Cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) is a rapidly growing phenomenon of interest to governments and regulators, professionals working within the field of assisted reproductive technologies and men and women seeking to use their services. However, to date, discussions have been dominated by media debates and scholarly commentary, with only partial and fragmentary evidence from empirical research studies. This article identifies the pressing gaps in the literature, elucidates the main theoretical and methodological challenges for investigating CBRC and outlines a future research agenda. (C) 2011, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.