New: hip, knee, IVF and LASIK

Compare
Wait or Fly

Cataract surgery · Spain

Cataract surgery in Spain: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

We found 1 published price for cataract surgery in Spain, from €1,985, or about £1,660 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,000 to £3,610 at the providers we checked.

Published price
€1,985about £1,660 · about €1,990 · about C$3,110 · about $2,220
Price is for
one eye, standard (monofocal) lens, unless the row says otherwise
Where
Madrid
Providers
1 (Baviera (formerly Clínica Baviera))
Soonest booking
Surgery with no waiting listsBaviera (formerly Clínica Baviera)
NHS England wait
72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)

Published cataract surgery prices in Spain

Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.

Cataract surgery prices in Spain
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Baviera (formerly Clínica Baviera)Madrid€1,985about £1,660 · C$3,110 · $2,220Operación de cataratas, price per eye (monofocal intraocular lens)Per eye. Included: pre-operative tests, 'Cirugía sin listas de espera', monofocal intraocular lens, post-operative reviews until discharge, follow-up, 24-hour emergency service. Multifocal option exists (financing calculator offers 'Visión Multifocal'); its price is not shown on its pages. No end date for the surgery price on the page; first-consultation promotion valid until 31/12/2026.Baviera (formerly Clínica Baviera)read 27 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.

Hospitals in Spain that offer cataract surgery to international patients

Each runs its own service for patients from abroad. The booking time on each card is the hospital's own words; where it publishes none, ask for a date in writing before you book flights.

Compared with waiting or paying at home

The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Spain price converted to that currency. The Spain figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.

Waiting times and self-pay prices at home for cataract surgery
Where you liveOfficial waitPay at homeHere, converted
UK72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care)England, August 2026£2,000 to £3,610£1,660before flights and hotel
CanadaMedian 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 daysCanada (national), 2025Not verifiedC$3,110before flights and hotel
IrelandAbout 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026€3,200€1,990before flights and hotel
USNo national figure$3,6802021 hospital data or a dental school$2,220before flights and hotel

Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Pick where you live to see the Spain price and how soon hospitals say they can see you, next to your wait and your price at home.

Open the calculator

How it works for a visitor

  1. Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
  3. Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
  4. LanguageSpanish (and Catalan in Barcelona); international departments of private hospitals work in English.
  5. Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
  6. After you returnYou will use eye drops for several weeks. Tell your optician you had surgery abroad and bring the operation note with the lens details.
  7. After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.

Can your public system pay for it?

From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.

From Ireland (HSE): Spain is one of the EU countries listed for the Cross Border Directive scheme. You pay the provider yourself and then claim back the smaller of what you paid and what the same care would cost in the Irish public system; travel and hotels are not covered, and you need a referral from a GP or a consultant you saw as a public patient. HSE: Cross Border Directive, how much you can claim.

When not to travel for cataract surgery

  • Other eye disease that needs regular follow-up (glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration) unless your home specialist agrees.
  • Anyone who cannot stay a few days after surgery or cannot use eye drops reliably on their own.

How to compare cataract surgery quotes

Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy natural lens of the eye with a plastic lens implant. It is usually done under local anaesthetic in 15 to 30 minutes, one eye at a time. Prices depend heavily on the lens: a standard monofocal lens costs far less than a multifocal or toric (astigmatism) lens.

  • Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost.
  • Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.
  • Ask who you contact if something goes wrong after you have flown home.
  • Both eyes are usually done on different days. Check whether the price is per eye.

Providers on this page

We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.

Related comparisons

Cataract surgery in Spain: questions

How much does cataract surgery cost in Spain?

The published prices we found range from €1,985, about £1,660 or $2,220. They come from Baviera (formerly Clínica Baviera). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.

Is cataract surgery in Spain cheaper than paying privately in the UK?

Before travel, the prices here work out at about £1,660, against about £2,000 to £3,610 at the UK providers we checked. Travel adds a flight and a hotel on top; the calculator on the home page adds a rough estimate.

Will the NHS or HSE pay for cataract surgery in Spain?

The NHS S2 route pays only for state treatment at a public provider in the EU, with approval before you travel, not for private clinics. From Ireland, the HSE Cross Border Directive scheme lets you claim back up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid.

How many days should I plan in Spain?

3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.

What should I check before booking cataract surgery in Spain?

Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost. Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.

Sources

  1. Appointments for international patients. Baviera (formerly Clínica Baviera). Read 27 October 2026.
  2. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.