Embryo freezing: how spare embryos are stored and used
Part of our guide to IVF treatment in Goa.
Embryo freezing means keeping the good-quality embryos left over from an IVF cycle, so they can be used later without another round of injections and another egg collection. At Heartbeats IVF, freezing your embryos for up to six months is part of the IVF price. The embryos are frozen by vitrification and stored in our own laboratory in Goa.
Using a stored embryo later is a separate, gentler cycle called a frozen embryo transfer, explained on our page on frozen embryo transfer in Goa. This page is about the freezing and the storage: why embryos are frozen, how it is done, what the law says and what it costs.
When are embryos frozen?
- Spare embryos after a fresh transfer. If more good embryos grow than are transferred, the others can be stored for a later attempt, or for a second child.
- Freezing the whole batch. When the ovaries have responded very strongly and OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome) is a risk, all the embryos may be frozen and one transferred later, once the body has settled.
- The womb lining is not ready. A thin lining, a polyp seen on the scan, or bleeding during the cycle can make a fresh transfer unwise; freezing lets the transfer wait. See thin endometrium: why the lining matters.
- Timing and travel. Couples who live or work away from Goa can have the eggs collected on one visit and the transfer on a later one; see IVF in Goa for Goans living abroad.
How is an embryo frozen?
An embryo is mostly water, and slow freezing can form ice crystals that damage its cells. Vitrification avoids that. The embryo is passed through protective solutions that replace much of its water, then cooled in liquid nitrogen so quickly that it becomes glass-like instead of forming ice.
Most embryos are frozen as blastocysts, five or six days after the egg collection, once the embryologist can see which ones are growing well (see embryo grading explained). Each embryo is placed on a tiny labelled carrier, sealed, and kept in a storage tank of liquid nitrogen, close to 196 degrees Celsius below zero. At that temperature its development is paused, so an embryo does not age while it is stored.
What happens when a stored embryo is warmed?
When you are ready for a transfer, the embryo is warmed and checked before anything else is done. Most well-grown blastocysts survive warming, but not every one does, so the number of embryos in storage is not automatically the number of transfers you will have. An embryo that survives is transferred in the same way as a fresh one: a soft, thin tube, no anaesthesia, over in minutes.
What does Indian law say about storing embryos?
Embryo storage is governed by the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. In plain words:
- Written consent first. Before any embryo is frozen, both partners give their consent in writing, including written instructions on what should be done with the embryos if either partner dies or is incapacitated (section 22).
- A ten-year limit. Embryos may be stored for not more than ten years. At the end of that period they are allowed to perish or, with the consent of the couple, donated to a research organisation registered under the Act, for research (section 28).
- Standards for storage. The Act provides for standards on how embryos are stored and handled, including security, record keeping and identification (section 28).
- Changing your minds. Either partner may withdraw consent at any time before the embryos are transferred to the womb (section 22).
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The consent forms you sign before freezing set out the details for your own embryos.
How much does embryo freezing cost?
Price list: October 2026
Freezing your embryos for up to six months is included in the IVF price: ₹1,60,000 for one full cycle, or ₹2,10,000 for IVF with ICSI. Keeping embryos frozen beyond six months is not in the IVF price, so ask about it before the six months end. When you use a stored embryo, the frozen embryo transfer is ₹40,000, covering the thawing and transfer of blastocysts; medicines to prepare the womb lining are extra if your plan uses them. What each price covers is on our IVF cost in Goa page.
What should you decide before your embryos are frozen?
- How many embryos are likely to be good enough to freeze, and at which stage.
- What you both want done with embryos you do not use, so that your consent form says it.
- When the six months included in the IVF price end, and what longer storage involves.
- How to keep your address and phone number up to date, so that you can be reached about your stored embryos.
To talk it through, book a consultation at whichever Heartbeats clinic suits you: Panjim, Margao, Mapusa or Vasco. Call or WhatsApp us to book.
Who wrote this guide?
The Heartbeats IVF team wrote this guide as general education. It cannot replace medical or legal advice about your own case: your treatment is decided by your doctor after examining you and reading your reports.
Questions couples ask about embryo freezing
For how many years can embryos be stored in India?
Under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, for not more than ten years. At the end of that period, the embryos are allowed to perish or, with the couple's consent, donated to a registered research organisation for research.
Is embryo freezing included in the IVF price?
Yes, for up to six months (price list: October 2026). Keeping embryos frozen beyond six months is not in the IVF price, so ask about it before that time ends.
Does freezing harm the embryo?
Vitrification is fast enough that ice crystals do not form, and an embryo that survives warming is used just like a fresh one. Not every embryo survives warming, which is why only embryos that are growing well are frozen.
Can we use our stored embryos for a second child?
Yes. Embryos still in storage after a birth can be used for a later pregnancy through a frozen embryo transfer, with no new egg collection, within the storage period and the age limits the law sets. Ask about storage beyond the six months included in the IVF price.
What if we change our minds about our stored embryos?
Either partner may withdraw consent at any time before the embryos are transferred to the womb (section 22 of the Act). What you both want done with embryos you do not use is written into the consent forms before freezing.
Your visit is confidential — nothing about you appears on this website or on social media.
What you read here explains fertility care in general terms and cannot replace a consultation. Decisions about your own care should be made with a doctor who knows your history and has seen you. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind, which is prohibited by law in India under the PCPNDT Act.