Egg Freezing Cost UK 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
Egg freezing is one of the fastest-growing fertility treatments in the UK, with demand rising over 50% since 2020. But the headline price clinics advertise rarely reflects what you'll actually spend. This guide breaks down every cost — from the initial consultation through years of storage — so you can budget realistically and compare clinics with confidence.
Egg freezing at a glance
Egg freezing cycle
£3,000–£5,000
Medication
£500–£1,500
Storage per year
£150–£400
Total first year
£3,650–£6,900
Using eggs later (thaw + transfer)
£1,500–£3,000
Ranges based on pricing from 130+ HFEA-licensed UK clinics. The cycle fee covers consultation, scans, egg collection and vitrification. Medication and storage are typically charged separately.
What's included in the egg freezing cycle price
An egg freezing cycle involves ovarian stimulation with injectable hormones over 10–14 days, regular monitoring scans, and a short egg collection procedure under sedation. The eggs are then vitrified (flash-frozen) and placed in long-term storage. Here is what each component typically costs.
| Item | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | £200–£350 | |
| Baseline scans and blood tests | £300–£600 | |
| Ovarian stimulation monitoring | Included | |
| Egg collection procedure | £1,500–£3,000 | |
| Oocyte vitrification (freezing) | £500–£1,000 | |
| Sedation / anaesthesia | £200–£500 | |
| Stimulation medication | £500–£1,500 | |
| First year storage | £150–£400 | |
| Total estimated (first year) | £3,650–£6,900 | |
Important: The “egg freezing cycle” price most clinics advertise (typically £3,000–£5,000) usually covers scans, egg collection and vitrification only. Medication and storage are almost always charged separately. Always ask for a fully itemised quote before committing.
How egg freezing costs compare to IVF
Egg freezing uses the same ovarian stimulation and egg collection process as the first half of an IVF cycle. The key difference is that eggs are frozen and stored rather than being fertilised immediately. This makes the initial cycle slightly cheaper — but you'll pay again when you're ready to use them.
| Cost item | Egg freezing | IVF cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Core cycle fee | £2,000–£4,000 | £3,000–£5,500 |
| Medication | £500–£1,500 | £800–£2,000 |
| ICSI | N/A | £800–£1,500 |
| Embryo transfer | N/A | Included |
| Annual storage | £150–£400/yr (eggs) | £150–£350/yr (embryos) |
| Total first year | £3,650–£6,900 | £4,500–£8,500 |
When you eventually use your frozen eggs, you'll pay an additional £1,500–£3,000 for the thaw, ICSI fertilisation, embryo culture and transfer. The total end-to-end cost of freezing and later using eggs is therefore comparable to — or slightly more than — a fresh IVF cycle. The value of egg freezing lies in preserving younger, higher-quality eggs for use at a later date.
Egg freezing cost by region
As with IVF, London clinics are typically the most expensive for egg freezing. Clinics outside the capital can offer comparable quality at meaningfully lower prices — especially in the Midlands, North West and Scotland.
London
40+ clinics£4,500–£7,500
20–30% above national average
South East
20+ clinics£3,500–£5,500
Good range of options outside the capital
Midlands
15+ clinics£3,000–£5,000
Competitive pricing, growing number of clinics
North West
12+ clinics£3,000–£4,800
Manchester and Liverpool offer strong value
Scotland
8+ clinics£2,800–£4,500
Some of the most affordable options in the UK
Wales & South West
6+ clinics£3,000–£5,000
Fewer clinics but competitive pricing
NHS funding for egg freezing
Unlike IVF, the NHS does not fund elective (social) egg freezing. NHS funding is only available for medical egg freezing — where a health condition or its treatment is likely to affect your fertility.
When the NHS will fund egg freezing
- Before cancer treatment — chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery that may damage the ovaries
- Conditions requiring gonadotoxic treatment (e.g. severe endometriosis, autoimmune conditions)
- Gender-affirming hormone therapy that will affect fertility
- Premature ovarian insufficiency diagnosed before natural menopause
- Certain genetic conditions (e.g. Turner syndrome mosaicism) where early loss of fertility is expected
What the NHS typically covers
For eligible medical patients, the NHS usually covers the egg collection cycle, medication, and a period of egg storage (often 10 years). However, provision varies between hospital trusts, and there can be waiting times for referral. If you are facing urgent treatment (e.g. chemotherapy starting within weeks), most fertility clinics offer fast-track pathways.
If your medical treatment is time-sensitive, ask your oncologist or specialist for an urgent fertility preservation referral. The HFEA recommends that all patients of reproductive age should be offered fertility counselling before gonadotoxic treatment.
Employer-funded egg freezing: A growing number of UK employers now offer egg freezing as a benefit, typically covering £5,000–£10,000 toward the cost. Companies in tech, finance and professional services are most likely to offer this. Check your employee benefits package or ask HR.
How to compare egg freezing clinics
Not all egg freezing clinics offer the same value. Beyond headline price, these are the metrics and questions that help you make a meaningful comparison.
Ask for cost per egg retrieved
Divide the total cycle cost (including medication) by the average number of eggs collected. A clinic charging £5,000 that collects 12 eggs on average (£417/egg) may be better value than one charging £3,500 that collects 6 (£583/egg).
Get a fully itemised quote
Request a written breakdown that includes consultation, scans, medication estimate, egg collection, freezing, sedation and first-year storage. If a clinic won't provide this, that's a red flag.
Compare storage packages
Some clinics offer discounted multi-year storage (e.g. 5 years for the price of 3). If you plan to store for several years, this can save hundreds of pounds over time.
Check the HFEA register
Every licensed clinic has an HFEA inspection rating and published egg collection statistics. Cross-reference the clinic's marketing claims against official HFEA data.
Ask about medication sourcing
Some clinics allow you to buy medication from external fertility pharmacies, which can be 20–40% cheaper. Others require you to purchase through them. This one question could save you £200–£600.
Consider the full journey cost
The cheapest freezing cycle means nothing if the clinic charges significantly more for the thaw and transfer later. Ask about future thaw + ICSI + transfer pricing when you first enquire.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to freeze your eggs in the UK?
A single egg freezing cycle in the UK costs between £3,000 and £5,000 for the procedure itself. With medication (£500–£1,500) and first-year storage (£150–£400), the total first-year cost is typically £3,650–£6,900. London clinics tend to be at the higher end of this range. You should also budget for ongoing annual storage fees of £150–£400 per year.
Is egg freezing covered by the NHS?
Egg freezing is available on the NHS only in limited circumstances — primarily for medical reasons such as before cancer treatment (chemotherapy or radiotherapy), before surgery that affects fertility, or for certain genetic conditions. Elective (social) egg freezing is not funded by the NHS. If you are facing fertility-threatening medical treatment, ask your oncologist or specialist for an urgent referral to a fertility clinic.
How long can eggs be stored?
Since July 2022, UK law allows eggs to be stored for up to 55 years, as long as you renew your consent every 10 years. Previously, the storage limit was 10 years for elective freezing. This change was introduced through the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2022, giving women significantly more flexibility in when they use their frozen eggs.
How many eggs should I freeze?
Most fertility specialists recommend freezing 15–20 mature eggs to give a reasonable chance of a future live birth. However, the number you collect per cycle depends heavily on your age and ovarian reserve. Women under 35 typically retrieve 10–15 eggs per cycle, while women over 38 may get 5–8. This means younger women often need just one cycle, while older women may need two or three cycles to bank enough eggs.
What is the success rate of using frozen eggs?
Survival rates for thawed vitrified eggs are around 85–95%. The chance of a live birth per thawed egg depends primarily on the age at which the eggs were frozen: roughly 5–8% per egg for women who froze at under 35, dropping to 2–5% per egg for women who froze at 38–40. With 15–20 eggs frozen at age 34 or under, the cumulative chance of at least one live birth is approximately 70–80%.
Is egg freezing worth it at 35?
Age 35 is still a good time to freeze eggs from a biological standpoint — egg quality and quantity are usually sufficient to yield a meaningful number of mature eggs per cycle. Most women at 35 can expect to retrieve 8–12 eggs per cycle and may need 1–2 cycles to reach the recommended 15–20 eggs. The cost-effectiveness decreases after 38, when fewer eggs are retrieved per cycle and egg quality declines more steeply. If you are considering egg freezing, earlier is generally better in terms of both outcomes and total cost.
Methodology and data sources
Cost data is collected directly from clinic websites, price lists and patient enquiry responses, and verified periodically by the Vero Fertility team. Ranges represent the spread across UK clinics offering egg freezing services — your actual cost will depend on your clinic, location, protocol and medication requirements.
Storage law references are based on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2022. Success rate statistics are sourced from published HFEA data and peer-reviewed literature on oocyte cryopreservation outcomes.
Last updated March 2026.
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