- You have a country shortlist and are now comparing specific clinics
- You want to compare clinic quotes without being misled by headline prices
- You are unsure how to read or compare success rate figures
- You want to know what red flags to watch for before signing anything
- You are preparing questions before a consultation or before paying a deposit
Where to start
- If you have a country shortlist but haven't contacted any clinic yet, start with the seven pre-checks. These determine which clinics are worth approaching at all.
- If you've had initial consultations and are comparing quotes, start with the five pricing questions. Most differences between quotes sit in what's excluded, not in the headline total.
- If you're close to deciding but feel uncertain, read the red flags section. One unresolved hard stop is enough reason to pause before paying.
- If you've received a quote but aren't sure what's missing, use the quote comparison grid. Ask every clinic the same set of questions before comparing totals.
How the toolkit turns this guide into a comparison process
The guide explains what to compare. The toolkit gives you a structured spreadsheet to apply those checks to specific clinics, track what each clinic has confirmed, and see what still needs follow-up before paying.
Seven checks before you shortlist a clinic
These checks are not about choosing the best clinic. They help you decide whether a clinic is clear enough to compare. If one of these points is missing, ask for clarification before you spend time on a detailed quote or pay anything.
In the toolkit, this becomes the "Before you compare" step: a fuller fit check covering country eligibility, treatment model, donor availability, budget, visit requirements, and clinic communication.
Confirm the clinic's upper age limit for recipients before you book a consultation. Ask whether age is assessed at consultation, cycle start, or embryo transfer. That distinction can decide whether the clinic is still realistic for you.
Confirm whether donation is anonymous, identifiable, open-ID, or mixed under that country's law. Then ask what the clinic actually offers in practice. In some countries, the legal framework allows more than one model, but clinics may still mainly use one donor pool.
Confirm the clinic can treat your specific profile: age, relationship status, single or partnered status, and any clinic-level medical requirements. Legal access and clinic acceptance are not always the same.
Ask whether the clinic can provide a written, itemised cost estimate before you make a treatment commitment. If the clinic only gives a headline package price, ask what is excluded before comparing it with other quotes.
Ask whether the clinic can share donor-egg-specific results and how those results are measured. A useful figure should state the metric, denominator, year, patient group, and source. Blended statistics that mix own-egg and donor-egg cycles are not useful for comparison.
Confirm that consultations, consent forms, quotes, treatment instructions, and post-transfer communication are available in English. A friendly coordinator is helpful, but written documentation matters more.
Notice whether the clinic answers your actual questions, provides written details, and explains what is still uncertain. Slow replies are not always a problem, but vague or evasive replies should prompt follow-up before you commit.
Preview the clinic comparison toolkit
Use the toolkit to shortlist clinics, ask the same questions, compare quotes, track replies, and review red flags before paying.
Preview the clinic toolkitIncludes: clinic shortlist, questions to ask, quote comparison, response tracker, red flag checklist, and dashboard.
Toolkit in progress. You can join the waitlist on the toolkit page.
Eight core areas to compare in depth
Once a clinic is clear enough to compare, use these areas to see where quotes, policies, and clinic models differ. The toolkit expands these into a fuller reference framework, but these are the areas most patients need to compare first.
What is included in the base quote varies by clinic and country. Medication, matching fees, embryo storage, future transfers, and legal or counselling fees may be excluded. Two similar totals can mean very different costs once exclusions are confirmed.
Ask for donor-egg-specific results and how they are measured. A useful figure should state the metric, denominator, year, patient group, and source. Blended rates that combine own-egg and donor-egg cycles are not useful for comparison.
Ask how matching works, what donor information you receive, and whether waiting times vary by phenotype, donor type, or ethnicity. The matching model can differ by clinic even within the same country.
Fresh and frozen donor egg models affect timing, travel, and quote structure. Fresh cycles may require donor synchronisation. Frozen cycles can be easier to schedule, but the quote should state how many eggs or embryos are included. See the frozen vs fresh cycle guide.
Confirm how many trips are required, how long each stay is, and which steps can happen remotely. Ask whether monitoring scans and blood tests can be done with a clinic near home.
Ask what authority licenses or oversees the clinic, and whether independent registry, inspection, or outcome data is available. Some countries publish more than others.
Ask what is refundable before and after donor matching, what happens if a donor cycle is cancelled, and what happens if no suitable embryo is available for transfer. Get the terms in writing before paying a deposit.
Ask what records you receive after transfer, who to contact once you return home, and how the clinic coordinates with your local doctor. Clear documentation reduces handover gaps.
Five pricing questions before comparing quotes
Start with these pricing questions before comparing totals. The full toolkit includes a broader question list covering eligibility, donor matching, success rates, visit requirements, refund terms, and aftercare.
Need the full question list? The clinic comparison toolkit includes questions covering eligibility, donor matching, success rates, visit requirements, refund terms, and aftercare, so you can compare up to 3 clinics side by side.
How to compare quotes side by side
Before comparing totals, standardize what each quote includes. A lower headline price may become similar once exclusions are added, or it may represent a genuinely different scope of treatment.
Ask each clinic to confirm
- Base treatment fee
- Recipient medication: included or separate
- Donor matching or donor agency fee
- Embryo transfer included
- Embryo freezing and storage
- Legal and counselling fees
- Remote and in-person consultations
Then add travel and local costs
- Round-trip flights, per trip
- Accommodation for the nights required
- Local transport
- Time off work
- Home doctor monitoring fees
- Translation or coordination fees, if applicable
Then check future-cycle costs
- Future frozen embryo transfer
- Annual embryo storage
- Extra transfer medication
- What happens if no embryo is available
- Cost of a second donor egg cycle
Recipient medication is one of the most common exclusions. In the countries covered here, it can add roughly €150–€1,050 depending on the clinic, country, and protocol.
Do not compare totals until every clinic has confirmed the same line items.
How to read success rate figures
The most useful number is not the highest number. It is the one the clinic can define clearly. Before using any figure to compare clinics, confirm what the success rate actually measures and what it covers. See success rates for a full explanation.
| Metric | What it measures | How useful for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Beta-hCG positive | A blood test showing a positive pregnancy signal | Not useful for comparison. Too early to reflect meaningful outcomes. |
| Clinical pregnancy rate | Pregnancy confirmed on ultrasound, often around 6 to 7 weeks | Useful only if the denominator is stated. |
| Ongoing pregnancy rate | Pregnancy continuing past 12 weeks | More meaningful than clinical pregnancy rate, but still not a live birth. |
| Live birth rate per transfer2 | Baby born from the transfer attempt | Most useful when available, but not always published at clinic level. |
| Cumulative live birth rate | Live birth from all transfers linked to one donor egg cycle or egg batch | Useful for planning, but only comparable if the cycle definition is clear. |
Before comparing success rates, ask:
- What does this number measure?
- Is it per transfer, per cycle started, per patient, or cumulative?
- What year is the data from?
- Which patient group is included?
- Is the source a registry, clinic audit, or marketing claim?
Rates cannot be compared across clinics unless the definitions match. National registry data, where it exists, is usually more reliable than clinic-reported figures alone.
Donor matching: what to ask
Matching approaches differ by country, law, clinic, and donor source. There is no single right model, but you should understand who chooses the donor, what information you receive, and what happens if the match changes before you commit.
Clinic-led matching
The clinic selects the donor based on physical and medical criteria. You may receive only limited non-identifying information, depending on country law and clinic policy.
Often seen in: Spain, Czech Republic, many clinics in Greece and Portugal
Hybrid matching
The clinic pre-selects or narrows the options, and you may review limited donor information before confirming. The level of choice varies by clinic.
Often seen in: UK, Denmark, North Cyprus, and some clinics in Czech Republic, Greece, and Portugal
Patient-choice matching
You browse donor profiles or work with an agency or egg bank. You may see more profile details, but availability, fees, and waiting times still need to be confirmed before you commit.
Often seen in: South Africa, some North Cyprus clinics, and some Denmark egg bank models
Ask in every model
Red flags: when to pause before paying
Not every concern should make you rule out a clinic. Some issues are normal variation. Others are transparency gaps that should be resolved in writing before you pay.
Hard red flags
- The clinic refuses to provide written cancellation and refund terms before any deposit is paid
- You are asked to pay a significant upfront fee before receiving written confirmation of what is included
- The clinic will not confirm in writing what happens if no embryo is available for transfer
- The clinic suggests it can bypass a legal age limit or official approval requirement
Proceed with caution
- The quote lists many exclusions without estimated costs
- Success rates are presented only as beta-hCG or clinical pregnancy rates, with no explanation of whether live birth data is available
- Donor information is described vaguely, with no clear explanation of what you will receive before confirming a match
- Medical or eligibility questions are repeatedly answered only with generic replies
Normal variation, not a red flag
- Different quote structures: some itemised, some bundled
- Different numbers of required in-person visits
- Different matching models: clinic-led, hybrid, or patient-choice
- Medication costs quoted separately rather than included
What to get in writing before paying a deposit
Before paying a deposit, get these points confirmed in writing from the clinic.
Preview the clinic comparison toolkit
Use the toolkit to shortlist clinics, ask the same questions, compare quotes, track replies, and review red flags before paying.
Preview the clinic toolkitIncludes: clinic shortlist, questions to ask, quote comparison, response tracker, red flag checklist, and dashboard.
Toolkit in progress. You can join the waitlist on the toolkit page.
Common questions
No. This page helps you identify what to compare and what questions to ask. It does not rank clinics, assess clinical quality, or make recommendations. The right clinic depends on your specific situation, your country shortlist, and the priorities that matter most to you.
Not by that number alone. A clinic's "success rate" may refer to a positive pregnancy test, a clinical pregnancy, or a live birth. It may also be calculated per transfer, per cycle started, or across several transfers. Those numbers are not interchangeable.
Ask what the rate measures, which patients are included, what year the data comes from, and whether it applies specifically to donor egg recipients before comparing clinics. A lower but clearly defined live birth rate may be more useful than a higher number that is not explained.
Ideally, no. Ask the clinic to confirm in writing that your age, relationship status, medical profile, and any approval requirements have been reviewed before you pay.
This is especially important if you are close to an age limit, travelling as a single woman, or may need extra approval. If eligibility is checked only after payment, you may have to negotiate a refund if the clinic later says you cannot proceed.
This guide explains what to compare. The toolkit gives you a structured spreadsheet to apply those checks to up to 3 clinics, track clinic replies, compare quotes side by side, and see what still needs written confirmation before paying a deposit.
No. The toolkit does not rank clinics, assess clinical quality, or make recommendations. It helps you compare what each clinic has confirmed, identify what is still unclear, and track what needs follow-up before paying. The final decision is yours, based on your shortlist, your priorities, and the information each clinic provides.
- Greek law allows anonymous and identity-release donors, but most clinics still primarily operate with anonymous donor pools.
- Success rates are per embryo transfer, not per cycle started. Individual results vary.
- What is included in a clinic quote varies by clinic and by cycle type. Frozen and fresh donor cycles are not directly comparable unless the included steps are clearly itemized.