Bucharest’s General Council approved on Wednesday, March 28, two projects aimed at increasing the birth rate in the city.

The municipality will grant a EUR 3,000 financial support to couples who want to undergo in-vitro fertilization.

According to Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea, the number of couples who use this procedure in Romania is very low compared to other EU countries due to the high costs. Only about 5,000 couples do in-vitro fertilization each year in Romania, compared to about 40,000 in France. Moreover, the state only pays for a low number of such procedures each year.

“Last year, the state only paid for 250 such procedures in Bucharest, while hundreds of couples remained on the waiting list,” Firea added.

The couples who want to benefit from this support must be between 25 and 45 years old and must live in Bucharest for at least six months.

The Bucharest City Hall also approved a RON 2,000 (EUR 430) voucher for pregnant women. The beneficiaries will be able to use these vouchers to cover for their medical tests and screening during pregnancy. The financial support will be granted in two trenches.

The Bucharest City Hall also implemented several other financial support schemes last year. It pays RON 1,500 to couples who get married in Bucharest and RON 2,500 for each baby born in the city.

editor@romania-insider.com