Plan for about two to three weeks in India for a fresh IVF cycle, or about one week for a frozen embryo transfer. Your clinic confirms the exact window once your protocol is set and your cycle starts. This guide explains where the time goes, day by day, which parts can be done at home, how the two-trip option works, and what can lengthen or shorten a stay.
Key points
- A fresh cycle in India typically takes two to three weeks: about 10–12 days of stimulation, egg retrieval about 36 hours after the trigger injection, and a transfer three to five days later.
- A frozen embryo transfer (FET) trip is typically about a week.
- Freezing all embryos and returning for a transfer splits treatment into two shorter trips.
- The consultation, baseline tests and sometimes the start of medication can be done at home.
- The pregnancy test, about two weeks after transfer, is usually done where you live.
- Build in a buffer of a few days: stimulation can run longer than planned.
Before you travel: what happens at home
The time you spend in India depends partly on how much is done before you leave. Most clinics that treat international patients arrange the following remotely.
- A video consultation to review your history and agree a provisional plan. See preparing for a first video consultation.
- Baseline tests the clinic asks for — often hormone blood tests, a pelvic ultrasound and a semen analysis — done where you live and shared with the clinic. Our guide to tests to do at home lists the common ones.
- Records from any previous treatment, sent securely in advance. See sending records to an Indian clinic.
- Any pre-treatment medication, such as a contraceptive pill used to schedule the cycle, if the clinic's protocol uses it.
- Visa and travel arrangements, where needed. See the e-Medical visa guide.
A fresh IVF cycle: the day-by-day timeline
The timeline below is typical of a standard stimulation protocol. It is counted from the first day of injections. Your clinic's protocol may differ, and the dates move with how your ovaries respond.
| Day | What usually happens | Time at the clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival (a day or two before) | Consultation in person, baseline scan, blood tests, consent forms, medication dispensed | Half a day |
| Day 1 | First stimulation injection, usually on day two or three of the menstrual cycle | Short visit or none |
| Days 1–4 | Daily injections, often self-administered at your accommodation | None |
| Days 5–6 | First monitoring scan and possibly blood test; dose may be adjusted | 1–2 hours |
| Days 7–11 | Scans every two or three days; a second injection may be added to prevent early ovulation | 1–2 hours per visit |
| Days 10–12 | Trigger injection once follicles are ready, at a precise time set by the clinic | Final scan |
| About 36 hours later | Egg retrieval under anaesthesia; partner provides a sample the same day if fresh sperm is used | Most of a day |
| Retrieval + 1 day | Fertilisation report from the laboratory, usually by phone | None |
| Retrieval + 3 to 5 days | Fresh embryo transfer, if planned; any surplus embryos frozen | A few hours |
| Transfer + 1 to 2 days | Rest; many clinics suggest waiting before flying | None, or a follow-up |
Added together, this is roughly 16–23 days from arrival to departure for a fresh cycle, which is where the two-to-three-week estimate comes from. Our step-by-step guide to the IVF process explains each stage in more detail.
What the days between appointments are like
During stimulation, clinic visits are short and most days are free. Many patients work remotely during this period. Some feel bloated or tired as stimulation progresses, so it is sensible not to schedule demanding commitments in the final days before retrieval. Retrieval day itself requires rest, and you will need someone to accompany you back to your accommodation after the anaesthetic. Our guide to food, water and health during an IVF trip covers staying well while you are away.
The frozen embryo transfer trip: about one week
A frozen embryo transfer does not involve stimulation or retrieval. The work is in preparing the lining of the uterus and timing the transfer to it. There are two broad approaches, and each affects travel differently.
- Medicated (programmed) FET. Oestrogen tablets or patches are taken for around two weeks to build the lining, followed by progesterone for a set number of days before transfer. The oestrogen phase can often be started at home, with a local scan to check the lining, so that you travel only for the final check and the transfer. The timing is relatively predictable.
- Natural or modified natural FET. The transfer is timed to your own ovulation, which is tracked by scans and blood tests. Timing is less predictable, so the trip may need to be longer or the tracking done at home with close coordination.
In a typical medicated FET trip, you arrive a day or two before the planned progesterone start, have a scan to confirm the lining, begin progesterone, have the transfer a few days later, and fly home a day or two after. See our dedicated guide to the frozen embryo transfer trip.
Two shorter trips instead of one long one
Many patients from abroad freeze all their embryos and return for a frozen transfer. The first trip covers stimulation and retrieval, about two weeks. The second, a month or more later, is about a week. This option may also be recommended for medical reasons, for example where there is a risk of ovarian hyperstimulation, or where embryos are having PGT-A.
| One trip (fresh transfer) | Two trips (freeze-all + FET) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time in India | About 2–3 weeks at once | About 2 weeks, then about 1 week |
| Flights | One return trip | Two return trips |
| Leave from work | One long block | Two shorter blocks |
| Clinic costs | Cycle includes one transfer | Freezing and a separate FET fee usually apply |
| Recovery before transfer | Transfer follows retrieval within days | Body recovers from stimulation before transfer |
| Suits | Patients who can take three weeks away | Patients with short flights or limited leave |
The two-trip plan is common among patients from the Gulf, where flights are short; see the two-trip plan for Gulf residents. For costs of each option, see IVF cost in India compared with the UK, US and UAE.
Shortening the stay: what can be done at home
Some clinics can shorten the fresh-cycle stay by starting stimulation at home. You begin injections where you live, have one or two monitoring scans with a local doctor, share the results with the Indian clinic, and travel for the later scans and retrieval. This can reduce time in India to around ten days to two weeks.
It requires careful coordination: a local doctor or scanning centre willing to perform monitoring scans at short notice, a reliable way to send results the same day, and a clear agreement about who adjusts the dose. It also means travelling part-way through stimulation, with medication that must be kept at the right temperature. Read starting IVF medication at home and flying with IVF medication before choosing this approach, and ask your clinic whether it offers it.
Time-zone differences matter here: scan results often need to be reviewed the same day. See communicating with a clinic across time zones.
What can change the timeline
IVF dates are provisional until late in stimulation. The following are the most common reasons for a change.
- Timing of your period. Stimulation usually starts on day two or three of the menstrual cycle, so an early or late period moves everything. Some protocols use medication to schedule the cycle, which helps with travel planning.
- Slower response. If follicles grow slowly, stimulation may run a few days longer.
- Strong response. Where there is a risk of ovarian hyperstimulation, the clinic may advise freezing all embryos instead of a fresh transfer, which shortens this trip but adds a second one.
- Blastocyst or day-3 transfer. A day-5 transfer adds two days compared with a day-3 transfer.
- PGT-A. Testing usually means freezing all embryos and transferring on a later trip.
- Male-factor procedures. If sperm needs to be retrieved surgically, the clinic will plan when this happens, which may affect the partner's travel. See male infertility treatment for international patients.
- Cancellation. Occasionally a cycle is stopped because of a poor response or another medical reason. Ask in advance what happens to your plans and costs if this occurs.
- Public holidays and festivals. Clinic schedules and travel can be affected; see IVF during festival periods and timing your IVF trip.
Building in a buffer
A buffer of a few days on each side of the expected dates reduces the chance of rebooking flights at short notice. Practical ways to build one in:
- Arrive one or two days before the planned start of injections, to recover from the journey and attend the first appointment rested.
- Book accommodation with the option to extend by several nights.
- Use a flexible or changeable return ticket, and avoid fixed commitments at home for the first few days after your planned return.
- If you are on a visa, check that its validity covers your latest possible departure date with a margin.
- Agree remote-working arrangements that allow for a few unplanned days.
When your partner needs to be there
If the male partner is providing a fresh sperm sample, he usually needs to be in India on the day of retrieval, and the clinic may want him present for an initial consultation, consent signing and tests. Some partners therefore travel for only part of the stay. Where this is difficult, ask whether a sample can be frozen in advance at the clinic on an earlier visit. See travelling to India for IVF with your partner.
An illustrative plan: freeze-all from the Gulf
The following is an illustration, not a real patient. A couple living in Doha choose a freeze-all cycle so that neither trip exceeds two weeks.
- Weeks 1–3 (at home): video consultation, baseline tests locally, records sent, e-Medical and Attendant visas applied for where needed, provisional dates agreed.
- Trip 1, about 14 days: the patient arrives two days before stimulation; the partner joins for the final days before retrieval, provides a sample and signs consents. Embryos are frozen.
- Between trips, a month or more: recovery; the clinic reports on the embryos; the next cycle is planned, with oestrogen started at home and a local lining scan.
- Trip 2, about 7 days: lining confirmed, progesterone started, transfer, then home a day or two later.
- About two weeks after transfer (at home): pregnancy blood test at a local laboratory, result sent to the clinic.
Common planning mistakes and how to avoid them
- Booking fixed flights before the cycle starts. Until your period arrives and stimulation begins, dates are estimates. Hold flexible bookings or book once the start date is confirmed.
- Planning to fly on the day after retrieval. If a fresh transfer is planned, you will need to stay for it. Even with freeze-all, many clinics prefer you to rest for a day or two after the anaesthetic; ask yours.
- Assuming the partner can arrive on retrieval morning. Consent forms and tests may need to be completed earlier. Confirm with the clinic what must be done in person, and when.
- Leaving no arrangement for the pregnancy test at home. Identify the laboratory and the ordering doctor before you travel, so the test is not delayed.
- Running out of medication. Carry enough progesterone and other prescribed medication for the journey and the days after, plus a written prescription.
- Overlooking visa validity. Where a visa is needed, make sure it covers a delayed departure, not only the planned one.
Checklist before you book travel
- A written provisional calendar with earliest and latest dates for retrieval and transfer.
- Confirmation of whether the plan is a fresh transfer or freeze-all.
- Which days your partner must be present, if applicable.
- Which monitoring, if any, can be done at home, and the name of the local provider.
- A clear arrangement for the post-transfer pregnancy test.
- Accommodation that can be extended, and flexible flights.
After transfer: back home
The pregnancy blood test is about two weeks after transfer and can usually be done where you live. Agree in advance which laboratory will do it, how the result reaches the clinic, and who will advise on continuing medication. See travelling during IVF for practical advice on the journey, coping with the two-week wait, and pregnancy care back home.
Next steps
Once you know how long you need, check the e-Medical visa requirements and browse clinics set up for international patients. Clinics marked International-ready offer a video consultation, an international coordinator and an e-Medical visa letter.