The ultimate guide to freezing oocytes in Spain

Egg freezing in Spain: deadlines, costs and organization when you come from France

Egg freezing in Spain is attracting more and more French women who want to preserve their fertility without suffering from French waiting lists or age restrictions. This article details the real journey of a French patient in Spain, the medical stages, the role of the coordinator, the costs and the points to keep in mind before starting.

If like me, you find Giuilia, the coordinator interviewed in the episode brilliant (and especially with a lot of experience), you can take a free appointment to understand how Natuvitro works and indicate in the comment “I come from Reflet/Le Rubis, I would like to be followed by Giuilia who intervened in the podcast”

Why are more and more French women freezing their oocytes in Spain?

Two profiles come up often: women deemed “too old” for care in France, and women who no longer want to wait months for a hospital to call them back.
Spain is one of the most advanced countries in assisted reproduction in Europe: vitrification authorized for all adult women, short deadlines, clinics used to international patients, staff often French-speaking.
The prices, generally between 2,400 and 3,200€ per cycle depending on the clinic, remain generally close to France, with in addition to clear packages (stimulation, puncture, vitrification, first months or years of storage).

How does a fertility clinic work in Barcelona?

In the episode, Giulia, a coordinator at a small clinic in Barcelona (NatuVitro), explains that she has been working in assisted reproduction clinics for almost 20 years. Its role is a good illustration of the functioning of these internationally oriented centers.
Each patient is monitored by a fixed doctor + coordinator duo, who becomes her point of reference throughout the course.
The coordinator explains the process, answers simple and emotional medical questions, accompanies during the stay in Barcelona and ensures that the patient never feels “one number”.
The clinic also organizes monthly women's circles, in person or online, where patients (including French-speaking patients) share their experiences in a secure space, without educational goals but with real emotional support. To fully understand this process, you can join the free Reflet course dedicated to oocyte freezing.

Step 1: initial contact and remote consultation

For a French woman, the start of the course is done remotely.
The first contact can be made through the clinic site, by phone or by email. A video appointment with a doctor is then offered, especially if the patient does not live in Barcelona: it is a real consultation, not a simple call for information.
Before this consultation, the clinic sends a list of exams to be carried out in France: ultrasound at the beginning of the cycle to count antral follicles, AMH dosage, and ideally serologies and other recent exams (mammography, blood tests...).
The objective is that, from this first visit, the doctor can give a personalized opinion on ovarian reserve, propose a protocol and estimate the number of realistic punctures.

Step 2: Can you take the exams in France?

Most initial and follow-up exams (ultrasounds, blood tests) can be done in France and then sent to the Spanish clinic.
In practice, the ideal is to find a gynecologist, or a midwife specialized in fertility, who is used to this type of follow-up (counting follicles, checking stimulation, etc.). For that, I always recommend that you join the course free Reflet dedicated to the freezing of oocytes.
Prescriptions can first be established by the Spanish clinic, then taken up by a French doctor to allow the dispensing, and sometimes the reimbursement, of medications.
For those who prefer or cannot find a practitioner available near them, it is also possible to carry out all the exams directly in Barcelona, planning a longer stay.

Step 3: protocol, pill and stimulation

Once the consultation is complete and the file is complete, the clinic sends a personalized stimulation protocol (doses, duration, molecules), medication prescriptions, a detailed estimate and consent documents.
In the case described by Giulia, most patients start with a contraceptive pill that blocks spontaneous ovulation and harmonizes follicle growth to make the cycle more predictable.
Then comes the ovarian stimulation phase: daily injections, ultrasound and control blood tests, most often carried out in France with transmission of the results to the coordinator.
The date of the puncture is adjusted according to the ovarian response, not on a rigid calendar, which is why it is necessary to maintain a bit of flexibility on travel dates.

Step 4: come to Barcelona for the puncture

On-site presence is essential for oocyte retrieval and vitrification.
The patient is generally invited to arrive the day before, as the puncture takes place early in the morning and the schedule depends on taking the “trigger” medication two days before.
The operation is performed on an outpatient basis, under short anesthesia, in the clinic's operating room; the collected oocytes are immediately sent to the laboratory for vitrification.
Depending on her condition, the patient may leave the next day or stay for one or two days to recover, which involves integrating transport, accommodation and possibly days off into the budget.

Age, ovarian reserve and medical limitations

Spain does not set a limit strict legal age for so-called “social” vitrification, but each team has its own medical limitations.
For Giulia, the ideal slice to freeze her oocytes is before the age of 35, an age when quantity and quality are generally the best.
Some women, even around the age of 30, discover a very low ovarian reserve: in these cases, the clinic may advise against simple oocyte freezing and instead offer IVF with the creation of embryos (sometimes with donor sperm) to increase future chances.
Fundamental point: freezing oocytes never guarantees pregnancy; thawing, fertilization, embryonic development and sperm quality remain risky steps.

How many punctures should I expect?

The number of punctures depends on age, ovarian reserve and objective (for example aiming for a certain probability of having at least one child).
The younger the woman is, the more likely it is that a single puncture will produce a good number of oocytes.
Some patients will have a “good score” from the first cycle (for example about fifteen oocytes), others will have to repeat two or three punctures to reach a number considered sufficient by the doctor.
The clinic can sometimes announce from the start that it will probably take several cycles (in case of low reserve), but it also happens that a lower number than expected is discovered on D-day, which leads to the proposal of a second cycle.

Alternative option: freezing embryos instead of oocytes

For some women with a very low reserve, freezing embryos may be more appropriate than freezing oocytes.
Technically, the protocol is identical to that of oocyte vitrification (stimulation, puncture), but instead of freezing the oocytes, they are immediately fertilized with sperm (donor or partner).
The embryos are cultivated until the blastocyst stage (5 or 6 days) and then frozen; several crucial steps have therefore already been taken (oocyte quality, fertilization, start of development), which gives a more concrete vision of the reproductive potential.
Socially and psychologically, this is not the same commitment as simple vitrification, especially if the sperm comes from a bank, but it can give hope to women whose reserves are very low.

How much does egg freezing cost in Spain?

The orders of magnitude given in the episode are consistent with the rates of other Spanish clinics.
In the Barcelona clinic mentioned, a cycle with puncture and vitrification costs around €2800, including three years of oocyte preservation.
From the fourth year on, you need to count on around €300 per year of storage, regardless of the number of oocytes.
A second or third cycle is generally a bit cheaper (around 2500€), which reduces the average cost per puncture if several cycles are combined.
Stimulation drugs often represent 800 to 1000€ per cycle when they are not taken care of (patients who are not French or coming from countries without reimbursement).
Overall, most clinics are between €2,000 and €3,000 per cycle (excluding travel and accommodation), plus annual storage costs.

Refund possible from France?

Even if “social” freezing is not reimbursed as a standard in France, some patients get partial care.
In concrete terms, it is sometimes possible to request a prior agreement from Health Insurance, by sending the detailed estimate from the Spanish clinic and the medical reports, then waiting for the answer before starting the treatment.
The reimbursed amount may correspond to the “puncture/anesthesia/hospitalization” part as it exists in France (often around 1700 to 1800€), but the rules and rates vary from one file to another.
The clinic provides a personalized quote and medical documents, but does not manage the French administrative part: it is up to the patient to file her file with the CPAM.

To ensure that oocyte freezing is managed by the French system, even in the event of oocyte freezing in Spain, please complete with your French doctor The request for prior agreement from the health insurance.

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Key things to keep in mind before you start

Spain offers fast deadlines, great expertise and teams that are very used to supporting French patients.
It is possible to complete a large part of the course from France (exams, checks, medications) by only going to Barcelona for the puncture, provided you are well surrounded medically.
The total cost includes puncture, vitrification, preservation, preservation, medication, travel and accommodation, sometimes with a small portion reimbursable by Health Insurance.
Even with a good number of frozen oocytes, you buy a probability, not a certainty, of pregnancy: it is another tool to keep options open, not a guarantee.

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