Many couples and single women from Bangladesh travel to India for fertility treatment. India is close, it can be reached by land or by air, and in Kolkata consultations can often be held in Bengali. The essential steps are obtaining a medical visa through official Indian channels, choosing a registered clinic, and arriving with the documents an Indian ART clinic is legally required to check.
This guide explains each of these steps, together with costs, payment, a realistic timeline and follow-up care after you return to Bangladesh.
Key points
- Bangladeshi nationals without an Indian passport or OCI card need a medical visa; a companion applies as a medical attendant. Confirm the current application route before applying.
- Many patients choose Kolkata (close, reachable by land, Bengali-speaking) or Chennai (an established medical-travel city). The clinic matters more than the city.
- A standard IVF cycle typically costs ₹1.5–2.5 lakh; medication, ICSI and embryo freezing are often charged separately.
- Clinics must verify eligibility under the ART Act, so bring ID and, for couples, your marriage certificate.
- Plan for about 2–3 weeks in India for a fresh cycle, or two shorter trips for freeze-all.
Step 1: the medical visa
Bangladeshi citizens who don't hold an Indian passport or OCI card need a visa. For fertility treatment, the right category is a medical visa, and your spouse or a family member travelling with you would apply as a medical attendant. Applications from Bangladesh are generally made through the official Indian Visa Application Centres and the Indian High Commission and its assistant offices, rather than purely online — but check the current route, as it has changed over time.
What to prepare (confirm the exact list when you apply):
- A letter from the Indian clinic on its letterhead, naming you, your attendant(s), the treatment and the expected dates. Clinics marked International-ready on Miro have told us they provide one.
- Supporting medical documents from your doctor in Bangladesh — a referral letter or summary of your fertility history is often helpful.
- Passport with enough validity and blank pages, plus photographs in the required format.
- Proof of relationship for your attendant (for a spouse, usually your marriage certificate).
- Financial documents if requested, such as bank statements.
More detail: India's medical visa for IVF and documents needed as a foreigner.
Step 2: choosing a city — Kolkata, Chennai and other options
Many patients from Bangladesh choose Kolkata — it's close to the border, reachable by road or rail as well as by air, and Bengali is the everyday language, so consultations, nurse instructions and even small talk in the pharmacy are easier. Many others choose Chennai, which has a long-standing reputation for medical travel and a large number of hospitals used to international patients; getting there usually means a flight.
Other metros are options too. The best choice depends on the clinic, not just the city. When comparing, look at:
- ART Act registration (ask for the number; Miro shows an “ART registered” badge where known).
- Whether the clinic can do your first consultation by video before you travel.
- Whether there's a named coordinator for international patients.
- A written, itemised quote — including medication, which is often billed separately.
- How the clinic handles your follow-up once you return to Bangladesh.
See choosing a city in India for IVF and how to choose an IVF clinic in India.
Step 3: travelling by land or by air
| By land (bus, rail or car via a land port) | By air | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Kolkata and eastern India | Chennai, other metros, or anyone short on time |
| Cost | Usually cheaper | Higher, but saves days |
| After retrieval or transfer | Long queues and road time can be tiring; plan a rest day | Shorter journey home; check with the clinic when you're fit to fly |
| Carrying medicines | Keep fridge-items cool for many hours; bring a cool bag | Carry medicines in hand luggage with the prescription |
Border crossings can involve long waits. If you're crossing by land around your treatment, don't schedule it so tightly that a delay makes you miss a scan or the trigger injection. See can you travel during IVF? and travelling with IVF medications.
Step 4: budgeting in taka and rupees
Indian clinics quote and bill in Indian rupees (INR). You'll be converting from Bangladeshi taka (BDT), so the final cost will move with the exchange rate. A standard IVF cycle in India typically costs ₹1.5–2.5 lakh (≈ $1,550–2,600 · £1,150–1,950 · AED 5,750–9,600), before extras.
| Item | Typical range (INR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IVF cycle | ₹1.5–2.5 lakh | Ask exactly what's included |
| Stimulation medication | ₹60,000–1,50,000 | Often billed separately; depends on dose |
| ICSI | ₹25,000–50,000 | Commonly advised for male-factor infertility |
| PGT-A | ₹25,000–40,000 per embryo | Optional; ask whether it helps in your case |
| Frozen embryo transfer | ₹60,000–1,20,000 | If embryos are frozen for a later transfer |
| Embryo freezing + first-year storage | ₹20,000–40,000 | Usually bundled |
| Storage renewal from year 2 | ₹15,000–30,000 | Per year |
On top of treatment, budget for travel, two to three weeks of accommodation and food, local transport and your attendant's costs. The cost calculator helps you add it up, and comparing IVF quotes explains how to identify items missing from a quote.
A worked treatment budget
As an illustration, a couple whose clinic recommends a standard cycle with ICSI and freezing of surplus embryos might add up the treatment costs as follows, using the typical ranges above:
| Component | Lower end | Upper end |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IVF cycle | ₹1,50,000 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Stimulation medication | ₹60,000 | ₹1,50,000 |
| ICSI | ₹25,000 | ₹50,000 |
| Embryo freezing + first-year storage | ₹20,000 | ₹40,000 |
| Treatment total | ₹2,55,000 | ₹4,90,000 |
That is roughly ₹2.55–4.9 lakh (≈ $2,650–5,150 · £2,000–3,850 · AED 9,800–18,800) before travel, accommodation and living costs. A later frozen embryo transfer, if needed, would add ₹60,000–1,20,000, and storage renewal from the second year typically costs ₹15,000–30,000 per year. Your own quote may differ; this example is only a way of checking that every component has been accounted for.
Paying
Bangladesh has rules on how much foreign currency you can take out of the country and how it must be declared. Before you travel, ask your bank what the current allowance is for medical travel and what paperwork (such as the clinic's letter and estimate) they need. Ask the clinic which payment methods it accepts — card, bank transfer or cash — and always get a receipt for every payment. Our guide to paying an Indian clinic from abroad has more.
Step 5: the law in India — who can be treated
India's ART (Regulation) Act, 2021 applies to foreign nationals in the same way as to Indians:
- Married couples — woman aged 21–50, man aged 21–55.
- Single women, within the same age band.
- Unmarried couples, single men and same-sex couples fall outside the Act's scope.
- Donor eggs and sperm must come from registered ART banks, and donors are anonymous. You can't use a sister, cousin or friend as a known donor.
- Sex selection is a criminal offence; PGT can't be used for it.
- Surrogacy in India is not available to foreign nationals.
Because the clinic must verify your eligibility, you will be asked for your marriage certificate (for couples) and ID. If your marriage certificate is in Bengali, a Kolkata clinic may read it directly, but a clinic elsewhere may ask for an English translation — check in advance. More in what Indian law allows.
Step 6: records and first consultation
Send your records before you travel so the doctor can plan your protocol. Useful documents include:
- Hormone tests (AMH, FSH, LH, TSH, prolactin) and recent ultrasound reports.
- Semen analysis for the male partner.
- HSG, hysteroscopy or laparoscopy reports.
- Summaries of any past IUI or IVF: medicines, doses, eggs, embryos, results.
- Infection screening — ask how recent it must be to be accepted.
Bangladesh is 30 minutes ahead of India, so video calls are straightforward to arrange. Keep a written note of medicine times in Indian time once you're there, especially the trigger injection, which must be given at a precise time. See your first video consultation and what records to carry.
Timeline: one trip or two
- One trip, fresh transfer (about 2–3 weeks): around 10–12 days of stimulation with scans, egg retrieval about 36 hours after the trigger, and transfer 3–5 days later.
- Freeze-all, then a frozen transfer (two trips): the first trip ends after retrieval; you return later for a frozen embryo transfer of about a week. Because Bangladesh is close, this can be quite manageable — but remember that each trip means another visa and another border crossing.
The pregnancy blood test is usually about two weeks after transfer and can be done in Bangladesh. See how long to stay in India for IVF and timing your IVF trip.
Back home: follow-up in Bangladesh
Before you leave India, ask for a written discharge summary, your embryology report, the list of medicines to continue and doses, and clear instructions for what to do if the test is positive or negative. Share these with your gynaecologist in Bangladesh so they can do the blood test, early scans and ongoing care. Keep copies of everything — you'll need them for any future frozen transfer. See pregnancy care back home and surviving the two-week wait.
An illustrative example: a couple from Dhaka
This scenario is illustrative and not based on a real patient. Your own plan will depend on your tests and the clinic's advice.
- Six to eight weeks before travel: a married couple in Dhaka, aged 31 and 35, gather their test results and hold video consultations with two ART-registered clinics — one in Kolkata and one in Chennai. They choose the Kolkata clinic because the doctor can explain the plan in Bengali and because relatives in the city can offer support.
- Four to six weeks before: the clinic issues an invitation letter with a treatment window. The wife applies for a medical visa and the husband for a medical attendant visa through the official visa centre. They ask their bank what documents are needed to pay the clinic.
- Days 1–12 in India: they arrive early in her cycle. After a baseline scan, she begins injections, with monitoring scans every two to three days.
- Days 13–15: the trigger injection is given at a precise time and eggs are retrieved about 36 hours later. The husband provides a sample the same morning.
- Days 16–20: embryos develop in the laboratory; a fresh transfer takes place on day 5 after retrieval, and two surplus embryos are frozen.
- Back in Dhaka: a blood test about two weeks after transfer, arranged by their local gynaecologist, who has received the discharge summary.
Had the clinic advised freezing all embryos, the couple would have returned home after retrieval and applied for a second visa for a frozen transfer trip of about a week.
If plans change
- Stimulation takes longer than expected. Keep your return journey flexible and check that your visa validity allows a few additional days.
- The cycle is cancelled before retrieval. Ask the clinic in advance what you would pay and whether fees can be carried over to a later attempt.
- The clinic advises freezing all embryos. You would return to Bangladesh after retrieval and plan a second trip of about a week, which may require a new visa application.
- You feel unwell after retrieval. Mild discomfort is common, but severe pain or breathlessness needs prompt medical attention. Do not begin a long road journey until the clinic confirms you are fit to travel.
Checklist before you travel
- Valid passports and visas for you and your attendant, with printed copies.
- The clinic's invitation letter and written, itemised quote.
- Original marriage certificate (for couples), plus copies and any translation requested.
- All medical reports in one folder, in the order the clinic requested.
- Prescriptions for any medicines you are carrying.
- Bank documentation for payment, and a card that works in India.
- Accommodation booked near the clinic, with flexible dates if possible.
- A local gynaecologist in Bangladesh who has agreed to provide follow-up care.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Applying for the visa too late. Processing times vary; apply as soon as provisional dates are known.
- A mismatch between visa and route. If you intend to cross by land, check that your visa permits entry at the port you plan to use.
- Comparing headline prices only. A lower cycle price may exclude medication or ICSI. Compare complete, itemised quotes.
- Booking a return journey with no margin. Stimulation can take longer than expected; keep your return flexible.
- Leaving India without records. Collect the discharge summary and embryology report before departure; they are difficult to obtain later from abroad.
Next steps
Browse clinics that welcome patients from outside India on our international patients page — you can send a free enquiry, say you're in Bangladesh, and ask to be contacted on WhatsApp. For patients coming from nearby, it may also help to read our guides for Nepal and Sri Lanka, and travelling to India with your partner.