ENIVF treatment in Germany takes place in specialised fertility centres: tests, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilisation and embryo transfer, all under a strict Embryo Protection Act. A couple considering IVF abroad usually wants to know two things: how a cycle really runs and what it costs.
This page covers the cycle step by step, what German law allows and how to get a written estimate before you start. Testing both partners and choosing the method are explained on the page on fertility treatment in Germany.
How an IVF Cycle Works, Step by Step
An IVF cycle has four steps: preparation, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval with fertilisation, and embryo transfer. Preparation means tests: hormones on set days of the cycle, including AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone, an indicator of the egg reserve), thyroid function, a full blood count and ultrasound; infection tests for both partners as the centre requires; and a recent semen analysis (see hormone tests). The centre decides which home results it accepts, depending on how recent and complete they are. Anything the tests find, such as anaemia, a thyroid disorder, inflammation or a poorly controlled chronic illness, is treated first and the cycle postponed; if pregnancy would endanger the woman’s health, IVF is not started. The doctor decides.
Stimulation follows: hormone injections let several eggs mature instead of the single egg of a natural cycle. The doctor tracks the follicles, the fluid-filled sacs in which eggs mature, by ultrasound and blood tests and adjusts the dose. A final trigger injection completes egg maturation and sets the time of retrieval.
Egg retrieval is a short procedure under a brief anaesthetic: guided by ultrasound, a fine needle through the vagina collects the eggs from the follicles. You go home the same day but may not drive, so bring an adult companion. The eggs are then fertilised in the laboratory: in conventional IVF they are placed with sperm in a culture medium; in ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) an embryologist injects a single sperm into each egg, mainly when the cause lies with the man.
A few days later the embryo is placed in the uterus through a thin catheter; usually only one is transferred, to lower the risk of a multiple pregnancy. A blood test then shows whether a pregnancy has begun. Remaining fertilised eggs can be frozen for later attempts, within the limits set by law.
What German Law Allows in IVF
German law allows IVF only so that a woman becomes pregnant with her own egg: egg donation and surrogacy are prohibited. The Embryo Protection Act (Embryonenschutzgesetz) is strict criminal law, and the penalty falls on whoever performs a prohibited procedure. It also bans transferring more than three embryos in one cycle and choosing the child’s sex, except to prevent a serious sex-linked hereditary disease.
So check before travelling whether the method you have in mind is permitted. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, testing an embryo’s genes before transfer, is allowed only in exceptional cases, such as a high risk of a serious hereditary disease, and only after approval by an ethics committee. Everything permitted follows nationwide rules, and almost all centres report their results to the German IVF Register (D·I·R), which publishes annual national figures. According to the register’s yearbook for 2024, one embryo transfer leads to a birth in about 30 % of cases in women aged 30 and in about 14 % at 40: a national benchmark, not a promise, and a couple discusses its own chances with the doctor after the examination.
Paying for IVF in Germany: a Written Estimate Before the Cycle
IVF in Germany is paid against the centre’s written estimate, best obtained before the cycle starts. The bill covers consultation and tests for both partners, stimulation medication (often a separate and sizeable item), egg retrieval, laboratory work, ICSI if needed, transfer, freezing and annual storage. Private patients are billed under the German medical fee schedule, the GOÄ.
A foreign patient pays privately: German statutory health insurance covers part of the cost of IVF only for its own members and under set conditions. The total depends on the protocol, medication and number of cycles, so no honest single figure exists in advance. The real figure comes from the centre: you send your records, have a consultation and receive a written estimate. Allow for travel and accommodation for several weeks. The full breakdown, including what estimates leave out, is on the IVF cost in Germany page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have IVF if you have anaemia?
Yes, but usually not straight away: anaemia is investigated and treated first, and stimulation starts once blood values have recovered. The commonest cause is iron deficiency, corrected with supplements. Pregnancy itself raises the need for iron, so starting it with a deficit helps neither mother nor baby. The doctor sets the start date from the blood results.
At what age is it too late for IVF?
There is no single cut-off age: the egg reserve and the woman’s health matter more than her date of birth. Egg donation is prohibited in Germany, so IVF here uses only the woman’s own eggs. Their number falls with age, and from 40 the chances drop noticeably faster; the German IVF Register advises not to wait too long. The doctor judges whether an attempt makes sense after AMH testing and ultrasound.
Can embryos be frozen in Germany for a later attempt?
Yes. Fertilised eggs and embryos left over from a cycle can be frozen in the centre’s laboratory; in Germany this is routine. The next attempt then needs no new stimulation or egg retrieval: the material is thawed and transferred. According to the German IVF Register, chances after thawing are almost the same as with a fresh transfer.
How AlenMed Arranges IVF Treatment in Germany
AlenMed arranges IVF treatment in Germany mainly at its partner centre Kinderwunsch Centrum München, which has its own embryology laboratory, and at other centres when a case calls for it. The centre’s medical leadership is Prof. Wolfgang Würfel, Dr Claudia Gaßner, Dr Jan Krüsmann and Dr Gottfried Krüsmann. Couples choosing a centre themselves should compare its laboratory, its reporting to the German IVF Register and how clearly it explains costs; see how to choose a fertility clinic.
We translate records, request the written estimate, prepare the visa invitation and provide interpreters and accompaniment at appointments. The couple pays the centre directly; AlenMed’s office is in Munich.
This material is for reference only. It is not an offer and not a promise of pregnancy; the doctor decides on treatment after an in-person consultation.