From UK · Cataract surgery · Turkey
Cataract surgery in Turkey from the UK: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For UK patients, cataract surgery in Turkey costs £1,630 at the clinic we checked, or about £2,200 once an example return flight and 4 hotel nights are added. That is about £203 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£2,000).
- Clinic price
- £1,6301 provider, one eye, standard
- Example trip
- £2,200clinic £1,630 + flight £250 + 4 hotel nights £320
- Pay privately in UK
- £2,000–£3,610
- Wait in UK
- 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- Rank from UK
- 4 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £2,200£203 over home
Figure 2Cataract surgery: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
Published cataract surgery prices in Turkey
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro Istanbul ClinicIstanbul | €1,950about £1,630 · C$3,050 · $2,180 | Monofocal cataract surgery, all-inclusive package, per eyeOne hotel night with breakfast, a private driver and an interpreter. Flights not included. This is a medical-travel clinic’s package page; it does not name the hospital or the surgeon. Trifocal €2,950. | Euro Istanbul Clinicread 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.
Few Turkish hospitals publish price lists. The figures here are a hospital group's international “starting from” prices, a dental clinic's worked example and a medical-travel clinic's eye-surgery package, so ask each one for a written, itemised quote.
Against waiting or paying in the UK
England, August 2026: 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care). Ophthalmology as a whole, not cataract alone: share of people waiting who were within 18 weeks of referral (622,784 waiting). Waits and prices for cataract surgery in the UK.
Paying privately in the UK: £2,000–£3,610, from Optical Express, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital and Nuffield Health.
Can the NHS pay?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach Turkey. 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 Turkey is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
Planning the trip from the UK
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
- Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- LanguageTurkish; international patient departments offer English and interpreters.
- 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.
- After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from the UK and your hotel to see the total for Turkey next to every other country.
Related pages
Cataract surgery in Turkey from the UK: questions
How much is cataract surgery in Turkey for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £1,630 at the clinic, from Euro Istanbul Clinic. With an example return flight of £250 and 4 hotel nights at £80, the trip comes to about £2,200. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is £2,000, about £203 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to Turkey.
How long is the wait for cataract surgery in the UK?
England: 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026). Ophthalmology as a whole, not cataract alone: share of people waiting who were within 18 weeks of referral (622,784 waiting).
How many days do I need in Turkey?
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; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the NHS pay for it?
No. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU and a few other European countries; Turkey is outside it.
Sources
- Cataract surgery Turkey. Euro Istanbul Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cataract surgery. Optical Express (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cataract surgery. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cataract surgery. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
- Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Classic Men’s Check-Up Program. Acıbadem Healthcare Group (international patients). Read 26 October 2026.
- Dental implant costs and packages in Turkey. Dentakay. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.