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Cataract surgery · United Arab Emirates

Cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

We found 4 published prices for cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates, from AED 20,489.31, or about £4,170 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,000 to £3,610 at the providers we checked.

Published price
AED 20,489.31about £4,170 · about €4,980 · about C$7,810 · about $5,580
Price is for
one eye, standard (monofocal) lens, unless the row says otherwise
Where
Dubai
Providers
1 (Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai))
Soonest booking
Not published: ask in writing
NHS England wait
72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)

Published cataract surgery prices in United Arab Emirates

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 United Arab Emirates
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 20,489.31about £4,170 · €4,980 · C$7,810 · $5,580Cataract removal with insertion of IOL (regular), outpatient package'Gross price 35,179.46 AED'. The page does not say per eye or both eyes; monofocal not stated ('regular').Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 23,676.62about £4,820 · €5,760 · C$9,020 · $6,450Cataract removal with IOL (multifocal)'Gross price 36,479.46 AED'; per eye not statedNot comparableMediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 22,613.94about £4,610 · €5,500 · C$8,620 · $6,160Cataract removal with IOL (toric)'Gross price 36,479.46 AED'; per eye not statedNot comparableMediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 25,489.31about £5,190 · €6,200 · C$9,710 · $6,940Cataract removal (femto) with IOL (regular)'Gross price 28,879.46 AED'; femtosecond; per eye not statedNot comparableMediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)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 United Arab Emirates 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.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi · PrivateJCI

  • Heart
  • Cancer care
  • Neurology
  • Transplant

No booking time published: ask in writing

Estimated prices for 2 treatmentsDetails

Compared with waiting or paying at home

The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the United Arab Emirates price converted to that currency. The United Arab Emirates 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£4,170before flights and hotel
CanadaMedian 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 daysCanada (national), 2025Not verifiedC$7,810before flights and hotel
IrelandAbout 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026€3,200€4,980before flights and hotel
USNo national figure$3,6802021 hospital data or a dental school$5,580before 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 United Arab Emirates price and how soon hospitals say they can see you, next to your wait and your price at home.

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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. LanguageArabic; English is the everyday language of private hospitals.
  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?

NHS and HSE schemes do not reach United Arab Emirates. 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 United Arab Emirates is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.

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 United Arab Emirates: questions

How much does cataract surgery cost in United Arab Emirates?

The published prices we found range from AED 20,489.31, about £4,170 or $5,580. They come from Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.

Is cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates cheaper than paying privately in the UK?

Before travel, the prices here work out at about £4,170, 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 United Arab Emirates?

No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. United Arab Emirates is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.

How many days should I plan in United Arab Emirates?

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 United Arab Emirates?

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. Prices. Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai). Read 27 October 2026.
  2. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.