Walking into a fertility consultation without your records is the most common reason a first visit is wasted — the doctor ends up asking you to come back after testing. Walking in with the right records means the conversation can be useful from minute one.
Here's exactly what to carry, by visit type, in 2026.
Before any visit: your one-page summary
Whatever else you bring, bring (or share digitally before the consultation) a one-page summary listing:
- Your age, partner's age, and how long you've been trying
- Any prior pregnancies, miscarriages, or fertility treatments
- Latest AMH, FSH/LH, AFC, TSH, prolactin values with dates
- Latest pelvic ultrasound findings with date
- Partner's latest semen analysis values with date
- Tubal patency status (HSG or HyCoSy result)
- Any chronic conditions, medications, or allergies
See our piece on organising IVF reports for how to maintain this summary.
First fertility consultation
Essentials (don't come without these)
- Government photo ID
- One-page summary (above)
- Most recent AMH and FSH/LH/oestradiol reports
- Latest pelvic ultrasound report
- Partner's latest semen analysis
- Tubal patency report if available (HSG, HyCoSy)
Helpful additions
- TSH and prolactin reports (last 12 months)
- Diabetes / blood pressure status
- Any prior fertility treatment records — IUI cycles, prior IVF cycles
- Any prior pregnancy / miscarriage records
- Prior surgical history relevant to fertility
- List of medications and supplements you both currently take
- List of questions for the doctor
What to ask for at the end of the visit
- A written treatment plan with rationale
- An itemised quote
- List of any further tests required, with where to do them
- A consultation summary email within 24 hours
Stim cycle monitoring visits
What to carry
- Phone with your records accessible
- Current prescription with drug doses
- Previous scan + blood report from the last visit (so day-on-day trends are visible)
- Loose, comfortable clothing
- Cash or card for any out-of-pocket bills
What to leave at home
- The full archive of historical reports (the clinic already has these)
- Anything heavy you don't need
Egg retrieval day
Records you must carry
- Government photo ID
- Signed consent forms (the clinic usually has these but bring backups)
- Pre-procedure bloodwork if requested
- Insurance card if applicable
- Final invoice / advance payment receipt
What else to pack
See our separate piece on what to pack for egg retrieval day — clothes, comfort items, post-procedure essentials.
Embryo transfer day
- Government photo ID
- Signed transfer consent
- Latest scan and progesterone level (if requested)
- Insurance card if applicable
- Pads (for any post-procedure spotting)
Beta-hCG day
- The lab requisition (most clinics give a printed slip)
- Government photo ID
- Cash or card
- Tissues — emotionally, this is a hard day either way
Second-opinion consultation
A second opinion needs more than a first consultation, not less:
- One-page summary, updated
- All hormone tests in chronological order
- All imaging — pelvic ultrasounds, HSG, scrotal ultrasounds
- All prior cycle records — protocols, drug doses, monitoring scan history, retrieval / fertilisation / embryology data, transfer outcomes, beta values
- Any specialised tests — PGT-A reports, sperm DNA fragmentation, ERA, EMMA/ALICE, immune workup
- Existing prescriptions
- The first clinic's recommendation, if you have it in writing
Email or share digitally 24–48 hours before the visit so the consultant can review in advance.
Switching clinics permanently
Even more — see our piece on how to switch IVF clinics without losing history for the full handover process, embryo transfers, and what to formally request from the old clinic.
For NRI / overseas patients
- Passport + visa (and OCI card if applicable)
- Notarised translations of any non-English reports
- Insurance documents — note that most international policies don't cover IVF in India
- Currency-conversion records if relevant for tax later
The bottom line
Showing up with the right records turns a 30-minute meet-and-greet into a 30-minute clinical conversation. The difference is significant across a fertility journey. The habit takes a couple of hours to set up and minutes to maintain — and pays back many times over.
Frequently asked questions
What's the absolute minimum I need to bring to a first IVF consultation?
A government photo ID, your most recent AMH and FSH/LH/oestradiol blood reports, your latest pelvic ultrasound, your partner's most recent semen analysis, and any prior cycle records if you've done IVF before. Tubal patency reports (HSG or HyCoSy) help if you have them. Without these, the first consultation is incomplete and the doctor will likely ask you to re-test before any plan can be discussed.
Do I need to bring records for the male partner too?
Yes — and ideally bring them to the first consultation, even if your partner can't attend. Most fertility specialists will want to see a recent semen analysis (within the last 6–12 months). If you don't have one, expect to be asked to do one before any treatment plan is finalised.
What records do I bring on stim cycle days?
Your treatment file folder (or digital access on your phone), the prescription with current drug doses, your monitoring schedule, the previous monitoring scan and bloodwork (so the doctor can compare day-on-day trends), and a list of questions. Most clinics have you bring less paper than this on follow-up visits — the patient app or portal handles it — but always have your phone with the records accessible.
What records do I need on retrieval and transfer days?
Government photo ID, signed consent forms (the clinic usually has these on file but bring backup copies if you signed them off-site), your treatment file, the latest pre-procedure bloodwork (if requested), and the agreed advance payment. On retrieval day in particular, leave anything not essential at home — you'll be groggy on the way out.
What records do I need for a second-opinion consultation?
Significantly more than for a first consultation — the second-opinion specialist needs to see the whole picture. Bring: the one-page summary (see our records-organisation piece), all hormone tests in chronological order, all imaging reports, all prior cycle records (protocols, outcomes, embryology details), and any specialised tests (PGT-A, sperm DNA fragmentation, ERA). The more complete the file, the more useful the second opinion.
Can I email or share records digitally instead of carrying paper?
Yes — and most modern Indian IVF clinics now accept this. Email or WhatsApp the records to the clinic 24–48 hours before the consultation so they can be reviewed in advance. Bring a phone with the same records accessible as backup. Paper is rarely strictly required in 2026 unless the clinic specifically asks.