National Social Programme to support in vitro fertilisation

A new edition of the National Social Programme of National Interest to Support In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), starts on 17 August.

Ion Puican, 16.09.2026, 14:00

As of 17 August, couples and single women in Romania can apply for the new edition of the National Social Programme of National Interest to Support In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), exclusively online, until 15 November. Eligible applicants are women aged between 24 and 42 who are covered by the public health insurance system – a stricter requirement than in previous editions.

Nicole Brunel, President of the SOS Infertility Association, has more details: “The Ministry of Labour and Family’s in vitro fertilisation programme was launched on 17 August, and more than 3,000 applications were submitted on the very first day, out of the 10,000 vouchers announced by the Ministry of Labour and Family. Based on the experience of the SOS Infertility Association, which has been supporting couples wishing to have children for more than 18 years, we do not believe that this huge demand will exceed the capacity of clinics in Romania to process the applications, because although these vouchers are being granted this year, they have a fairly long validity period and can also be used at the beginning of next year.”

Dr Andrei Iacovache, a gynecologist at Brașov Maternity Hospital, gave the following details to Radio Romania News regarding the chances of successful in vitro fertilisation at the age of 40–42: “A couple over the age of 40 has a small chance of conceiving naturally without assistance. Even if they have no fertility problems; if they do have fertility problems, then the chances are probably zero. And, of course, the same rules apply to in vitro fertilisation. A young couple undergoes IVF using young oocytes, whereas a couple aged perhaps between 38 and 40 may have an IVF success rate of 10%, and over the age of 40 perhaps 5%. But that 5% or 10% chance is still better than zero.”

The programme covers up to three IVF attempts. Nicole Brunel, President of the SOS Infertility Association, explains the programme’s age limit: “Indeed, the patient’s age is limited to 42, because from the age of 40 onwards, a woman’s chances of having a biological child decline dramatically. There is also a misconception in society that in vitro fertilisation can resolve every case of infertility. IVF provides solutions and can overcome many different types of infertility, but unfortunately, the miracle that would turn back the clock has not yet been discovered. A woman’s oocytes age as she gets older and, unfortunately, there is currently no medical solution that can overcome this biological limitation. After the age of 40, in most cases, the solution is donated oocytes, although relatively few women are willing to consider this option straight away. Many of them choose to try several times using their own genetic material and only afterwards turn to the solution that ultimately enables them to hold the much-longed-for child in their arms, namely egg donation. After the age of 40, and even more so after the age of 42–43, in most cases, the solution is donated oocytes.”

Nicole Brunel has more details about what IVF involves: “In vitro fertilisation is a highly personalised process, very different from one couple to another, and from one patient to another. The most important factor is the woman’s age, but the man’s age also matters. There are studies showing that, contrary to popular belief, men have a biological clock too. However, there are multiple factors that influence the success rate of IVF. The diagnosis. What exactly are the conditions, what are the pathologies that have prevented that particular couple from conceiving naturally? Lifestyle also plays a very important role, why not. And now it has been found that microplastics are present, including in newborns. And IVF, as I was saying, offers solutions, but it is not a panacea.”

The financial support provided remains at 15,000 lei, divided into two vouchers: 5,000 lei for medication and 10,000 lei for medical procedures recommended by a specialist. On the first day of the programme, 3,000 applications were submitted. The programme comes at a time of an increasingly severe demographic crisis. According to the National Institute of Statistics, 145,700 births were recorded in 2025 — the lowest number in the past 96 years, excluding the period of the Second World War. The birth rate fell to 6.7 births per thousand inhabitants, compared with 9.4 a decade ago. The population of children under the age of 18 has fallen by almost 20% over twenty years. Eurostat data confirms the trend: Romania recorded the largest decline in fertility in the EU, from 1.54 children per woman in 2023 to 1.39 in 2024 — well below the 2.1 threshold needed for generational replacement. Paradoxically, women in Romania remain among the youngest mothers in the EU, with an average age of 27.2 at first birth, compared with almost 30, the European average.

Nicole Brunel, president of the SOS Infertility Association, tells us about the history of the IVF programme: “The Ministry of Family’s in vitro fertilisation programme, which has since been transferred to the Ministry of Labour and Family, is now in its fourth edition in this format. Over the past three years, there have been problems, and serious funding problems. In fact, in 2024 the programme had no budget at all, and funding was secured at the last minute through the patients’ campaign, through the SOS Infertility Association’s campaign. At present, as you were saying, more than 3,000 applications were submitted on the very first day, and now, just a few days later, the first people have already received their signed contracts. They are expected to receive the vouchers within a few days and will then be able to start the procedures.”

Nicole Brunel gives us more details about the current situation in Romania regarding in vitro fertilisation: “Romania has one of the most worrying birth rates, because in recent years the number of newborns has been falling systematically — and systematically. Last year, fewer than 150,000 children were born in Romania. And we estimate that more than 3% of children born in Romania are conceived through IVF. That is a significant rate, a significant percentage, but still well below the sometimes more than 10% of children conceived through IVF in countries such as Spain. … The main obstacle is not so much information or access, and certainly not the couple’s willingness, but money.”

The programme remains one of the few instruments through which the state directly supports the birth rate. But, experts say, a single programme cannot change such a far-reaching phenomenon — one linked to the economy, social conditions and family policies in Romania. (EE)