Why Americans Are Flying to Greece and Spain for Half-Price IVF in 2026

In the summer of 2024, Emilie and Justin Solomon flew to Athens for a secret medical mission they did not want their family to know about. They turned off their phone locations and spent two weeks cycling between a Greek IVF clinic and Greek island ferries. They returned with an embryo, a baby on the way, and a bill under $12,000. A cycle in Florida had been quoted at $40,000, more than a third of their household income. They are not the only ones. The number of Americans going to Greek and Spanish fertility clinics grew by 37 percent in 2025, and the trend accelerated through 2026 (KFF Health News, 2026). Here is what is driving the surge and what to know before considering it.

Key Takeaways

• The number of Americans going to European fertility clinics in Greece and Spain grew by 37 percent in 2025, according to the European Fertility Society (KFF Health News, 2026).
• A U.S. IVF cycle now averages $29,000 to $54,000 including medications, genetic testing, and storage, while comparable Greek and Spanish cycles cost $3,000 to $12,000 (GoodRx, 2025; ASRM, 2025).
• Trump administration policies including TrumpRx medication discounts and a proposed employer-coverage rule have not yet meaningfully lowered total U.S. cycle costs.
• Going abroad involves real medical, legal, and logistical trade-offs that patients should weigh before booking a flight.

Why the U.S. Is So Expensive

The high cost of U.S. IVF has multiple drivers. IVF medication costs have risen roughly 90 percent since 2014 according to GoodRx data, partly because the largest manufacturers (EMD Serono and Organon) hold near-monopoly positions on follitropin alfa and other gonadotropins. A 2025 industry survey by Axene Health Partners and the Women's Reproductive Health Foundation found the average U.S. IVF cycle costs $29,000, or 35 percent of median U.S. household income, and the total per IVF-conceived birth rises above $54,000 when genetic testing, embryo storage, and pregnancy care are included (KFF Health News, 2026).

Citation capsule: A 2025 industry survey found the average U.S. IVF cycle costs $29,000, and the total per IVF-conceived birth exceeds $54,000 when medications, testing, and pregnancy care are included (KFF Health News, 2026).

Most states do not require insurance to cover IVF. As of 2026, 21 states have some form of fertility-coverage mandate, but the scope varies widely, and the most populous states (California, Texas, Florida) do not require comprehensive IVF coverage.

What the Trump Administration Has Done

Despite the 2024 campaign promise of universal IVF coverage, the administration's 2026 actions have been narrower than the rhetoric. The Department of Labor proposed a rule in May 2026 intended to make it easier for employers to offer fertility benefits, but the rule has not been finalized. The most concrete result has been TrumpRx, a government-run site where cash-paying patients can find some discounted medications. The White House projected savings of up to $2,200 per IVF cycle on medications, but the savings apply only to the medication portion, not to the cycle itself.

Citation capsule: The Trump administration's 2026 IVF actions include a proposed employer-coverage rule and TrumpRx medication discounts projected to save up to $2,200 per cycle on medications only, not on the cycle itself (KFF Health News, 2026).

For context, see our prescription cost-cutting guide for a broader view of how to navigate U.S. drug prices.

What European Clinics Offer

Greek and Spanish clinics market aggressively to international patients. The Pelargos IVF Medical Group in Athens, the Serum IVF clinic (where the Solomons went), and clinics in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia offer English-speaking coordinators, airport pickup, and bundled packages that include medications, retrieval, fertilization, and embryo transfer.

A 2026 cycle at Serum IVF in Athens costs roughly $6,000 without embryo freezing. Including medications, retrieval, and transfer, most American patients report total bills in the $10,000 to $12,000 range, plus travel.

Cost component	U.S. cycle	Greek/Spanish cycle
Clinic fees	$15,000 to $25,000	$3,000 to $6,000
Medications	$5,000 to $10,000	$1,500 to $3,000
Genetic testing (PGT)	$3,000 to $6,000	$1,500 to $3,000
Embryo storage per year	$600 to $1,200	$300 to $500
Travel and lodging	$0	$2,000 to $5,000
Total per cycle	$29,000 to $54,000	$10,000 to $18,000

Citation capsule: U.S. IVF cycles cost $29,000 to $54,000, while comparable Greek and Spanish cycles cost $10,000 to $18,000 including travel (GoodRx 2025; ASRM 2025; KFF Health News 2026).

What the Trade-Offs Are

Cost is not the only thing that differs. Several practical and legal realities matter for Americans considering treatment abroad:

• Donor anonymity — standard in Greece and Spain. If you want a future relationship with a donor or want to know the donor's medical history, this is a real limitation.
• Sex selection — restricted in both countries.
• Embryo storage limits — Greece imposes time limits; longer storage may require transport.
• Number of embryos transferred — both countries have legal limits, often stricter than some U.S. clinics.
• Surrogacy — restricted in Greece for nonresidents; commercial surrogacy is illegal in Spain, though some patients travel to other jurisdictions.
• Follow-up care — pregnancy monitoring and any complications must be handled back home. Communication with the foreign clinic across time zones is doable but not seamless.

Citation capsule: Greek and Spanish clinics offer lower cost but impose legal restrictions on donor anonymity, sex selection, embryo storage, and surrogacy that some U.S. patients find limiting (KFF Health News, 2026).

The Logistics That Decide Whether It Works

Patients who have done it successfully share a few common practices:

1. Pre-cycle workup at home — most U.S. reproductive endocrinologists will run the baseline labs (AMH, FSH, antral follicle count, infectious disease screening) for a fee, and the European clinic can use those results to plan the cycle.
2. Two trips, not one — most U.S. patients do one trip for stimulation and egg retrieval, and a second trip weeks later for embryo transfer. The Solomons did two trips across two summers.
3. Document everything — bring a complete record home, including the stimulation protocol, lab results, and embryo grading.
4. Plan for the worst — a U.S. clinic for ongoing monitoring after a positive pregnancy test, with the foreign clinic on call for questions.

What the Outcomes Look Like

The European Fertility Society reports that clinical pregnancy rates per cycle in the largest Greek and Spanish clinics are comparable to top U.S. clinics, in the 35 to 55 percent range for women under 38. For older patients, success rates fall as expected, and the same age-related declines apply in any country. The cost advantage disappears if multiple cycles are needed, but the absolute cost per cycle remains lower.

Citation capsule: Clinical pregnancy rates at the largest Greek and Spanish clinics are 35 to 55 percent per cycle for women under 38, comparable to top U.S. centers (KFF Health News, 2026).

What to Consider Before Booking

For U.S. patients considering IVF abroad, four questions matter:

1. Is your home clinic on board? Some U.S. reproductive endocrinologists will coordinate with European clinics; others will not. Find out before booking.
2. What does your insurance actually cover? Some plans cover diagnostic testing, monitoring, and medications even if they do not cover retrieval and transfer. That changes the math.
3. What is your citizenship and immigration status? Bringing a newborn born abroad back to the U.S. requires a consular report of birth abroad and a passport. The process is well-established but takes weeks.
4. What is your fallback plan? If the cycle fails, what comes next? Will you do a second cycle abroad, or return to a U.S. clinic?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IVF abroad safe?

At reputable clinics, yes. The clinical standards in Greece and Spain are similar to U.S. standards, and the largest clinics are accredited by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Verify accreditation, success rates, and English-language coordination before booking.

Will my U.S. insurance cover anything?

Some plans cover diagnostic testing, monitoring, and medications, even if they do not cover retrieval and transfer. Contact your plan directly; the answer can change the math.

What is TrumpRx and how much can it save?

TrumpRx is a government-run site that lists cash-pay prices for some medications, including some fertility drugs. The White House projects savings of up to $2,200 per IVF cycle on medications, but it does not lower the cost of the cycle itself.

Are there U.S. clinics that match the European price?

A small number of U.S. clinics, including CNY Fertility with locations in several states, advertise IVF at $8,000 per cycle, much closer to the European price. Quality, success rates, and patient experience vary. Research carefully.

Conclusion

The 37 percent growth in Americans going to European clinics reflects a real and widening gap between U.S. and European IVF prices. For patients with the resources to travel, the savings are real. For patients without, the gap raises a basic question about who gets to build a family in America. Until U.S. coverage policy catches up with the rhetoric, the cost of IVF will continue to send American patients abroad.

Sources

• Dawson LJ. High Fertility Costs Push Americans Abroad for IVF Treatment. KFF Health News. August 28, 2026. https://kffhealthnews.org/health-care-costs/ivf-tourism-fertility-in-vitro-fertilization-high-costs-pregnancy-parenthood-greece
• GoodRx. IVF medication cost trends, 2014-2024. 2025. https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/research/ivf-in-vitro-fertilization-medications-cost-increase
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Access to care committee opinion. 2025. https://www.asrm.org
• Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. National IVF outcome data. 2024. https://www.sart.org
• European Fertility Society. Cross-border fertility care statistics. 2025. https://www.ivfmedia.org