Ireland · Laser eye surgery
Laser eye surgery cost in Ireland vs going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Paying privately in Ireland costs about €2,990 to €4,200 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at €900 in Japan, before flights and a hotel.
- Pay at home
- about €2,990 to €4,200
- Abroad, before travel
- about €900 to €2,950 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 3 to 4 days: suitability tests, the operation, and a check the next day before you fly
Irish waiting lists come from the National Treatment Purchase Fund's open data (NTPF). The HSE runs two schemes that can pay towards treatment in the EU; see Will the HSE pay for treatment abroad?
Paying privately in Ireland
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical Express IrelandIreland (clinic network) | From €2,990about £2,500 · C$4,680 · $3,350 | LASEK or LASIK, from €1,495 per eye (our ×2 for both eyes)Aftercare and drops for the first 3 months included; later visits €120 (optometrist) or €230 (surgeon). The LASEK price carries the same 22.8% footnote as the UK site. LASEK/LASIK iDesign: from €1,995 per eye. | Optical Express (Ireland)read 26 October 2026 |
| OptilaseIreland (Dublin and other clinics) | €4,195about £3,510 · C$6,570 · $4,700 | LASIK or PRK, €2,097.50 per eye (our ×2 for both eyes)LASIK “Included in the price”: free consultation, advanced diagnostic scans, pre-operative appointment with ophthalmic surgeon, surgery, post-operative follow-up care with refractive optometrist, eye care drops, laser lifetime care guarantee. Balance due 14 days before surgery. Optilase Price Guide, Ireland, September 2026 (dated 29 September 2026). | Optilaseread 26 October 2026 |
| OptilaseIreland | €1,590about £1,330 · C$2,490 · $1,780 | Standard Laser Eye Surgery, €795 per eye (our ×2 for both eyes)Free consultation with senior refractive optometrist, corneal topography/Eye Design/AR scans, pre-op consultation with surgeon, surgery, post-op care, Laser Lifetime Care Guarantee. The guide does not name the technique (LASIK, PRK or LASEK). Price Guide, September 2026.Not comparable | Optilaseread 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 EUR
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before flights, hotel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Laser eye surgery in Japan | about €900 to €1,820 | €2,090 less |
| Laser eye surgery in Hungary | about €1,040 to €2,290 | €1,950 less |
| Laser eye surgery in Poland | about €1,480 to €2,480 | €1,510 less |
| Laser eye surgery in Mexico | about €1,880 to €2,680 | €1,110 less |
| Laser eye surgery in Turkey | about €2,550 to €2,950 | €440 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 3 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in Ireland.
When not to travel
- A prescription that is still changing. Clinics usually want it stable before they operate.
- Dry eyes, thin corneas or an eye disease such as keratoconus, until the clinic has measured and assessed you.
- Anyone who cannot stay for the next-day check, or who needs to fly or drive straight after surgery.
Next steps
Laser eye surgery from Ireland: questions
How much does a private laser eye surgery cost in Ireland?
about €2,990 to €4,200 at the providers we checked: Optical Express Ireland and Optilase.
Where abroad is a laser eye surgery cheapest from Ireland?
Before travel: Japan about €900 to €1,820, Hungary about €1,040 to €2,290 and Poland about €1,480 to €2,480. Add a return flight and 3 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a laser eye surgery abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the laser eye surgery should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Laser eye surgery pricing. Optical Express (Ireland). Read 26 October 2026.
- Optilase Price Guide, Ireland, September 2026 (PDF). Optilase, 29 September 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- NTPF publishes September 2026 national public hospital waiting list data. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.