Why international transport is different
Domestically, an embryo transfer is mostly about route and timing. Across borders, two more things come into play: the documentation each country requires, and customs. There are also two sets of clinic requirements to satisfy — the one releasing your embryos and the one receiving them.
None of this is a barrier. It simply means the transfer is planned further ahead and coordinated more closely, which is exactly what a specialist courier is for.
The documentation involved
International transfers usually involve some combination of the following, prepared before anything moves:
- Authorisation and consent to release your embryos
- Clinic-to-clinic transfer paperwork
- Infectious-disease screening records for the specimens
- Any import or export permits the destination country requires
Requirements vary from country to country and clinic to clinic. A large part of our job is knowing what each one needs and coordinating it in advance, so the journey is smooth when the day comes.
Customs and airport security
Your shipment is declared and carried through customs with the correct documentation in hand. As with every Vessel transfer, the dry shipper stays in the cabin with your courier and is presented for visual inspection rather than X-ray screening. Your courier remains with it through every border and transfer point.
Planning ahead
The single most useful thing you can do for an international transfer is start early. Some countries and permits take time, and both clinics' schedules need to line up. Several weeks of lead time is common; more if permits are involved. The sooner we know the origin and destination, the more calmly everything can be arranged.
Working with your clinics on both ends
We coordinate directly with the releasing clinic or storage facility and the receiving one, matching each side's protocols and paperwork. You have a single point of contact throughout, so you are never chasing two clinics in two time zones yourself.