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From Ireland · Colonoscopy · Japan

Colonoscopy in Japan from Ireland: what the trip costs against the wait at home

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For Irish patients, a colonoscopy in Japan costs €940 at the clinic we checked, or about €2,210 with a rough travel estimate added.

Clinic price
€9401 provider, one diagnostic or screening colonoscopy, with sedation and biopsies shown separately where the clinic prices them separately
With travel
€2,210clinic €940 + about €1,270 travel (rough estimate)
Pay privately in Ireland
Not verified
Wait in Ireland
About 30% waiting over 6 months (24 September 2026)
Cover in Ireland
Public hospitals do colonoscopies for public patients; the NTPF publishes the GI endoscopy waiting list.
Soonest booking there
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from Ireland
7 of 7 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR

Trip total €2,210

Lowest published clinic price and a rough travel estimate from Ireland (return flight and hotel). The travel part is an estimate, not a quote.

Figure 2Colonoscopy: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country

Total trip in EUR: lowest to highest published price plus the same rough travel estimate. Click a country for its page for Irish patients.

How soon hospitals in Japan can see you

At home the official figure is about 30% waiting over 6 months. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.

Published colonoscopy prices in Japan

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.

Colonoscopy prices in Japan
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥165,000about £787 · €940 · C$1,470 · $1,050ColonoscopySedation and biopsy included (as listed).TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)read 27 October 2026
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥192,500about £918 · €1,100 · C$1,720 · $1,230Polypectomy (add-on)Add-on item as listed.Not comparableTIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)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.

Japanese check-up centres price for people living in Japan. NCGM in Tokyo says that people without Japanese health insurance or who do not speak Japanese pay “twice the displayed amount” for its health checks, must book through a registered medical-interpreter agency, and get results in 3 to 4 weeks (NCGM, in Japanese). For other hospital care it bills uninsured patients ¥30 per insurance point (NCGM FAQ). Tokyo Midtown Clinic's price list is silent on visitors, so ask before booking.

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 Japan. 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 Japan 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

  1. 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.
  2. Before you goSend the clinic your medicines list, especially blood thinners, diabetes medicines and iron tablets.
  3. Before you goPlan two nights at least: the preparation day keeps you close to a toilet.
  4. 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.
  5. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
  6. LanguageJapanese; some hospitals require a registered medical interpreter for foreign patients.
  7. 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.
  8. After you returnKnow who to call if you have bleeding or tummy pain after you fly home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Compare Japan with every other country for a colonoscopy from Ireland: price, how soon, and the hospitals.

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Colonoscopy in Japan from Ireland: questions

How much is a colonoscopy in Japan for Irish patients?

The published prices we found work out at €940 at the clinic, from TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Adding a rough travel estimate of €1,270 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about €2,210. Your own fares and dates will change that part.

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 Japan?

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; Japan is outside them.

Sources

  1. International patients. TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Read 27 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. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. 外国籍の方の人間ドック受診について (health checks for foreign nationals). National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS) Hospital, Tokyo. Read 26 October 2026.
  6. International Health Care Center FAQ. National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS) Hospital, Tokyo. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.