Canada · MRI scan
Canadian MRI scan waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Days from the decision to scan to the MRI: median, and the wait that 1 in 10 people exceeded: median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days (Canada (national), 2025). Paying privately in Canada costs about C$749 to C$799 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at C$90 in China, before flights and a hotel.
- Official wait
- Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days (2025)
- Pay at home
- about C$749 to C$799
- Abroad, before travel
- about C$90 to C$840 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
The official waiting figure
- Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days — Days from the decision to scan to the MRI: median, and the wait that 1 in 10 people exceeded. Canada (national), 2025. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Canadian waits are national figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, published 25 June 2026 (CIHI). Waits differ a lot between provinces. Ask your provincial health plan whether it pays anything towards planned care abroad before you book; we have not reviewed provincial rules yet.
Paying privately in Canada
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insight Medical ImagingAlberta | C$749 to C$799about £400–£427 · €478–€510 · $535–$571 | MRI of the knee, shoulder or spine (749) or brain (799)One area. Contrast extra. | Insight Medical Imaging (Alberta)read 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 CAD
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 C$90 to C$734 | C$659 less |
| MRI scan in Poland | about C$232 to C$332 | C$517 less |
| MRI scan in Hungary | about C$248 | C$501 less |
| MRI scan in Thailand | about C$411 | C$338 less |
| MRI scan in Mexico | about C$840 | C$91 more |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 2 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in Canada.
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 Canada: questions
How long is the Canadian wait for an MRI?
Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 days (Canada (national), 2025). Days from the decision to scan to the MRI: median, and the wait that 1 in 10 people exceeded.
How much does a private MRI scan cost in Canada?
about C$749 to C$799 at the providers we checked: Insight Medical Imaging.
Where abroad is a MRI scan cheapest from Canada?
Before travel: China about C$90 to C$734, Poland about C$232 to C$332 and Hungary about C$248. 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
- Wait times for priority procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Magnetic resonance (MRI). Insight Medical Imaging (Alberta). Read 26 October 2026.
- Wait times in Canada, 2026. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.