The number of Americans traveling to European fertility clinics grew by more than 37 percent in 2025, driven by a price gap that has become impossible for many households to argue with.
A single in vitro fertilization cycle in the United States now costs more than $29,000, according to a study of insured Americans released in July by Axene Health Partners and the Women's Reproductive Health Foundation. That figure equals roughly 35 percent of median annual household income. Add genetic testing, embryo storage, pregnancy care and delivery, and the total can exceed $54,000 per IVF-conceived birth.
In Greece, a cycle using a patient's own eggs typically runs $3,000 to $4,000 before medication. Even after airfare, lodging, and two trips, the arithmetic often favors going abroad.
The Gap Is Wide Enough to Cover a Vacation
The growth figure comes from Jakub Dejewski, chair of the European Fertility Society, which tracks fertility treatment data across Europe. Greece and Spain draw the largest share of American patients.
"Americans choose Greece because they can access treatment that is more affordable," Dejewski said, adding that treatment also starts faster and that clinics there are set up for international patients.
One Florida couple profiled by KFF Health News was quoted $40,000 for a single round at home. They went to Athens instead and put the total, including medication, fertilization, storage and the embryo transfer, at about $12,000 before travel. Their son was born this summer.
Penny Ampatzi, co-founder and clinic director at Serum IVF in Athens, said a cycle at her clinic costs just under $6,000 excluding embryo freezing, and that nearly all her patients are foreigners. She said the main draw is personalized treatment planning, with affordability close behind.
The cost problem at home is not only about sticker price. Infertility affects nearly 7 million people in the United States, but only about 24 percent of treatment need is met, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, largely because of cost and patchy insurance coverage. More than 100,000 babies were born through IVF in the United States in 2024, a record, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Most patients need two to three cycles to have a child. Anyone budgeting for one cycle is usually budgeting wrong.
Policy Has Moved, Prices Have Barely Followed
Fertility coverage has been a stated federal priority. A rule proposed in May was intended to make it easier for employers to offer fertility benefits, but it has not been finalized. The most concrete change so far has been discounted IVF medications through TrumpRx, a government-run site where cash-paying patients can find some lower prices through participating pharmacies. The White House projected savings of up to $2,200 per cycle.
That is real money against a $29,000 bill, and it is aimed at one component. Medication costs alone rose about 90 percent since 2014, according to GoodRx.
State insurance mandates exist but vary widely, and the nonprofit Resolve maintains a state-by-state breakdown. Some states require insurers to cover portions of fertility care and others require nothing, so two people with similar jobs in neighboring states can face entirely different bills. Dejewski attributed rising US costs to a mix of inflation, a shortage of embryologists, post-pandemic demand backlogs, and private equity ownership of clinics.
Some domestic clinics compete on price. William Kiltz, vice president of marketing and business development at CNY Fertility, said his network offers IVF for around $8,000 excluding embryo storage across 18 US locations, and that more than half its patients travel from out of state.
"IVF is almost a treatment that only the top 1% can afford reasonably," Kiltz said.
The Risks the Price Comparison Does Not Show
Going abroad introduces problems that do not appear on an invoice.
Greece imposes legal restrictions US patients may not anticipate. Embryo storage is time-limited. Donor anonymity is standard, which forecloses future donor identification for a resulting child. Sex selection is restricted, as is the number of embryos that can be transferred. Surrogacy access is limited for nonresidents. Moving embryos between Greece and the United States carries documentation requirements that need to be understood before, not after, treatment.
Dr. Tarita Pakrashi, head fertility doctor at CNY Fertility's Norfolk, Virginia, location, described the practical burden of vetting an overseas clinic without speaking the language or understanding local regulations.
"It's almost like a full-time job trying to play regulatory expert," Pakrashi said.
She said patients who sought treatment abroad have returned to her clinic struggling to transfer records or interpret a diagnosis they received overseas, and have often had to repeat tests. Transporting temperature-sensitive medication home is another recurring problem.
Kiltz raised a different concern about a market where demand is emotionally driven. He said the intensity of patients' desire creates room for people to be taken advantage of.
Questions Worth Asking Before Booking
Anyone considering treatment abroad should ask a clinic in writing what the quoted price includes and excludes, whether medication is priced separately, what happens if a cycle is canceled mid-stimulation, how long embryos can legally be stored, and what the process and cost would be to ship embryos to the United States.
Ask a US clinician to review records before and after. Ask specifically which tests a domestic clinic will accept from an overseas lab, since repeat testing erases part of the savings.
Cost comparisons should count everything: two international trips for most protocols, lodging during monitoring, time off work, and the possibility of needing another cycle. A $3,000 procedure with $6,000 of surrounding costs is a $9,000 cycle.
For patients staying in the United States, the practical levers are employer benefits, state mandate eligibility, clinics with published package pricing, multi-cycle discount programs and medication discount platforms. Anyone facing a denial can ask a provider about appeals and prior authorization.
None of this is medical advice about whether IVF is appropriate for any individual, which is a conversation for a reproductive endocrinologist. It is a cost picture, and the cost picture is now driving where people get care.
Key Questions Answered
How much does IVF cost in the United States? A July study of insured Americans put the overall cost of one cycle at more than $29,000. Including genetic testing, storage, pregnancy care, and delivery, the total can exceed $54,000 per IVF-conceived birth.
How much cheaper is Europe? A cycle in Greece using a patient's own eggs typically costs $3,000 to $4,000 before medication. One Athens clinic quoted just under $6,000 excluding embryo freezing.
How many Americans are going? The number choosing European clinics grew by more than 37 percent in 2025, according to the European Fertility Society.
Is insurance likely to cover it? Coverage varies widely by state and employer. A federal rule proposed in May to ease employer fertility benefits has not been finalized.
What are the main risks of treating abroad? Legal differences on embryo storage, donor anonymity and transfer limits, difficulty vetting clinics remotely, problems transferring medical records, repeat testing on return, and transporting temperature-sensitive medication.
How many cycles do most patients need? Two to three, on average, which means single-cycle price comparisons understate the real cost either way.
What can patients do to lower US costs? Check employer fertility benefits and state mandate eligibility, ask clinics for itemized package pricing and multi-cycle programs, use medication discount platforms, and appeal insurance denials with a provider's help.
