Complete IVF with blastocyst culture and time-lapse embryo monitoring all included as standard, performed inside Kamiloglu Hospital, Kyrenia, with transparent pricing from €3,500.
Treatment Overview
What is IVF?
IVF (in vitro fertilisation, literally "fertilisation in glass") is the process of helping an egg and a sperm meet outside the body, in a laboratory, and then placing the resulting embryo back into the uterus to grow into a pregnancy. It was developed in 1978 and has since helped bring more than twelve million babies into the world. If your fallopian tubes are blocked, your partner's sperm needs help reaching the egg, or years of trying have simply not worked, IVF bypasses those obstacles by doing the most delicate part of conception under the microscope, where nothing is left to chance.
A standard IVF cycle has four broad phases. First, your ovaries are gently stimulated with hormone injections so that instead of the single egg you release in a natural month, ten or more eggs mature at the same time. Second, those eggs are collected in a short procedure under light sedation. Third, our embryologists fertilise the eggs and watch the resulting embryos develop in the laboratory for up to five days. Finally, the strongest embryo (or embryos) is transferred into your uterus in a quick, painless procedure, and twelve days later, a blood test tells you whether it has implanted.
At our clinic, every IVF cycle includes ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) as standard. With this method, the embryologist selects a single healthy-looking sperm and injects it directly into each mature egg, rather than leaving the eggs and sperm in a dish and hoping fertilisation happens on its own. This removes the element of chance from fertilisation and is especially valuable when sperm count, movement or shape is a concern. Many clinics in Cyprus and the UK charge several hundred euros extra for it; we believe it should simply be how IVF is done, so it is built into our standard package. The same goes for blastocyst culture (growing embryos for five days so the strongest can identify themselves) and time-lapse monitoring (a camera inside the incubator that photographs your embryos every few minutes, so they are never disturbed and we never miss a developmental milestone).
There is one more difference worth knowing about. Your egg retrieval, embryology and transfer all take place inside Kamiloglu Hospital, Kyrenia Medical Center, a full-service hospital with surgical theatres, an intensive care unit and a 24/7 anaesthesia and emergency team. Serious complications in IVF are rare, but if one ever occurred, you would already be in exactly the right place, not waiting for an ambulance from a standalone clinic.
In simple terms: we help your ovaries produce several eggs at once, fertilise each one by injecting a single chosen sperm into it, watch the embryos grow for five days, and place the strongest one back into your uterus, all inside a real hospital, for one transparent price.
Who is This Treatment For?
IVF is our most frequently performed treatment, and it is typically recommended if any of the following sounds like your situation:
Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. If the tubes are blocked (for example after infection, surgery or ectopic pregnancy), egg and sperm cannot meet naturally. IVF bypasses the tubes completely.
Male factor infertility. Low sperm count, poor motility (movement) or abnormal morphology (shape). Because we use it in every cycle, even a small number of healthy sperm can be enough.
Unexplained infertility. Around one in four couples never receives a clear diagnosis. If you have been trying for two years or more without success, IVF both treats the problem and often reveals it, fertilisation and embryo development can be observed directly in the lab.
Endometriosis. Tissue similar to the womb lining growing outside the uterus can affect egg quality, tubal function and implantation. IVF offers the best per-cycle chance of pregnancy for moderate to severe endometriosis.
Ovulation disorders such as PCOS. If simpler treatments like ovulation induction or IUI (intrauterine insemination) have not worked, IVF gives far more control over egg development and timing.
Previous failed cycles elsewhere. Many of our patients arrive after one or more unsuccessful IVF attempts in the UK or Europe. We start by reviewing exactly what happened before, see our dedicated guide, Had a Failed IVF?
Age considerations: IVF with your own eggs is generally available up to age 45 under current TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) regulations, with treatment up to 55 possible at clinic discretion after fitness-for-pregnancy testing. Because egg quality declines with age, your doctor may discuss alternatives such as egg donation or tandem IVF (your own eggs and donor eggs in the same cycle) if you are over 42 or have low ovarian reserve. Single women and same-sex couples are welcome at our clinic.
No obligation. Our coordinator responds within 2 hours during working hours.
The Process
Your IVF Journey, Day by Day
No vague "first we test, then we treat" summaries. Here is exactly what happens on which day, how long each step takes, and, just as importantly, how it tends to feel.
1
Day 1 · Before your cycle starts
Free Online Consultation & Testing
Everything begins with a video call with our fertility specialist, free and without obligation. We review your medical history, previous cycles and any test results you already have, then arrange a short list of tests you can complete near home: an AMH blood test (anti-Müllerian hormone, which estimates your egg reserve), a pelvic ultrasound with antral follicle count, and a semen analysis for your partner. Nothing is repeated unnecessarily; recent results are accepted.
How it feels: mostly relief, patients tell us this is the first time anyone explained their results in plain language. Duration: 30–45 minute call; tests done locally within a week or two.
2
Day 2–3 of your cycle
Personalised Protocol & Baseline Scan
Your doctor designs a stimulation protocol around your age, AMH level, follicle count and any previous response to medication, never a copy-paste template. On day 2 or 3 of your period you have a baseline ultrasound and hormone blood test (at home or in Kyrenia) to confirm your ovaries are ready. Your coordinator then walks you through every medication, dose by dose, with video guides you can rewatch at any time.
How it feels: a little information-heavy, but you will have a written plan and a coordinator on WhatsApp for every "is this normal?" moment. Duration: 1 day.
3
Day 3–12
Ovarian Stimulation, Daily Injections
For around 8 to 12 days you give yourself one or two small injections each day to encourage a group of follicles (the fluid-filled sacs that each contain an egg) to grow together. Progress is checked by ultrasound and blood tests every 2 to 3 days, at a partner clinic near home if you start there, or with us in Kyrenia. Doses are adjusted in real time based on how your ovaries respond. Most patients fly to Cyprus around day 8 of stimulation.
How it feels: the first injection is the hardest, after that it becomes routine. Expect some bloating and heaviness in the last few days as follicles grow. Duration: 8–12 days.
4
Day 12–13
Trigger Injection, Precision Timing
When your largest follicles reach about 18–20 mm, you take a single "trigger" injection (usually Ovitrelle) that tells the eggs to complete their final maturation. The timing matters to the hour: egg retrieval is scheduled exactly 35–36 hours later, just before the eggs would be released naturally. Your coordinator confirms the precise time with you twice, this is the one injection you must not be late for.
How it feels: identical to the other injections, with a slight sense of fullness afterwards. Many patients feel excited, the waiting phase is over. Duration: 1 injection, then a medication-free day.
5
Day 14–15
Egg Retrieval at Kamiloglu Hospital
Under light sedation (you sleep, but no breathing tube is needed), your doctor guides a fine needle through the vaginal wall into each follicle using ultrasound, gently drawing out the fluid containing the eggs. The procedure takes 15–20 minutes and is performed in a hospital theatre with a consultant anaesthetist present, one of the practical benefits of being inside Kamiloglu Hospital rather than a standalone clinic. Your partner provides a sperm sample the same morning (or a frozen/surgical sample is prepared).
How it feels: you wake in recovery with mild, period-like cramping and know the egg count within the hour. Most patients walk out after 2 hours and rest for the afternoon. Duration: half a day including recovery.
6
Day 15–19
Fertilisation & Blastocyst Culture
A few hours after retrieval, our embryologist injects a single selected sperm into each mature egg. The next morning you receive your fertilisation report, typically 70–80% of mature eggs fertilise normally. The embryos then grow in time-lapse incubators that photograph them every few minutes without ever opening the door, and we send you daily updates: how many are dividing on schedule, and how many reach the blastocyst stage (day 5, around 100 cells). You rest, explore Kyrenia, and let the lab work.
How it feels: these are the most nerve-racking days of the cycle, every patient says so. Daily embryo updates from your coordinator help enormously. Duration: 3–5 days.
7
Day 19–20
Embryo Transfer
The best-quality blastocyst (graded under the microscope, you will see a photo) is loaded into a soft catheter and placed in your uterus under ultrasound guidance. No anaesthesia is needed; it feels like a smear test and takes about ten minutes. Under current TRNC regulations a maximum of 3 embryos may be transferred, but we will counsel you carefully on single or double transfer, the safest routes to a healthy pregnancy. Remaining good-quality embryos can be frozen for the future. You rest for 30 minutes, then return to your hotel.
How it feels: emotional in the best way, many patients ask for the ultrasound photo of the moment of transfer. Mild cramping afterwards is normal. Duration: 30 minutes plus rest; fly home from the next day.
8
Day 20–32
The Two-Week Wait & Pregnancy Test
You continue progesterone support at home while the embryo (hopefully) implants. Twelve days after transfer you take a beta-hCG blood test (the pregnancy hormone, far more reliable than a urine stick) at a local clinic or GP, and we interpret the result with you the same day. If positive, we guide your medication through the early weeks and schedule the first heartbeat scan at around week 6–7. If negative, your doctor personally reviews the cycle and discusses next steps, we never simply send an invoice for round two.
How it feels: the hardest wait of all. Your coordinator stays in touch throughout, and our written two-week-wait guide covers what symptoms mean (and don't mean). Duration: 12 days from transfer to test.
Want this plan applied to your own dates and test results?
For most patients, the medication is the scariest part of IVF on paper, and the easiest in practice. Here is what each drug actually does.
Stimulation injections, FSH
Brands you may see: Gonal-F, Menopur, Puregon. These contain FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), the same hormone your body already uses to mature one egg a month, given at a higher dose so a whole group of follicles grows together. Taken once daily as a small injection under the skin of the belly, usually in the evening, for 8–12 days.
The "brake", antagonist
Brands: Cetrotide, Orgalutran. From around day 5 or 6 of stimulation, a second daily injection stops your body from releasing the eggs too early (premature ovulation), which would mean losing them before retrieval. Think of FSH as the accelerator and the antagonist as the brake, together they keep every egg exactly where we need it.
The trigger shot
Brand: Ovitrelle (or similar hCG/agonist triggers). One single injection, timed to the hour, that tells the eggs to complete their final maturation step so they can be collected 35–36 hours later. Your coordinator confirms the exact time with you personally, it is the only time-critical moment of the cycle.
Progesterone support
Brands: Progestan (capsule) or Cyclogest (vaginal pessary), sometimes Prolutex (injection). After egg retrieval, progesterone keeps the lining of your uterus thick and receptive so the embryo can implant. You continue it through the two-week wait and, if the test is positive, typically until week 10–12 of pregnancy.
"I could never inject myself", yes, you can
Almost every patient says this at the start, and almost every patient is surprised by how manageable it is. The needles are very short and fine, similar to those used by people with diabetes, and most medications come in pre-filled pens where you simply dial the dose. The injection goes into the soft skin of the lower belly and takes a few seconds; most people describe a brief sting, nothing more.
Before you start, your coordinator walks you through your first injection live on a video call, and you get short video guides for every drug in your protocol. Partners often take over the injections as their part of the journey. And if anything ever feels wrong, a missed dose, a bent needle, a bubble in the syringe, we are one WhatsApp message away, every day of your cycle. You can read more about remote cycle support on our How It Works page.
What to Expect
Honest Expectations: Body, Mind and Logistics
Knowing what is normal removes half the anxiety. Here is what IVF feels like, physically and emotionally, and how to plan around it.
Physically
During stimulation, expect mild bloating, breast tenderness, occasional headaches and a heavy, full feeling in the lower belly towards the end, your ovaries are temporarily two to three times their usual size. After egg retrieval, period-like cramps and spotting for a day or two are normal; most patients need nothing stronger than paracetamol.
Embryo transfer itself is painless. Progesterone in the two-week wait can cause tiredness, mild nausea and twinges that imitate both period pains and early pregnancy, which is why we ask you not to read too much into symptoms either way.
Emotionally
IVF is a rollercoaster, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. The injections phase usually feels purposeful and busy. The lab days, waiting for fertilisation and embryo reports, are anxious. The two-week wait is the hardest stretch of all: hope and fear take turns, often hour by hour.
What helps: a clear plan (you will always know what happens next), daily updates from your coordinator, deciding in advance with your partner how you will handle the test day, and permission to step away from online forums. We also prepare every couple for both possible results before the test, quietly planning for a negative does not make one more likely.
Practically
Plan for 8–10 days in Cyprus if you start injections at home, or 18–20 days for a fully monitored cycle in Kyrenia. You can fly home from the day after embryo transfer, flying does not affect implantation. Most patients work normally through stimulation, take 2–3 days off around egg retrieval, and return to desk work immediately after transfer (we suggest avoiding heavy lifting and intense exercise until the test).
Your coordinator arranges airport pick-up, hotel options for every budget and all appointment scheduling. See our Travel Guide for flights, airports and what to pack.
Success Rates
Our IVF Success Rates, and How We Measure Them
You will see clinics in Cyprus advertising "up to 90% success". We would rather you understand the numbers than be impressed by them.
65%Up to · Under 35
50%Up to · Age 35–39
35%Up to · Age 40–42
70%Up to · With this method, best prognosis
How we measure success
The figures above are clinical pregnancy rates per embryo transfer, meaning a pregnancy confirmed by a heartbeat on ultrasound at around 6–7 weeks. That is a stricter measure than a biochemical pregnancy (a positive blood test alone, which some clinics count as a "success" even if it does not progress), but it is still higher than the live birth rate, because sadly some clinical pregnancies miscarry. When you speak to any clinic, anywhere, always ask which of these three numbers they are quoting, it can change the picture dramatically.
Your personal chances depend most on age, egg reserve, sperm quality, embryo quality and uterine factors. At your consultation we will give you an honest, individualised estimate, not the best-case banner figure. Full methodology and age-banded data are on our Success Rates page.
How this compares with the UK
For context, recent HFEA data (the UK fertility regulator, approximate figures) show live birth rates per embryo transferred of around 32% for women under 35, about 25% at 35–37, 17–19% at 38–39 and 10–12% at 40–42. Comparing those directly with clinical pregnancy rates is not apples-to-apples, live birth is always lower, but the comparison clinics love to make ("3x better than the UK!") usually rests on exactly that mismatch, plus multiple-embryo transfers.
What we can honestly say: our laboratory standards, included-as-standard approach and blastocyst culture give you a per-cycle chance that is competitive with good clinics anywhere, at a fraction of UK prices, inside Kamiloglu Hospital's full medical infrastructure.
Disclaimer: Success rates vary based on individual circumstances including age, medical history, ovarian reserve and egg and sperm quality. The figures above represent clinic averages based on our clinical data and are not a guarantee of outcome for any individual patient. We will always give you a personalised estimate before you commit to treatment.
Wondering What Your Personal Chances Are?
Send us your age, AMH result (if you have one) and a short history. Our specialist will review your case and give you an honest, individualised assessment, free, within 2 hours during working hours.
Risks and Side Effects, The Section Most Clinics Skip
IVF is very safe, but "very safe" is not "risk-free". You deserve the full picture before you decide.
Common and mild: bloating, cramps, mood swings
Hormonal stimulation commonly causes bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, irritability and tiredness. After egg retrieval, expect cramping and light spotting for 24–48 hours. These effects are temporary and resolve once the cycle ends. Around one in ten patients feels rough enough to want a quiet day on the sofa, that is within normal limits, and your coordinator checks in daily.
OHSS, rare, and how we minimise it
OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) is an over-response to stimulation in which the ovaries swell and fluid shifts into the abdomen. Mild OHSS affects a minority of patients and passes on its own; moderate to severe OHSS, needing medical care, occurs in roughly 1–2% of cycles and is the one IVF complication we take most seriously.
How we reduce the risk: individualised (often lower) dosing based on your AMH and follicle count, antagonist protocols that allow a safer "agonist trigger" for high responders, and a freeze-all strategy (freezing all embryos and transferring in a later natural cycle) when your hormone levels suggest transfer would be unwise. And because we operate within Kamiloglu Hospital, in the unlikely event you needed observation or IV fluids, the ward, laboratory and ICU are in the same building, no transfer, no delay.
Multiple pregnancy: why we recommend single embryo transfer
Twins sound like a bonus; medically, a twin pregnancy carries meaningfully higher risks of premature birth, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia and caesarean delivery. TRNC regulations permit up to 3 embryos per transfer, and some clinics quietly use that maximum to boost their headline success rates. We take the opposite approach: we will recommend a single embryo transfer (SET) or double embryo transfer (DET) based on your age and embryo quality, explain the trade-offs honestly, and freeze the rest. The healthiest outcome is one healthy baby at a time.
Procedure and emotional risks
Egg retrieval carries small risks of bleeding, infection or (very rarely) injury to nearby organs, quoted at well under 1% in large studies. Performing the procedure in a hospital theatre with a consultant anaesthetist, rather than a clinic treatment room, is our answer to that residual risk. There is also a small chance a cycle is cancelled before retrieval if the ovaries under- or over-respond; if that happens we adjust the protocol rather than push ahead with poor odds.
Finally, the honest one: IVF may not work on the first attempt, and a negative test hurts. We prepare every patient for both outcomes, offer a structured review after any unsuccessful cycle, and have written openly about next steps on our failed IVF page. No "baby guarantee" gimmicks, just a clear plan for every scenario.
Pricing
IVF Cyprus Cost: One Package, No Surprises
Most clinics advertise a base price and add blastocyst culture, monitoring and sedation on top. Ours includes them. We even tell you what is not included.
IVF Package
Starting from
€3,500
Included:
All consultations & treatment planning
Ultrasound monitoring scans in Cyprus
Egg retrieval under sedation, with anaesthetist (others charge ~€250 for sedation)
Fertilisation of all mature eggs (elsewhere often €500+ extra)
Blastocyst (day-5) embryo culture with time-lapse monitoring (advertised at up to €700 as an add-on elsewhere)
Embryo transfer with ultrasound guidance
Personal coordinator, airport transfers & follow-up through the pregnancy test
Not included:
Stimulation medications (≈€900–€2,000 depending on dose; can be bought at home or in Cyprus, we quote before you start)
Flights and accommodation (hotels from ≈€40/night; we recommend options)
Pre-cycle diagnostic tests done in your home country
Optional embryo freezing & storage beyond the first year
Final price confirmed after medical assessment. No payment until your protocol is agreed.
How does this compare with the UK?
A single private IVF cycle in the UK typically costs £5,000–£8,000, plus £900–£1,200 for medication, and blastocyst culture and time-lapse monitoring are usually billed separately at several hundred pounds each. By the time everything is added, many UK patients report total bills of £8,000–£12,000 per cycle.
Our package price of €3,500 already includes those "extras". Even after adding medication, flights and a week's accommodation, most patients complete a full cycle in Cyprus for well under half the UK cost. The saving comes from lower operating costs in Cyprus, staff, premises, regulation overhead, not from cutting corners: your procedures take place in a licensed hospital with a consultant anaesthetist present.
For the full breakdown of every package, payment timing, see our transparent pricing page, including a list of everything other clinics commonly charge as extras.
Typical total for a UK patient: package €3,500 + medications ≈€1,200 + flights ≈€250pp + 8 nights' hotel ≈€500 = ≈€5,450 all-in, versus £8,000+ for the cycle alone at home.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About IVF in Cyprus
Most patients spend 8 to 10 days in Cyprus. You can start your stimulation injections at home under our remote guidance and fly out around day 8 of your cycle for final monitoring, egg retrieval and embryo transfer. If you prefer to have the entire cycle monitored in Kyrenia, a stay of around 18 to 20 days covers everything from baseline scan to transfer. Your personal coordinator will help you choose the option that fits your work and travel plans.
Yes. Advanced fertilisation, where a single sperm is injected directly into each egg) is part of our standard IVF package at no extra charge, as are blastocyst culture and time-lapse embryo monitoring. Many clinics quote a low base price and then add extended culture or monitoring as paid extras. We bundle them because we believe they should be standard care, not upsells, and our pricing page lists everything explicitly.
Most of IVF is uncomfortable rather than painful. The injections use very fine needles and most patients describe them as a brief sting. Egg retrieval is performed under light sedation, so you sleep through it and wake with at most period-like cramping for a day or two. Embryo transfer feels similar to a smear test and needs no anaesthesia at all.
Yes, and most of our international patients do. After your online consultation we send you a written protocol, and your coordinator arranges your prescription so you can begin stimulation injections at home with monitoring scans at a local clinic. You then fly to Kyrenia around day 8 of stimulation for the final scans, egg retrieval and transfer. This keeps your total time in Cyprus to roughly 8 to 10 days.
Flying does not reduce the chance of implantation, and there is no medical reason an embryo would be affected by a normal commercial flight. We suggest resting on the day of transfer and flying home from the following day onwards. Most patients fly 24 to 48 hours after transfer and take the pregnancy blood test at home 12 days later, with our team interpreting the result with you the same day.
A blastocyst is an embryo that has developed for 5 days after fertilisation and contains around 100 cells. Growing embryos to this stage lets our embryologists see which ones are the strongest, because weaker embryos usually stop developing between day 3 and day 5. Transferring a blastocyst is associated with higher implantation rates per embryo, which is why we include 5-day culture in every cycle where embryo numbers allow it. If only a small number of embryos develop, a day-3 transfer may be safer, your embryologist will discuss this with you on the day.
Under current TRNC regulations a maximum of 3 embryos may be transferred. However, more is not automatically better: transferring multiple embryos raises the chance of twins or triplets, which carry real risks for mother and babies. We counsel most patients towards a single or double embryo transfer based on age, embryo quality and history, and the final decision is always made together with you, never imposed.
Blastocysts are graded with a number (1–6) for how far they have expanded, and two letters (A–C) for the quality of the inner cell mass (the part that becomes the baby) and the trophectoderm (the part that becomes the placenta). So a "4AB" is a well-expanded blastocyst with top-grade inner cells and good outer cells. Grades help us choose which embryo to transfer first, but they are not destiny, lower-graded embryos produce healthy babies every week. We always explain your embryos' grades and show you their photos.
Good-quality embryos that are not transferred can be frozen by vitrification (an ultra-rapid freezing method with excellent survival rates) and stored at the clinic for future frozen embryo transfer cycles. A frozen transfer is simpler and cheaper than a full IVF cycle because no stimulation or retrieval is needed. You decide what happens to your embryos, continued storage, donation or disposal, and nothing is ever done without your written consent.
A negative test is heartbreaking, and we do not gloss over it. Your doctor personally reviews the cycle, how your ovaries responded, egg and embryo quality, the lining of your uterus and the transfer itself, then discusses what could change next time: a different protocol, additional testing, or a different treatment path such as egg donation. Frozen embryos, if you have them, can be used in a follow-up cycle at much lower cost. Our Had a Failed IVF? guide explains our review process in detail.
IVF with your own eggs is generally available up to age 45 under current TRNC regulations, and treatment up to 55 may be possible at clinic discretion after fitness-for-pregnancy testing, usually with donor eggs. Single women and same-sex couples can also be treated under current regulations. Eligibility is always confirmed individually during your free consultation, based on your health and test results rather than age alone.
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