IVF costs in the UK: 15 things to ask about before you sign

Get a costed treatment plan in writing first

The HFEA’s Code of Practice says clinics must give you a personalised, costed treatment plan before treatment starts. It should set out the investigations, tests and any add-ons proposed, what they cost, and what could change. Clinics must be “open, clear and honest about fees”.

The CMA also expects clinics to tell you in writing, before you sign, about your treatment, the medicines you’re likely to need and their cost, and any extra treatment that can be foreseen.

Ask: “Can you break down all the costs of this treatment?”

Check what the package price leaves out

Clinics don’t all include the same things. When the CMA looked at 12 London clinics, all of them included monitoring scans, egg collection and embryo transfer. Only nine included sedation, seven included blastocyst culture and monitoring blood tests, and five included the HFEA fee. A repeat check in September 2024 found the differences were still there.

The CMA says that since April 2025, consumer law has required a total price that includes the charges you will necessarily pay, and that clinics are more likely to comply if they give an indicative total price for a completed cycle.

Ask: “What do most patients end up paying for that isn’t in this price?”

The first consultation and tests

You’ll usually pay for a consultation and tests before any treatment. The CMA expects the clinic to tell you what the tests, scans and consultation cost, whether more tests may be needed, whether it accepts recent tests done elsewhere, and whether there’s a charge to cancel or rearrange.

If you booked by phone or online, you can normally cancel within 14 days without charge. That doesn’t apply if you asked for the tests to start within the 14 days and were clearly told you’d lose the right.

Ask: “Will you accept tests I’ve already had elsewhere?”

Medicines, often the biggest unknown

The CMA found clinics quoting medicine price ranges as wide as £300 to £2,100 and £935 to £2,595, and said ranges that wide are unlikely to give patients any real idea of the cost. Any “from” price for medicines must be realistic.

The clinic should tell you whether you can get your medicines elsewhere, whether it charges for a private prescription, and about extras such as needles, syringes and delivery. You may need more medicine if you respond differently from expected, or if you become pregnant, and the clinic should warn you about this in advance.

Ask: “Can I get my medication from elsewhere?”

Monitoring scans and blood tests

You’ll have scans and often blood tests during stimulation. At the London clinics the CMA checked in September 2024, monitoring blood tests cost from £190 to £1,500 when they weren’t in the package.

Ask: “How many scans and blood tests are included, and what does each extra one cost?”

Sedation for egg collection

Egg collection is usually done under sedation. Three of the 12 London clinics in the CMA’s sample didn’t include sedation in their package price, and the CMA lists sedation and anaesthetist fees as something to check.

Ask: “Are sedation and the anaesthetist’s fee included?”

ICSI, and whether you need it

ICSI, where a single sperm is injected into each egg, is usually an extra charge. NICE’s 2026 guideline says not to use ICSI for fertility problems that aren’t male factor if the semen results are normal. The HFEA says having ICSI when it isn’t necessary may increase the cost of treatment.

The CMA expects clinics to warn you in writing about extra costs they can foresee, such as needing ICSI if the sperm sample on the day isn’t as expected.

Ask: “Do I need ICSI, and what would it cost if it’s decided on the day?”

Blastocyst culture and time-lapse imaging

Growing embryos for five or six days (blastocyst culture) and time-lapse imaging are sometimes charged separately. Where they weren’t in the package, the CMA found blastocyst transfer averaged about £600, and time-lapse imaging cost £200 to £995, at the London clinics it checked.

The HFEA rates time-lapse imaging black, meaning the evidence shows it has no effect on the treatment outcome.

Ask: “Is blastocyst culture included, and what is time-lapse imaging for in my case?”

Freezing and storing embryos

Freezing and storing embryos is an ongoing cost. At the London clinics the CMA checked, it cost about £700 to £1,190, depending on the number of years.

Storage can last up to 55 years, but your consent has to be renewed every 10 years. If storage isn’t paid for as agreed, the clinic may have the right to dispose of what’s stored, so keep a note of renewal and payment dates. The CMA expects advance written notice of any storage price rise.

Ask: “What does storage cost each year, and how much notice will I get if the price goes up?”

Frozen embryo transfers

A frozen embryo transfer is usually priced separately, and may need its own medicines and scans. There’s no official average price. As one example, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust’s self-pay price list (January 2026) charges £2,375 for a frozen embryo transfer cycle.

Ask: “What does a frozen embryo transfer cost, including medicines and scans?”

Add-ons, and what the evidence says

Add-ons are optional extras such as endometrial scratching, time-lapse imaging or genetic testing of embryos (PGT-A). The HFEA rates each one from green to red. In September 2026, none was rated green.

NICE’s 2026 guideline says not to offer several add-ons, including PGT-A and endometrial receptivity testing. NICE and the HFEA answer slightly different questions, so it’s worth reading both. The HFEA also suggests thinking about whether it might be better to pay for more cycles of IVF instead.

The CMA says clinics shouldn’t introduce non-essential extra treatments once your treatment has started, unless your medical circumstances have changed.

Ask: “What is the additional cost of the add-on, and what is included?”

The HFEA fee

The HFEA, the UK’s fertility regulator, charges clinics £115 for each cycle of IVF and £45 for each cycle of donor insemination. Some clinics include it in the package price and others add it to the bill. Only five of the 12 London clinics in the CMA’s sample included it.

Ask: “Is the HFEA fee included in this price?”

Counselling

Your clinic is required by law to offer you counselling. Some clinics offer it free, while others charge for it. NICE says counselling should be offered before, during and after treatment, whatever the outcome.

Ask: “Is there a charge for counselling, or how many free sessions can I have?”

If a cycle is cancelled

NICE defines a cancelled cycle as one where egg collection doesn’t happen. The CMA expects at least a partial refund if treatment stops before egg collection, and says you shouldn’t be out of pocket if the clinic cancels when your situation hasn’t changed.

Medicines are often not refundable. As one example, Cambridge IVF’s April 2025 price list refunds £650 if a cycle is cancelled before egg collection, with no refund on medication.

Ask: “What are the refund and cancellation policies at this clinic?”

Multi-cycle, refund and “all-inclusive” packages

Multi-cycle and refund packages can cost less overall, or more if you don’t use all the cycles. Many have eligibility rules, such as age, BMI and ovarian reserve, and some are for a first cycle only.

Check what’s included, what’s extra, any time limits, what happens if you move clinics, and how a refund is worked out. The CMA says an advertised “all-inclusive” price must include everything you’ll need.

Ask: “What are the time limits associated with this package of treatment?”