as that might form part of your decision making process.

​

The clinic:

Using a clinic overseas obviously makes it harder to swing by to check it out. In our opinion it makes sense to gather as many reviews as possible. Now we’re in the age of Zoom, it could be possible to easily arrange for a video consultation with your fertility doctor. If the country does have a fertility industry regulator or reporting mechanism, check the reputation/reviews and “live birth rate” statistics for the clinic. You’ll want to see if it’s on or above the national average, and then maybe compare that to your home country’s average too. Don’t worry about getting too in the weeds with the data - it’s hard to compare apples with apples, but a top level check can be indicative of a good clinic. The same important questions apply as in the US - staff qualifications, clinic and lab standards and things like storage security / power backups. You could also ask if they regularly have overseas patients and if there is a system to manage them, as this would likely streamline your experience. (Note: we have a list of good questions to ask and anticipated answers here).

​

The price:

Although treatment costs may be substantially lower, remember to calculate added costs like flights, visas, transportation, accommodation, insurance and other travel costs.

​

Insurance:

Regular travel insurance will not cover problems arising from egg freezing overseas. In some cases, even claims that have nothing to do with the procedure will not be covered if the trip is taken for medical tourism purposes. However, you can find specialist medical travel insurance (coverage for people traveling specifically for surgery) usually at a pretty reasonable cost.

​

If something goes wrong:

In the very small chance that anything goes medically wrong (maybe you have a reaction to the sedative, for instance) it’s worth considering if you would be comfortable being far from home and potentially alone? Of course, your medical travel insurance should cover any additional hospital stay and treatment, but it’s a good idea to think through every scenario, and possibly prepare for the worst and have a clear plan of how to deal with it.

 

Timing:

While you can take the contraceptive pill to time your cycle and plan your travel, the ovarian stimulation cycle isn’t a fixed length. For most of us, the stimulation cycle lasts for 8-12 days but it can reach up to 14, not including recovery time. Some people start their stimulation meds in their home country, then travel only for the procedure itself. This involves your overseas clinic doctor working in unison with a doctor in your home country. Personally, bloated and a little anxious about doing anything to disrupt the outcome, we’re not sure we would have wanted to fly during the stimulation cycle itself - especially after around day 5. So if you feel the same that would mean a couple of weeks away. After the retrieval, it is possible to fly 24 hours after your procedure, but without knowing how you might feel or in the rare event that there are any complications, you might consider adding on a few days post-procedure to allow time for a full recovery. 

​

Language/culture shock:

Check that the clinic staff speaks English and that all documentation will be available translated. Perhaps for you, traveling will be a relaxing experience, away from the day-to-day pressures. But if you rarely travel, going overseas for treatment may be a stressful experience, particularly in countries where there are substantial cultural differences. For many, he fertility process in itself is stressful, think carefully if you need the added stress of going abroad. 

Admin:

Traveling overseas for treatment can increase the administrative burden of the experience. There are a number of “fertili-travel” companies focused on egg freezing and wellness vacations, or even agents who specialize in helping with clinic selection, travel logistics and medication/appointment coordination while you’re there. It’s a fast-growing space so check our website to learn more about your options and get some information on the ones we’ve checked out.

Getting support:

If you are traveling overseas, consider your support systems. Friends and family could check in with you over the phone, but with some women reporting feeling lonely and isolated during the process, it might be worth traveling with a companion.

​

Special considerations for egg freezers

​

Using your eggs in the future:

By default, your eggs will be frozen and stored in the country in which you have the procedure. For some women, like us, this makes sense because if you end up choosing to use your frozen eggs, you might want to return for the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure as you are likely to reap the same cost benefits. Depending on your situation, other realities might come into play - like the availability of donor sperm if you are considering taking that route.

​

Transporting your eggs:

If you’d rather have your eggs stored in your home country, you can arrange to have them sent via specialist airmail courier to the storage facility of your choice. This can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000 and involve some administration. Transporting eggs is known to be safe (many US clinics transport eggs to off-site storage facilities), but of course, any additional movement increases risks. Most doctors would advise leaving them in place. Although this is broadly possible, it can also be difficult to arrange the paperwork between some countries - so it’s worth checking out the specific transit rules between your intended fertility clinic country and home country.

​