Cross-border Reproductive Care in Czechia: Insights from National Registry Data

Abstract

Cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) represents a growing component of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), particularly in Europe. This article presents a descriptive, register-based analysis of CBRC in Czechia, focusing on the volume of ART cycles, the countries of origin of patients, and treatment types in comparison with domestic patients.

We analysed 176,588 ART cycles recorded in the Czech National Registry of Assisted Reproduction (NRAR) between 2016 and 2019. Patients were classified by country of residence, nationality, and insurance status. Descriptive statistics were used to identify patterns in terms of patient characteristics and treatment choices. The analysis was contextualised with reference to national ART legislation in selected source countries.

The findings revealed that nearly 40 percent of ART cycles in Czechia are attributable to CBRC, making the country one of Europe’s leading destinations for cross-border fertility treatment. The largest groups of CBRC patients are from Germany, Italy, Slovakia, the UK, France, Serbia, Ireland, and Hungary. Women who seek CBRC in Czechia are significantly older than their Czech counterparts, with a modal age of 41 years compared to 38 years, respectively, for IVF/ICSI cycles and 43 years compared to 38 years, respectively, for cycles in which a woman receives donated eggs. Moreover, the treatment preferences of CBRC patients differ markedly: they are more likely to undergo frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles (37 percent vs. 30 percent among Czech patients) and egg receipt (OoR) cycles (32 percent vs. 3 percent among Czech patients).

The study provides a unique, data-driven perspective on the dynamics of cross-border reproductive care in Czechia, drawing on comprehensive national registry data. By identifying key source countries and differences in treatment preferences, it highlights Czechia’s growing role in the European reproductive care landscape and sheds light on how legal, demographic, and economic conditions shape cross-border patient mobility in Europe.