Frozen Embryo Shipping
A named courier travels with your frozen embryos from one clinic to the other. They go in a dry vapour shipper with a signed chain of custody form, a do-not-X-ray letter and a temperature log.
How Every Shipment Runs
How does clinic-to-clinic embryo transfer work?
The sending clinic releases the embryos once the consents are in order. A courier collects them in a sealed dry vapour shipper and signs a chain of custody form at pickup. The courier stays with the shipper until the receiving lab signs for it. The receiving clinic then decides when to thaw and transfer.
The clinics keep control of every medical decision, including consent, timing and the transfer itself. The courier moves the material and the paperwork, nothing more.
The receiving clinic confirms any import requirements in advance, and we coordinate with them so the documents are ready before the courier leaves.
What should I look for in the best IVF courier?
Look for a named person who travels with the material the whole way, a signed chain of custody with seal numbers, written no-X-ray handling, a temperature log for the trip and a dry vapour shipper. You should also get a clear all-in quote and a courier who can speak to both clinic labs.
- Does a named person travel with the material from pickup to delivery, with no handoff to a third party?
- Is there a signed chain of custody with seal numbers recorded at both ends?
- Is the no-X-ray handling written down, for example as a letter you can show at security?
- Is there a temperature log for the trip?
- Is the material in a dry vapour shipper rather than a loose liquid nitrogen tank?
- Is the quote all-in, with a clear list of what is excluded?
- Can the courier talk to the labs at both clinics before the day?
This is how we work. See how it works, or read our guide to cryo transport companies.
What are the alternatives to Cryoport?
Cryoport is a large cargo-based shipping system that uses its own shippers and a carrier network. The alternatives are other hand-carry couriers, transport arranged by your clinic or storage facility, or a specialist courier who travels with the shipper. Which one fits depends on the move.
A courier who travels with the shipper suits a one-off patient move, where the owner wants a person with the material from start to finish. A network shipper suits routine clinic volume, where the same lanes are used often.
Your clinic or storage facility may also run its own transport, so ask them first what they already offer.
For a side-by-side look at the options, read our guide to cryo transport companies.
Is it safe to ship frozen embryos?
When handled correctly, frozen embryos tolerate transport. They stay at about minus 190 degrees C in vapour-phase nitrogen inside a dry shipper that holds its temperature for days, longer than the trip. The courier checks the temperature log, and the shipper is kept out of X-ray machines.
What makes the difference is the handling. The shipper stays sealed and upright, the embryos stay in nitrogen vapour, and the receiving lab checks the seal and the log on arrival.
Read more: does shipping embryos damage them and our no X-ray protocol.
What does embryo shipping cost?
The price depends on the route and the notice we have. We build each quote for the trip, so the number you see is for your move and not an average.
What moves the price:
- Distance, and how many legs the trip has
- Whether a border is crossed
- How much notice we have
- Courier time, including any waiting at either lab
| Route | Price |
|---|---|
| Texas, same-day drive (under about 4 hours each way) | $850 to $1,000 |
| Texas, long drive (4 to 5 hours) | $1,000 to $1,200 |
| Texas, fly-in | $1,400 to $1,800 |
| US domestic, fly-in | $1,900 to $2,800 |
| US to Canada | $3,000 to $3,800 |
| Canada to US | $3,000 to $3,800 |
| US to Mexico | $3,200 to $4,000 |
| US to the UK or Europe | From $4,500 |
| US to Nigeria and West Africa | $4,900 to $5,500 |
| Other international lanes | From $4,500 |
Get your exact price in 24 hours
For a full breakdown, read the embryo shipping cost guide or see pricing.
How a GuardianCryo embryo transfer runs
Here is the sequence from quote to delivery, with what each person does and who signs what.
- 1
Quote and booking
You send the route, the dates and the two clinics. We reply within 24 hours with an all-in quote. Once you accept, we book the courier.
- 2
Clinic coordination
We contact both labs to agree the pickup time, the delivery time and who will be at the door. The sending clinic prepares the release and consents. The receiving clinic confirms what it needs to accept the material, including any import requirements.
- 3
Pickup
The courier arrives with the dry vapour shipper and the sending lab loads the embryos. The courier checks the labels against the form, seals the shipper and records the seal number. The lab and the courier both sign the chain of custody form.
- 4
Transit
The courier keeps the shipper with them and carries the do-not-X-ray letter. We keep a temperature log for the trip and update both clinics.
- 5
Delivery
The receiving lab checks the seal number against the form, inspects the shipper and signs. The receiving clinic then decides when to thaw and transfer.
- 6
Afterwards
We send both clinics the signed chain of custody form and the temperature log for their records.
What goes in the shipper and what stays out
The sending lab loads the straws or canes into the shipper. The courier checks every ID label against the form before the shipper is sealed, and the receiving lab checks them again on delivery. Any mismatch is raised with the sending lab before the shipper is sealed.
Patient names do not go on the outside of the shipper. The outside carries only what is needed to handle it safely and to match it to the paperwork, such as the seal number and a contact number.
No loose liquid nitrogen is poured in, because the shipper is a dry vapour unit. The shipper is there for your embryos and the paperwork that goes with them.
What Travels With Your Embryos
The process is built around a few things you can check.
Dry Vapour Shipper
The shipper holds the embryos at about minus 190 degrees C in nitrogen vapour. There is no loose liquid nitrogen, and it keeps its temperature for longer than the trip takes.
Hand-Carry, Not Cargo
A courier carries the shipper with them for the whole trip. It does not go in a cargo hold and is not handed to a third party along the way.
Signed Chain of Custody
The chain of custody form is signed and the shipper sealed at pickup. The seal number is recorded and checked, and the receiving lab signs at delivery.
Do-Not-X-Ray Letter
We carry a letter asking for hand inspection at security, so the shipper is not put through an X-ray machine.
Temperature Log
We keep a temperature log for the trip, so the receiving clinic can see how the shipper held up.
We Talk to Both Labs
We speak with the sending and receiving embryology labs before pickup, so handover times and paperwork are agreed in advance.
How Embryo Shipping Works
From quote to delivery in five steps.
Request a Quote
Tell us the route and your timeline. We reply with an all-in quote within 24 hours.
Coordination
We contact both clinics to agree the handover times and the paperwork each lab needs.
Sealed Pickup
The courier collects the embryos, seals the shipper and signs the chain of custody form with the sending lab.
Hand-Carry Transit
The courier keeps the shipper with them the whole way and we record the temperature log.
Verified Delivery
The receiving lab checks the seal number and signs the form. We send the documents afterwards.
More Embryo Shipping Questions
How are embryos kept frozen during shipping?
We use a dry vapour shipper. The nitrogen is absorbed inside the unit, so there is no loose liquid, and the embryos stay at about minus 190 degrees C. The shipper holds its temperature for longer than the trip takes, and we keep a temperature log.
How long does embryo shipping take?
It depends on the route. A drive or a single flight can be done in a day. International moves take longer because of the paperwork. We confirm the timing in your quote.
What documentation is needed for embryo transport?
The sending clinic provides the release and consents. We provide the chain of custody form and a do-not-X-ray letter. The receiving clinic confirms any import requirements for its country, and we coordinate with them.
