Eggs and sperm are also called 'gametes'. We may use that term on this page.  

Here are the things that you need to consider when shipping eggs, sperm, or embryos internationally:

• the laws and regulations in the countries the material is being shipped from or shipped to;
• the potential risk of damage to the sperm, eggs or embryos if shipment is delayed;
• the time it takes to arrange shipping, and potential delays on international air travel;
• your destination clinic;
• the costs.

Gametes are shipped using dry shipping at -196°C

Once eggs, sperm or embryos are frozen, they are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196°C. 

Since it is unsafe to travel with liquid nitrogen in a liquid form they are transported in dry shippers. Dry shippers, (also known as cryoshippers), are containers designed to contain biological specimens at cryogenic temperatures. The dry shipper is primed with liquid nitrogen, which gets absorbed by foam inside the shipper. Vapour is then gradually released to keep the temperature at -196°C. The shipper retains enough liquid nitrogen to maintain the low temperature for approximately 10-15 days. Shippers are robust but can lose their liquid nitrogen if physically damaged or tipped over.

Some shipping companies have a person accompany the shipper throughout the journey to ensure there are no delays or damage, while others use unaccompanied shippers. Fertility Associates prefers to export/ import frozen material internationally with a personal courier to accompany the shipment.  We can provide you with some companies that offer this service. You will need to choose the shipping company you prefer, and they will invoice you separately for their services.

You need to consider:

• whether the company tracks the temperature inside the dry shipper;
• how they track the dry shipper - for instance by GPS tracking, in case the shipper gets off-loaded or delayed;
• ease of communication with the shipping company and its agents;
• cost;
• their prior experience with handling and shipping eggs, sperm, and embryos.

It is also very important to ensure that the shipment has no exposure to X-ray during transit as this could damage the DNA within the gametes or embryos.

• In New Zealand, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is governed by the HART Act, which has specific prohibitions and requirements. For instance, eggs or sperm cannot be imported from donors who have received more than a reimbursement of expenses.
• Donors need to be identifiable and have a certain level of counselling. If your donor sperm or donor eggs are being collected overseas and frozen for transportation, they will still have to satisfy the New Zealand donor requirements to be used for treatment here.
• We cannot receive gametes or embryos that have been involved in sex selection, nor can we send them overseas for treatment that includes sex selection.
• Other countries have their own requirements, some quite stringent or specific. We will communicate with your holding/receiving clinic to ensure all these requirements are met.
• Because shipping eggs, sperm or embryos can be complex, one of the first steps is a consultation with a Fertility Associates doctor to go over the risks and issues that may apply to your situation. For some people, their importing or exporting of gametes or embryos will need to be approved by Fertility Associates Medical Directors.

Time

You need to allow time for shipping to take place.  There are many steps to take before material can be shipped, such as collating documents and meeting the requirements of each clinic. Expect shipment to take at least two months to organise and execute.

Cost

Transporting gametes or embryos for fertility treatment is more costly than transporting people! The overall costs for international shipping include several components:

• doctor consultation;
• initial coordination of international shipping;
• additional shipping coordination fee for countries that have particular regulatory requirements or where donation is involved;
• shipping company costs, which will be dependent on the company, destination, and whether the gametes will be accompanied;
• overseas administration.

To see our current shipping fees, head to our 'Treatment costs' page.

About the fees:

Fertility Associates fees cover staff time and overheads and are based on extensive experience. The initial coordination fee is usually sufficient to cover the work required when we are importing or exporting a person’s own gametes or embryos created using their own genetic material because the process is relatively straightforward.

The additional shipping fee is charged when donor material is involved, or when your material is being sent to countries farther than Australia. In these cases, the level of documentation required to satisfy regulations, permissions, and individual clinic requests can often be extensive. We will tell you if there are any extra fees, such as for obtaining statutory declarations, or similar.

Overseas treatment has certain risks and it is important you understand and discuss these with your overseas clinic:

• Some overseas clinics do not follow the principle of single embryo transfer. This increases your risk of multiple pregnancy and increases health risks for women and their babies.
• We recommend you check the safety and integrity of the clinic you are using and the regulations they follow. For example, Australasian clinics may be accredited by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, (this is also available internationally). NZ clinics are also certified to the Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard (NZS 8134:2021).
• Check the conditions for re-importing embryos after treatment, in case you need to return embryos to New Zealand.
• If delays occur, this may impact your travel plans and scheduled treatment and as per our terms and conditions, we cannot be responsible for any financial loss.
• The consent form has more details on the specific transport risks of shipping.