👶 Fertility & IVF
IVF and related treatment — subject to Chinese regulation, and we confirm eligibility before you plan anything.
What is actually available
- Standard IVF and ICSI — conventional fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, depending on the semen analysis.
- Frozen embryo transfer (FET) — transferring embryos from an earlier cycle.
- PGT-A — genetic screening of embryos before transfer, usually offered where there is a history of loss or a known chromosomal issue.
- Egg freezing — for medical indications, and in some cases for fertility preservation before treatment.
- Diagnostic workup — ovarian reserve testing, ultrasound, semen analysis and hysteroscopy where indicated.
- Eligibility is set by regulation, not by us. In mainland China, IVF and related treatment require a marriage certificate and both partners' identity documents. Treatment is generally not available to single people or to same-sex couples, and no agency can arrange around that. We will tell you this at the start rather than after you have paid for a workup.
- We will not quote a success rate. Clinic figures are measured on different patient populations, and a rate that sounds high is often a rate for younger patients with a better prognosis than yours.
- We will not promise a live birth, or a number of cycles. Many patients need more than one, and the deciding factors are largely age and ovarian reserve.
- We will not tell you that China is cheaper once you add travel, accommodation and time away from work for two people. For a single cycle it often is; for several, less so.
Published reference ranges
| Item | Reference range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IVF cycle (including drugs and transfer) | $4,000–9,000 | One cycle; drugs are a large share |
| ICSI add-on | $400–1,200 | Added when injection is needed |
| Frozen embryo transfer (FET) | $1,200–2,500 | Per transfer cycle |
| PGT-A, per embryo batch | $1,500–3,500 | Genetic screening before transfer |
| Initial consultation and workup | $150–500 | Both partners |
| Egg freezing cycle (for comparison) | $2,500–5,000 | Excludes storage |
Reference ranges for planning only. Not bills. Drug costs vary with the protocol and your response, and a cycle that is abandoned before transfer is charged differently from a completed one — ask what happens to the fee in that case.
How long you would need to stay
- One cycle: about 2–3 weeks in Chengdu, from stimulation through to egg collection. Monitoring is frequent — often every 2–3 days.
- Transfer as a separate trip: a frozen transfer needs only a few days, which is why many patients do stimulation and transfer on two trips.
- The workup can be done at home: ovarian reserve, ultrasound and semen analysis can be done locally and sent to us.
- Plan for more than one cycle: if you are budgeting, budget for two. It is the single most common planning error.
What we need from you to get a real answer
- Marriage certificate and both partners' passports — without these, treatment in mainland China cannot proceed, and we will say so immediately rather than later.
- AMH, and a recent antral follicle count from ultrasound — these two drive the prognosis more than anything else.
- A semen analysis, ideally two, at least a month apart.
- Any previous IVF cycles: how many, what protocol, how many eggs, how many embryos, and the outcome.
- Any history of surgery, endometriosis, or a known genetic condition in either partner.
Send the AMH, the ultrasound report and any previous cycle history. We will confirm eligibility, say which protocol is likely, and give a written cost range for one cycle.
Questions patients ask
Do we have to be married to have IVF in China?
Yes, for treatment in mainland China, and we tell people this before anything else because it decides whether a trip is worth planning at all. Chinese regulation requires a marriage certificate and identity documents for both partners before fertility treatment can proceed. Treatment is generally not available to single people or to same-sex couples, and no agency can arrange around it — anyone who says they can is taking your money. The rule applies at the hospital registration stage, so it cannot be resolved later. If this rules China out for you, we will say so immediately rather than after you have paid for a workup.
How many cycles will we need, and how should we budget?
Plan for two, and treat one as a bonus. That is not pessimism; it is the single most common planning error we see. Success depends mostly on the woman's age and ovarian reserve, both of which are measured before treatment starts — AMH and antral follicle count are the two figures that matter most, and we would rather see them than a clinic's advertised success rate. A proportion of cycles are cancelled before transfer because of poor response, and those are charged differently, so ask what happens to the fee in that case. Budget for two cycles plus accommodation for two people, and you will not be caught out by a second trip.
Can we do the monitoring at home and only travel for part of it?
Often yes, and it is worth planning that way. Ovarian reserve testing, ultrasound and semen analysis can all be done locally and sent to us, so the diagnostic phase does not need a trip. Stimulation monitoring is frequent — every two to three days — and generally has to happen where the clinic is, because the protocol is adjusted on each scan. A frozen embryo transfer, by contrast, needs only a few days in Chengdu. Many patients therefore do stimulation and retrieval on one trip and the transfer on a second, shorter one, which is easier on work and on the budget.
Ready to talk through your case?
Start with the free case review. You get an honest assessment and clear next steps — no charge, no obligation.