Latvia as an IVF destination
Latvia is another Eastern European country that does not rank high in fertility patients’ awareness. But, to the surprise of many, it is surely one of the most reliable and quality IVF treatment providers in Europe nowadays. The strongest arguments for choosing Latvia as one’s IVF destination are its clear and predictable regulatory environment, remarkably high standards of treatment and – last but not least – competitive costs.
Latvia is a very popular IVF destination for patients from Scandinavia who highly value (rather uncommon in other countries) services of personal patient coordinators and translators. Besides, the medical staff in all Latvian fertility clinics is generally fluent in English and Russian what enables international communication. The clinics can boast a wide range of advanced IVF procedures that significantly support the success rates. Most patients travelling to Latvia are attracted by legally imposed egg and embryo donation anonymity as well as no upper age limit for either women or men.
It is also worth mentioning that Latvia belongs to both the European Union and the Schengen area. Its capital, Riga, is the place where most Latvian IVF clinics are located. Riga is easily reached by many means of transport, among which budget airlines are the most popular. There are direct flights to Riga provided by airports in most European capitals, as well as from Russia, Israel or Turkey.
Reasons to go to Latvia for IVF
- Safety and quality of diagnostics and treatment
- Competitive IVF treatment costs
- Advanced IVF procedures on offer
- Experienced fertility specialists
- Easy communication in English with clinics’ staff ( or/and translators)
- Various travel options to and from Riga, the state capital
- No upper age limit for female and male patients (decided by each clinic individually)
- Egg/sperm/embryo donation allowed
IVF in Latvia at a glance
IVF treatment options in Latvia
- fertility treatments accessible only to opposite–sex couples and single women
- the lack of age limit for either women or men
- egg and embryo donations are allowed and anonymous
- pre–implantation diagnostics such as PGS and PGD are available
- sex selection is allowed in medically justified cases
- the recommended (although not prescribed by law) number of embryos to transfer is 1 for the so–called good prognosis patients
IVF treatments carried out in Latvian fertility clinics conform to the recommendations of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). One of the most desired aspects of the assisted reproduction law in Latvia is surely the lack of upper age limit for both women and their partners. The decision is made by each clinic individually and some of the units offer reproductive assistance over the age of 50.
However, one liberal aspect of the law does not necessarily translate into another – in Latvia only single women and heterosexual couples are allowed for IVF treatment. The medical impregnation is carried out upon the request of a couple or a woman on the basis of a written application submitted to the medical treatment institution. However there are clinics who treat lesbian couples – assuming one partner states that she is single.
In Latvia, egg donation is anonymous which means that the recipients are not allowed to know the identity of a donor or meet them in person. However, the intended parents may obtain some non–identifying information about the donor such as their genetic and phenotypic data. Although there is no legal indication, the approved guidelines recommend a single embryo transfer for all the patients with good prognosis. Similarly, the guidelines do not recommend the transfer of three or more embryos. Sex selection is possible for medical reasons only – when e.g. there is a risk of a sex-related genetic disease being transferred to the baby.
| IVF treatment in Latvia | |
|---|---|
| Maximum patient age (woman) | No limi Not specified by legislation, decided by each clinic individually |
| IVF treatments for single women | Allowed |
| IVF treatments for lesbian couples | Only if they are treated as a single woman |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with donor eggs | Not specified by legislation. However, there are approved guidelines which do not recommend embryo transfer of 3 or more. |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with own eggs | |
| Anonymous egg donors | Yes |
| Non anonymous egg donors | No |
| Egg donor availability | Average |
| Egg donor age | 18-35 |
IVF treatment costs in Latvia1,2
| IVF costs in Latvia1,2 | |
|---|---|
| Treatment option | Price range |
| IVF with own eggs program | €3,200 - €6,200 |
| IVF with donor eggs program | €5,000 - €8,000 |
| Medical consultation - visit / online (with doctor) | €60 - €110 |
| Donor sperm | €350 - €600 |
| Frozen embryo transfer (all embryos) | €900 - €1,200 |
IVF success rates in Latvia
IVF own eggs success rates in Latvia3
| IVF with own eggs success rates in Latvia3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman age | <34 | 35-39 | ≥40 |
| IVF with own eggs in Latvia | 22.3% | 24.5% | 3.2% |
| ESHRE average in Europe | 29.0% | 24.2% | 12.9% |
IVF donor eggs success rates in Latvia3
| IVF with donor eggs success rates in Latvia3 | |
|---|---|
| IVF with donor eggs in Latvia | 50.9% |
| ESHRE average in Europe | 50.3% |
Assisted Reproduction Law and Clinics in Latvia – information for Patients
| Assisted Reproduction Law and Clinics in Latvia – information for Patients | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Available online? | Language |
| ART Legislation in country | Yes / Link>>> | Latvian / English |
| List of certified IVF Centers by independent national body | Yes / Link>>> | Latvian |
| Success rates published as per IVF center by independent national body | No | - |
| National success rates published for country by independent national body | Yes / Link>>> | Latvian |
Institution and / or contact person for IVF patients in Latvia
The Contact point/information is provided by National Health Service (NHS).
Website: http://www.vmnvd.gov.lv/en/cross–border–healthcare–contact–point
Tel: +371 67045005 (Working hours: Monday – Thursday from 8.30 AM until 17.00 PM, but on Fridays from 8.30 AM until 15.00 PM);
e–mail: nvd@vmnvd.gov.lv
- Patients Enquiries Reports 2013-2019, Fertility Clinics Abroad Ltd., Edinburgh, August 2019.
- Patients Enquiries Report’s 2013-2019, IVF Media Ltd., Dublin, August 2019.
- De Geyter Ch., Calhaz-Jorge C., Kupka M. S., Wyns C., Mocanu E., Motrenko T., Scaravelli G., Smeenk J., Vidakovic S., Goossens V., The European IVF – Monitoring Consortium (EIM) for the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE): ART in Europe, 2014: results generated from European registries by ESHRE, Human Reproduction, Volume 33, Issue 9, September 1st 2018, pp. 1586-1601.
https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/33/9/1586/5055580 - Report on the Regulation of Reproductive Cell Donation in the European Union. Results of Survey, European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Brussels, February 2006.
https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/human_substance/documents/tissues_frep_en.pdf - International Federation of Fertility Societies’ Surveillance (IFFS) 2019, Global Trends in Reproductive Policy and Practice, 8th Edition, Global Reproductive Health, Wolters Kluwer, March 2019, Volume 4, Issue 1, p. e29.
https://journals.lww.com/grh/FullText/2019/03000/International_Federation_of_Fertility_Societies_.3.aspx - A Policy Audit on Fertility. Analysis of 9 EU Countries, Fertility Europe, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Evere, Grimbergen, March 2017.
http://www.fertilityeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/EPAF_FINAL.pdf - Keane M., Long J., O’Nolan G., Farragher L., Assisted reproductive technologies: International approaches to public funding mechanisms and criteria. An evidence review, Health Research Board, Dublin, 2017.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/af2460-health-research-board-report-assisted-reproductive-technologies-inte/?referrer=/blog/publications/health-research-board-report-assisted-reproductive-technologies-international-approaches-to-public-funding-mechanisms-and-criteria-an-evidence-review/ - Assisted Reproductive Technology. Fertility Clinic Success Rates Report 2016, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, October 2018.
ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Publications/art/ART-2016-Clinic-Report-Full.pdf - Präg P., Mills M., Assisted reproductive technology in Europe. Usage and regulation in the context of cross-border reproductive care, Families and Societies, Working Series Paper, Volume 43 (2015), Department of Sociology and Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, 2015.
http://www.familiesandsocieties.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WP43PragMills2015.pdf
