IVF in Greece

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 clinics in total. 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.

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.

IVF Treatments in Greece: Legal Aspects

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.

IVF in Greece – fertility treatments

• Maximum woman age for IVF is 50
• There is no limit for male partner’s age
• Heterosexual couples are welcome
• IVF is available for single woman
• IVF is not available for female couples
• IVF is not available for male couples
• Gender selection is allowed only to prevent the transmission of serious genetic diseases
• HIV positive patients are supported in many clinics
• HCV/HBV positive patients are supported in many clinics
• The maximum number of embryos to transfer for IVF with own eggs is age dependent: two if under the age of 35, three if over the age of 40, or the age of 35 if two transfers failed previously
• The maximum number of embryos to transfer for egg donation IVF is two

Egg Donation in Greece

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:

• Blood type and Rhesus
• Hepatitis B & C
• HIV 1 & 2
• Syphilis
• Haemoglobin electrophoresis
• Sickle cell trait testing
• Cystic fibrosis (CF) mutation
• Fragile X testing
• Conventional karyotype

Sperm Donation in Greece

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.

IVF Costs in Greece

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.

• In general, for basic IVF package costs in Greece, IVF treatment using your own eggs in Greece ranges from €2,500 to €3,500.
• Egg donation IVF in the Greece on average range from €4,200 to €6,000
• Donor embryos in Greece range from €3,500 to €6,000
• The cost of egg freezing (social freezing) is between €2,500 and €3,000.

Egg Donation Costs in the Greece

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.

Embryo Donation Costs in Greece

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 in Greece

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.

Other IVF Costs in Greece

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:

• Medical consultation: €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

IVF Success Rates in Greece with Own Eggs

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:

• The success rate for women aged under 34 is 30.4%.
• The success rate for women aged between 35 and 39 is 22.8%.
• The success rate for women aged 40 and over is 9.7%.

You can see how this compares to other popular European destinations in the table below:

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 in Greece with Donor Eggs

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:

• The success rate in Greece using fresh embryo transfer is 54.7%.
• The success rate using thawed embryo transfer is 50.1%.

You can see how this compares to other popular destinations in the table below:

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 clinics are listed on their website, which you can find here.