From Ireland · Knee replacement · Hungary
Knee replacement in Hungary from Ireland: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Irish patients, a knee replacement in Hungary costs €6,410 at the clinic we checked, or about €7,490 once an example return flight and 10 hotel nights are added.
- Clinic price
- €6,4101 provider, one primary total knee replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Partial knees and fees without the implant are shown but not compared
- Example trip
- €7,490clinic €6,410 + flight €180 + 10 hotel nights €900
- Pay privately in Ireland
- Not verified
- Wait in Ireland
- About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery) (24 September 2026)
- Time there
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
- Rank from Ireland
- 2 of 4 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR
Trip total €7,490
Figure 2Knee replacement: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country
Published knee replacement prices in Hungary
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMed MagánkórházSzékesfehérvár | 2,350,000 HUFabout £5,370 · €6,410 · C$10,040 · $7,170 | Knee replacement, full package with prosthesisThe page calls it a full package with prosthesis; the itemised list is shown for the hip package only (pre-op exam, operation, basic implant, 2 hotel days, physiotherapy, X-ray, stitch removal). Robot-assisted (VELYS) knee package 3,350,000 HUF. | CMed Magánkórház (Székesfehérvár)read 26 October 2026 |
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University’s private service)Budapest | 1,860,000 HUFabout £4,250 · €5,070 · C$7,950 · $5,680 | Total knee prosthesis, surgery feeSurgery fee only; excludes implants, preliminary exams, single-use instruments and the hospital stay.Not comparable | Semmelweis Premium (Budapest)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.
Budapest clinics publish prices in forints. The Buda Eye Centre lets patients pay in euros at the National Bank of Hungary rate and runs a Fast Track programme for patients from abroad (price list, in Hungarian).
MRI: a Hungarian business paper reported in February 2026 that private providers have not been allowed to perform MRI or CT scans since 1 November 2025 and that the state bought their machines (Economx, in Hungarian). Wáberer Medical Center still listed MRI prices when we read its page on 26 October 2026. Ask the clinic in writing whether it can book your scan before you buy a flight. We have not read the legal text.
Against waiting or paying in Ireland
Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026: About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery). Orthopaedics as a whole, not knee replacement alone: 14,988 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, 35.2% waiting over 6 months; 82,991 waiting for a first orthopaedic outpatient appointment, 46.4% over 6 months. Waits and prices for a knee replacement in Ireland.
Can the HSE pay?
From Ireland (HSE): Hungary 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.
Planning the trip from Ireland
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a knee replacement and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend recent X-rays and a list of your medicines, and ask for a written, itemised quote with the implant named.
- Before you goArrange physiotherapy at home for after you return before you book.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- After you returnGive your GP and physiotherapist the operation note with the implant details.
- After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from Ireland and your hotel to see the total for Hungary next to every other country.
Related pages
Knee replacement in Hungary from Ireland: questions
How much is a knee replacement in Hungary for Irish patients?
The published prices we found work out at €6,410 at the clinic, from CMed Magánkórház. With an example return flight of €180 and 10 hotel nights at €90, the trip comes to about €7,490. 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 knee replacement in Ireland?
Ireland (public hospitals): About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery) (24 September 2026). Orthopaedics as a whole, not knee replacement alone: 14,988 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, 35.2% waiting over 6 months; 82,991 waiting for a first orthopaedic outpatient appointment, 46.4% over 6 months.
How many days do I need in Hungary?
About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the HSE pay for it?
Possibly in part: the Cross Border Directive scheme refunds up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid and with a referral.
Sources
- Csípőprotézis (árak, incl. térdprotézis). CMed Magánkórház (Székesfehérvár). Read 26 October 2026.
- Áraink: ortopédia. Semmelweis Premium (Budapest). Read 26 October 2026.
- Open data: inpatient/day case waiting list by specialty, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Árlista (price list). Budai Szemészeti Központ (Buda Eye Centre), Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Minden MR- és CT-gépet megvett az állam. Economx (Hungarian business news), 4 February 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Prices. Wáberer Medical Center, Budapest. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.