Egg freezing is an empowering option for women who want to preserve their fertility for the future. Spain has become a leading destination for fertility preservation due to its high medical standards, competitive pricing, and patient-centered approach. But if you’re not a resident, what should you know before egg freezing abroad in Spain?

Choosing the Right Clinic

The first and most important step is selecting a fertility clinic that provides full support for international patients and makes the process smooth and well organized. When finding a clinic overseas, consider asking them about:

Completing your first consultations online so you can get expert guidance before travelling
Assistance with pre-treatment testing in your home country
Pricing – including ultrasounds, years of egg storage, discount on further IVF, egg quality assessment, and any other necessary expenses
Your care team – who will be providing care and support to you during the process? Is there a patient care coordinator assigned to you? Are translation services available, if necessary?

Check Your Ovarian Reserve and Hormones Before You Travel

Before making any decisions, assess your ovarian reserve to determine whether egg freezing is the right option for you. This can be checked through:

An AMH test (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) to check egg quantity
Antral follicles count via ultrasound
Hormone tests for overall ovarian function

If your results indicate a low ovarian reserve, your fertility specialist may suggest multiple egg freezing cycles for better success. The younger the patient, the better the egg quality typically is. For women over 35, multiple cycles might be recommended to optimize a higher chance of having a baby with your frozen eggs.

Legal Aspects

Elective egg freezing is legal and accessible to all women in Spain, regardless of marital status or nationality. Women, independently of their nationality, can store their eggs for as long as needed. If you choose to fertilize your eggs with donor sperm, your donor will remain strictly anonymous. In order to transfer eggs outside of Spain, the final approval depends on the Spanish government, a process that can take up to several weeks. If pursuing IVF in the future, you may need to return back to Spain for the IVF process.

Costs of Egg Freezing in Spain

Spain is more affordable than the UK or US, while maintaining the highest standards of fertility treatment. The cost of an egg freezing cycle is usually under $3,000 and, depending on the clinics, might include more services than the treatment itself. Medication costs typically are an additional $1000-1600. Always request comprehensive pricing information when contacting potential clinics.

Completing your full egg freezing cycle in Spain may be cheaper, depending on travel costs. Why?

Medication is significantly cheaper in Spain
No need to redo prescriptions in your home country.
All monitoring is either included in your treatment price or at a very low price.

Length of Stay

Plan to stay for the entire stimulation phase and retrieval. For non-European residents, it’s best to stay in Spain for the duration of your ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, plus a day or two after your retrieval. The length of an egg freezing cycle can fluctuate, so ensuring flexible and refundable travel plans is recommended.

To ensure you have enough time to recover before your travel home, plan to leave a few buffer days before and after your treatment cycle.

If you’re considering egg freezing in Spain, start by researching and comparing clinics, and schedule a virtual consultation to meet your doctor and team. It’s important to check your ovarian reserve before committing to an egg freezing cycle, and make sure to plan your stay alongside your clinic staff to ensure a seamless experience.

Dr. Elena Santiago is a renowned specialist in gynecology at Vida Fertility Madrid. She graduated in Medicine and Surgery and completed her residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Since then, she has specialized in infertility, assisted reproduction, gynecological and obstetric ultrasound scans, among others. Throughout her career she has combined her healthcare work with an important informative activity, participating in numerous communications at national and international congresses and in publications on the specialty.