Costa Rica and Colombia are both popular medical travel destinations close to the US, but they differ a lot for IVF. Costa Rica banned IVF for over a decade and still regulates it under a fairly restrictive framework, with a small number of clinics. Colombia has a much larger fertility sector spread across several cities. Costa Rica can still suit some patients well, especially those with simple cases who want very short flights. Here’s how to decide.
- Costa Rica banned IVF in 2000. After an Inter-American Court ruling against it in 2012, IVF returned under a 2015 executive decree, and treatment restarted in 2016.
- Costa Rica’s decree has notable limits, including a cap on embryos transferred and a ban on destroying embryos. Confirm current rules before you plan.
- Colombia offers far more clinics, cities and specialized services to choose from.
- Costa Rica wins on short flights from much of the US, a well-established tourism setup and a compact country.
Costa Rica’s unusual IVF history
Costa Rica’s path is unlike almost any other country’s. In 2000, the Constitutional Chamber of its Supreme Court (known as the Sala IV) struck down the regulation that allowed IVF, reasoning that the procedure as practiced did not adequately protect embryos. IVF effectively stopped in the country.
Couples who were affected took the case to the Inter-American human rights system. In Artavia Murillo et al. v. Costa Rica (2012), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the ban violated rights including privacy, personal liberty and the right to found a family. It ordered Costa Rica to lift the prohibition and regulate IVF.
Congress did not pass a law, so in 2015 the government regulated IVF by executive decree. The Sala IV then suspended the decree and ruled that IVF should be regulated by law rather than decree. In 2016, the Inter-American Court stated that the decree should remain in force so IVF could be performed, and treatment resumed that year. According to a 2017 review in JBRA Assisted Reproduction, two private centers were initially approved, and the first baby from the renewed program was announced in 2017. The public social security system (CCSS) was later required to offer IVF as well.
The legal framework today
As far as we could verify as of late 2026, Costa Rica still regulates IVF through the executive decree rather than a full statute. Its key features, as summarized in the 2017 review, included:
- Access for adults with an infertility diagnosis, whether single or in a couple.
- Donor eggs and sperm allowed, with donor screening and a national registry.
- No more than two embryos transferred per cycle.
- Embryos not transferred must be preserved for future use or donated for adoption. Destroying them or donating them for research is prohibited.
- Uses beyond infertility treatment, such as fertility preservation and preimplantation genetic testing, were not covered by the decree’s terms.
Watch out: The rule on embryo destruction means you may not be able to discard surplus embryos later. If you might end up with more embryos than you’ll use, ask any Costa Rican clinic exactly what your options would be, in writing. Also confirm the current position on genetic testing of embryos, because rules and their interpretation can change.
Colombia takes a different approach. It has no single comprehensive IVF statute. Assisted reproduction is governed by health regulations, professional standards and court decisions, and a 2019 law (Ley 1953) set a public policy on infertility. In practice, this gives Colombian clinics more room on questions such as embryo freezing, embryo disposition and genetic testing, though each clinic sets its own policies. Laws and their interpretation change, so confirm current rules with your clinic and, for complex cases, a local lawyer. For third-party reproduction, see our overview of Colombia’s surrogacy legal framework.
Size of the clinic ecosystem
This is the biggest practical difference. Costa Rica rebuilt its IVF sector from zero after 2016, and it remains small. You’ll find only a handful of providers, mostly around San José.
Colombia has a much larger, longer-running sector, with fertility clinics concentrated in Bogotá, Medellín and Cali and smaller options elsewhere. More clinics means more choice of doctors, labs, prices and specialized services. That includes surgical sperm retrieval, donor programs and genetic testing. It also makes it easier to get a second opinion in the same country. Colombian centers can take part in the regional Latin American registry. Our article on REDLARA registry data explains what that does and doesn’t tell you.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Colombia | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Legal history | Long-established practice | Banned 2000; resumed 2016 under decree |
| Embryo rules | Set largely by clinic policy and regulation | Transfer cap; embryo destruction prohibited |
| Number of clinics | Many, across several cities | Few, mostly in the San José area |
| Donor programs | Widely available | Allowed under the decree; smaller pool likely |
| Flights from the US | Nonstops to Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena from some US cities | Many nonstops to San José and Liberia |
| Time zone | UTC−5, no daylight saving | UTC−6, no daylight saving |
| Language | Spanish; bilingual coordinators common at international-focused clinics | Spanish; English widely used in tourism |
| Altitude | Bogotá is high; Medellín moderate; Cali lower | San José is moderate |
Travel from the US
Costa Rica is one of the easiest international trips from the US. San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) have nonstop service from many US cities. Costa Rica also has a long track record with medical and wellness tourists. Its tourism setup is polished, and English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
Colombia is also close. Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena have nonstop service from several US cities, especially Florida, Texas, Georgia and the Northeast, and connections from almost anywhere. Colombia is on UTC−5 all year, the same as US Eastern Standard Time in winter. For many East Coast patients, the travel difference between the two is small. From the West Coast, Costa Rica is usually a bit shorter.
Either way, most IVF plans involve either one longer stay or two shorter trips. Our guide to one-trip vs two-trip IVF protocols explains the options. If you’ll start medications at home, see traveling with IVF medications through TSA.
Donor programs
Costa Rica’s decree permits donor eggs and sperm, with screening rules and a national registry. With fewer clinics, though, donor pools are likely to be smaller, and waits for a well-matched donor may be longer. Ask any clinic directly about current donor availability.
Colombia has an active donor egg and donor sperm sector, with clinics running their own programs or working with banks. Details such as anonymity, matching criteria and screening vary by clinic. Read donor egg IVF in Colombia for what to ask.
Cost
We don’t publish price figures we can’t verify. In general, both countries are often less expensive than private IVF in the US, but quotes vary widely by clinic and by what’s included: medications, genetic testing, embryo freezing and storage, and monitoring. Costa Rica’s smaller market means fewer quotes to compare. Colombia’s larger market gives you more room to shop around. Use our IVF cost guide for Colombia to build an apples-to-apples comparison, and see Colombia vs USA for IVF for broader context.
Who each destination suits
Costa Rica may suit you if:
- Your case is relatively straightforward, and you expect to use your own eggs and sperm.
- You’re comfortable with the transfer cap and with not being able to discard surplus embryos.
- You don’t need preimplantation genetic testing, or a clinic confirms it’s available to you.
- You want the shortest possible flights, especially from the western or central US.
Colombia may suit you if:
- You want a wide choice of clinics, doctors and cities.
- You need donor eggs, donor sperm, surgical sperm retrieval or genetic testing.
- You want more flexibility over what happens to surplus embryos.
- You’re happy working with bilingual coordinators in a Spanish-speaking medical setting.
Frequently asked questions
Is IVF legal in Costa Rica now?
Yes. After a 2012 Inter-American Court ruling against the ban, Costa Rica regulated IVF by executive decree in 2015, and treatment resumed in 2016. The framework has restrictions, so confirm current rules with any clinic before you commit.
Can I do PGT (embryo genetic testing) in Costa Rica?
The decree, as described in a 2017 review, did not include preimplantation genetic testing. Ask clinics directly about current practice. If PGT is important to you, Colombia generally offers more options.
Is Costa Rica or Colombia cheaper for IVF?
It depends on the clinic and what’s included. Both are often less expensive than private US care. Get itemized quotes and compare them line by line.
Which is closer to the US?
Both have nonstop flights from many US cities. Costa Rica is often slightly closer, especially from the West. From Florida and the East Coast, the difference is usually small.
Can single women or same-sex couples do IVF in Costa Rica?
The decree, as summarized in a 2017 review, allowed adults with an infertility diagnosis, whether single or in a couple. How that applies to your situation is a question to confirm directly with a clinic, as rules and interpretations can change.
Talk through your options, free
Tell us about your situation and we will help you understand clinics, costs and next steps in Colombia.
Request a free consultation →