IVF in Berlin: process, costs and chances of success

Key facts at a glance

In in vitro fertilisation (IVF), eggs are retrieved after hormone treatment, fertilised in the laboratory and transferred to the uterus as an embryo. It takes about four to five weeks from the start of stimulation to the pregnancy test.

In 2024, the pregnancy rate at our practice was 40.6% per embryo transfer (fresh cycle, day-5 transfer, all age groups, own analysis). Under certain conditions, statutory health insurance covers 50% of the costs for up to three attempts.

What is IVF and when is it an option?

IVF means “fertilisation in glass”: egg and sperm meet in the laboratory instead of in the fallopian tube. In ICSI, a variant of IVF, a single sperm is placed directly into the egg.

IVF is mainly considered in cases of:

• blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
• endometriosis, if pregnancy does not occur naturally or with insemination
• reduced sperm quality (then usually as ICSI)
• several unsuccessful inseminations
• unexplained infertility after completed diagnostics

Whether IVF is the right path for you is something we clarify in the pre-treatment consultation. It is based on the findings of both partners, for example from the Fertility Check.

The process in six steps

1. Pre-treatment consultation and treatment plan. We discuss findings, treatment path, risks and costs. Patients with statutory insurance submit the treatment plan to their insurer before treatment begins.
2. Hormonal stimulation. For about 7 to 11 days you inject yourself with hormones so that several eggs mature. Ultrasound and blood tests show when the eggs are mature. A final injection triggers maturation, about 36 to 37 hours before egg collection.
3. Egg collection (follicle aspiration). Under a short anaesthetic, we retrieve the eggs with a fine needle through the vagina, guided by ultrasound. The procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You go home the same day, accompanied. Which painkillers are safe afterwards is explained in our article “Painkillers after egg retrieval”.
4. Fertilisation and embryo culture in the laboratory. Our IVF laboratory fertilises the eggs, by conventional IVF or by ICSI. The embryos usually develop until day five (blastocyst). Under the German Embryo Protection Act (Embryonenschutzgesetz), only as many embryos may be cultured as are needed for the planned embryo transfer. Deliberately creating surplus embryos is not permitted.
5. Embryo transfer. Using a thin, soft catheter, we transfer the embryo into the uterus. This is usually painless; no anaesthetic is needed. For the ultrasound view, please come with a moderately full bladder. To avoid multiple pregnancies, we strongly recommend transferring a single embryo (single embryo transfer).
6. Waiting period and pregnancy test. From egg collection onwards, progesterone (usually as vaginal pessaries or gel) supports the uterine lining. 10 to 14 days after the transfer, a blood test (hCG) shows whether a pregnancy has occurred.

Surplus embryos or fertilised eggs can be frozen and transferred later. This avoids the need for another stimulation.

Risks and side effects

Most symptoms are temporary: a feeling of tension in the abdomen, bloating, mood swings during stimulation and mild lower abdominal pain after egg collection.

Less common, but important:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): the ovaries respond too strongly. Modern protocols reduce this risk considerably. Contact us immediately if your abdomen swells markedly, you are short of breath or pass much less urine.
• Bleeding or infection after egg collection.
• Multiple pregnancy, especially if more than one embryo is transferred.
• Ectopic pregnancy, also rare.

We give figures on frequency in the pre-treatment consultation.

Chances of success

In 2024, the pregnancy rate at our practice was 40.6% per embryo transfer (fresh cycle, day-5 transfer, all age groups, own analysis). For women aged 30 to 33 it was 42% per embryo transfer. This is based on our IVF laboratory's analysis for 2024.

The most important factor is the woman's age. Over the years, the proportion of eggs with chromosomal abnormalities rises, especially from the mid-thirties and markedly from 40. Such eggs lead to pregnancy less often and to miscarriage more often.

A pregnancy rate is not the same as a birth rate. Nationwide figures by age group from the German IVF Registry are on our page Success rates.

More about our results on the page Success rates.

Costs and cost coverage

Without subsidy, an IVF cycle costs about €2,000 – 3,500, an ICSI cycle about €3,500 – 6,500. In each case, medication costs about €1,000 – 1,500 on top. We give you the exact amounts in a cost estimate. An overview of all prices is on our costs page.

Statutory insurance does not cover, among other things, freezing and storing eggs or embryos as part of IVF or treatment with donor sperm.

Funding from the State of Berlin: Berlin's funding programme for fertility treatment is currently not offered (as of October 2026, Service Berlin).

IVF with donor sperm: for female couples and solo mothers

We also treat female couples and single women with donor sperm from a sperm bank. Treatment often begins with insemination. IVF is considered if this is unsuccessful or there are medical reasons.

You bear the costs yourself. We discuss legal questions such as the sperm donor register and parenthood with you in advance. More on our page about donor sperm treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Your next step

In the first consultation we clarify whether IVF is the right path for you and what to expect. Book appointment online or come to our next information evening without obligation.