A woman’s chance of conceiving naturally declines with age. By her mid thirties a women’s egg quality has begun to deteriorate and her egg count will have decreased to the point where it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve and maintain a pregnancy. The decline increases and by her early forties the vast majority of women are unable to conceive with their own eggs.
What Is Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation)?
Egg freezing involves removing mature eggs, flash‑freezing them via vitrification, and storing them in liquid nitrogen for future IVF use. The preservation procedure is typically used by women who want to delay pregnancy for later in their life or preserve good quality eggs before any medical intervention that might affect their quality.
Key Benefits of Social Freezing
- Preserve high‑quality eggs for later pregnancy
- Safeguard fertility before chemotherapy or radiation
- Option for women with a family history of early menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency
Why Female Fertility Declines with Age?
By the mid‑30s, a woman’s egg quality and quantity begin to fall sharply, lowering natural conception odds. By the early 40s, up to 90 % of women struggle to conceive with their own eggs.
Who Should Consider Freezing Eggs?
Women who plan to delay parenthood, face medical treatments that could harm fertility, or carry genetic risk factors for early ovarian decline are prime candidates.
A Brief History of Egg Freezing Success
- 1960s‑70s: Early cryopreservation attempts
- 1986: First live birth from a frozen egg
- Today: Vitrification delivers survival rates above 90 %, letting thousands of women worldwide choose the timing of motherhood with confidence.
Egg freezing abroad: Considerations
There are a number of considerations that women must address before committing to freezing their eggs. Firstly, there is the cost. Any private sector medical procedure comes at a cost and egg freezing is no exception. As a patient you might pay as little as a couple of hundred euros, pounds or dollars or as much as a couple of thousand just for the collection of eggs alone. Add to this the cost of storage and it is easy to see how the procedure might be out of the reach of many.
There is also an investment which you need to make in terms of time when you freeze your eggs. You will need hormone injections for 9 to 12 days and possibly visit the clinic a number of times for blood tests and scans to ensure the fertility drugs are working properly. If the drugs do not work as effectively as they should the clinic may have to make adjustments to the drug regime. When appropriate the harvesting procedure will be under anaesthesia.
Remember the process of freezing your eggs when they of a good quality does not guarantee that their use in the future will result in a pregnancy. When they are used in the future any IVF procedure will be subject to any variable it would if the procedure was undertaken with fresh eggs. Before any future transfer takes place frozen eggs will also have to survive the thawing process which represents another potential problem.
Finally, if you are considering freezing your eggs in a country in which you are not resident you will have to factor in the time and cost of harvesting and returning for a transfer in the future.
Egg freezing is one of the most in demand services that many clinics offer and more and providers are promoting packages aimed at women looking to preserve their fertility. We have put together a guide which provides some useful information about cost and the logistics of freezing you eggs in a number of destinations around the world.
Egg freezing: Step by step process
Freezing your eggs takes just a few focused weeks but involves several carefully‑timed steps. Below you’ll find a clear walkthrough that gives you the detail you need to plan treatment at home or abroad.
Step 1 – Fertility assessment & planning
Your journey begins with a consultation, blood tests (AMH and FSH) and an antral‑follicle‑count ultrasound. These checks give a snapshot of ovarian reserve and help your doctor tailor the stimulation plan.
Step 2 – Cycle synchronisation
To make sure all follicles start together, you may take short‑term hormones such as the combined pill or oestrogen. Think of it as “pressing reset” on the cycle so every follicle can grow at the same pace once stimulation begins.
Step 3 – Controlled ovarian stimulation
Daily self‑injections of FSH or FSH/LH encourage multiple eggs to mature. You’ll return to the clinic every few days for ultrasounds and blood work so the team can tweak doses and watch for rare side‑effects like ovarian hyper‑stimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Step 4 – The trigger injection
When most follicles reach about 18 mm, you receive a “trigger shot” (hCG or GnRH‑agonist). This final dose synchronises maturation and sets a precise 34–36‑hour countdown to egg retrieval.
Step 5 – Egg retrieval day
Under light sedation, a thin needle passes through the vaginal wall to aspirate follicular fluid. The procedure is quick; mild bloating or cramps are common, and most people rest for the remainder of the day.
Step 6 – Vitrification & secure storage
In the lab, mature eggs are dehydrated and flash‑frozen in liquid nitrogen (‑196 °C). Vitrification avoids ice‑crystal damage, and—under UK law—eggs can now be stored for up to 55 years with renewed consent, giving you real flexibility.
Step 7 – Recovery & next‑steps roadmap
Within 24–48 hours you’ll learn how many mature eggs were frozen and review any post‑procedure symptoms. Together with your clinician you can decide whether to bank more eggs, set up annual storage renewals or map out a future IVF timeline.
Good to know:
- A single cycle typically yields 15–20 eggs in women under 35, but numbers vary.
- Severe OHSS is rare; let your clinic know right away if you develop sudden abdominal pain or rapid weight gain.
- When you’re ready to use your eggs they’ll be thawed, fertilised via ICSI, and any resulting embryos transferred just as in a standard IVF cycle.
Egg freezing abroad: Why do it?
Travelling overseas for egg freezing can open doors to more affordable, flexible and efficient fertility-preservation options than you might find at home. Whether you’re seeking to lower out-of-pocket costs, benefit from shorter wait-lists and extended age limits, or access clinics with cutting-edge vitrification technology, going abroad offers a tailored pathway that many women find both empowering and reassuring. Below, we explore the main reasons why freezing your eggs abroad has become an increasingly popular choice.
Why travel abroad to freeze your eggs?
- Cost leverage: Retrieval and storage fees can be 30 – 60 % lower in parts of Southern and Eastern Europe or Latin America—even after flights and a week’s hotel.
- Shorter wait‑lists & flexible age limits: High‑demand cities at home often book out months ahead. Some destinations accept patients up to age 50 or waive mandatory counselling sessions.
Egg freezing abroad – where to go
Egg freezing in Spain
Egg freezing in Spain costs an average of €2,300 not including any medication plus an average €500 per year to store resulting embryos. There is no time limit on storage.
Egg freezing in Portugal
Clinics in Portugal charge an average of €1,500 for freezing eggs excluding medication and around €500 per year for storage. Eggs can be stored for up to ten years.
Egg freezing in the Czech Republic
Egg freezing costs around €700 in the Czech Republic and yearly storage costs can be as low as €200 per year. Clinics can store eggs up to 12 years.
Egg freezing in North Cyprus
Egg freezing costs around €2,500 in North Cyprus and there is no maximum period in which eggs can be stored.
Egg freezing in Greece
Egg freezing can cost anywhere between €1,500 and €2,500 in Greece and eggs can be stored for a maximum period of ten years.
Egg freezing in Latvia
Egg freezing in Latvia costs around €2,500 which includes the first year of storage costs. Storage costs thereafter can cost €700 per year and eggs can be stored for up to ten years.
Egg freezing in Poland
Egg freezing in Poland averages around €200 with a similar yearly storage cost. Clinics recommend a maximum ten year storage period but this can be extended.
Egg freezing in Ukraine
Initial egg freezing costs start at €750 with an ongoing storage cost of €500 per year. Eggs can be stored for up to ten years.
Egg freezing in Russia
Egg freezing costs start at €500 whilst ongoing storage costs average €250 per year. Eggs can be frozen indefinitely.
Egg freezing in Denmark
Clinics in Denmark offer egg freezing packages which include the storage of eggs for a specific period. Average prices cost £1,000 for three years. Eggs can be stored for a maximum period of five years.
Egg freezing in the UK
Egg freezing costs start around £3,000 plus medication costs with storage costs costing anywhere between £125 and £350 per year. Eggs can be stored for a period of up to 55 years.
Egg freezing in Mexico
Eggs can be stored indefinitely in Mexico. The average cost to harvest eggs is approximately $2,000 and ongoing storage costs $20 per month.
Egg freezing in the USA
Freezing costs start at $10,000 with storage costs from $500. Storage deadlines can differ between clinics and states.
Egg freezing in India
Eggs can be frozen for the equivalent cost of £500 and thereafter a storage cost of up to £300 per year. It is recommended that eggs should be stored for a maximum of ten years but this can be extended by the clinic.
Best Egg‑Freezing Clinics — Your Next Step
Selecting the right clinic is a crucial step in your fertility journey. Our Find IVF Clinics Abroad tool provides a comprehensive directory of Europe’s leading fertility centers, enabling you to:
- Filter by treatment—egg freezing, standard IVF, donor programmes—and select by country to align with your travel and logistical preferences
- Compare transparent pricing for medications, monitoring and storage, side-by-side for informed decision-making
Egg freezing abroad: In summary
Since the first pregnancy was achieved using a frozen egg in 1986 many thousands of women have chosen to preserve their fertility by freezing their eggs. Sometimes this is done for purely ‘social’ reasons, such as wanting to delay a pregnancy due to careers reasons or because the women has yet to find a partner. In other cases, women choose to preserve their eggs prior to medical treatments or due to an existing condition which could affect their fertility.
There are competing voices around the efficacy of egg freezing. Some suggest that embryo freezing is far more successful; others point to the importance of the age of the patient when they freeze their eggs or the number of eggs being frozen as being key to the success of future treatment. The process however should not be viewed as a guaranteed way of ensuring a future pregnancy, many frozen eggs prove not to be viable when thawed and also any treatment in the future still needs viable sperm to succeed.
Like a lot of procedures related to IVF the cost of egg freezing does vary between country and clinic. It is wise therefore to spend some time researching and talking to a number of clinics to get a feel for their competence in this area.
Ultimately, you need to be confident of their ability to carry out the procedure and safely store your frozen eggs.
