Travelling to another country for fertility treatment adds a layer of planning that domestic patients never face: visas, timing your arrival against a menstrual cycle you cannot reschedule, how long to stay, and who looks after the pregnancy once you fly home. None of it is difficult. All of it goes wrong if left until the last minute.
The most important decision comes first, and it saves the most time and money: begin remotely, not on arrival.
Step one: start with a records review, not a flight
Before booking anything, send your medical records and have an online video consultation. This achieves several things at once. It establishes whether IVF is even the right treatment for you, produces a provisional plan, tells you how long you will realistically need to be in India, and lets you judge the clinic before you have committed money to travel.
Send the originals, not summaries:
- Hormone results including AMH, FSH, LH, TSH and prolactin, with dates
- Pelvic ultrasound and antral follicle count reports
- Tubal assessment — HSG or laparoscopy findings
- Semen analyses, with the laboratory’s reference ranges
- Operation notes from any previous surgery
- Complete records from previous IVF cycles — stimulation sheets, drug and dose, eggs retrieved, how many were mature, fertilisation rates, day-by-day embryo development and grades, endometrial thickness, and transfer notes
- Any genetic test results
That IVF detail is the single most valuable thing you can send if you have had treatment before. A discharge summary saying “two failed IVF cycles” is almost useless. The stimulation sheet and embryology report are what allow a different plan to be designed.
Step two: the medical visa
India issues a medical visa for treatment, and most fertility clinics that see international patients will issue an invitation letter to support the application. Jeevan Mithra provides invitation letters, typically within 24 hours of a request.
Usually required:
- Passport copies for both partners, valid well beyond the intended stay
- Passport copy for any accompanying attendant
- Your preferred appointment date and contact details
- Previous medical records supporting the need for treatment
Apply to the Indian High Commission or Embassy with the invitation letter and your records. Tell the clinic which mission you are applying to, in case a direct recommendation helps. An attendant can usually accompany you on a medical attendant visa.
Visa rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Indian mission in your country rather than relying on any clinic page, including this one.
Step three: choose your treatment structure
This is where most planning errors happen. There are two workable models.
Split treatment — two shorter trips
First trip: stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilisation, and all embryos frozen. Roughly two to three weeks. You go home, and return later for a frozen embryo transfer, which needs a much shorter stay.
This suits people who cannot take two continuous months away, and it fits naturally with genetic testing or any situation where freezing is clinically preferred anyway.
Continuous treatment — one longer trip
Everything in one visit, roughly six to eight weeks depending on protocol and whether transfer is fresh or frozen. Fewer flights, no second visa application, but a long absence.
Ask which your clinic recommends for your specific case, and why. The answer should relate to your protocol, not to their scheduling.
Step four: timing around the cycle
Fertility treatment is tied to menstrual timing, so arrival dates matter. As a general rule, plan to arrive about a week before your expected period so that baseline tests and scans can be completed before stimulation begins. Tell the clinic your last period date as soon as you book, and again if it changes.
Frozen transfer cycles are more flexible, which is another argument for the split model.
Step five: practical arrangements
- Airport pickup. Jeevan Mithra offers airport pickup at a nominal cost; send flight details in advance.
- Accommodation. Ask for guidance on serviced apartments near the Arumbakkam clinic. A kitchen matters over a long stay.
- Medication. Some drugs are imported. Confirm availability and cost before you travel.
- Money. Get the full cost in writing — consultation, drugs, retrieval, laboratory, freezing, storage, transfer, and any add-on.
- Language. Confirm interpretation if needed. Bengali support is available by phone and WhatsApp.
- Records to take home. Ask for a complete written summary at the end, including embryology data. You will need it if you continue treatment elsewhere.
Step six: after you fly home
Agree the follow-up plan before leaving. Who scans you at home and when, what medication continues and for how long, what happens if bleeding or pain occurs, and who to contact urgently. If embryos remain in storage, get the storage agreement, the annual cost and the consent arrangements in writing.
Pregnancy follow-up support after returning home is offered, including for high-risk pregnancy and previous miscarriage — but confirm the specifics for your situation rather than assuming.
Consultation and travel costs
Online video consultation is free for international patients. Airport pickup is available at a nominal cost. Treatment cost varies with your diagnosis and protocol, so ask for a written breakdown after your records have been reviewed rather than a headline figure.
Questions worth asking before booking
- Based on my records, is IVF the right treatment, or is something simpler appropriate?
- Do you recommend split or continuous treatment for me, and why?
- How long should I realistically plan to stay?
- When should I arrive relative to my period?
- What is the total cost in writing, including medication?
- What live birth rate applies to someone of my age and diagnosis here?
- What follow-up will I have once I am home?
Related pages
- International Patient Services
- Information for Bengali & Bangladeshi Patients
- IVF Treatment
- ICSI
- Egg & Embryo Pooling
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to stay in India for IVF?
Roughly two to three weeks if treatment is split, with a shorter second trip for transfer, or about six to eight weeks continuously. It depends on your protocol.
Do both partners need to travel?
The male partner must be present to provide a sample around egg retrieval, or arrange sperm freezing in advance. Discuss this early.
How do I get a medical visa?
Request an invitation letter from the clinic with passport copies and records, then apply to the Indian mission in your country. Confirm current requirements with them directly.
Can I start before travelling?
Yes, and you should. A records review and online video consultation establish the plan and expected duration before you commit to travel.
Can treatment be split into two trips?
Yes. Egg retrieval with all embryos frozen on the first trip, and frozen embryo transfer on a shorter second visit.
What follow-up is available after I return home?
Pregnancy follow-up support is offered remotely. Agree the specifics, including local scanning and medication, before you leave.
Speak to a fertility specialist in Chennai
Jeevan Mithra reviews international patients’ previous records and holds an online video consultation before travel is arranged, so the plan and expected length of stay are known in advance. To discuss your situation, book a consultation. International patients can request an online video consultation and share previous records before planning travel. Bengali-language guidance is on the Bengali patients page.
Sources and further reading
- World Health Organization fact sheet on infertility
- NHS guide to IVF
- ESHRE guidelines and good-practice recommendations
- ASRM Practice Committee documents
Medical review and disclaimer
This article is general patient education, not a diagnosis or a substitute for individualised medical advice. Treatment and medication decisions must be made by a qualified clinician who has reviewed your history and test results.
Consultant — Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Jeya Nirmala R
MBBS, MD (OG) · Fellow in Advanced Obstetric & Gynaecological Ultrasound
Dr. R. Jeyanirmala, MBBS, MD (OG), is Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and Chief Infertility Specialist at Jeevan Mithra Fertility & Women Care Centre, Chennai, and a co-founder of the centre. She is a Fellow in Advanced Obstetrics & Gynaecological Ultrasound, graduated from Madras Medical College and completed her MD at the Institute of Social Obstetrics (KGH). Her clinical…
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