Ireland · MRI scan
MRI scan cost in Ireland vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in Ireland costs about €310 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at €58 in China, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about €310
- Abroad, before travel
- about €58 to €536 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
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
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affidea IrelandDublin | From €310about £260 · C$486 · $347 | MRI scanStarting price; inclusions not stated. Another block on the same page says from €280. | Affidea Irelandread 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| MRI scan in China | about €58 to €469 | €252 less |
| MRI scan in Poland | about €148 to €212 | €162 less |
| MRI scan in Hungary | about €158 | €152 less |
| MRI scan in Thailand | about €262 | €48 less |
| MRI scan in Mexico | about €536 | €226 more |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 2 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in Ireland.
When not to travel
- Symptoms that need urgent care: sudden weakness, numbness, severe headache, loss of bladder or bowel control. Go to an emergency department at home.
- Anyone with a pacemaker, some implants, metal fragments or a cochlear implant until the clinic has checked them.
- A scan your home doctor has not asked for: without a referral there may be nobody at home to act on the result.
Next steps
MRI scan from Ireland: questions
How much does a private MRI scan cost in Ireland?
about €310 at the providers we checked: Affidea Ireland.
Where abroad is a MRI scan cheapest from Ireland?
Before travel: China about €58 to €469, Poland about €148 to €212 and Hungary about €158. Add a return flight and 2 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a MRI scan abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the MRI scan should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- MRI scan. Affidea Ireland. 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.