Financing your desire to have children: How a loan bridges the gap to fertility treatment
28.06.2025
7
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
The path to having a child can often involve high costs, which health insurance only partially covers. A targeted loan to finance assisted reproduction can reduce the financial burden by more than half. Find out how to plan and finance treatment costs strategically.
The topic in brief and concise terms
The cost of artificial insemination (IVF/ICSI) is between €3,000 and €5,500 per cycle, with health insurers often covering only 50 per cent.
A loan for fertility treatment bridges the funding gap and can be flexibly adapted to the different stages of treatment.
The personal contribution is tax-deductible as an extraordinary burden, and government funding programmes can further reduce the costs.
Realistically assess the financial implications of wanting children
The costs of fertility treatment are one of the first hurdles on the path to starting a family. A single cycle of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) costs between €3,200 and €3,600, plus medication costs of up to €1,500. For the more complex ICSI method, you should expect costs of up to €5,200 per attempt. As the success rate per cycle is around 22.5 per cent, many couples need three or more attempts, which can quickly push the total costs to well over €15,000. Statutory health insurers contribute 50 per cent towards up to three treatment cycles under certain conditions. The requirement is often that the couple is married, the woman is under 40 and the man is under 50. Many couples therefore have to cover a significant personal contribution of several thousand euros themselves, which makes careful financial planning essential. Find out about all the options for your healthcare provision. This remaining funding gap leads directly to the question of the most suitable financing strategy.
Close a funding gap with a dedicated loan
A loan to finance assisted reproduction bridges the gap between the total costs and the health insurer’s contribution. Many couples use such an instalment loan to cover their own share, often 50 per cent or more. Let’s take a practical example: with total costs of EUR 12,000 for three treatment cycles and a health insurance contribution of EUR 6,000, a shortfall of EUR 6,000 remains. A loan with a term of 48 months and an effective annual interest rate of four per cent would result in a monthly instalment of around EUR 135. Specialist loan offers for medical treatments often provide flexible terms of up to 84 months and loan amounts of up to EUR 50,000. It is important that the loan, as a loan for any purpose, can also be used for unforeseen additional costs. Choosing the right loan offer requires a close look at the terms and the application process.
Optimise your loan application and secure the best terms
To secure the best terms for your loan, careful preparation is crucial. A detailed household budget calculation, comparing all income and expenditure, creates transparency about your financial capacity. Banks assess your creditworthiness, with a regular income of at least €1,180 net often being a basic requirement. For the loan application, you will usually need the following documents:
Valid ID cards of both partners
The last three payslips
Bank statements for the last three months
The treatment and cost plan from the fertility clinic
Proof of the health insurer's contribution to the costs
Some providers enable a fully digital application process, including video identification, which speeds up disbursement within a few days. A long-term loan can reduce the monthly burden, but leads to higher overall costs. In addition to the loan, there are other financial aids that you can make use of.
Use government grants and tax incentives to reduce costs
In addition to the health insurance subsidy, couples can benefit from state support. The federal initiative “Support and Assistance for Involuntary Childlessness” funds treatment if the respective federal state also contributes. In participating federal states such as Lower Saxony or Saxony, the own contribution for the first three attempts can be reduced to 25 per cent. You can also claim your remaining own contribution for tax purposes. The costs of fertility treatment are regarded as extraordinary expenses and reduce your taxable income. This also applies to travel costs to the clinic, laboratory invoices and expenses for medication. Even unmarried couples can deduct these costs, as the Federal Fiscal Court ruled back in 2007. These financial reliefs are an important building block for comprehensive family financial protection. However, financial planning should also cover possible risks and future needs.
Protect against long-term risks and plan for financial buffers
Fertility treatment does not always go according to plan and may require more cycles than originally expected. It is therefore advisable to budget a financial buffer of at least 20 per cent of the anticipated costs, so that you are prepared for additional attempts or unforeseen medical measures. It is wise to find out about specialised insurance solutions at an early stage. A fertility treatment costs insurance can be a useful addition to help offset the financial burden of repeated treatment cycles. These niche insurance policies often cover costs that go beyond the standard benefits provided by health insurers. Robust financial and insurance protection gives you the peace of mind you need to focus fully on treatment. If you would like your individual situation assessed, we are here to support you.
Request your individual risk analysis now
The path to having a child is a very personal journey that requires an equally personal financial and protection strategy. Have your insurance situation reviewed free of charge and receive specific suggestions for improvement. Our experts analyse your circumstances and show you how to overcome financial hurdles and secure the best possible protection.
More useful links
Statista provides statistics on the prices for IVF treatment in selected countries.
Helios Health provides information on assisted reproduction and relevant aspects.
The Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) provides information on the assessment of methods for assisted reproduction.
The familienplanung.de portal of the BZgA offers detailed information on the costs of fertility treatments.
The Federal Ministry of Health provides information on family planning and related topics.
The Kinderwunsch information portal of the BZgA offers comprehensive information and support on trying to conceive.
The Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) provides a PDF document on reproductive medicine.
FAQ
What type of loan is suitable for financing artificial insemination?
A flexible instalment loan, often referred to as a personal loan or consumer loan, is ideal. It offers fixed monthly repayments and can be used for all treatment-related costs without having to provide evidence of a specific intended use.
What are the requirements for a fertility loan?
The main requirements are being of legal age, a place of residence in Germany, a regular monthly income (often at least €1,180) and sufficient creditworthiness, which is determined through a Schufa check and a review of your household budget.
Can you also get a loan with less-than-perfect creditworthiness?
It is more difficult, but not impossible. Some specialised providers and credit brokers take more factors into account in their assessment than just the Schufa score and can also offer solutions for less-than-perfect creditworthiness, although often at higher interest rates.
What happens to the loan if the treatment is not successful?
The loan is a purely financial arrangement and is independent of the medical success of the treatment. Repayment of the instalments must continue as contractually agreed until the loan has been repaid in full.
Does the loan also cover treatment abroad?
In most cases, yes. As it is usually a loan for unrestricted use, you can also use the money for treatment in clinics abroad. However, to be on the safe side, clarify this with the lending institution in advance.
Are special repayments or early repayment possible?
With most modern instalment loans, free early repayments or full early repayment are possible. This should be set out as a condition in the loan agreement and helps you save on interest costs if you unexpectedly come into some money.
