Cataract surgery · Hungary
Cataract surgery in Hungary: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 1 published price for cataract surgery in Hungary, from 295,000 HUF, or about £674 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,000 to £3,610 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- 295,000 HUFabout £674 · about €804 · about C$1,260 · about $900
- Price is for
- one eye, standard (monofocal) lens, unless the row says otherwise
- Where
- Budapest
- Providers
- 1 (Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre))
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- NHS England wait
- 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)
Published cataract surgery prices in Hungary
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre)Budapest | 295,000 HUFabout £674 · €804 · C$1,260 · $900 | Cataract surgery with a basic monofocal lens, per eyeTwo check-ups (next day and at two months) included. Pre-operative exam with lens planning 40,000 HUF extra. The clinic’s Fast Track programme for patients from abroad (8-day stay in Budapest) adds 150,000 HUF. Trifocal 595,000 HUF. | Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre)read 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Budapest clinics publish prices in forints. The Buda Eye Centre lets patients pay in euros at the National Bank of Hungary rate and runs a Fast Track programme for patients from abroad (price list, in Hungarian).
MRI: a Hungarian business paper reported in February 2026 that private providers have not been allowed to perform MRI or CT scans since 1 November 2025 and that the state bought their machines (Economx, in Hungarian). Wáberer Medical Center still listed MRI prices when we read its page on 26 October 2026. Ask the clinic in writing whether it can book your scan before you buy a flight. We have not read the legal text.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Hungary price converted to that currency. The Hungary figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care)England, August 2026 | £2,000 to £3,610 | £674before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 daysCanada (national), 2025 | Not verified | C$1,260before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | About 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026 | €3,200 | €804before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $3,6802021 hospital data or a dental school | $900before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Hungary next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
- Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnYou will use eye drops for several weeks. Tell your optician you had surgery abroad and bring the operation note with the lens details.
- After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.
Can your public system pay for it?
From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.
From Ireland (HSE): Hungary is one of the EU countries listed for the Cross Border Directive scheme. You pay the provider yourself and then claim back the smaller of what you paid and what the same care would cost in the Irish public system; travel and hotels are not covered, and you need a referral from a GP or a consultant you saw as a public patient. HSE: Cross Border Directive, how much you can claim.
When not to travel for cataract surgery
- Other eye disease that needs regular follow-up (glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration) unless your home specialist agrees.
- Anyone who cannot stay a few days after surgery or cannot use eye drops reliably on their own.
How to compare cataract surgery quotes
Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy natural lens of the eye with a plastic lens implant. It is usually done under local anaesthetic in 15 to 30 minutes, one eye at a time. Prices depend heavily on the lens: a standard monofocal lens costs far less than a multifocal or toric (astigmatism) lens.
- Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost.
- Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.
- Ask who you contact if something goes wrong after you have flown home.
- Both eyes are usually done on different days. Check whether the price is per eye.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest: 295,000 HUF
Related comparisons
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- Treatment in Hungary: every procedure
- Wait or Fly home: the calculator
Cataract surgery in Hungary: questions
How much does cataract surgery cost in Hungary?
The published prices we found range from 295,000 HUF, about £674 or $900. They come from Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is cataract surgery in Hungary cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £674, against about £2,000 to £3,610 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 4 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for cataract surgery in Hungary?
The NHS S2 route pays only for state treatment at a public provider in the EU, with approval before you travel, not for private clinics. From Ireland, the HSE Cross Border Directive scheme lets you claim back up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid.
How many days should I plan in Hungary?
3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking cataract surgery in Hungary?
Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost. Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.
Sources
- Árlista (price list). Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Minden MR- és CT-gépet megvett az állam. Economx (Hungarian business news), 4 February 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Prices. Wáberer Medical Center, Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.