IVF Cost NZ: Prices and Public Funding Rules
Fertility treatment is one of the few significant medical costs in New Zealand that sits entirely outside health insurance. Policies in this market exclude it by name, so the real question is whether you meet the criteria for public funding and, if not, what the clinic's published price actually adds up to.
This guide covers both, using published figures rather than estimates.
How much does IVF cost in New Zealand?
A self-funded IVF cycle at Fertility Associates comes to $15,815 when the three published base fees are added at the lowest medication tier, rising to $19,135 at the highest tier, before optional extras. Fertility Associates prices IVF in three stages, and publishes a base fee for each: Stage 1 at $4,370, $5,380, $6,560 or $7,690 depending on the medication tier, Stage 2 at $8,220, and Stage 3 at $3,225.
| Published item | Price |
|---|---|
| First doctor consultation | $395 |
| Review consultation | $260 |
| IVF Stage 1 base fee (Lite medication tier) | $4,370 |
| IVF Stage 1 base fee (Mid) | $5,380 |
| IVF Stage 1 base fee (High) | $6,560 |
| IVF Stage 1 base fee (High plus) | $7,690 |
| IVF Stage 2 base fee | $8,220 |
| IVF Stage 3 base fee | $3,225 |
| ICSI sperm microinjection (optional) | $3,430 |
| Sedation with an anaesthetist (optional) | $1,340 |
| PGT-A genetic testing, per embryo (optional) | $1,775 |
| Frozen embryo transfer | $3,225 |
| First egg freezing cycle | $14,610 |
Source: Fertility Associates published treatment costs, accessed 14 August 2026. The stage totals above are the sum of the three published base fees and exclude consultations, tests and optional add-ons.
Add-ons move the number materially. ICSI at $3,430 alone lifts a Lite-tier cycle to $19,245, and preimplantation genetic testing is charged per embryo at $1,775.
Fertility Associates also publishes partial refunds where a cycle stops early, including $1,495 if Stage 1 is stopped before trigger medication and $4,205 if no eggs are retrieved at egg collection. Those are worth reading in the clinic's own terms, because they define what you lose if a cycle does not proceed.
Who qualifies for publicly funded IVF in New Zealand
Publicly funded fertility treatment in New Zealand requires a Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria score of at least 65 points out of 100, assessed by a fertility specialist. Fertility Associates states that the CPAC score can only be done by a fertility specialist and that at least 65 points are needed to qualify.
Public funding runs in two stages, a funded consultation and funded treatment, and the criteria for each are different. Meeting the criteria for a funded consultation does not mean you will be eligible for funded treatment.
Criteria for a publicly funded consultation:
- The woman must be 39 years or younger at the time of referral.
- Both partners must be New Zealand residents or hold a work visa showing at least two years, with proof provided before eligibility is confirmed.
- You must either not be pregnant after one year of trying, or have a known male or female factor such as endometriosis, blocked tubes, anovulation or a very low sperm count, or have a genetic condition treatable with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or require fertility preservation before treatment likely to compromise fertility.
Exclusions from a publicly funded consultation include a woman's BMI above 35, and in the Auckland and Northland region a male partner's BMI above 40 or a male partner aged 55 or older.
Exclusions from publicly funded treatment are tighter again: a woman's BMI above 32, a male partner's BMI above 40, either partner being a smoker or vaper, illicit drug or alcohol abuse by either partner in the past 12 months, and having two or more children already living at home at least half of the time.
Two practical points follow. First, the BMI threshold tightens from 35 for the consultation to 32 for treatment, so people can clear the first gate and fail the second. Second, Fertility Associates states you can access privately funded treatment while on the waiting list for publicly funded treatment, and that you are only removed from the waiting list if you achieve a successful pregnancy.
One cost is not covered even when treatment is funded. Fertility Associates notes that all applications to the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology incur a fee, published at $4,475, and that the Ministry of Health does not cover the ECART fee even where treatment is publicly funded.
Why health insurance does not cover IVF in NZ
New Zealand health insurance excludes fertility treatment outright. The Southern Cross Wellbeing One and Wellbeing Two policy document, effective from 1 April 2026, states: "We don't cover any costs related to infertility or assisted reproduction."
That exclusion is written broadly. It reaches the costs related to infertility as well as the assisted reproduction procedures themselves, which is why a policy will not fund an IVF cycle regardless of the medical reason behind it. Policies from other insurers are worded differently in their detail, so read your own policy document, but treat fertility treatment as a self-funded or publicly funded item rather than an insured one.
Fertility Associates does publish multi-cycle packages under its own Fertility Cover and Family Builder programmes. These are clinic pricing arrangements with their own eligibility and refund conditions, not insurance products, and they are not regulated as insurance. Read the conditions carefully before treating one as a form of cover.
The adviser's view
Fertility treatment is a savings and cashflow problem rather than an insurance one, and the sequence that saves the most money is to get the specialist assessment done before deciding how to fund it. The assessment is what produces the CPAC score, and that score determines whether you are paying $15,815 or nothing.
Where insurance does have a role near this stage of life is everything around it. Income protection, trauma cover and life cover are all easier and cheaper to arrange while you are young and healthy, and pregnancy itself changes what an insurer will offer and when. Our guide to insurance and pregnancy in New Zealand covers the timing, and our health insurance page explains what a policy is genuinely for.
Frequently asked questions
How much is one round of IVF in New Zealand?
Adding Fertility Associates' three published base fees gives $15,815 at the lowest medication tier and $19,135 at the highest, before consultations, tests and optional extras such as ICSI at $3,430 or genetic testing at $1,775 per embryo.
Does health insurance cover IVF in NZ?
No. Southern Cross's Wellbeing policy document states it does not cover any costs related to infertility or assisted reproduction. Other insurers write the clause differently but fertility treatment is not a covered benefit in the mainstream New Zealand market.
What is the CPAC score for IVF funding?
The Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria score is a fertility assessment scored out of 100 that only a fertility specialist can complete. At least 65 points are required to qualify for publicly funded treatment.
Can I pay privately while waiting for public funding?
Yes. Fertility Associates states you can access privately funded treatment while on the waiting list for publicly funded treatment, and that you are only removed from the waiting list if you achieve a successful pregnancy.
QuoteHub operates under Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver (FSP 712931). This article is general information, not personalised financial advice. Clinic prices and public funding criteria change, so confirm current figures with the provider or talk to a licensed adviser about the cover that does apply to your situation. See also our guide to private surgery costs in New Zealand.
References
- Fertility Associates: Treatment costs and payment options (accessed 14 August 2026)
- Fertility Associates: Public funding and eligibility (accessed 14 August 2026)
- govt.nz: How to get fertility treatment (accessed 14 August 2026)
- Southern Cross: Wellbeing One and Wellbeing Two policy document (effective 1 April 2026)
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