From Ireland · Colonoscopy · South Korea
Colonoscopy in South Korea from Ireland: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Irish patients, a colonoscopy in South Korea costs €371 at the clinic we checked, or about €1,640 once an example return flight and 3 hotel nights are added.
- Clinic price
- €3711 provider, one diagnostic or screening colonoscopy, with sedation and biopsies shown separately where the clinic prices them separately
- Example trip
- €1,640clinic €371 + flight €1,000 + 3 hotel nights €270
- Pay privately in Ireland
- Not verified
- Wait in Ireland
- About 30% waiting over 6 months (24 September 2026)
- Time there
- 2 days: bowel preparation the day before, the test the next day, and someone to take you back to your hotel after sedation
- Rank from Ireland
- 4 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR
Trip total €1,640
Figure 2Colonoscopy: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country
Published colonoscopy prices in South Korea
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangbuk Samsung HospitalSeoul | ₩550,000about £311 · €371 · C$581 · $415 | Digestive programme: gastroscopy plus sedated colonoscopyAlso upper abdominal ultrasound, blood tests and tumour markers. Colonoscopy not offered over age 80. Undated domestic price page. | Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Centerread 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.
The Kangbuk Samsung prices are from its domestic check-up page, which carries no date and does not say whether foreign patients pay the same. Severance Hospital runs an international health-care centre that takes check-up bookings from abroad and lists sedation for gastroscopy at 156,000 KRW, but we could not find its package prices (Severance).
Against waiting or paying in Ireland
Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026: 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. Waits and prices for a colonoscopy in Ireland.
Can the HSE pay?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach South Korea. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in South Korea is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
Planning the trip from Ireland
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a colonoscopy and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend the clinic your medicines list, especially blood thinners, diabetes medicines and iron tablets.
- Before you goPlan two nights at least: the preparation day keeps you close to a toilet.
- Before you goDo not fly on the day of the test if you have had sedation or a polyp removed; ask the clinic how long to wait.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- LanguageKorean; the big Seoul hospitals have international health-care centres with English-speaking coordinators.
- After you returnGive your doctor the report, photos and lab results. Ask the clinic to email the lab result if it arrives after you leave.
- After you returnKnow who to call if you have bleeding or tummy pain after you fly home.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from Ireland and your hotel to see the total for South Korea next to every other country.
Related pages
Colonoscopy in South Korea from Ireland: questions
How much is a colonoscopy in South Korea for Irish patients?
The published prices we found work out at €371 at the clinic, from Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. With an example return flight of €1,000 and 3 hotel nights at €90, the trip comes to about €1,640. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Ireland?
We have not verified a self-pay price in Ireland for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for a colonoscopy in Ireland?
Ireland (public hospitals): About 30% waiting over 6 months (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 many days do I need in South Korea?
2 days: bowel preparation the day before, the test the next day, and someone to take you back to your hotel after sedation. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the HSE pay for it?
No. HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland; South Korea is outside them.
Sources
- 종합건진 프로그램 (comprehensive check-up programmes). Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Center, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Open data: inpatient/day case GI endoscopy waiting list by hospital, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Health check-up appointment (International Health Care Center). Severance Hospital, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.