IVF in Turkey: what you should know
Turkey is one of the most frequently chosen destinations for IVF abroad. Couples from the UK, Europe, the Gulf and Central Asia travel to Istanbul and other Turkish cities for in vitro fertilisation, mostly combined with ICSI, because a cycle in a private Turkish clinic usually costs less than half of a private cycle in the UK or the US. Many Turkish IVF clinics work in private hospitals with their own embryology laboratories, and international patient departments arrange appointments, transfers and interpreters.
Before you look at prices, one point matters more than anything else: Turkey has some of the strictest fertility laws in Europe. IVF in Turkey is only allowed for married couples, using the wife's own eggs and the husband's own sperm. Egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation and surrogacy are illegal, and choosing the sex of a baby for non-medical reasons is not allowed. If you need donor eggs or donor sperm, Turkey is not the right country for your treatment — this guide explains the rules in detail so that you can decide early.
For couples who can be treated, this guide explains what IVF really costs in Turkey, what a package includes, how a cycle works day by day, how long you need to stay, what success rates are realistic at your age, and how to choose a clinic. The clinics on our site, their live prices and real patient reviews are shown on this page; a quote is free and you decide only after a fertility specialist has reviewed your test results.
- Within about 2 hours
A coordinator replies in your language by WhatsApp or e-mail.
- Within 24 hours
A surgeon reviews your photos and you receive a written plan with the surgeon's name and the price.
- You decide
Ask anything and take your time — nothing is paid in advance.
IVF & Fertility in Turkey: how it works
- 1Send your photos and questions
Free and without obligation: tell us what you want to change and send a few photos — by form or WhatsApp.
- 2Get a written plan and price
A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.
- 3Travel, surgery and aftercare
Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.
IVF & Fertility in Turkey: price list
Starting prices of the treatments the hospitals on our site list, in your currency, next to typical private prices in the UK & EU.
| Treatment | Price in Turkey | UK & EU | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|
| IVF Treatment (ICSI) | From €4,810 | 1 | |
| Pharmacological Stimulation for IVF | From €1,100 | — | 1 |
Why plan IVF & Fertility in Turkey with Treat Journey?
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Every price on this page is the hospital's own price for international patients, shown live in your currency, with what the package includes.
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We list licensed hospitals with an international patient department; accreditations such as JCI are shown on each hospital page.
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We show real patient reviews, including Google reviews and critical ones, and we never invent ratings.
- Support before, during and after
A coordinator in your language answers within hours, arranges transfers and an interpreter, and stays in touch after you fly home.
How much does IVF cost in Turkey?
At the hospitals on our site, one IVF cycle with ICSI starts from €4,810. Stimulation medication is usually priced separately and starts from €1,100; the dose — and therefore the cost — depends on your age, your ovarian reserve and the protocol your doctor chooses. The table compares the IVF cost in Turkey with typical private prices elsewhere. The figures outside Turkey are approximate ranges for one cycle and vary widely between clinics.
| One IVF/ICSI cycle | Turkey | United Kingdom | United States | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IVF with ICSI, clinic fees | from €4,810 | about £5,000–£8,000 | about $15,000–$20,000 | about €4,000–€6,000 |
| Stimulation medication | from €1,100 | about £1,000–£2,500 | about $3,000–$6,000 | about €1,000–€3,000 |
| Embryo freezing and storage | usually extra | about £800–£1,500 plus yearly storage | about $1,000–$2,000 plus storage | about €500–€1,000 plus storage |
| PGT-A per cycle (if indicated) | usually extra | about £2,000–£3,500 | about $3,000–$6,000 | restricted by law; about €3,000+ |
So how much is IVF in Turkey in total? For most couples, one complete cycle — clinic fees, medication, tests and a few nights' accommodation — comes to roughly half the private UK price. The real cost depends on the number of cycles you need, which is why the price per cycle matters less than your realistic chance of success per cycle. Ask every clinic for a written quote that names the protocol, the medication estimate and every extra.
Why is IVF cheaper in Turkey?
Lower staff salaries, rent and running costs, an exchange rate that favours patients paying in pounds, euros or dollars, and high patient numbers allow lower package prices. The laboratory equipment, culture media and medication brands are largely the same as in Western Europe. A price far below every other quote is still a warning sign: it may leave out ICSI, medication or freezing, or come from a clinic with a small laboratory.
IVF packages in Turkey: what is included and what is not
Turkish clinics usually sell IVF to international patients as a package. What a package covers differs a lot between clinics, so compare the lists, not only the totals. A typical IVF package includes:
- consultations with the fertility specialist and ultrasound scans to monitor the follicles;
- egg collection under sedation and the use of the operating room;
- laboratory work: fertilisation by IVF or ICSI and embryo culture, often to day 5 (blastocyst);
- embryo transfer;
- basic blood tests and hormone tests during stimulation;
- airport and clinic transfers and an interpreter or coordinator, sometimes hotel nights.
Often not included, or charged separately: stimulation medication, ICSI in some clinics, embryo freezing and annual storage, a later frozen embryo transfer, PGT-A or PGT-M genetic testing, assisted hatching, sperm retrieval surgery such as TESE, extra hotel nights, flights and the pregnancy blood test at home. Ask whether a cancelled cycle — for example when too few follicles grow — is partly refunded.
Who can have IVF in Turkey? The legal rules
Assisted reproduction in Turkey is governed by a Ministry of Health regulation for IVF centres, and the rules apply equally to Turkish citizens and to foreign patients. Clinics check them before treatment starts.
- Married couples only: you need an officially recognised marriage certificate (foreign certificates usually with an apostille and a sworn translation) and both partners' passports. Unmarried couples, single women and same-sex couples cannot have IVF in Turkey.
- Own eggs and own sperm only: the eggs must be the wife's and the sperm the husband's. Egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation are prohibited.
- No surrogacy: the embryo can only be transferred to the uterus of the wife.
- No sex selection for non-medical reasons: genetic testing of embryos is allowed only for medical indications, such as a serious inherited disease in the family.
- Limited number of embryos: to reduce the risk of twins and triplets, the regulation limits how many embryos may be transferred — usually one for younger women in their first attempts and no more than two otherwise.
These rules mean that IVF in Turkey suits married couples whose eggs and sperm can be used — including many couples with blocked tubes, endometriosis, unexplained infertility or male-factor infertility that ICSI can overcome. It does not suit women whose ovarian reserve is so low that only donor eggs give a realistic chance, men without any sperm even after surgical retrieval, or anyone needing a surrogate. Our coordinators will tell you openly if Turkey is not an option for you.
Is there an IVF age limit in Turkey?
The law does not name a single upper age, but because only your own eggs can be used, the practical limit is set by your ovarian reserve. Most clinics treat women up to their early or mid-forties after checking AMH, antral follicle count and FSH; above that the chance of a baby with your own eggs becomes very small, and a responsible doctor will tell you so before you pay.
IVF and ICSI step by step
ICSI in Turkey is used as standard in most cycles: a single sperm is injected into each mature egg, which helps especially when sperm quality is low. A cycle follows these steps:
- Tests and planning: you send recent results — AMH, FSH, a pelvic ultrasound, thyroid and infection tests, and a semen analysis. If you have none, a fertility work-up or a semen analysis can be done in Turkey. The doctor chooses a protocol.
- Ovarian stimulation (about 9–12 days): daily hormone injections make several follicles grow. Scans and blood tests every two to three days decide the dose.
- Trigger injection: once the follicles are large enough, a final injection ripens the eggs; collection follows about 36 hours later.
- Egg collection: a short procedure under sedation, guided by vaginal ultrasound. On the same day the husband gives a sperm sample, or sperm is retrieved surgically by TESA or TESE if there is none in the ejaculate.
- Fertilisation and embryo culture: by IVF or ICSI; embryos grow in the laboratory for three to five days.
- Embryo transfer: a painless procedure in which a thin catheter places the embryo in the uterus. Remaining good-quality embryos can be frozen. In some cycles the doctor advises freezing all embryos and transferring later.
- Pregnancy test: a blood hCG test about 10–12 days after transfer, usually done at home.
How long do you need to stay in Turkey for IVF?
How long IVF takes in Turkey depends on where you do the monitoring. There are three common plans:
| Plan | Time in Turkey | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| One longer stay | about 14–18 days (wife); husband 2–4 days around collection | All scans, collection and transfer in Turkey |
| Monitoring at home, one trip | about 6–9 days | Start injections at home, scans with a local clinic, arrive for the final scans, collection and transfer |
| Two trips (freeze-all) | about 6–9 days, then 3–5 days | Collection and freezing on the first trip; frozen embryo transfer on a second trip one or more months later |
Monitoring at home needs a local clinic or doctor willing to do scans and send the results the same day, and good coordination with the Turkish team. A frozen embryo transfer on a second trip is useful when the risk of OHSS is high, when embryos are being tested, or when the lining of the uterus is not ideal in the stimulation cycle.
IVF success rates in Turkey: what to expect at your age
Success rates are the hardest part to compare. Turkey has no public clinic-by-clinic register like the UK's HFEA, so figures on clinic websites are self-reported and often counted differently — per transfer instead of per started cycle, or as positive tests instead of live births. The single most important factor is the age of the woman, because egg quality falls with age. The national UK figures below give a fair orientation for treatment with your own eggs; your own chance may be higher or lower.
| Age of the woman | Approximate live birth rate per embryo transfer (own eggs) |
|---|---|
| Under 35 | about 30–35% |
| 35–37 | about 25% |
| 38–39 | about 20% |
| 40–42 | about 10–13% |
| 43–44 | about 5% |
| Over 44 | below 5% |
The cumulative chance over several transfers — including frozen embryos from the same collection — is higher than the chance per transfer. Other factors include the cause of infertility, sperm quality, the number and quality of embryos, the uterus, weight and smoking. Treat any clinic that promises a fixed success rate, or claims rates far above these ranges for all ages, with caution. When you compare IVF success rates in Turkey, ask: per started cycle or per transfer, live births or positive tests, for which age group, and with how many embryos transferred?
Embryo freezing, PGT and gender selection in Turkey
Embryo freezing (vitrification) keeps surplus embryos for a later frozen transfer without another stimulation. Frozen embryo transfers have similar success rates to fresh transfers in many situations. Under Turkish rules, frozen embryos belong to the married couple, are stored for a limited period that the couple renews in writing, and can only be used by the same couple while they are married. Ask the clinic about the yearly storage fee and how to renew from abroad.
Egg freezing is allowed in Turkey in limited medical situations — for example before cancer treatment or with a diagnosed low ovarian reserve — and the eggs can later be used only within marriage with the husband's sperm. See also fertility preservation and sperm freezing.
Genetic testing of embryos — PGT-M (PGD) for a known inherited disease and PGT-A for chromosome counts — is done in Turkey when there is a medical reason, such as a genetic disorder in the family, repeated miscarriages or repeated failed transfers. PGT-A does not raise the chance of pregnancy for every couple; ask your doctor whether it is useful in your case.
Gender selection in Turkey for non-medical reasons — choosing a boy or a girl — is not allowed. The sex of an embryo may only be considered when a doctor and a geneticist confirm a serious sex-linked disease. Offers of "family balancing" in Turkey should be refused.
Fertility treatments available in Turkey
- IVF treatment with ICSI and IVF & ICSI — the standard treatment for most couples who travel.
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a simpler treatment for mild male-factor or unexplained infertility with open tubes; see also artificial insemination.
- Diagnostics — fertility tests for women, hysterosalpingography (HSG) to check the tubes, and fertility tests for men.
- Male infertility treatment — including surgical sperm retrieval for men with no sperm in the ejaculate.
- Frozen embryo transfer — for couples who return with frozen embryos.
Is IVF in Turkey safe? Regulation and accreditation
IVF centres in Turkey need a specific licence from the Ministry of Health, renewed through inspections of staff, laboratory and record-keeping. Hospitals that treat foreign patients also need a health tourism authorisation, and many private hospitals hold Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. The responsible doctor must be a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology with recognised training in assisted reproduction, and the laboratory is run by an embryologist.
The strict law also has a safety side: identity and marriage checks, a ban on donor material and limits on the number of embryos transferred reduce the risk of mix-ups and of high-risk multiple pregnancies. The remaining differences between clinics lie mainly in laboratory quality, experience and honesty about your chances.
How to choose an IVF clinic in Turkey
People often ask which is the best IVF clinic in Turkey. There is no single answer for every couple, but these checks separate a careful clinic from a risky one:
- Licence: the IVF centre in Turkey must be licensed by the Ministry of Health for assisted reproduction; for international patients, also authorised for health tourism.
- A named doctor and embryologist: ask who plans your protocol, who performs collection and transfer, and who works in the laboratory.
- Honest results: live birth rates for your age group, per started cycle, and how many embryos they usually transfer.
- A personal plan after your tests: not a fixed package before anyone has seen your AMH and semen analysis.
- A written quote: clinic fees, medication estimate, ICSI, freezing, storage, PGT and what happens if the cycle is cancelled.
- Communication: a coordinator who answers in your language and a doctor who speaks with you directly.
- Real reviews: read IVF Turkey reviews on independent platforms; look for couples who describe the whole process and the follow-up.
Red flags: offers of donor eggs, donor sperm, surrogacy or gender selection in Turkey; guaranteed pregnancy; pressure to add tests you do not need; and a price without a list of what it includes. Compare the hospitals on our site with their licences and reviews.
Risks of IVF and who should not travel
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): the ovaries react too strongly to stimulation, causing bloating, pain and fluid retention. Mild forms are common; severe OHSS is uncommon with current protocols, and the risk is lowered by an antagonist protocol, a different trigger and freezing all embryos. Women with polycystic ovaries are at higher risk.
- Multiple pregnancy: twins carry higher risks of premature birth and complications for mother and babies, which is why a single embryo transfer is often recommended.
- Egg collection: small risks of bleeding, infection and, rarely, injury to nearby organs.
- Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: possible after IVF as after natural conception; an early scan confirms the pregnancy is in the uterus.
- Emotional strain: treatment abroad, waiting and a negative result can be hard; plan support at home.
Discuss treatment carefully, or have it at home, if you have severe medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of blood clots, heart disease or a previous severe OHSS, or if a high-risk pregnancy is expected.
NHS, insurance and costs for UK patients
In the UK, NICE recommends up to three full IVF cycles on the NHS for women under 40 who have been trying for two years, and one cycle for women aged 40–42 who meet the criteria. In practice, funding is decided locally by integrated care boards, many offer only one cycle, and criteria on age, BMI, smoking and existing children exclude many couples — which is why many look at IVF abroad.
- Travel insurance: standard policies usually exclude planned medical treatment and its complications; look for specialist medical-travel insurance and read what it says about OHSS and pregnancy.
- The NHS after you return: your GP and the early-pregnancy service will care for you if you become pregnant or have a complication, so take all reports home.
- Prices in pounds: Turkish clinics usually quote in euros; on this page you can show prices in your currency. Payment is made to the hospital directly.
- Visa: UK citizens can visit Turkey visa-free for short stays; other nationalities should check the current rules.
Before you travel: a preparation checklist
- Collect recent test results: AMH, FSH, thyroid, blood group, infection screening for both partners and a semen analysis.
- Prepare your marriage certificate with an apostille and translation if the clinic asks for it, and both passports.
- Agree the protocol and the medication plan in writing; ask whether you can start injections at home.
- Find a local clinic for monitoring scans if you choose the shorter stay.
- Stop smoking, limit alcohol, take folic acid and aim for a healthy weight.
- Book flexible flights: the collection day is only fixed a few days before.
- Plan time off work around collection and transfer, and support at home for the wait.
After IVF in Turkey: flying home and follow-up
You can usually fly a day or two after embryo transfer; bed rest is not needed. Drink enough fluids, move regularly on the flight and follow the doctor's advice on progesterone support, which continues until the pregnancy test and, if positive, for several weeks. If you develop severe bloating, abdominal pain, breathlessness or reduced urine after collection, seek medical help at once — these can be signs of OHSS. Take home your treatment summary, embryo report and medication plan; arrange the hCG blood test and an early pregnancy scan at home, and keep in touch with your Turkish coordinator for results and the next steps, including a possible frozen embryo transfer.
All IVF & Fertility treatments
Browse every IVF & Fertility treatment available at our partner hospitals in Turkey, grouped by category.
IVF & Fertility in Turkey reviews
Reviews of the hospitals and surgeons on this page that perform IVF & Fertility, with reviews about this treatment first. Reviews from Google are marked.
Today, my brother and I came to Lokman Hekim Hospital for a routine check-up. We come every year. But this year, we would like to thank Ms. Selda for welcoming and caring for us. She listened patiently, explaining everything step by step. I would like to thank her here as well and wish her continued success. Seeing such a caring person in such an institution truly made us happy.
It's a terrible place. I used many of its departments, even had surgery there, but I'll never go near it again. When you call about the results, they even hang up on you.
The receptionist in the emergency room told us our registration was complete and directed us to the doctor. However, when we went to see the doctor, we were told that no record had been created for us. Communication and coordination between departments are completely lacking. Patients being directed from one place to another in this way causes both a waste of time and serious inconvenience. One of the most basic things a hospital should have is order, communication, and professionalism. Unfortunately, we saw none of these. We were extremely dissatisfied with our experience. In terms of service quality and patient satisfaction, it is definitely an institution far below our expectations. We were not at all pleased.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Cardiology Specialist Dr. Servet for his knowledge, experience, and valuable approach towards the patient. I would also like to thank Nurse Halenur for her smiling face, attentiveness, kind approach, and gentle touch. My thanks to the entire team for making me feel safe and valued.
Ms. Selin from the Podiatry department is the perfect example of how much difference people who love their work make. From the very first minute, you feel safe thanks to her smiling face, sweet energy, attentiveness, and meticulousness in her work. It's an experience that's good for both your feet and your soul. 😄 I'm so glad I met her; it's truly valuable to see such wonderful people doing their jobs so well. I wholeheartedly recommend her. ✨
I would like to thank the radiology team at Lokman Hekim Kurtköy Hospital. I had to go both in the morning and close to the end of their shift. Their smiles and hospitality were the same. I'm sure they get very tired, but they definitely don't let it show to the patients. Dr. Birsen Dizman was inside, and Mrs. Kibar, Mrs. Gülten, and Mrs. Bedriye were there, their warm and reassuring demeanor making you feel they love their work. I wanted to thank them here as well. I wish everyone could do their jobs as well as they do.
Conditions
Frequently asked questions
At the hospitals on our site, one IVF cycle with ICSI starts from about €4,800, and stimulation medication from about €1,100. Embryo freezing, PGT and extra nights are usually charged separately. The live price list on this page shows current prices in your currency.
Clinics in Turkey usually quote in euros: one ICSI cycle starts from about €4,800 at the hospitals on our site, plus medication from about €1,100. The amount in pounds depends on the exchange rate — switch this page to pounds to see the live prices.
Only married couples, using the wife's own eggs and the husband's own sperm. You need an officially recognised marriage certificate and both passports. Single women, unmarried couples and same-sex couples cannot be treated in Turkey.
No. Egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation are prohibited in Turkey, for foreign patients as well as Turkish citizens. Couples who need donor material have to be treated in a country where it is legal.
No. Surrogacy is illegal in Turkey; an embryo may only be transferred to the uterus of the woman whose egg was used, within the marriage.
No. Sex selection for non-medical reasons is not allowed in Turkey. Genetic testing of embryos is only permitted for medical reasons, such as a serious sex-linked inherited disease confirmed by a geneticist.
The law does not set one fixed age, but because only your own eggs may be used, the practical limit depends on your ovarian reserve. Most clinics treat women up to their early or mid-forties after checking AMH and an ultrasound.
They depend mainly on the woman's age. As a general orientation, the live birth rate per embryo transfer with own eggs is about 30–35% under 35, around 20% at 38–39 and about 10% at 40–42, falling further after that. Clinic-reported figures are not independently audited in Turkey, so ask how they are counted.
No independent register compares Turkish IVF clinics, so claims of being the most successful cannot be checked. Compare licences, the experience of the doctor and embryologist, honest live birth rates for your age group, and real reviews.
A whole cycle takes about three weeks from the first injection to the transfer. If you do all scans in Turkey you stay about 14–18 days; with monitoring at home you need about 6–9 days. A frozen embryo transfer on a later trip needs 3–5 days.
Yes, at least for a few days around egg collection, to give a fresh sperm sample and to sign the consent forms. In some cases sperm can be frozen on an earlier visit.
In most Turkish clinics ICSI is standard and included in the cycle price, but not everywhere. Check the written quote for ICSI, medication, embryo freezing and storage.
IVF centres need a Ministry of Health licence and regular inspections, and many private hospitals are JCI-accredited. The main medical risks — OHSS and multiple pregnancy — are the same as anywhere and are reduced by careful stimulation and transferring one or two embryos.
Yes. Surplus embryos can be frozen and transferred on a later trip. They belong to the married couple, storage is renewed in writing for a limited period, and only the same couple can use them while married.
Often yes. Many couples start injections at home and have scans at a local clinic, sending results to the Turkish doctor, then travel for the last scans, collection and transfer.
NICE recommends up to three cycles for women under 40 and one cycle for women aged 40–42 who meet the criteria, but local funding decisions often offer fewer cycles and stricter conditions. Ask your GP about the rules in your area.
Ordinary travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment and its complications. Specialist medical-travel insurance exists; check whether it covers OHSS, a longer stay and pregnancy-related problems.
Yes, usually a day or two after the transfer. Flying does not reduce the chance of implantation. Drink fluids, walk during the flight and keep taking your progesterone as prescribed.
Most international patients have IVF in Istanbul, which has the most licensed centres and direct flights. Antalya also has licensed clinics. The clinic's licence, laboratory and honesty about your chances matter more than the city.