Apply for a grant for fertility treatment
If you as a couple have an unfulfilled desire to have children, you can apply for a state subsidy for the costs of fertility treatment. You must submit the application together as a couple and before the start of treatment. You must submit various supporting documents with the application.
The subsidy is available up to a maximum of the fourth treatment attempt. Exactly which treatment cycles are subsidized can vary from state to state. You must apply for the subsidy for each treatment attempt individually.
Only certain types of treatment are supported:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
The necessity of the treatment must be certified by a doctor.
You can apply for a grant for fertility treatment via the online service or in paper form. If you meet all the requirements, you will receive a provisional grant notification.
Once you have received the provisional grant notification, you must have the fertility treatment carried out within six months. After the treatment, you must apply for final approval and payment of the grant. The application for payment must be submitted to the LS after 15 months at the latest.
Legal basis
- Directive of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth on the granting of subsidies to promote assisted reproduction measures
- § Section 27a of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V)
- Directive on the funding of assisted reproduction measures ("artificial insemination") by the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony (fertility treatment) | Lower Saxony State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family
Which documents are required?
- Joint written declaration
- The declaration is part of the application form.
- You declare that you are unintentionally childless.
- You declare that you are not permanently separated.
- You declare that treatment has not yet begun.
- Identity cards and, if applicable, current registration certificates or residence permits
- Treatment plan
- If you have statutory health insurance: Approved treatment plan for assisted reproduction measures in accordance with Section 27a SGB V.
- If you have private health insurance or a subsidy office: treatment plan from the doctor. In addition, the declaration of assumption of costs and a medical declaration on the necessity of the measure.
- Cost estimate
- If not covered by statutory health insurance or medical aid
- Declaration of assumption of costs
- In the case of funding by statutory or private health insurance or by aid or military welfare
- Medical declaration on the necessity of the measure
- For the 4th treatment cycle.
- In the case of funding by private health insurance, Beihilfe or Heilfürsorge
- For unmarried couples
- Negative certificate from the health insurance company
- If not sponsored by health insurance
- Proof of a permanent civil partnership
- For unmarried couples
- Negative certificate from the health insurance company
- If not sponsored by the health insurance company
- Proof of a permanent civil partnership
- For unmarried couples
- Negative certificate from the health insurance company
- If not sponsored by the health insurance company
- Proof of a permanent civil partnership
- For unmarried couples
- Proof of counseling on the medical, psychological and social aspects of fertility treatment
Requirements
Only couples are eligible. One of them must be a woman or a person who has female reproductive organs and is to carry the child to be conceived.
The following couples are eligible:
- opposite-sexMarried couples.
- Couples of different sexes living in a non-marital partnership.
You must also meet the following requirements:
- You live in the federal state in which you are applying for the subsidy (main residence) at the time of application and treatment.
- The age of the person who is to become pregnant is between 25 and 40.
- The age of the other person is between 25 and 50.
- The federal states have different regulations regarding the location where the fertility treatment is to take place.
- For Lower Saxony: The treatment can be carried out in all facilities bordering on the federal state of Lower Saxony.
- You have a medical certificate of infertility.
- You meet the requirements for artificial insemination in accordance with § 27a of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V) - where applicable.
- You have a medical diagnosis of infertility.
- You meet the requirements for artificial insemination in accordance with § 27a of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V) - where applicable.
What are the fees?
variable
Prepayment: no
Process flow
You can apply for the grant for fertility treatment via the online service or in paper form:
- The online service guides you step by step through the application process.
- You can submit the required documents digitally.
- The application is automatically saved temporarily for 4 days if you use the service account. Otherwise, no temporary storage is currently possible.
- To complete and submit the online application, you will need the new ID card with the AusweisApp2 for authentication.
- The application must be sent either digitally via AusweisApp2 with the new ID card or completely in paper form.
- If you meet all the requirements, you will receive a provisional grant notification.
Paper form
- You can find the application to print out under "Forms" or on site at the responsible office in paper form.
- Complete the application.
- Attach a copy of the required documents to the application.
- Send everything by post to the responsible office or hand in the documents on site.
- If you meet all the requirements, you will receive a provisional grant notification.
Once you have received the provisional grant notification, you must have the fertility treatment carried out within six months. After the treatment, you must submit the application for final approval and payment of the grant within 15 months of receiving the notification.
Processing duration
Processing usually takes up to six weeks.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
The grant must be applied for before the start of treatment. The treatment may only be carried out after receipt of the provisional grant notification.
Applications / forms
Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance necessary: No
Online services available: Yes, in preparation
- General information on the desire to have children
- Funding check of the federal government
- State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family
- Directive on the funding of assisted reproduction measures ("artificial insemination") by the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony (fertility treatment) | Lower Saxony State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family
What else should I know?
The measure is funded proportionately by the federal government and the respective state.
The federal government and the state of Lower Saxony only support heterosexual, married and unmarried couples.
The regulations of the individual federal states may deviate from this.
If there are not enough federal funds available, you will only receive the share of the state to which you apply for the subsidy.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Contact point
Responsible authorities
Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Soziales, Jugend und Familie
Timetable
Timetable