The IVF timeline in Greece: from first contact to the pregnancy test

Patients often ask me: ‘If I contact you today, when can I expect to be pregnant?’ I cannot promise the second part. The first, however, can be planned quite precisely. Here is a typical timeline, step by step.

Step 1 — The first conversation (week 1)

A free 30- to 45-minute phone call or video call: your history, your test results, your past treatments, and what you’re looking for. By the end, we know what kind of treatment pathway is realistic — IVF using your own eggs, egg donation, or the transfer of previously frozen embryos — and what documents are still needed.

Step 2 — The medical file (weeks 1 to 3)

You gather your recent test results: hormone profile including AMH, ultrasound scan, semen analysis, serology tests, and reports from previous treatment attempts. The list is in the fertility work-up. Any missing tests are carried out in your home country; I arrange for any necessary documents to be translated. This is often the most time-consuming stage — not because of Greece, but because of the laboratory appointments.

Step 3 — The consultation with the clinic (weeks 2 to 4)

The Greek doctor reviews your file and then meets you via video call, usually in English, with me acting as an interpreter if needed. They propose a treatment plan and provide a written quote. Prepare your questions: see preparing for the first consultation. You then have time to think it over; there is no obligation to decide on the same day.

Step 4 — Starting treatment

For IVF using your own eggs, stimulation begins at the start of a cycle, at home, often on the second or third day of your period, possibly after a scheduling pill. The first monitoring scans are carried out by your gynaecologist.

For egg donation, the clinic matches you with a donor, usually within a few weeks, and then synchronises your two cycles: you prepare your endometrium with oestrogen whilst the donor undergoes stimulation. See waiting times for egg donation.

Step 5 — Your stay in Greece

• IVF using your own eggs: arrival around the seventh or eighth day of stimulation, final scans at the clinic, egg retrieval around the twelfth to fourteenth day, followed by embryo transfer five days later or freezing of all embryos. That means eight to twelve nights on site.
• Egg donation: arrival just before the donor’s egg retrieval, sperm collection on the same day, transfer on the fifth day. Often four to six nights.
• Frozen embryo transfer: two to four nights around the transfer (see natural or medicated cycle).

Details of the number of nights and the budget can be found in how many days to stay in Greece and the budget for your stay in Thessaloniki.

Step 6 — Going home and the test

You return home one or two days after the transfer, with your progesterone treatment. The beta-hCG blood test is carried out at home, usually 9 to 11 days after a blastocyst transfer (see implantation after a transfer). The clinic and I receive the result on the same day.

In summary: how long does it take overall?

These timeframes assume a complete file and no prior treatment required (hysteroscopy, surgery, thyroid correction, etc.). For women aged between 50 and 54, authorisation from the National Authority must be added to the timeline: see the age limit in Greece.

What saves or loses time

You save time with recent tests, a semen analysis less than six months old and a gynaecologist who agrees to send the scans to the clinic. You lose time with out-of-date serology tests, a flight booked too early, or a document misplaced at the wrong moment. My job is to keep this schedule on track for you, with just one person to write to.

Frequently asked questions

Triada Baloukoudis
Independent IVF patient coordinator in Thessaloniki, with 24 years of experience supporting patients travelling from abroad. More · Contact · Facebook