Many people choose Portugal for IVF treatment, and it is especially popular for patients from the UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Italy.
One reason it is a popular choice is that treatment tends to be more affordable compared to some other countries. There are also many donors available, and same-sex female couples can receive IVF treatment in Portugal via the ROPA method.
Portugal is a popular holiday destination, and many people enjoy combining a holiday on the beach or a trip to historic cities like Lisbon with world-class IVF treatment.
The country also has an excellent success rate for IVF treatment, which includes treatment using patients’ own eggs as well as egg donation.
There are some excellent clinics in Portugal, and highly experienced doctors. Many of the clinics support international patients, and they have medical staff who speak fluent English and German.
There are currently 24 IVF clinics in Portugal, and a few of these are focused on international patients. Most of these are located in Lisbon.
There is one interesting feature about Portugal for IVF treatment: it is one of very few countries in Europe where both egg and sperm donors are not anonymous. Despite this, IVF clinics in the country are still able to provide a large donor pool.
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In Portugal, simple procedures like IUI (intrauterine insemination) and AID (artificial insemination with donor sperm) are allowed for single women, heterosexual couples and female couples. Sperm donors used in IUI procedures are non-anonymous to the children. This means the child can decide in the future whether they wish to know the identity of the donor or not.
As with all countries, there are several legal aspects to keep in mind when you are choosing whether to seek IVF treatment in Portugal.
The first issue to consider is age. There is a maximum age limit for women of 50 years. However, there is no maximum age limit for the male partner.
Heterosexual couples can receive treatment, as can single women and female couples with the ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner) method. However, male couples cannot receive IVF treatment in Portugal.
Gender selection is not allowed under most circumstances. It is sometimes permitted to prevent serious genetic diseases from being transmitted, but it is not permitted for family balancing purposes.
HIV positive patients may be able to receive treatment, as can HCV/HBV positive patients, and this is determined by the clinic.
There are also limits on the number of embryos that can be transferred during IVF treatment. The limit is two embryos for both IVF using the patient’s own eggs or using donor eggs. The recommended limit for women over 35, however, is one embryo.
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Many IVF patients choose to undergo IVF treatment using donor eggs, so it’s important to know about the availability of donors when choosing a country. In Portugal, there are many donors available from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, mainly including Hispanic, African/Black and Arab donors. Some clinics might provide other egg donors too.
Portugal is one of only a few countries that have non-anonymous egg donors. While no information is provided to the recipients and they cannot know the identity of the donor except following the decision of a court, the children can find out the identity of the donor in some circumstances. There is no mixed system of both anonymous and non-anonymous donation in Portugal.
In Portugal, donors are matched with recipients using basic characteristics. These include factors like race, hair colour, skin colour and eye colour. This ensures the donor and the egg recipient are as similar as possible.
There are also no waiting lists, and treatment is available with fresh and frozen oocytes. There is a legal limit for egg donors between 18 and 35, which is standard in many countries.
There is also a limit on the number of donations that a single egg donor can provide, and this limit is set to four donations. However, there is no stated maximum number of children who can be born from the same donor.
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Sperm donation is another option for IVF treatment in Portugal. There are lots of sperm donors available in the country, and donors are available from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. There are also no waiting lists, and you will find that the majority of IVF clinics have sperm banks of their own.
There is a legal age limit for sperm donors between 18 and 45, and there is no maximum number of donations that a sperm donor can make. But there is a maximum limit on the number of children that can be born from the same donor, and this is set at children in eight families.
Sperm donors are non-anonymous in Portugal. They are anonymous to the recipients but not to the children. However, in some situations, the recipient couple may know the identity of the donor.
IVF treatment availability at Ferticentro About Ferticentro Opened in 2002, Ferticentro is based in Coimbra, Portugal. Originally in Hospital da
Cost is one of the most important factors for anyone deciding on where to receive IVF treatment. IVF treatment is relatively affordable in Portugal when compared to some other popular countries for treatment.
To provide you with a general overview, the cost of IUI is about €800-900 and IUI with donor sperm costs €1,200-1,400. IVF treatment using own eggs will typically cost between €4,000 and €4,600.
If you receive treatment with donor eggs, the cost is slightly higher, between €6,300 and €7,300. IVF with embryo donation costs between €2,000 and €2,400, and egg freezing (oocytes cryopreservation) costs on average between €2,700 and €3,300.
| IVF costs in Portugal – basic packages | |
| IVF with own eggs in Portugal | €4,000 – €4,600 |
| IVF with donor eggs in Portugal | €6,300 – €7,300 |
| Embryo donation in Portugal | €2,000 – €2,400 |
| Egg freezing (oocytes cryopreservation) in Portugal | €2,700 – €3,300 |
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When it comes to the average cost of egg donation in Portugal, the price tends to be between about €6,300 and €7,300.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that the cost you actually pay depends on several factors. One of the main factors is the amount charged by the clinic, which can often depend at least partly on its location.
Another factor is the number of oocytes from a donor that are used for fertilisation. And then you have to consider other “add-on” techniques that are included in the treatment, and whether the treatment is guaranteed (e.g. for a certain number of embryos on day 3 or day 5).
The average cost of IVF treatment in Portugal using embryo donation is between €2,000 and €2,400. When you compare this to the cost of embryo donation in other European countries, it is quite affordable.
This is one of the reasons Portugal is a popular destination. On top of that, the availability is very good in the country, and many clinics offer embryos of different ethnicities.
A double donation is an option in Portugal. This is where the IVF treatment takes place using the donation of both the oocytes and sperm.
In terms of the cost, it is very similar to the cost of IVF treatment using egg donation but with the addition of the cost of the sperm donor on top, which costs on average between €420 and €500.
The ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from the Partner) is used by female couples. The cost of ROPA in Portugal typically ranges between €4,700 – €5,500.
While the costs stated above provide a good overall idea of the costs of IVF treatment in Portugal, remember that there are other costs involved. These can add up and make the treatment more expensive, so it’s a good idea to be aware of these when you are working out your budget.
For example, you will normally have to pay an additional cost for the medical consultation with the doctor, which will cost between €100 and €140 on average.
Then there are other costs like sperm freezing (€340 to €450) and donor sperm (€420 to €500). Other potential costs to be considered include Embryo Monitoring (€150 to €300), PGT-A / PGS genetic embryo testing (€2,000 to €2,400), vitrification of the embryos and storage for a year (€450 to €600), and Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) (€1,100 to €1,400).
Blastocyst culture also costs between €300 and €500, but it is usually included in the basic packages of most clinics.
| IVF costs in Portugal – other costs and add-ons | |
| Medical consultation (doctor) | €100 – €140 |
| Sperm freezing | €340 – €450 |
| Donor sperm | €420 – €500 |
| Embryo Monitoring (Embryoscope, Time Lapse, Geri etc.) | €150 – €300 |
| Blastocyst culture | €300 – €500 included in basic packages in most of the clinics |
| PGT-A / PGS genetic embryo testing* | €2,000 – €2,400 |
| Vitrification of (remaining) embryos and storage for 1 year | €450 – €600 |
| FET – Frozen Embryo Transfer | €1,100 – €1,400 |
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When you are choosing a destination for IVF treatment, you will want to consider the average success rates in the country.
According to the ESHRE EIM report for 2017, the success rate for IVF treatment in Portugal using the patient’s own eggs is 26.6% for patients under 34.
The success rate for patients aged between 35 and 39 is 21.4%, and the success rate for people aged 40 and over is 14.3%.
This is in line with the success rates of other popular countries. For example, it is slightly higher than Spain and slightly lower than Denmark. You can compare the success rates 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 |
Always keep in mind that when you compare results across countries and clinics, it can sometimes be difficult to get exact figures. Patient characteristics and treatments vary widely. In general, most clinics tend to achieve very similar results.
According to the same ESHRE EIM report for 2017, the IVF success rates in Portugal for treatment using egg donation is 52.6% using fresh embryo transfer (ET), and 40% using frozen ET.
This is quite high in comparison to some of the other countries, as you can see from 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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The Portuguese Society of Reproductive Medicine is responsible for providing guidelines about IVF treatment. However, the organisation does not publish any information about IVF clinics in the country.
Portugal has long been a popular destination for IVF treatment overseas. It’s a beautiful country that has lots of attractions, and it is quite affordable compared to many other European destinations. Portugal is known for its stunning beaches, which provide you with the perfect way to relax and enjoy a holiday during your IVF treatment.
But what’s it like to travel in and around Portugal? What are the entry requirements? Read this guide to find out more.
Travelling to Portugal is easy from almost anywhere. The country has a large tourist industry, and it welcomes people from all over the world every year.
Lisbon Airport is the main travel hub in the country, and it serves dozens of airlines and major cities from all over the world. However, it’s not your only option when you travel to Portugal. If you are travelling to the Algarve, you may prefer to fly to Faro Airport.
One thing to keep in mind when you travel to Lisbon Airport is that you don’t need to take a taxi to your hotel. You can easily get on the metro from the airport, which will take you into the city.
There are lots of flights going to Lisbon throughout the year, so it’s worth looking around to find the best deal. An average return flight from London to Lisbon costs $100, while it costs $600 from New York and $1,500 from Sydney.
Schengen Area citizens can enter and leave Portugal without any problems, and nationals of many other countries do not require a visa.
Nationals of the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can enter the country visa-free for up to 90 days, while nationals from some countries like India and Turkey do require a visa.
In 2023, the ETIAS scheme launches, which is a visa-waiver program. As such, you may need to complete this travel authorisation and pay a fee to enter.
Portugal is a relatively small country that is easy to get around. The transport network is excellent and affordable, so you should have no problems travelling around.
You can rent a car with ease, and this will give you the freedom to explore the country and travel wherever you want to. Trains are also a good option. There is an extensive network that connects all the major towns and cities.
If you want to explore Lisbon and Porto, you can always hop on a tram, which provides a fun and convenient way to get around.
There is so much to see in Portugal that you could easily fill your time in the country visiting interesting attractions.
Porto and Lisbon are fascinating and historic cities that are packed with restaurants, cafes and attractions. Or you could venture to other areas of the country, Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês is stunning, Setúbal Peninsula is wild and beautiful, and Sintra is a beautiful town that is an easy day trip from Lisbon. You could also explore the Minho region with its vineyards and mountains
Many people simply prefer to go to the Algarve to relax on the beach. Portugal boasts some of the best beaches in Europe, so you will be spoilt for choice.
If you are considering IVF treatment in Portugal, you will find travelling to and around the country straightforward and relatively affordable. There is plenty to see and do during your time in the country, meaning you can easily make a full holiday out of your stay, whether you want to see historic sights or spend your time relaxing on one of the beautiful beaches in the Algarve.
