IVF in India for couples from the UK: costs, medicines and the rules

Couples in the UK look at IVF in India from the UK for different reasons. Some have used up the NHS cycles available in their area. Some have been quoted private prices they can’t stretch to. Some just want to understand their options. This guide sets out what a cycle in Delhi typically costs, why the medicines are usually included, the rules Indian clinics work under, and how to read the numbers clinics publish.

We’re a facilitator, not a clinic. Medical opinions come from the fertility specialists at the clinic you choose.

What IVF in India from the UK typically costs

Typical package ranges for one IVF cycle at accredited fertility centres in Delhi are about $1,500–$4,000. These are planning ranges, not quotes. The price for you is confirmed in writing by the clinic after its doctors have seen your tests and history.

A package usually includes:

• the stimulation medicines for the cycle
• scans and blood tests to track the eggs
• egg collection under light sedation
• ICSI, where a single sperm is injected into each egg
• growing embryos to day 5
• embryo transfer and hormone support afterwards

Usually not included: genetic testing of embryos (charged per embryo), freezing embryos beyond the first year, your accommodation, flights and insurance.

Why the medicines are usually in the package

The stimulation medicines can be a large part of the bill in some countries. In India the same types of medicine generally cost less, so many clinics fold them into the package price. Ask each clinic to confirm in writing which medicines are included, and what happens to the price if your doctor needs to change the dose or add something.

You’ll leave with a written medicine plan for after the transfer. Carry it with your prescriptions in your hand luggage, and tell your GP or UK clinic what you’re taking.

How long you’ll be in Delhi

Plan on about three weeks for one cycle. A typical plan:

• Days 1–3: first scan and blood tests, then daily injections start, timed with your cycle
• Days 4–11: scans every few days to track the eggs, then a trigger injection
• Days 12–14: egg collection; you go back to where you’re staying the same day
• Days 15–18: a fresh embryo transfer, or embryos frozen if they’re being tested
• Days 19–21: your medicine plan, the date for a pregnancy test at home, and the flight back

There’s no hospital stay for most of this. We find you a serviced apartment near the clinic. The IVF guide shows the plan in more detail.

The rules Indian clinics work under

The ART Act. Fertility clinics and sperm and egg banks in India are regulated under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. It requires clinics to be registered with the national registry set up under the Act. It also sets rules on consent, record-keeping and who can be treated. Ask any clinic for its registration details, and check them before you pay. The Act’s text is on India Code, the government’s legislation database.

Surrogacy. Indian law doesn’t allow surrogacy for foreign nationals. We don’t coordinate it, and you should be wary of anyone who says they can arrange it.

Donors. The rules on donor eggs and sperm are strict and they change. We’ll find out what applies to you, and ask the clinic to confirm in writing, before you plan anything.

The HFEA’s role. The HFEA regulates fertility clinics in the UK. It doesn’t regulate clinics abroad, so a clinic in India isn’t covered by HFEA rules or complaints routes. If you’re thinking of freezing embryos in India and using them in the UK later, talk to your UK clinic first. Moving eggs, sperm or embryos between countries has its own rules.

How to read success rates

Clinics in India publish their own success rates, and they’re hard to compare. One clinic might count pregnancies per cycle started; another might count births per embryo transferred. Age, diagnosis and whether a clinic takes on harder cases all change the figures.

We don’t publish or compare success rates. The HFEA’s website explains how success rates are calculated and what to watch for when you read them, and it’s a good place to start even if you’re having treatment abroad. When you talk to a clinic, ask:

1. What exactly does this figure count?
2. For which age group, and over what period?
3. How many patients is it based on?
4. What would you expect in a case like ours?

The last question is the one that matters. A specialist who has seen your tests can answer it; a website can’t.

Visa, flights and travelling together

UK citizens apply online for India’s e-Medical visa, using an invitation letter from the clinic. Up to two people can travel with a patient on medical attendant visas linked to theirs. We check which visa each of you needs and help with the forms and timing. The travel and visa page explains the steps.

London to Delhi is about nine hours non-stop, with economy returns usually around $650–$950. Book a flexible fare: treatment dates follow your cycle, and they can move.

Your whole-trip budget

On top of the clinic package, plan for:

• flights for both of you
• about three weeks’ stay near the clinic: we plan on $40–$80 a night for a serviced apartment, plus $15–$25 a day each for food
• medical travel insurance, roughly $150–$400 each (ordinary travel insurance usually excludes trips for treatment)
• the visa, a local SIM and airport transfers
• our fee, which is fixed, separate and agreed in writing before you book. You pay the clinic directly. See how we are paid.

Next steps

• Read our page for UK patients and the IVF guide.
• Gather your recent fertility tests, scan reports and any notes from previous cycles.
• Send them for a free quote. We ask registered, accredited clinics for a specialist’s written opinion and an itemised package price, confirmed in writing, and you decide with no obligation.