North Cyprus as an IVF destination
North Cyprus has long been an attractive holiday spot for international tourists and nowadays it’s also one of the top fertility tourism destinations. It is willingly chosen by patients from Western Europe, Turkey and Middle East who look for quality IVF treatment abroad.
Reasonable treatment costs constitute a significant advantage here: even if you take into account travel and accommodation costs, it can still work out cheaper for you than in other top IVF destinations. Additionally, IVF regulations are friendly and quite liberal, irrespectively of a patient’s age and marital status. Almost all certified IVF clinics are located in North Cyprus’ major towns: Nicosia and Kyrenia.
All the mentioned advantages in combination with beautiful beaches and holiday atmosphere seem as a perfect choice for IVF treatment. However, there is also a political situation that has to be taken into consideration. The northern part of the island of Cyprus, officially referred to as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is not considered a ‘state’ in terms of European Union regulations. Run by a Turkish Cypriot government, it is to be differentiated from its southern neighbour (called the Republic of Cyprus) and is subject to special EU legal arrangements. It refers to IVF treatment regulations as well.
Reasons to go to North Cyprus for IVF
- Competitive price offer on IVF treatment
- High–standard healthcare facilities
- Easy and convenient travel options
- Convenient and easy IVF trip to arrange
- Holiday surroundings – combining IVF treatment with relaxing vacation
- Liberal IVF regulations and wide choice of treatment options
- Egg/sperm/embryo donation that is both allowed and anonymous
IVF in North Cyprus at a glance
IVF treatment options in North Cyprus
- maximum age for a female patient is 58 (however, over the age of 55, the approval of the ethics committee is required to continue the treatment)
- maximum age for male partner is 65 (under some special circumstances, the ethics committee may decide about a few years more)
- single women are allowed for IVF treatment
- egg/sperm/embryo donation is anonymous
- maximum number of embryos to transfer is 3
- social freezing of eggs and embryo freezing is are permitted
- sex selection allowed for medical reasons
When we say that North Cyprus is one of the most liberal destinations in terms of available IVF treatment options, we really mean it. For instance, it can boast one of the highest maximum age limits for a female patient: 58 years old. However, according to the law, all applications for treating patients over 45 y.o. must be sent to the Ministry of Health for approval. Besides, all the cases of patients over 55 y.o. are submitted to the ethics committee for review and approval as well. Only upon their approving decision, the treatment can be continued.
In North Cyprus, IVF treatment is not limited to married opposite sex–couples. It is allowed for single women and most clinics accept lesbian couples for IVF treatment as well (although officially the latter option is not mentioned in the law). There is no limit on eggs to be fertilised in IVF cycles with own eggs. In IVF cycles with donor eggs, it is preferred for a recipient to get 10 good quality eggs for every cycle. The storage time of frozen oocytes or embryos depends on patients’ age and health.
What’s additionally beneficial, pre–implantation genetic diagnosis (both PGS and PGD) is also included in fertility treatment choices in North Cyprus. It is is extremely crucial in preventing certain genetic diseases or disorders from being passed on to the child.
| IVF treatment in North Cyprus | |
|---|---|
| Maximum patient age (woman) | 58 (over the age of 55, the approval of the ethics committee is required, over 45 Ministry of Health approval is required) |
| IVF treatments for single women | Allowed |
| IVF treatments for lesbian couples | Allowed |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with donor eggs | 3 |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with own eggs | 3 |
| Anonymous egg donors | Yes |
| Non anonymous egg donors | No |
| Egg donor availability | Very good |
| Egg donor age | 18-34 |
IVF treatment costs in North Cyprus1,2
| IVF costs in North Cyprus1,2 | |
|---|---|
| Treatment option | Price range |
| IVF with own eggs program | €2,700 - €5,700 |
| IVF with donor eggs program | €4,500 - €6,000 |
| Medical consultation - visit / online (with doctor) | €80 - €150 |
| Donor sperm | €200 - €500 |
| Frozen embryo transfer (all embryos) | €1,200 - €1,500 |
IVF success rates in North Cyprus
As North Cyprus is still not recognised by any country other than Turkey, its IVF clinics are not obliged to report their results and success rates to any international monitoring organisations, e.g. ESHRE (The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) . Hence, assessing their treatment results from an independent point of view is almost impossible and patients can source their knowledge only from the clinics’ own websites and reports. In such case, it is more than advisable to check if the clinic you’ve chosen is fully accredited and regulated by a governing body before deciding on a treatment.
IVF own eggs success rates in North Cyprus3 (pregnancy per embryo transfer)
There is no information about success rates published by any national or international body.
IVF donor eggs success rates in North Cyprus3 (pregnancy per embryo transfer)
There is no information about success rates published by any national or international body.
Assisted Reproduction Law and Clinics in North Cyprus – information for Patients
| Assisted Reproduction Law and Clinics in North Cyprus – information for Patients | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Available online? | Language |
| ART Legislation in country | Yes / Link>>> | Turkish |
| List of certified IVF Centers by independent national body | No | - |
| Success rates published as per IVF center by independent national body | No | - |
| National success rates published for country by independent national body | No | - |
Institution and / or contact person for IVF patients in North Cyprus
National body responsible for IVF law: Ministry of Health
Website: https://saglik.gov.ct.tr/
Contact person for IVF patients: Mr. Ahmet Varoğlu
Phone no: +90 392 228 40 68
Contact email: avaroglu@hotmail.com
- 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
