We analyse your needs, treatment type, destination preferences and find top IVF Clinics for you.
Denmark has built an enviable reputation as one of the go-to destinations for IVF in Europe. With favourable fertility laws, modern clinics equipped with cutting-edge technology and short wait times for treatment, it is little wonder that people travel from far and wide for treatment in this particular corner of Scandinavia.
IUI (intrauterine insemination), using the patient’s own sperm or donor sperm, is legal in Denmark for single women and both straight and female same-sex couples. IUI is considerably cheaper than IVF, with treatment starting at around €250, rising to €700 if donor sperm is required. However, IUI is not suitable for everyone and has a lower success rate than IVF.
IVF in Denmark is open to single women, and heterosexual and lesbian couples, but the country has a strict age limit on women who can have IVF. Under Danish law, fertility clinics cannot give IVF treatment to any woman over the age of 46. There is no limit on the age of the male partner.
Frozen embryos or oocytes can be stored for up to five years only.
Danish law does not allow sex selection, surrogacy or embryo donation, although double donation with donor sperm and eggs is legal.
Egg donors in Denmark are aged between 18 and 35 and each donor is screened for genetic abnormalities and infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, as well as undergoing a psychological evaluation before donating. Clinics also test the donor’s blood type.
Just like in other European countries such as Spain, egg donation in Denmark is anonymous. Patients can opt for complete anonymity with closed donation, which means neither the patient nor the child born as a result of treatment will be able to obtain any information about the donor. There is also open donation which allows the child/children to have access to identifying information when they turn 18. Under Danish law, it is legal to receive a donor egg from someone known to the patient, as long as the person in question is not their mother or daughter. If you opt for known donation, this can reduce the cost of treatment by up to 10 percent.
Egg donation in Denmark is unpaid, although donors can receive financial compensation of 7000 DKK (around €940).
Sperm donation in Denmark is unpaid and anonymous. Just as with egg donation, patients can opt for open or closed donation. The donor is under no obligation to meet a child conceived through donor IVF. The age limit for donating sperm in Denmark is 45.
Under Danish law, donors may only donate six times in total.
Wherever in the world you go for IVF, the price of fertility treatment can vary greatly from clinic to clinic. The cost of fertility treatment is also largely dependent on the patient’s own unique set of circumstances.
Here is what you can expect from IVF costs in Denmark
| IVF costs in Denmark – basic packages | |
| IVF with own eggs in Denmark | €3,300 – €4,500 |
| IVF with donor eggs in Denmark | €7,000 – €8,300 |
| Embryo donation in Denmark | not permitted |
| Egg freezing (oocytes cryopreservation) in Denmark | €3,200 – €3,800 |
IVF with donor eggs in Denmark costs in the region of €7,000 to €8,300, depending on what is included in the treatment package. Some clinics include services such as embryo freezing or ICSI in the treatment price while others may have this as an additional charge. Often the cost of medication is not included. Before proceeding with any IVF treatment at any clinic check exactly what is included in the price of your treatment package. This is the best way to avoid any surprise charges further down the line.
Embryo donation is not permitted in Denmark.
Although embryo donation is illegal in Denmark, the country does allow double donation, using donor sperm and egg, before the two combine to create embryos. The prices for double donation treatments vary depending on the clinic and your own set of circumstances but expect to pay around €5,000 to €5,500.
ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner), also known as reciprocal IVF, allows female same-sex couples to share the motherhood experience with one partner donating her eggs and the other partner having the embryo transfered into her uterus and carrying the baby.
The treatment costs between €5,000 – €7,800, but the price of medication, add-on treatments and freezing the resulting embryos may push the cost up further.
ROPA was previously only permitted for medical reasons, but from January 2025, the treatment will be open to all female same-sex couples.
Whichever clinic you choose for your IVF treatment in Denmark, you may end up with extra costs to pay. This is because add-on treatments and the cost of medication are not always included in the treatment package price. It is important to factor in these additional fees before you start your IVF journey.
Prices for a medical consultation with a clinic doctor start at around €135 for a telephone consultation and can cost as much as €212 for an in-person appointment.
Embryo freezing and storage costs between €349 and €845, while a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) costs around €1,200 to €1,335. Check with the clinic what is included in the price before going ahead with treatment.
| IVF costs in Denmark- other costs and add-ons | |
| Medical consultation (doctor) | €135 – €212 |
| Sperm freezing | €295 – €670 |
| Donor sperm | €450 – €500 |
| Blastocyst culture | Included in basic packages at most clinics |
| Vitrification of (remaining) embryos and storage for 1 year | €349 – €845 |
| FET – Frozen Embryo Transfer | €1,200 – €1,335 |
Denmark is a popular destination for IVF for patients seeking first-rate fertility treatment abroad. It is reasonably priced and treatment generally costs less than some other European countries, including Spain and the UK.
The easy instant access to an eclectic range of donor eggs and sperm means that Denmark is a very attractive option for patients seeking gamete donation, with patients able to choose between open and closed donation. Unlike other European countries that often support female patients aged 50 and above, Denmark has strict laws and won’t support women over the age of 46.
A landmark piece of legislation passed in 2006 (number 535 of June 8, 2006) opened the door for unmarried women and lesbians to have access to Medically Assisted Reproduction in Denmark, and the frozen egg storage period was extended from two to five years, offering more options for patients. Just over a decade later, in January 2018, the law was further amended allowing patients to have double donation IVF treatment, where eggs and sperm are donated simultaneously. However, despite Denmark’s favourable fertility laws, embryo donation remains illegal in the Scandinavian state.
One of the most important factors when settling on a country for IVF treatment is its success rate. Denmark boasts some very good success rates when compared against other European nations:
| Success Rates for IVF with own eggs in popular countries in Europe* | Women under 34 | Women aged 35-39 | Women aged 40+ |
| Spain | 25.8 | 23.2 | 11.7 |
| Portugal | 26.6 | 21.2 | 14.3 |
| Czech Republic | 29.7 | 21.6 | 8.9 |
| North Cyprus** | no data | no data | no data |
| Greece | 30.4 | 22.8 | 9.7 |
| Ukraine | 25.4 | 22.7 | 14.1 |
| Poland | 30.5 | 25.9 | 12.9 |
| Russia | 30.3 | 24.1 | 12 |
| Latvia | 29.4 | 33.6 | 20.7 |
| Denmark | 30.4 | 20.2 | 12.3 |
When comparing success rates, it is important to note that these can vary depending on each patient’s unique set of circumstances, their diagnosis and their treatment. Some countries also allow more embryos to be implanted during each transfer, which can affect the outcome.
The success rates for IVF with donor eggs in Denmark are slightly higher than IVF using the patient’s own eggs. However, if you compare Denmark with other countries in Europe, the rates are slightly lower. Once again, this could be down to a number of factors, including the patient’s own personal circumstances, the type of treatment and the number of embryos transferred.
Using information again taken from the ESHRE EIM report from 2017:
| Egg Donation Success Rates in Popular Countries in Europe* | Pregnancies per fresh ET (%) | Pregnancies per thawed ET (%) |
| Spain | 54.7 | 51.1 |
| Portugal | 52.6 | 40.6 |
| Czech Republic | 42.2 | 23.1 |
| North Cyprus** | no data | no data |
| Greece | 54.7 | 50.1 |
| Ukraine | 61.6 | 62.2 |
| Poland | 34.4 | 44.7 |
| Russia | 48.0 | 45.0 |
| Latvia | 39.5 | 42.3 |
| Denmark | 38.6 | 33.7 |
Denmark has become leading destination for medical tourists seeking fertility treatment. Here we will look at everything you need to know about travelling to Denmark for IVF, getting around the country and all the must-see sights to take in during your visit.
Denmark generally has a low crime rate but, just like in any other major city anywhere else in the world, pickpockets and bag-snatchers operate in crowded areas.
Parts of Copenhagen are hotspots for this type of crime, including the central station, Nørreport Station, Strøget (the main shopping street), inside Copenhagen Kastrup Airport and other areas of the city that are popular with tourists, such as Christiania, Nyhavn and Kongens Nytorv.
Take extra care in Christiania and Nørrebro, particularly late at night, as there has been some instances of gang violence in these areas.
A number of airlines fly direct to Denmark from various European destinations, including British Airways, Ryanair, Norwegian Air International, Scandinavian Airlines and Easyjet. If you choose to travel to Denmark during the low season (winter), you can have your pick of cheap flights. A return flight from London in mid-January can cost as little as £30 per person.
If you are traveling to Denmark from Sweden, there are direct trains available, plus car ferries travelling on three different routes. The famous Øresund Bridge connects Copenhagen with Malmö if you are travelling by car.
If you live in the EU or are a British national, you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Denmark, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Before travelling, you must make sure that your passport has a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive. It should also have an ‘expiry date’ at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
If you are a non-EU national, you must have a valid travel document, a visa (if required) and justification for the purpose and specifics of your stay (including proof of sufficient financial means).
Most of Denmark’s cities are compact and walkable, but also have a great cycling infrastructure if you want to explore on two wheels – there are 400km (250 miles) of bike paths in Copenhagen alone. As you would expect in Denmark, bike rental is widely available and some hotels even loan bikes to their guests for free.
For longer journeys, Denmark has an excellent rail network, with discounts available when tickets are booked in advance. To save money while travelling on public transport, it may be worth investing in a Rejsekort travel card during your stay.
Car rental is convenient, but pricey, with the cost of tolls and fuel quickly adding up.
Without a doubt, the number one tourist attraction in Copenhagen is the famous Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, which inspired the likes of Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney.
If theme parks aren’t your thing, head to Nyhavn, characterised by the colourful façades of its buildings, and enjoy a smørrebrød (buttered rye bread) at one of the area’s many, many fine eateries. If the weather is nice, a canal tour is a great way to tick off all the sights in Copenhagen.
With 444 islands, many visitors to Denmark enjoy a bit of island-hoping, taking in castles, sandy beaches and the home of Hans Christian Andersen
IVF in Denmark is open to single women, heterosexual couples and female same-sex couples. A new law coming into force in January 2025 means that shared motherhood option ROPA will be offered to all lesbian couples. This treatment is not available in several European countries.
Denmark has plenty of sperm and egg donors available, meaning there is often little, if any, wait for treatment. IVF treatment in Denmark is competitively priced when compared against other EU nations.
Denmark’s liberal fertility laws and open attitude to ART make the country a top destination for patients seeking IVF, particuarly people from the UK, Germany, Norway, France, Switzerland and neighbouring Sweden.
Denmark is a popular destination for IVF due to its use of cutting-edge technologies, world-class clinics and the country’s acceptance of Assisted Reproductive Technologies – an estimated 10% of all babies born in Denmark were conceived via ART.
Fertility clinics in Denmark are more used to welcoming patients from Europe, although there are some US citizens who still make the journey to Scandinavia. Delta, Finnair, Scandinavian Airlines, American Airlines and British Airways all offer direct flights from the United States to Denmark.
There are many English-speaking clinics to choose from in major Danish cities, including Copenhagen and Aarhus.
Twenty-eight airlines fly direct to Denmark from the UK. On average, the flight takes 1 hour 51 minutes one way and costs £246 for the round trip. However a return flight from London off-season can cost as little as £30 per person.
