Ireland · Colonoscopy
HSE colonoscopy waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Adults on the inpatient/day-case list for GI endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy): 42,875, of whom about 30% had waited over 6 months: about 30% waiting over 6 months (Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026). Published prices abroad start at €58 in China, before flights and a hotel.
- Official wait
- About 30% waiting over 6 months (24 September 2026)
- Pay at home
- Not verified
- Abroad, before travel
- about €58 to €768 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 2 days: bowel preparation the day before, the test the next day, and someone to take you back to your hotel after sedation
The official waiting figure
- About 30% waiting over 6 months — Adults on the inpatient/day-case list for GI endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy): 42,875, of whom about 30% had waited over 6 months. Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
Irish waiting lists come from the National Treatment Purchase Fund's open data (NTPF). The HSE runs two schemes that can pay towards treatment in the EU; see Will the HSE pay for treatment abroad?
Paying privately in Ireland
We have not yet verified a published self-pay price.
Published prices abroad, in EUR
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before flights, hotel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Colonoscopy in China | about €58 | — |
| Colonoscopy in Poland | about €128 to €162 | — |
| Colonoscopy in Hungary | about €330 to €504 | — |
| Colonoscopy in South Korea | about €371 | — |
| Colonoscopy in Thailand | about €739 to €768 | — |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 3 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in Ireland.
When not to travel
- Bleeding from the bottom, black stools, a change in bowel habit with weight loss, or a positive home screening test: these belong on an urgent pathway at home first. In England, ask your GP about the urgent suspected-cancer referral.
- People with serious heart, lung or kidney disease, or on blood thinners, unless the clinic has reviewed their medicines in advance.
- Travelling alone with no one to collect you after sedation. Clinics usually require an escort.
Next steps
Colonoscopy from Ireland: questions
How long is the HSE wait for colonoscopies?
About 30% waiting over 6 months (Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026). Adults on the inpatient/day-case list for GI endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy): 42,875, of whom about 30% had waited over 6 months.
How much does a private colonoscopy cost in Ireland?
We have not verified a published price yet.
Where abroad is a colonoscopy cheapest from Ireland?
Before travel: China about €58, Poland about €128 to €162 and Hungary about €330 to €504. Add a return flight and 3 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a colonoscopy abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the colonoscopy should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Open data: inpatient/day case GI endoscopy waiting list by hospital, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- NTPF publishes September 2026 national public hospital waiting list data. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.