Guide

IVF in the Netherlands: Costs, Insurance Coverage & Who Qualifies

Basic Dutch health insurance (basisverzekering) covers three IVF/ICSI attempts up to age 42, but only when there is a recognized medical infertility diagnosis — not having a male partner does not count as one, so single women and lesbian couples using donor sperm are not covered this way. Instead, a separate government subsidy scheme funds up to 12 IUI-with-donor-sperm treatments for women without a male partner, running until 1 January 2030; donor sperm itself is never covered by insurance or the subsidy, in any scenario.

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Key facts

Basisverzekering covers three IVF/ICSI attempts for women up to and including age 42 at the first attempt, but only with a qualifying medical diagnosis: blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, male-factor infertility, or unexplained infertility in a heterosexual couple.
For single women and lesbian couples: the absence of a male partner is not itself treated as a medical indication, so standard basisverzekering IVF/IUI coverage does not automatically apply.
A separate subsidy scheme (Subsidieregeling KID) specifically funds up to 12 IUI-with-donor-sperm attempts for women without a male partner, in effect through 1 January 2030 — clinics charge a reduced one-time contribution (around €192.50, half the standard deductible) instead of the full treatment cost.
Donor sperm itself is never covered by insurance or the subsidy in any scenario — a vial from a Dutch sperm bank typically costs €100–€475, and imported (e.g. Danish) donor sperm €800–€1,200 or more.
The mandatory annual deductible (eigen risico) is €385 in 2026 and applies to whatever portion of treatment is reimbursed.

Legal considerations

Only licensed Dutch fertility clinics can perform IVF/IUI with donor sperm, and all donors must be registered under the Artificial Fertilisation Donor Information Act — anonymous donation has been banned since 2004.
Undergoing IVF/IUI doesn't by itself determine legal parenthood for a non-birthing partner — that depends on marital/registered-partnership status and donor type (see the Known Donor guide and the Netherlands country page for the co-mother rules).

Costs

A single IVF/ICSI cycle outside insurance coverage typically costs €3,000–€6,000; a single IUI cycle €600–€1,000. For single women and lesbian couples using the KID subsidy scheme, treatment itself costs a one-time ~€192.50 contribution per clinic claim rather than the full price — but donor sperm (€100–€1,200+ per vial depending on the bank) is always an out-of-pocket cost on top, regardless of which funding route applies.

Timeline

Weeks 1–4: intake and fertility workup at a licensed clinic; for donor-sperm treatment, choosing a donor through the clinic or an external sperm bank.
Per cycle: IUI is typically a single-day procedure around ovulation; an IVF/ICSI cycle runs 2–4 weeks from stimulation to egg retrieval and transfer.
Multiple cycles are common — the 3-cycle IVF/ICSI allowance and 12-attempt KID subsidy both reflect that success often takes more than one attempt.

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