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Laser eye surgery · United Arab Emirates

Laser eye 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 2 published prices for laser eye surgery in United Arab Emirates, from AED 9,000, or about £1,830 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,590 to £7,500 at the providers we checked.

Published price
AED 9,000about £1,830 · about €2,190 · about C$3,430 · about $2,450
Price is for
both eyes, LASIK, SMILE or PRK/LASEK. Where a clinic prices per eye we double the figure and say so
Where
Dubai
Providers
1 (Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai))
Soonest booking
Not published: ask in writing
NHS England wait
No NHS figure for this

Published laser eye 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.

Laser eye surgery prices in United Arab Emirates
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 9,000about £1,830 · €2,190 · C$3,430 · $2,450LASIK - both eyes (outpatient package)Package price; 'Gross price 14,167.00 AED'. Inclusions list not shown on the page.Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 6,000about £1,220 · €1,460 · C$2,290 · $1,630LASIK - each eye (outpatient package)Per eye; 'Gross price 12,167.00 AED'Not 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 laser eye 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 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 laser eye surgery
Where you liveOfficial waitPay at homeHere, converted
UKNo official figure found£2,590 to £7,500£1,830before flights and hotel
CanadaNo official figure foundC$980 to C$6,180C$3,430before flights and hotel
IrelandNo official figure found€2,990 to €4,200€2,190before flights and hotel
USNo national figure$4,990 to $5,7902021 hospital data or a dental school$2,450before 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.

Open the calculator

How it works for a visitor

  1. Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the laser eye surgery and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goAsk how long you must stop wearing contact lenses before the suitability tests; it can be days or weeks.
  3. Before you goBring your latest glasses prescription and any eye reports.
  4. Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned treatment abroad. Most standard policies do not.
  5. LanguageArabic; English is the everyday language of private hospitals.
  6. 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).
  7. After you returnUse the eye drops exactly as prescribed, and ask the clinic for a written operation note to give your optician.
  8. After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or a red, sticky eye 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 laser eye surgery

  • 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.

How to compare laser eye surgery quotes

Laser eye surgery reshapes the clear front surface of the eye (the cornea) to correct short sight, long sight or astigmatism, so you depend less on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK and SMILE work under a thin flap or through a small cut; PRK and LASEK treat the surface, which takes longer to heal. The NHS does not usually offer it, so at home it is a private purchase. Not everyone is suitable: the clinic measures your eyes first, and some clinics charge for that visit.

  • Check whether the price is per eye or for both eyes. Many clinics advertise the per-eye price.
  • Compare the same technique: LASIK, SMILE and PRK/LASEK are priced differently, and “from” prices often depend on your prescription.
  • Ask whether the suitability tests are free, charged, or deducted from the operation price.
  • Ask what aftercare is included, for how long, and whether a second treatment (enhancement) is covered if your sight is not fully corrected.

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

Laser eye surgery in United Arab Emirates: questions

How much does laser eye surgery cost in United Arab Emirates?

The published prices we found range from AED 9,000, about £1,830 or $2,450. They come from Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.

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

Before travel, the prices here work out at about £1,830, against about £2,590 to £7,500 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 laser eye 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 4 days: suitability tests, the operation, and a check 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 laser eye surgery in United Arab Emirates?

Check whether the price is per eye or for both eyes. Many clinics advertise the per-eye price. Compare the same technique: LASIK, SMILE and PRK/LASEK are priced differently, and “from” prices often depend on your prescription.

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.