Couples and single women from Nigeria, Ghana and other West African countries travel to India for IVF, attracted by the number of clinics, English-speaking doctors and costs that are often lower than in many other destinations. The journey usually involves a connection through a hub, most nationalities apply online for India's e-Medical visa, and a full cycle requires about two to three weeks in India. One of the most significant avoidable risks is not medical: unofficial agents who add undisclosed commissions or direct patients to clinics for their own benefit.
This guide explains how to plan the trip directly with a clinic and how to verify each step.
Key points
- You do not need an agent to be treated in India. Clinics can be contacted directly.
- Verify every clinic: ask for its ART registration number, speak to the doctor by video, and pay only into an account in the clinic's name.
- Most nationalities apply online for the e-Medical visa; confirm eligibility on the official site. Carry a yellow fever certificate if required.
- A standard IVF cycle in India typically costs ₹1.5–2.5 lakh; medication and add-ons are often extra.
- Treatment is limited by law to married couples and single women within set ages; sex selection and surrogacy for foreign nationals are not permitted.
Unofficial agents and “facilitators”
Medical-tourism agents are common, and some provide a useful service. Because many patients first hear about Indian clinics through an intermediary, it is important to understand how these arrangements can work:
- Some facilitators are paid a commission by the clinic for every patient they bring — which can be built into your price, and may influence which clinic they recommend.
- Some charge you a fee as well, for visa help, pickups or “priority” appointments you could arrange yourself.
- A few ask for money to be sent to a personal account rather than the clinic. This should always be declined.
- Some promise things that aren't allowed in India — choosing the baby's sex, a known donor, or surrogacy for foreign nationals. Any such offer is a serious warning sign.
Working through an agent or directly with a clinic
| Directly with the clinic | Through an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The clinic's own itemised quote | May include a commission or service fee, not always disclosed |
| Choice of clinic | You compare clinics yourself | May be limited to clinics the agent works with |
| Medical information | Directly from the doctor | May be relayed second-hand |
| Visa letter | Issued by the clinic to you | Often passed through the agent |
| Practical help | From the clinic's international coordinator, where available | Airport transfers, accommodation and local support |
If you choose to use an agent for practical support, keep the medical and financial relationship with the clinic itself: confirm the quote directly, receive the invitation letter from the clinic, and make payments to the clinic's account.
How to verify a clinic yourself
- Find the clinic independently — on Miro or its own website — rather than only through an agent.
- Ask the clinic for its ART registration number. Miro shows an “ART registered” badge where we know it.
- Book a video consultation directly with the doctor, not only with a coordinator.
- Get a written, itemised quote on the clinic's letterhead, in rupees.
- Pay only to an account in the clinic's own name, and get a receipt.
- Ask directly: “Is anyone being paid a commission for referring me?”
More in red flags when visiting an IVF clinic and accreditations explained.
Getting there: flights via hubs
There are few, if any, direct flights between West Africa and India, so most patients connect through a hub — commonly in the Gulf, Ethiopia or Europe. Total journey times are long, so plan for them:
- Choose your arrival city with the flight in mind. Major Indian hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have the most international connections.
- Check transit visa rules for the country you connect through — they differ by nationality.
- Arrive a day or two early so jet lag and delays don't collide with your first scan.
- After egg retrieval, rest for a day or two before a long flight home — ask the clinic when they're comfortable with you flying.
- Carry medicines in hand luggage with prescriptions; some need to stay cool. See flying with IVF medications.
Nigeria is four and a half hours behind India and Ghana five and a half, so plan video calls in your morning, and set your phone to Indian time once you arrive — the trigger injection must be given at an exact time.
The e-Medical visa and health entry
Without an Indian passport or OCI card, you'll need a visa. Most nationalities apply online for the e-Medical visa, which has been issued for up to 60 days with triple entry; extensions are handled in India. Companions use the e-Medical Attendant visa — generally up to two, usually family. Some nationalities must apply through an Indian embassy or visa centre, so check your own country on the official site.
- You'll typically need a letter from the clinic — ask for it directly, not through an intermediary.
- India has required travellers arriving from countries with yellow fever risk — which has included Nigeria, Ghana and many other West African countries — to show a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Check the current rules and carry the certificate.
- Never pay a website that isn't the official government site for an e-Visa.
Details: India's e-Medical visa for IVF.
Costs and paying safely
Indian clinics quote and bill in Indian rupees. A standard IVF cycle typically costs ₹1.5–2.5 lakh (≈ $1,550–2,600 · £1,150–1,950 · AED 5,750–9,600) before extras such as:
| Extra | Typical range (INR) | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulation medication | ₹60,000–1,50,000 | Is it in the quote, or billed separately? |
| ICSI | ₹25,000–50,000 | Do I need it, and is it included? |
| PGT-A | ₹25,000–40,000 per embryo | Would it genuinely help in my case? |
| Frozen embryo transfer | ₹60,000–1,20,000 | What if I need one later? |
| Embryo freezing + first-year storage | ₹20,000–40,000 (usually bundled) | Is freezing included in the cycle price? |
| Storage renewal from year 2 | ₹15,000–30,000 per year | How do I renew and pay from abroad? |
If a package price from an agent is significantly higher than the clinic's own quote for the same items, the difference is likely to be a commission or service fee. Ask what it pays for. Compare like for like using our guide to comparing quotes and IVF packages for international patients.
Moving money from Nigeria, Ghana and elsewhere
You'll usually be converting naira, cedis or another currency — often via US dollars — so exchange rates and fees matter. Access to foreign exchange has at times been difficult in some West African countries, so:
- Ask your bank early what documents it needs to pay for medical treatment abroad (often the clinic's letter and estimate).
- Ask the clinic which methods it accepts: international transfer, card, or payment on arrival.
- Check limits on card use abroad — some banks cap international spending.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; if you must, check declaration rules on departure and arrival.
- Pay only into an account in the clinic's name and keep every receipt.
See paying an Indian IVF clinic from abroad, and use the cost calculator to include flights, accommodation and food for two to three weeks.
What Indian law allows — and what agents sometimes get wrong
- Who can be treated: under the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021, married couples (woman 21–50, man 21–55) and single women, including foreign nationals. Unmarried couples, single men and same-sex couples fall outside its scope.
- Proof of marriage: couples will be asked for a marriage certificate. Bring the original and copies; ask whether it needs to be attested or translated.
- Donors: donor eggs and sperm only come from registered ART banks, and donors are anonymous — you can't choose a specific donor or bring a relative.
- Sex selection is a criminal offence; PGT can't be used for it.
- Surrogacy in India is not available to foreign nationals.
- Embryos: moving embryos out of India is restricted and needs regulatory permission. Ask the clinic whether it's possible and what approvals are needed.
If anyone promises otherwise, treat it as a red flag. Read what Indian law allows for foreigners.
Before you travel: records and tests
Send these ahead so the doctor can plan properly and your stay isn't spent waiting for results:
- Hormone tests (AMH, FSH, LH, thyroid, prolactin) with dates.
- Pelvic ultrasound reports — note any fibroids, which are worth discussing in advance.
- Semen analysis for the male partner.
- HSG, hysteroscopy or laparoscopy reports.
- Summaries of previous fertility treatment, with medicines and outcomes.
- Infection screening — ask how recent the clinic needs it.
See sending records to an Indian clinic and documents needed as a foreigner.
Timeline and aftercare
A fresh cycle in India typically takes 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. If embryos are frozen instead, a later frozen embryo transfer trip takes about a week — but given the long journey, weigh up whether one longer trip suits you better. The pregnancy test is about two weeks after transfer and is usually done at home.
Before you leave India, collect:
- The discharge summary and embryology report.
- Your medicine plan and enough supply or a prescription — check the medicines are available at home.
- Instructions for positive and negative results, and warning signs that need urgent care.
- A direct contact at the clinic.
Arrange a local gynaecologist in advance who will do the blood test and early scans. See pregnancy care back home and emotional support during IVF abroad.
Questions to ask before you book
- What is your ART registration number, and who will be my treating doctor?
- Having reviewed my records, which protocol do you expect to use, and why?
- Which tests must be repeated in India, and which results from home do you accept?
- What does the quote include, and what is charged separately — particularly medication and ICSI?
- What would I pay if the cycle were cancelled before retrieval?
- Is any third party receiving a commission for my referral?
- Who is my contact after I return home, and how do I reach them?
Checklist before you fly
- Passports and printed e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas, with copies stored separately.
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if required for your journey.
- Transit visa, if your connecting country requires one for your nationality.
- The clinic's invitation letter and itemised quote on its letterhead.
- Original marriage certificate for couples, with copies and any attestation or translation requested.
- Medical reports and prescriptions, in hand luggage.
- Confirmation from your bank of how payment will be made, and a card enabled for use in India.
- A changeable return ticket and accommodation near the clinic.
An illustrative example: a couple from Accra
This scenario is illustrative and does not describe a real patient. Individual plans depend on test results and medical advice.
- Initial contact: a married couple in Accra, aged 35 and 40, are offered an IVF package by an intermediary. Before accepting, they find the recommended clinic and two others on Miro and contact all three directly. They request each clinic's ART registration number and an itemised quote.
- Comparison: the clinic's direct quote for the same treatment is lower than the package price. They choose a clinic after video consultations in which the doctor reviews their ultrasound and semen analysis and recommends ICSI.
- Preparation (four to six weeks): the clinic sends an invitation letter; they apply for the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas on the official site, confirm their yellow fever certificates, and arrange payment through their bank using the clinic's letter and estimate.
- In India (about three weeks): they arrive two days early to recover from the journey. After stimulation and retrieval, a fresh transfer takes place and surplus embryos are frozen.
- At home: a pregnancy blood test in Accra about two weeks after transfer. Storage renewal from the second year, typically ₹15,000–30,000 per year, is paid by bank transfer when invoiced.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Paying before verifying. Confirm the clinic's registration and quote before any payment, and never pay into a personal account.
- Using an unofficial visa website. Apply only through the official Indian e-Visa site.
- Underestimating the journey. Long connections and jet lag should be planned for; arrive early and do not book the return flight too soon after retrieval.
- Accepting treatment the law does not allow. Offers of sex selection, known donors or surrogacy for foreign nationals indicate an unreliable provider.
- Leaving without documents. Collect the discharge summary, embryology report and medicine plan before departure.
- Overlooking currency timing. If foreign exchange is difficult to obtain, start arrangements with your bank as soon as you have a quote.
Next steps
Browse clinics that welcome international patients and contact them directly through Miro — it's free for patients, and your enquiry goes straight to the clinic. Then read choosing an IVF clinic from abroad and our East Africa guide for more on moving money and follow-up care.