A fertility courier’s day is built around one rule: the specimens never leave the courier’s side, from the releasing lab to the receiving lab. Here’s how a typical international mission unfolds, step by step. It’s an illustrative walkthrough based on how LifeParcel missions run, not the story of any single patient or clinic.
A typical mission takes 3–4 days door to door. Much of the work happens before the courier ever picks up the shipper.
The day before: preparing the shipper and the paperwork
Preparation starts at least a day ahead, with the dry shipper charged and checked and every document confirmed with both clinics.
Charging and checking the dry shipper
A dry shipper is a vacuum-insulated container with an absorbent lining that soaks up liquid nitrogen. Once it’s charged and the excess liquid is poured off, it holds -196°C for up to 21 days without any free liquid sloshing inside. That hold time is far longer than a typical mission, which leaves a wide safety margin for delays.
Before a mission, the shipper is charged well in advance and checked to confirm it’s holding temperature as expected. The data logger is tested and ready to start. If you want the details of how these containers work, see our guide to how fertility material shipping containers work.
Confirming paperwork with both clinics
The releasing clinic and the receiving clinic each have their own requirements. The day before, the team confirms that release forms, consent documents and specimen details are complete, and that the receiving lab is expecting the delivery at an agreed time.
For international routes, the import and export documents for both countries are checked too. Requirements vary by country and rules change, so this step is always confirmed directly with the clinics involved rather than assumed.
Pickup at the releasing clinic
Pickup is a formal handover: the releasing lab loads the specimens, both sides check the labels, and chain-of-custody signatures are recorded.
The courier arrives with the charged shipper. The clinic’s embryologists move the straws or vials from their storage tank into the dry shipper, working inside their own lab. The courier and the lab staff check the specimen labels against the paperwork together, so the details match before anything is sealed.
Then the formal steps happen:
- Chain-of-custody signatures record exactly when the specimens left the clinic’s care and who received them.
- Label and document checks confirm that what’s in the shipper matches what’s on the forms.
- The data logger is started, so the temperature is recorded continuously from this moment until delivery.
From here on, one dedicated courier is responsible for the shipper. You can read more about this handover in our post on what actually happens in the chain of custody.
The airport and security
At the airport, the courier keeps the shipper in sight at all times, and it’s never put through an X-ray machine.
The ride to the airport is planned with buffer time, and the shipper travels upright and secured next to the courier. At check-in, the shipper stays with the courier. It’s never handed over as checked baggage or cargo.
At security, the courier explains what the container is and asks for a hand inspection instead of X-ray screening. The shipper is inspected by hand, with the courier present the whole time. Why does this matter? Our article on what happens when you X-ray fertility specimens explains the reasoning.
The flight
During the flight, the shipper stays with the courier in the cabin, upright, and never leaves their care.
This is the core difference between hand-carry and commercial cryoshipping, where a tank is sent as cargo through courier and air-cargo networks and can pass through many hands and warehouses. With hand-carry, the person who signed for the specimens at pickup is the same person sitting next to them on the plane.
On connecting flights, the courier carries the shipper through the transfer, rather than letting it be moved separately. If a flight is delayed or rerouted, the courier and the concierge team adjust the plan together, and both clinics are kept informed. With up to 21 days of hold time, a delay is a logistics problem, not a temperature problem.
Arrival and customs
On an international mission, the courier declares the shipper in person at customs, with the documents ready.
The courier presents the paperwork prepared before the trip and explains what the container holds. Having the right documents in hand, and a person there to answer questions, keeps this step straightforward. We have never had to open a tank at customs.
After customs, the courier heads directly to the receiving clinic. There’s no stop along the way and no detour. The shipper goes from the airport to the lab.
For more on how cross-border missions are planned, see our page on international IVF courier service.
Delivery and handover at the receiving clinic
Delivery mirrors pickup: the receiving lab transfers the specimens into its own storage tank, and the handover is signed and documented.
The receiving embryologists check the labels against the paperwork, then move the straws or vials from the dry shipper into their long-term storage tank. Frozen specimens stay frozen during this step. They’re not thawed or examined at delivery. Thawing happens later, when the clinic is ready to use them as part of treatment.
Once the transfer is done:
- The receiving clinic signs a confirmation of delivery, closing the chain of custody.
- The data logger is stopped, and the full temperature record for the trip is saved.
- A temperature report is available on request, for the clinic or for you.
Only then is the mission complete.
What the family sees along the way
While the courier travels, the family gets updates from the LifeParcel concierge at each key step, so they’re not left wondering where their specimens are.
For intended parents, the hardest part is often the waiting. That’s why the concierge keeps you informed at the moments that matter, such as:
- Pickup completed and chain of custody signed
- Courier through security and boarded
- Landed and cleared customs
- Delivered and transferred into the receiving clinic’s storage tank
Behind those updates, the shipper is tracked with 24/7 GPS and temperature logging throughout the trip. If you have a question at any point, you can reach the team directly.
Why this way of working matters
Hand-carry puts one trained person in charge of your specimens for the entire trip, with no handoffs to strangers in between.
LifeParcel is embryologist-owned and has spent more than 15 years doing this work. That experience covers 3,200+ missions across 32+ countries, working with 150+ partner clinics. Every one of those missions follows the same basic pattern described here: careful preparation, a documented handover, one courier who never leaves the specimens, and a signed delivery.
If you’d like to see the full process from your first call to delivery, visit how it works.
Frequently asked questions
Does the courier ever leave the specimens alone?
No. One dedicated courier hand-carries the shipper from pickup to delivery and never leaves the specimens, including during the flight, where the shipper stays with the courier in the cabin.
Are frozen embryos or eggs checked under a microscope when they arrive?
No. Frozen specimens are transferred straight from the dry shipper into the receiving clinic’s storage tank and stay frozen. They’re only thawed later, when the clinic is ready to use them in treatment.
How long does a typical mission take?
A typical mission takes 3–4 days door to door. The dry shipper holds -196°C for up to 21 days, so there’s a wide margin if a flight is delayed.
Planning a transfer between clinics? Request a quote and you’ll hear back from us within 24 hours.
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