Egg Freezing & IVF in Georgia

Georgia's top attraction for medical tourists is its affordability and high quality of treatments, especially in the fields of infertility, cardio surgery, and cosmetic surgery. Patients from the east side of Europe and the west side of Asia prefer Georgia as a medical destination because of the short and inexpensive travel convenience. The success rates for infertility treatments are high, with some clinics reaching up to 80% success rate.

The state universal health program started in 2013. Patients self-fund health expenses at 51% in 2022 through this program. The government is aiming to peg local patients' out-of-pocket expenses to only 30% by 2030. The country has an ample supply of hospital beds and doctors while more nurses are needed to assist doctors in achieving increased productivity.

In 2019, around 25,000 medical tourists from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Israel, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Kuwait visited the country for different medical services. Patients exclusively seeking infertility treatments mostly come from China, the U.S., Israel, Sweden, Australia, and India. Many medical tourists seek balneology treatments at the approximately 2,000 mineral springs in different medical wellness resorts in the country.

What To Do in Georgia During Your Medical Vacation

Georgia is filled with numerous breathtaking mountains, caves, beaches, monasteries, and fortresses. The top activity when visiting the country's capital, Tbilisi, is a guided walking tour to explore the old town and immerse in its colourful history. While in Tbilisi, ride the cable car to get to the Narikala Fortress where you can see a majestic view of the city from above. Mtskheta is the religious centre of Georgia. It is home to the old Svetitskhoveli and Jvari churches and Samtavro Monastery. When visiting these churches, wear long skirts and a scarf to cover your head in respect.

Georgia is a safe country to visit. However, it is best to avoid South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They lie on the borders of Russia and are inhabited by Russians. There have been reports of conflict, car bombs, and unexploded landmines in these areas. Political demonstrations and protests take place mostly on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the site of the parliament building. Watch out for violence and interruptions in public transportation during these events. Updated weather conditions and reports can be hard to get in Georgia so exercise caution when skiing and hiking up mountains.

Leisure and medical tourists arrive at any of the three major airports. Public transportation is well-developed. It can be challenging though when some signs are in Georgian text with no English translation. The two-line subway is the easiest mode of transportation in Tbilisi because the station stops are written both in English and Georgian. You need to buy a MetroMoney card to ride the metro. You can also use the card to ride buses. Other transportation options are trains, marshrutkas or minibuses, and taxis. Vanilla Sky and Georgian Airways run domestic flights.

The official language is Georgian. It is spoken by about 86% of the population. Other languages spoken are Azerbaijani and Russian. The government has also made it mandatory for English to be taught in schools.

Social Attitudes Towards Fertility Treatments

The Georgian society is very conservative due to influences from the Georgian Orthodox Church. The rights of the LGBTQ+ and modern changes to family are largely challenged. This factor has been cited by analysts as contributing to the growing activism and plans for amendments to legislation governing infertility treatments and services.

Since compensated surrogacy services for foreigners are available in Georgia, an article was written about the government's announcement in 2023 of its plan to ban the country's commercial surrogacy program. The proposed ban is scheduled to take effect in 2024 to protect children and surrogate mothers from human trafficking. It also aims to protect its surrogacy law that prevents same-sex couples from accessing fertility procedures and services including surrogacy. When this plan takes effect, only altruistic surrogacy for Georgian heterosexual couples will be permitted.