FIRST IVF MAGAZINE
15 articles about IVF and Donor Conception by top IVF experts worldwide!
Greece is a very popular location for IVF treatment. Not only is it a beautiful country that is a popular holiday destination in its own right, but IVF treatment here is affordable and of a very high standard.
People visit Greece from all over the world for IVF treatment, and it is particularly popular for IVF abroad with patients from the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, the US and Australia.
IVF clinics are located throughout Greece, and the most popular places to receive treatment are Athens, Thessaloniki and Crete. There are about 40 IVF clinics in Greece. About 12 of these focus on international patients, most of which are located in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Greece enjoys good success rates for both IVF using own eggs and IVF using egg donation. Egg donors are anonymous, the clinics and doctors are highly experienced, and support for international patients is excellent. It’s also common for medical staff to speak English and German.
When you are arranging IVF treatment by private doctors, Greece is unique in this respect. While many doctors are connected with different hospital units where they carry out surgeries, embryo transfers and egg retrievals, they actually provide support to patients in their own offices away from the IVF units.
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This is a very common practice in the country, especially in Athens. It may sound strange, but these IVF units provide a very good experience and have great IVF laboratories. Most IVF units carry out between 2,000 and 3,000 IVF cycles a year.
There are some legal aspects to keep in mind if you are considering getting IVF treatment in Greece, and one of the most important aspects involves the age of the patient. The maximum age for females in Greece is 50, but there is no age limit for males.
Heterosexual couples and single women can receive IVF treatment in Greece. However, female and male couples are unable to receive treatment.
Gender selection is allowed, but only where it is used to prevent the transmission of a serious genetic disease.
HIV-positive patients can receive treatment in Greece, but this depends on the clinic so you will have to ask. The same is true for HCV/HBV positive patients.
In terms of the maximum number of embryos that can be transferred using your own eggs, it depends on the age of the patient. If under 35, the maximum is two. If over 40 (or 35 with two previously failed transfers), the maximum is three.
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There are many egg donors available in Greece. In general, donors are Greek, Latino, Indian, Arab and Caucasian. However, some clinics may provide other egg donors too. There are no waiting lists, and both fresh and frozen oocytes are available.
The age of egg donors is between 18 and 25, and donors are strictly anonymous. Only basic information is shared by the clinic, depending on their decision. Neither the recipient couple nor the child can find out the identity of the donor. There is no mixed system with anonymous and non-anonymous donations.
There is no maximum number of donations by a single donor, but the maximum number of children born from the same egg donor is 10.
Donors are matched to recipients based on basic visual characteristics including race, hair colour, eye colour and skin colour, ensuring the greatest similarity to the recipients.
There are also several donor qualification tests that are required by law:
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Many sperm donors are available in Greece, and all donor races are available. And there are no waiting lists, and most IVF clinics in the country have their own sperm banks.
The age of donors is between 18 and 40, and there is strict anonymity. There is no maximum number of donations that a single donor can make, but the maximum number of children born from the same donor is 10.
It’s important to know the general costs of IVF treatment when choosing a destination. Different clinics will charge different amounts, and costs will vary depending on where you go.
IVF costs in Greece – basic packages | |
IVF with own eggs in Greece | €2,500 – €3,500 |
IVF with donor eggs in Greece | €4,200 – €6,000 |
Embryo donation in Greece | €3,500 – €6,000 |
Egg freezing (oocytes cryopreservation) in Greece | €2,500 – €3,000 |
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If you choose to receive IVF treatment via egg donation, the average cost of an egg donation cycle in Greece is between €4,200 and €6,000.
However, the cost can depend on several factors. These include the number of oocytes from a donor used for fertilisation, whether other “add-on” techniques are included, and whether the treatment is guaranteed (e.g. you’re guaranteed a certain number of embryos on day 3 or day 5).
Again, the cost will vary depending on the clinic and the location of the treatment.
If you are choosing to undergo IVF treatment via embryo donation, the average cost of treatment in Greece is between €3,500 and €6,000. This makes it one of the most expensive places in Europe to get treatment.
Availability is very good in Greece, and clinics offer embryos of many different ethnicities.
Double donation is also possible if you undergo IVF treatment in Greece. This is where oocytes from a donor and sperm are used. The cost is similar to egg donation costs, but you have to add on the cost of the sperm donor on top, and this usually costs between €250 and €500.
There are various other costs involved when you receive IVF treatment in Greece, which comprises different add-ons and other services. The main other IVF costs involved include:
IVF costs in Greece – other costs and add-ons | |
Medical consultation (doctor) | €100 – €250 |
Sperm freezing | €300 – €350 |
Donor sperm | €250 – €500 |
Embryo Monitoring (Embryoscope, Time Lapse, Geri etc.) | €350 – €500 |
Blastocyst culture | €400- €500 included in basic packages in most of the clinics |
PGT-A / PGS genetic embryo testing* | €1,500 – €2,000 |
Vitrification of (remaining) embryos and storage for 1 year | €400- €800 |
FET – Frozen Embryo Transfer | €950 – €1,400 |
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It’s important to know the general success rates when making your decision on where to receive treatment. On average, Greece has good success rates.
According to the ESHRE EIM report for 2017:
You can see how this compares to other popular European destinations in the table below:
IVF with own eggs in popular countries in Europe* | <34 | 35-39 | ≥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 |
However, be aware that when comparing results across different countries and clinics, it can often be confusing. The fact is that patient characteristics and treatments vary, and most clinics statistically achieve similar results.
IVF success rates tend to be higher when using donor eggs compared to using your own eggs, which is the same wherever you receive treatment.
Greece has excellent success rates compared to other popular destinations. Again, using information from the ESHRE EIM report from 2017:
You can see how this compares to other popular destinations in the table below:
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 |
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In Greece, EAIYA (The Greek National Authority of Assisted Reproduction) is the national organisation that supports IVF clinics in the country. The role of the authority is to provide suggestions, collect data and keep records of all cases relating to assisted reproduction. It also makes sure that clinics are functioning properly.
No national success data for IVF treatment is provided by the Greek authorities. However, certified IVF clinics in Greece are listed on their website, which you can find here.
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