IVF clinics in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Find IVF clinics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, sorted by distance. Includes the IVF process in 5 steps, costs and success rates by age.

201 IVF clinics compared

According to their own information, 201 providers in Germany (153), Austria (25), and Switzerland (23) offer IVF. Sort by distance from your location and ask about costs and appointments. By city: Berlin · Munich · Zurich · Vienna · Hamburg · Stuttgart · Basel · Cologne · Frankfurt am Main · Düsseldorf · Münster · Ulm · Erlangen · Graz · Lucerne · St. Gallen.

This page covers Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

In vitro fertilization, or IVF for short, is one of the most frequently performed methods of assisted reproduction worldwide. Eggs are brought together with sperm outside the body, and fertilization takes place in the lab. The resulting embryo is then transferred into the uterus.

Since the birth of Louise Brown in 1978, the first “test-tube baby,” the techniques have developed rapidly. Today, IVF is an established procedure: the German IVF Registry (Deutsches IVF-Register, D.I.R.) alone recorded about 131,800 treatment cycles in 2024.

Who is IVF an option for?

IVF is an option if the fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged, or if other methods such as hormonal stimulation or insemination (IUI) have not been successful. Typical indications are:

  • Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes: when the tubes cannot be treated any other way
  • Endometriosis: when the condition interferes with natural conception
  • Reduced sperm quality: mildly to moderately reduced values (with severely reduced quality, ICSI is often recommended)
  • Unexplained infertility: when no pregnancy occurs despite normal findings and other treatments have been exhausted
  • After several unsuccessful IUI cycles: as the next treatment step

According to the guideline of the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G-BA), age alone is not a reason for IVF. However, the chances per transfer drop considerably with age, as the success rates table below shows.

The IVF process in 5 steps

1. Hormonal stimulation

Daily hormone injections stimulate the ovaries to mature several eggs at the same time instead of just one per cycle. Regular ultrasound checks and blood tests monitor follicle growth. The stimulation protocol is tailored to your situation, which also determines how many days the stimulation lasts.

2. Egg retrieval (follicular aspiration)

Once the follicles have reached the right size, the eggs are retrieved by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration under brief anesthesia or sedation. The procedure is short, and most women can go home the same day.

3. Fertilization in the lab

The retrieved eggs are brought together with sperm the same day. In classic IVF, eggs and sperm are combined in a culture dish, and fertilization happens naturally. If sperm quality is reduced, ICSI can be used instead.

4. Embryo culture (3 to 5 days)

The fertilized eggs are cultured in an incubator, and their development is observed. Depending on the clinic and the situation, the transfer takes place at the cleavage stage (day 2 to 3) or at the blastocyst stage (day 5). Some clinics use time-lapse imaging (embryo monitoring) for an even more precise assessment of embryo quality.

5. Embryo transfer

One or two embryos are transferred into the uterus with a thin catheter. This is a painless procedure that takes only a few minutes. In Germany, the Embryo Protection Act (Embryonenschutzgesetz) allows a maximum of three embryos to be transferred per cycle. The trend, however, is toward single embryo transfer to avoid multiple pregnancies.

A blood test for the pregnancy hormone hCG shows whether the treatment was successful. The professional societies do not recommend a fixed test day. After a blastocyst transfer, it is usually about 9 to 14 days after the transfer, depending on the clinic, and your clinic will tell you the exact day. The IVF Due Date Calculator shows you the usual time window for the blood test, the week of pregnancy, and the due date after your transfer.

IVF success rates

Success rates depend heavily on the woman's age, the most important factor. Clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates per embryo transfer for IVF in fresh cycles, according to the German IVF Registry (analysis of 2019 to 2023):

Age Pregnancy rate per transfer Live birth rate per transfer
Up to 29 43.1% 34.8%
30 to 34 39.0% 30.9%
35 to 39 31.9% 22.8%
40 24.1% 14.5%
41 22.0% 11.9%
42 16.3% 7.7%
43 12.0% 5.9%
44 11.0% 3.4%
45 and older 3.8% 0.9%
All age groups 33.0% 24.3%

Source: D·I·R Yearbook 2024, p. 26. These figures are averages. Actual rates vary by clinic, cause of infertility, and individual treatment protocol. Many couples need more than one transfer: in the Danish INVICSI study of women in their first IVF cycle, the first treatment cycle, including all frozen embryo transfers, led to a live birth in 47.3% of the women who received IVF, and after the first transfer alone in 31.6%. The German IVF Registry also reports cumulative pregnancy rates across several transfers (Yearbook 2024).

Cost of IVF treatment

Germany

What an IVF cycle costs in Germany differs from clinic to clinic. With an approved treatment plan, clinics bill at statutory health insurance rates; self-pay patients are billed under the Fee Schedule for Physicians, and the medications for stimulation come on top. Under certain conditions, statutory health insurance funds cover 50% of the costs approved in the treatment plan for up to three attempts: for married couples, if both partners are at least 25 years old, the woman is under 40, and the man is under 50. Our cost calculator works out your out-of-pocket cost.

In addition, the federal government funds fertility treatment together with individual states. According to the Fertility Information Portal (Informationsportal Kinderwunsch) of the Federal Family Ministry, cooperation agreements exist with nine states, but Lower Saxony is currently not approving new applications. For married couples, the funding usually covers up to 50% of the out-of-pocket cost, with maximum amounts per cycle. It must be applied for before treatment begins. The conditions for each state are on our page on coverage.

Austria

The IVF Fund (IVF-Fonds) covers 70% of the costs for up to four attempts, a considerably more generous arrangement than in Germany. Among other requirements, the woman must be under 40 and the man or partner under 50 at the start of the attempt, and one of the indications defined by law must apply: fallopian tube damage, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or male infertility. Treatment must take place at a contract hospital of the fund, and medications are included in the rate. According to Austria's Ministry of Social Affairs (Sozialministerium), an IVF attempt at a public contract hospital costs €3,238.47 for women under 35 and €3,456.28 for women aged 35 to 40. The out-of-pocket share there is about €972 and €1,037, respectively; at private contract hospitals, it is about €997 for women under 35 (rates effective July 2025, excluding taxes). Depending on the center's tax rules, the amount may be higher. For private contract centers, our cost calculator therefore uses clinic-reported figures including value-added tax (VAT). In July 2026, Austria's family minister announced a reduction of the out-of-pocket share from 30% to 25%. It is not yet in the law (as of October 4, 2026).

Switzerland

Mandatory basic health insurance (Grundversicherung) does not cover the cost of IVF. It pays only for artificial insemination, up to three treatment cycles per pregnancy (Annex 1 of the Health Care Benefits Ordinance, Krankenpflege-Leistungsverordnung, KLV). You therefore pay for IVF yourself, and the prices, including medications, differ from clinic to clinic. Whether supplementary insurance contributes anything depends on the individual contract. Our cost calculator shows the amounts we use for Switzerland.

IVF vs. ICSI: What is the difference?

In classic IVF, an egg and sperm are brought together in a culture dish, and fertilization happens on its own. In ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.

ICSI is preferred in cases of:

  • Severely reduced sperm quality
  • Previous IVF failure (no fertilization or very low fertilization)
  • Surgically retrieved sperm (TESE) or very few motile sperm after thawing a frozen sample
  • Thawed eggs, for example after elective egg freezing
  • Planned preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)

Without a male factor, ICSI offers no advantage according to large randomized trials; the details are in the comparison IVF or ICSI. Even so, more ICSI cycles than classic IVF cycles are now performed in Germany: in 2024, according to the German IVF Registry, there were about 44,200 fresh ICSI cycles versus 20,500 IVF cycles.

Risks and side effects

Like any medical treatment, IVF carries certain risks:

  • Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): The German IVF Registry recorded severe OHSS (grade III) in 0.2% of started stimulations in 2024.
  • Multiple pregnancies: When only one embryo is transferred, multiples are rare: among women with a good prognosis and single embryo transfer, they accounted for 1.6% of live births. Across all IVF, ICSI, and frozen embryo transfer treatments, the rate of multiples was 8.0% in 2023.
  • Emotional strain: the treatment process can be mentally demanding, and many clinics offer psychological counseling alongside treatment
  • Egg retrieval: low risk of bleeding or infection; according to the registry, complications occurred in 0.6% of egg retrievals

Tips for choosing a clinic

When choosing an IVF clinic, it is worth paying attention to the following points:

  • The clinic's success rates: in relation to age and diagnosis, not just the overall rate
  • Range of treatments: does the clinic also offer additional procedures such as ICSI, time-lapse imaging, or assisted hatching?
  • Team experience: qualifications of the fertility specialists and embryologists
  • Personal support: dedicated contacts and enough time for consultations
  • Transparent cost breakdown: all costs clearly communicated in advance

Frequently asked questions about IVF

How long does an IVF cycle take?

A cycle includes stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo culture, transfer, and the wait until the blood test. How long stimulation lasts depends on your protocol. Embryo culture until the transfer takes 3 to 5 days, and after a blastocyst transfer, many clinics do the blood test about 9 to 14 days after the transfer. Your clinic will give you your exact schedule.

Is IVF painful?

The daily hormone injections are unpleasant but usually manageable. Egg retrieval is done under sedation or brief anesthesia. The embryo transfer itself is painless.

How many attempts does it take?

There is no general answer; it depends mainly on age. In the Danish INVICSI study of women in their first IVF cycle, the first treatment cycle, including all frozen embryo transfers, led to a live birth in 47.3% of the women who received IVF. Some couples get pregnant on the first attempt, others need more tries. Your doctor can better assess the prognosis based on your individual situation.

Can you keep working during IVF?

In principle, yes. Many women take the day of the egg retrieval off because it takes place under sedation or brief anesthesia. How much rest makes sense afterward and during the wait until the test is best discussed with your clinic.

Conclusion

IVF is an established procedure when problems with the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, sperm quality, or unsuccessful inseminations prevent a natural pregnancy. The chances depend mainly on the woman's age: the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer in the registry was just over 40% up to age 29 and considerably lower from age 40. Because several transfers are often needed, it is worth taking a close look at costs and funding in your country. When choosing a clinic, age-specific success rates, the experience of the team, and a transparent cost breakdown matter.

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