Moving frozen embryos or eggs is routine, but it only goes smoothly in the right order: get the receiving lab to accept the transfer first, then sign the releasing clinic’s consent forms (usually every genetic contributor must sign), confirm the freezing method and carrier type are compatible, and book a specialist cryo-courier. International moves add import rules that vary by country, so get the receiving clinic’s document list in writing before you pay anyone.
Why people move frozen eggs and embryos
The most common reasons are practical: you moved house, switched insurance, lost confidence in a clinic, want a lower-cost transfer elsewhere, or plan treatment abroad. Some people move material from a clinic to a long-term storage facility simply to reduce annual fees. Whatever the reason, the frozen cells themselves are rarely the hard part. The paperwork and the sequencing are.
Step by step: moving frozen embryos or eggs
- Choose and contact the receiving clinic or storage facility. Ask its embryology lab whether it accepts incoming frozen material and what it needs. Do not start with the clinic that holds your embryos; start with the one that will receive them.
- Send the receiving lab your embryology records. It will want to know whether the material was vitrified or slow-frozen, the carrier or device type (open or closed system), the media used, the stage (eggs, day-3 embryos, blastocysts), the grading, and any genetic testing results. Some labs cannot warm every device type, so this is the main compatibility check.
- Get written acceptance. Ask the receiving lab for a short acceptance letter or email naming the number of straws or devices it expects.
- Complete the releasing clinic’s transfer forms. These usually require signatures, often notarized, from every person who signed the original consents, typically both genetic contributors for embryos. If you separated, are divorced or a contributor has died, expect delays; see our guide on embryos after divorce, separation or death.
- Book a cryo-courier. Clinics generally require a specialist shipper using a liquid-nitrogen dry shipper with temperature monitoring. Many will not release material to a patient carrying it personally. Ask both labs which couriers they accept.
- Pay outstanding storage fees and confirm the release date. Clinics rarely release material with an unpaid balance.
- Confirm receipt and inventory. The receiving lab should confirm in writing that every device arrived and that the shipper stayed at temperature. Keep that confirmation with your records. If you are moving embryos for a transfer, FertileStart’s frozen embryo transfer timeline shows what the receiving clinic will schedule next.
The consent forms that slow things down
Embryos are usually treated as jointly controlled by the people who created them, as written in the clinic’s disposition forms. In practice that means:
- Both partners sign to move embryos, even if only one is the genetic parent in a donor arrangement, if both signed the original forms.
- Donor-conceived embryos can have extra conditions from the donor agreement, such as restrictions on where embryos may be used or on donation to others.
- Eggs are normally controlled by the person who froze them, so the paperwork is simpler.
If you created embryos with a partner and are now apart, do not ship until there is a signed agreement or court order. Moving embryos without the other party’s documented consent can create legal problems later, especially across borders.
Donor records must travel with donor material
In the US, eggs, sperm and embryos are regulated by the FDA as human cells and tissues under 21 CFR Part 1271. Material from a sexually intimate partner is exempt from the donor-eligibility rules. Material from an anonymous or directed donor is not: donors must be screened and tested for infectious diseases, including chlamydia and gonorrhea for reproductive donors, and anonymous sperm must be quarantined and retested at least six months after donation before release.
The practical point: if your embryos were made with donor eggs or donor sperm, the receiving lab will want the donor-eligibility documentation. Ask the releasing clinic or the original egg or sperm bank to include it. Missing donor paperwork is one of the most common reasons a receiving lab pauses a transfer.
Moving to another country
International shipments add three more layers:
- Export rules where the material is stored. Some countries require approval to export eggs or embryos.
- Import rules where it is going. Requirements vary, and some countries restrict importing donor-conceived embryos or material that would not meet local rules on donors, number of embryos or testing.
- Customs and airline handling. Specialist couriers usually manage customs paperwork and dry-shipper rules, but confirm they have shipped into the destination country before.
If you are considering treatment in Colombia with embryos you already have, ask the Colombian clinic in writing whether it accepts imported embryos, which documents it and Colombian authorities require, and whether its lab can warm your device type. As of this writing we could not confirm a single published Colombian checklist for importing frozen embryos, so rely on the receiving clinic’s written instructions rather than a generic list. For planning the trip itself, see our IVF abroad logistics guide and HowToHaveABaby’s complete guide to IVF abroad.
Eggs, embryos and sperm are not handled the same way
Embryos carry the heaviest consent burden, because two people usually control them. Eggs are simpler legally but more delicate in the lab, so device compatibility and the receiving lab’s egg-warming experience matter most. Ask how many warmed-egg cycles the receiving lab performs each year. Sperm is the most robust to ship, and sperm banks ship vials routinely, but donor sperm still comes with donor-eligibility records that the receiving clinic will want on file.
If you are moving eggs you froze years ago, ask the receiving lab to confirm it can thaw slow-frozen eggs as well as vitrified ones; older material may have been frozen by methods some labs no longer use routinely.
Fees to budget for
Prices vary too much between clinics and couriers to quote reliably, so ask each party for a written figure. The line items usually look like this:
| Fee | Who charges it | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Release or “transfer out” fee | Releasing clinic | Is it per shipment or per device? Is it waived if I am unhappy with care? |
| Outstanding storage | Releasing clinic | Is the current year prorated or charged in full? |
| Courier and dry shipper | Cryo-courier | Does the price include return of the shipper, customs and insurance? |
| Receiving or intake fee | Receiving clinic | Is it credited toward a transfer cycle? |
| New storage | Receiving clinic or facility | Annual or multi-year pricing? What happens if fees go unpaid? |
Our frozen embryo transfer cost guide breaks down what the transfer cycle itself usually includes once the embryos arrive.
Risks and liability
Shipping failures are uncommon when experienced couriers are used, but they are not impossible, and the consequences are permanent. Before you ship:
- Read the courier’s liability terms. Many cap compensation far below the value of what is being shipped.
- Ask whether the shipper has a temperature data logger and whether you will get the log.
- Consider whether to move everything at once or in two shipments, especially for irreplaceable material such as eggs frozen before cancer treatment.
- Ask the receiving lab how it confirms that warmed embryos or eggs survived transport, and whether it will warm one first if you have many.
- Can your lab warm the device type and freezing method used for my embryos or eggs?
- Which signatures, notarization or ID do you require before release or receipt?
- For donor-conceived material, which donor-eligibility records do you need, and who will send them?
- Which couriers do you accept, and have they shipped to this destination before?
- What fees apply on each side, and what happens to storage billing on the shipping date?
- Will you confirm in writing the number of devices received and the shipper temperature log?
If you are switching clinics because something went wrong, our clinic selection checklist can help you vet the new one before you move anything.
Ask Colombian clinics about imported embryos
Some patients ship existing embryos to accredited clinics in Colombia for transfer. Ask any clinic in writing whether it accepts imported embryos, which documents it needs, whether its lab can warm your device type, and for a written all-in quote for the transfer cycle.
Questions? Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll point you to clinics and next steps. We may earn referral fees from partner clinics.
Frequently asked questions
Do both partners have to sign to move frozen embryos?
Usually yes. Most clinics require signatures from everyone who signed the original embryo consent forms, often notarized. If you have separated, expect to need a written agreement or court order.
Can I carry frozen embryos myself?
Most clinics will only release frozen embryos or eggs to a specialist cryo-courier using a liquid-nitrogen dry shipper. Ask both labs before making any other plan.
How long does moving frozen embryos take?
Domestic moves often take a few weeks, mostly for paperwork and lab scheduling. International moves can take longer because of import and export requirements.
Do donor-egg or donor-sperm embryos need extra paperwork?
Yes. Under FDA rules, donor material requires donor-eligibility screening and testing, and receiving labs usually ask for that documentation before accepting the shipment.
Can embryos be shipped to Colombia?
Some Colombian clinics accept imported embryos, but requirements are set by the receiving clinic and local authorities. Get the clinic’s document list and device compatibility confirmation in writing before shipping.
Sources & guidance
- eCFR: 21 CFR Part 1271, Subpart C, Donor eligibility (1271.60 quarantine, 1271.85 testing, 1271.90 exceptions); up to date as of October 7, 2026
- ASRM: Gamete and embryo donation guidance (2024)
- ASRM: Evidence-based outcomes after oocyte cryopreservation, a guideline (2021)