Before I decided to pursue fertility treatment overseas, I compared options in Thailand, Russia, the U.S., and Georgia. A lot of people obsess over which country has the “best” IVF, but what really matters is whether the process fits your specific situation. Thailand offers shorter cycles and reasonable costs, Russia has a relatively clear legal framework for surrogacy, but the two processes are vastly different—don’t prepare for one thinking it’s the same as the other.
Should You Do Pre-Cycle Testing at Home or Wait Until You Arrive?
Every legitimate fertility clinic requires you to submit test results from your home country before starting treatment. Basic panels like the hormone six-panel, AMH, and semen analysis are typically valid for 3 to 6 months. Honestly, if you can get these done at home, do it. You’ll still need to complete infectious disease screenings and possibly a hysteroscopy once you arrive, but if your hormone reports expire, you’ll have to get your blood drawn all over again—total waste of time.
One Detail That Catches People Off Guard in Russia
Here’s something specific to Russia surrogacy: the screening process for surrogates is way more rigorous than for intended parents doing their own cycle. Psychological evaluations, family background checks—it all has to be documented. This alone adds at least two weeks to your timeline. Thailand IVF doesn’t have this layer because you’re carrying yourself, so the prep is more straightforward. If you’re doing surrogacy in Russia, factor in this extra lead time or you’ll be sitting around waiting longer than expected.
Don’t Skip the Follow-Up Steps After You Get Home
With Thailand IVF, you’ll do a blood test 10 to 12 days after transfer to confirm pregnancy. Once that’s positive, you can fly home. But when you go to set up prenatal care domestically, bring every document from Thailand—embryo reports, transfer records, the whole packet. Some local OB clinics won’t accept foreign documentation and will make you redo an early ultrasound from scratch. I’ve seen people get blindsided by this and end up paying for duplicate tests they thought they’d already covered.
Bottom line: work with accredited clinics, know the real timeline for each step, and don’t assume the process is the same across countries. That’s how you avoid unnecessary detours.