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Wait or Fly

If you live in Ireland

From Ireland: waiting at home, paying privately, or going abroad

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For each procedure: the latest official HSE waiting figure, what private providers in Ireland publish as a self-pay price, and the published price range abroad, all in EUR.

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?

Waits and prices for readers in Ireland
ProcedureOfficial waitPay at homeAbroad, before travel
MRI scanNo official figure€310about €58 to €536
ColonoscopyAbout 30% waiting over 6 months24 September 2026Not verifiedabout €58 to €768
Health check-upNo official figureNot verifiedabout €185 to €3,130
Cataract surgeryAbout 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery)24 September 2026€3,200about €796 to €2,230
Laser eye surgeryNo official figure€2,990 to €4,200about €900 to €2,950
Dental implantNo official figure€1,540about €561 to €2,780
VeneersNo official figure€600about €321 to €592
Hair transplantNo official figureNot verifiedabout €1,820 to €3,400
Hip replacementAbout 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery)24 September 2026Not verifiedabout €5,690 to €12,500
Knee replacementAbout 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery)24 September 2026Not verifiedabout €5,820 to €11,610
IVFNo official figure€5,300about €1,470 to €9,270

Add your flight and hotel

The calculator starts from Ireland: pick a procedure and add your own flight and hotel.

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Can your health service pay? Read Will the HSE pay for treatment abroad?

Pages for readers in Ireland

From Ireland: questions

Is it cheaper to have treatment abroad than to pay privately in Ireland?

Often, for the procedure price alone. Whether the trip is cheaper depends on the flight, the nights you need to stay and the time off work. The table on this page shows the gap before travel; the calculator adds travel.

Which procedures can I compare from Ireland?

MRI scans, colonoscopies, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles, against published prices in up to 8 countries.

Will the HSE pay if I go abroad?

The Treatment Abroad Scheme covers public treatment in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland on a public consultant’s referral; the Cross Border Directive scheme repays up to the Irish public cost after you pay a provider in the EU or EEA.

Are the waiting times on this site for my hospital?

No. They are national or regional statistics. Your own wait depends on your hospital, your priority and your referral date.

Sources

  1. MRI scan. Affidea Ireland. Read 26 October 2026.
  2. Open data: inpatient/day case GI endoscopy waiting list by hospital, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Open data: inpatient/day case waiting list by specialty, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Cataract surgery. Optical Express (Ireland). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Laser eye surgery pricing. Optical Express (Ireland). Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Optilase Price Guide, Ireland, September 2026 (PDF). Optilase, 29 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. The cost of dental implants in Ireland. 3Dental (Dublin). Read 26 October 2026.
  8. Price list. 3Dental (Dublin, Limerick, Galway). Read 26 October 2026.
  9. Treatment costs. ReproMed (Dublin and Galway). Read 26 October 2026.
  10. NTPF publishes September 2026 national public hospital waiting list data. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  11. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.