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Price report · Laser eye surgery

Laser eye surgery abroad or at home: waits and published prices compared

We read what clinics in 8 countries publish for laser eye surgery and set it against the official wait and the self-pay price in the UK, Canada, Ireland and the US. Price unit: both eyes, LASIK, SMILE or PRK/LASEK. Where a clinic prices per eye we double the figure and say so.

Updated 26 October 2026 · Every figure links to its source

Countries with a price
6 of 8Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Japan and Thailand
Lowest abroad
£754Japan, before travel
UK private
£2,590lowest published self-pay price
Price lines read
2616 providers

Short answer

Providers in 6 countries publish a price for laser eye surgery that we could check. Converted to pounds, they run from £754 to £2,470, before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,590 to £7,500.

Countries with a price
6 of 8: Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Japan and Thailand
Range abroad
about £754 to £2,470 before travel
UK private
about £2,590 to £7,500
NHS England
No NHS figure for this
Price is for
both eyes, LASIK, SMILE or PRK/LASEK. Where a clinic prices per eye we double the figure and say so

Key findings

  1. 5 of 8 countries publish a comparable price (1 more only inside bundles). The lowest is Japan at £754; the highest published figure is £2,470, before travel.
  2. From the UK, 5 of 5 countries are cheaper than a private laser eye surgery at home before travel, and 3 after an example flight and 3 hotel nights. The lowest UK self-pay price we found is £2,590.
  3. No official waiting-time figure is published for this in the UK, Canada or Ireland that we could use; it is mostly bought privately.
  4. No verified comparable price in South Korea and China. A gap means we could not find a price the provider publishes itself, not that the treatment is unavailable.

Figure 1Lowest to highest comparable price, by country (GBP, before travel)

Each bar runs from the lowest to the highest published price that matches the unit; the dashed line is the lowest UK self-pay price we found. Converted at the ECB rate. Click a country for every price line.

Figure 2Cheapest total trip from each home country

Cheapest total trip for laser eye surgery from the UK, Canada, Ireland and the US
FromMexicoTurkeyPolandHungaryJapanPay at home
UK£2,610£2,630£1,600£1,260£1,890from £2,590
CanadaC$3,960C$5,710C$3,940C$3,340C$3,330from C$980
Ireland€3,150€3,120€1,900€1,490€2,170from €2,990
US$2,730$4,180$2,890$2,440$2,440from $4,990
Lowest published price plus an example return flight and 3 hotel nights, in each reader's currency. Green means the trip costs less than the lowest self-pay price at home. Flights and hotels are round examples, not quotes: put in your own.

What laser eye surgery is

Laser eye surgery reshapes the clear front surface of the eye (the cornea) to correct short sight, long sight or astigmatism, so you depend less on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK and SMILE work under a thin flap or through a small cut; PRK and LASEK treat the surface, which takes longer to heal. The NHS does not usually offer it, so at home it is a private purchase. Not everyone is suitable: the clinic measures your eyes first, and some clinics charge for that visit.

Laser eye surgery prices by country

The range in each country covers only the prices that match the unit above. Click a country for every price line, what it includes, and how to book as a visitor.

Laser eye surgery published prices by country
CountryProvidersIn GBPIn CADIn EURIn USD
Mexico2£1,570–£2,240C$2,940–C$4,200€1,880–€2,680$2,100–$3,000
Turkey1£2,140–£2,470C$3,990–C$4,620€2,550–€2,950$2,850–$3,300
Poland3£1,240–£2,080C$2,320–C$3,890€1,480–€2,480$1,660–$2,780
Hungary1£868–£1,920C$1,620–C$3,590€1,040–€2,290$1,160–$2,560
Japan1£754–£1,530C$1,410–C$2,860€900–€1,820$1,010–$2,040
Thailand1not comparablenot comparablenot comparablenot comparable

No page yet for South Korea and China: we did not find a published price there that we could verify.

Waiting and paying at home

The latest official waiting figure in each country, and what providers there publish as a self-pay price.

Waiting times and self-pay prices at home for laser eye surgery
Where you liveOfficial waitPay at home
UKNo official figure found£2,590 to £7,500
CanadaNo official figure foundC$980 to C$6,180
IrelandNo official figure found€2,990 to €4,200
USNo national figure$4,990 to $5,7902021 hospital data or a dental school

The NHS says laser eye surgery is not usually offered on the NHS and is usually only available privately, except for some eye conditions that threaten sight or that glasses and contact lenses cannot correct (NHS). So there is no waiting list to compare: the choice is between paying at home and paying abroad.

Add your flight and hotel

Choose where you live and the calculator lines up your wait, your price at home and each country's price plus travel for laser eye surgery.

Open the calculator

How to compare laser eye surgery prices

  • Check whether the price is per eye or for both eyes. Many clinics advertise the per-eye price.
  • Compare the same technique: LASIK, SMILE and PRK/LASEK are priced differently, and “from” prices often depend on your prescription.
  • Ask whether the suitability tests are free, charged, or deducted from the operation price.
  • Ask what aftercare is included, for how long, and whether a second treatment (enhancement) is covered if your sight is not fully corrected.

Do not travel for laser eye surgery if

  • A prescription that is still changing. Clinics usually want it stable before they operate.
  • Dry eyes, thin corneas or an eye disease such as keratoconus, until the clinic has measured and assessed you.
  • Anyone who cannot stay for the next-day check, or who needs to fly or drive straight after surgery.

Before you book

  • Ask how long you must stop wearing contact lenses before the suitability tests; it can be days or weeks.
  • Bring your latest glasses prescription and any eye reports.
  • Check your travel insurance covers planned treatment abroad. Most standard policies do not.

After you come home

  • Use the eye drops exactly as prescribed, and ask the clinic for a written operation note to give your optician.
  • Sudden pain, worsening vision or a red, sticky eye after surgery need urgent care at home.

Bringing results home so your own doctor can use them is covered in how to bring your results home.

Laser eye surgery abroad: questions

Where is laser eye surgery cheapest abroad?

Before flights, the lowest published prices we found are in Japan (about £754 to £1,530), Hungary (about £868 to £1,920) and Poland (about £1,240 to £2,080). The cheapest country is not always the cheapest trip: a short flight can matter more than the price difference.

How long is the wait for laser eye surgery on the NHS?

NHS England does not publish a waiting-time figure for this that we could use. Ask your GP or dentist what the NHS offers in your case.

How much does a private laser eye surgery cost in the UK?

about £2,590 to £7,500 at the UK providers we checked, before any consultant fees they list separately.

What does the price of laser eye surgery usually include?

On this site the price should cover both eyes, LASIK, SMILE or PRK/LASEK. Where a clinic prices per eye we double the figure and say so. Check whether the price is per eye or for both eyes. Many clinics advertise the per-eye price.

How long do I need to stay abroad for laser eye surgery?

3 to 4 days: suitability tests, the operation, and a check the next day before you fly. Ask the clinic for the schedule in writing before you book flights.

Sources

  1. Laser Eye Surgery (Lasik/PRK) All-Inclusive Package. Euro Istanbul Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  2. Laser Eye Surgery (SMILE) All-Inclusive Package. Euro Istanbul Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Laser Eye Surgery (iLasik/T-PRK No Touch) All-Inclusive Package. Euro Istanbul Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Tijuana eye care prices 2026. Retina Center Tijuana. Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Prices. Vision Mendez Institute (Tijuana). Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Cennik laserowej korekcji wzroku (laser vision correction price list). Visum Clinic, Rzeszów. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. Laserowa korekcja wzroku (laser vision correction), Warsaw. Instytut Oka, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
  8. Cennik, Klinika Warszawa Ochota (price list). Optegra Polska. Read 26 October 2026.
  9. Árlista (price list). Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
  10. 料金表 (price list). Shinagawa Lasik & Eye Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  11. Examination and surgical fees (banner image). TRSC International Eye and Vision Center, Bangkok. Read 26 October 2026.
  12. Prices. London Vision Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  13. Our eye surgery costs. Optimax. Read 26 October 2026.
  14. Laser eye surgery pricing. Optical Express (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  15. Laser eye surgery pricing. Optical Express (Ireland). Read 26 October 2026.
  16. Optilase Price Guide, Ireland, September 2026 (PDF). Optilase, 29 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  17. Pricing. LASIK MD. Read 26 October 2026.
  18. Cost of LASIK. LasikPlus. Read 26 October 2026.
  19. Laser eye surgery and lens surgery. NHS (nhs.uk), 15 February 2024. Read 26 October 2026.
  20. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.