IVF in Morocco: Steps, Success Rates, Law 47-14 and Questions for Your Clinic

The word is often dropped at the end of a consultation: "We should consider IVF." For many couples, it is both a hope and a mountain. How many injections, how long, what chances, and what does Moroccan law say? It is also called in vitro fertilisation, or atfal al-anabib (أطفال الأنابيب, "test-tube babies") in Arabic.

In Morocco, the Moroccan Society of Reproductive Medicine estimated in 2021 that the country carried out about 2,800 IVF cycles a year, according to EcoActu. Since 2019, the practice has been governed by a specific law, law 47-14. Here are the steps, the real chances and the questions to ask before committing.

When is IVF offered?

IVF generally comes after a full infertility work-up for the couple. It is offered in particular when:

• the tubes are blocked or damaged;
• the semen shows significant abnormalities;
• severe endometriosis hampers conception;
• several inseminations have failed, or infertility remains unexplained after a period of trying;
• the woman's age means it is wise not to lose time.

Moroccan law sets the medical framework: medically assisted reproduction is meant to remedy a recognised infertility, or to avoid passing a serious disease on to the child or to one of the spouses (article 1). The practitioner must check this justification and prescribe the necessary tests (article 16).

How does IVF work, step by step?

The protocol varies between clinics and patients, but always follows the same outline. The British NHS describes it like this:

Good-quality embryos that are not transferred can be frozen for a later attempt. Hormone doses are always set by the doctor and adjusted to how the ovaries respond.

IVF or ICSI: what is the difference?

In so-called classic IVF, the sperm are left to fertilise the eggs on their own in a culture dish. In ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), the embryologist injects a single sperm directly into each egg. It is mainly offered when semen contains few sperm, with poor movement or shape. The NHS cites it as a solution for a low sperm count.

The man's tests therefore shape the choice of technique: our article on semen analysis results explains how to read them.

What are the chances of IVF working?

They depend above all on the woman's age, because egg quality declines over the years. Morocco does not publish detailed national statistics by clinic. The British figures from the regulator HFEA, published in June 2026, give an order of magnitude:

These figures are per embryo transferred, not per couple: several transfers increase the cumulative chances. In 2023, still according to the HFEA, frozen embryo transfers even gave better results (33% births per embryo) than fresh transfers (25%). To understand the effect of age, read our article on fertility at 30, 35 and 40.

What does law 47-14 say about IVF in Morocco?

Law no. 47-14 on medically assisted reproduction was promulgated by dahir no. 1-19-50 of 11 March 2019 and published in Official Bulletin no. 6766 of 4 April 2019. Its main rules, from the text published on the Ministry of Justice's adala portal:

Who can have access?

• Only a married woman and man, both living, using their own gametes (article 12).
• On a written request signed by both spouses, with a copy of the marriage certificate.
• With the free and informed consent of both spouses, given in writing on an official form (article 13).

What is prohibited

• Donating or selling eggs, sperm or embryos, and surrogacy (article 5).
• Reproductive cloning and eugenics (article 4).
• Any research on the human embryo or foetus (article 7).
• Preimplantation diagnosis is allowed only to avoid certain serious, incurable diseases on a list (article 19): it is not used to choose the sex.

Storage

• Embryos not transferred can be frozen for five years at most, renewable once only (article 22). The number of embryos kept is decided with the practitioner.
• The spouses' gametes are in principle used in full; storing them is permitted only in limited cases.
• Anyone undergoing treatment that may harm their fertility can have their gametes preserved (article 24).

Offences are heavily punished: 10 to 20 years of imprisonment and fines of 500,000 to one million dirhams for cloning, eugenics, donating or selling gametes or embryos, surrogacy and embryo research (article 40); 2 to 5 years in prison and fines of 50,000 to 100,000 dirhams for, among other things, breaching the access conditions or carrying out preimplantation diagnosis contrary to the law (article 41). Text in force in October 2026; for any specific legal question, ask your clinic or a lawyer.

How do you choose an authorised fertility clinic?

Medically assisted reproduction can only be practised in approved establishments, public or private, and by practitioners who are themselves approved for the procedures they perform (articles 8 and 9). Each centre keeps a register endorsed by the court of first instance.

Questions to ask before signing:

1. Are the centre and the doctor approved under law 47-14?
2. What are your results, by age group and per transfer?
3. How many embryos do you usually transfer, and why?
4. What does the written quote include: medicines, ultrasounds, egg collection, laboratory, freezing, annual storage?
5. What does my fund reimburse, and which documents must I provide?
6. Who can I reach at night or at the weekend if I have pain or feel unwell during stimulation?

We publish no prices: they vary between centres and protocols. The WHO points out that, in some countries, a single IVF cycle can cost twice the average annual household income. According to EcoActu, since an order published in the Official Bulletin of 24 December 2020, certain classes of infertility medicines are reimbursable by the AMO; fertility procedures, however, remained largely at the couple's expense. Check the current situation with your fund before starting.

Risks to know about

IVF is a common and well-controlled treatment, but not a trivial one. The NHS lists:

• ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: swollen, painful ovaries, sometimes with breathing difficulty;
• multiple pregnancy, riskier for mother and babies, hence the importance of discussing how many embryos are transferred (in the UK, the multiple birth rate after IVF fell from 14.4% in 2014 to 3.2% in 2024, according to the HFEA);
• ectopic pregnancy, which remains possible.

IVF is also an ordeal for the couple, between waiting, injections and hopes. Our article on living with infertility as a couple can keep you company. And if a lighter solution is still possible, read our article on intrauterine insemination.