New: hip, knee, IVF and LASIK

Compare
Wait or Fly

From UK · Cataract surgery · United Arab Emirates

Cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates from the UK: what the trip costs against the wait at home

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For UK patients, cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates costs £4,170 at the clinic we checked, or about £4,940 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about £2,940 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£2,000).

Clinic price
£4,1701 provider, one eye, standard
With travel
£4,940clinic £4,170 + about £770 travel (rough estimate)
Pay privately in UK
£2,000–£3,610
Wait in UK
72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)
Cover in UK
Cataract surgery is done on the NHS. The NHS says there may be a wait and to ask your eye specialist how long.
Soonest booking there
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from UK
8 of 8 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP

Trip total £4,940£2,940 over home

Lowest published clinic price and a rough travel estimate from the UK (return flight and hotel); the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. The travel part is an estimate, not a quote.

Figure 2Cataract surgery: cheapest trip from the UK, by country

Total trip in GBP: lowest to highest published price plus the same rough travel estimate. The dashed line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Click a country for its page for UK patients.

How soon hospitals in United Arab Emirates can see you

At home the official figure is 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care). These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi · PrivateJCI

  • Heart
  • Cancer care
  • Neurology
  • Transplant

No booking time published: ask in writing

Estimated prices for 2 treatmentsDetails

Published cataract surgery prices in United Arab Emirates

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.

Cataract surgery prices in United Arab Emirates
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 20,489.31about £4,170 · €4,980 · C$7,810 · $5,580Cataract removal with insertion of IOL (regular), outpatient package'Gross price 35,179.46 AED'. The page does not say per eye or both eyes; monofocal not stated ('regular').Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 23,676.62about £4,820 · €5,760 · C$9,020 · $6,450Cataract removal with IOL (multifocal)'Gross price 36,479.46 AED'; per eye not statedNot comparableMediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 22,613.94about £4,610 · €5,500 · C$8,620 · $6,160Cataract removal with IOL (toric)'Gross price 36,479.46 AED'; per eye not statedNot comparableMediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)read 27 October 2026
Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai)DubaiAED 25,489.31about £5,190 · €6,200 · C$9,710 · $6,940Cataract removal (femto) with IOL (regular)'Gross price 28,879.46 AED'; femtosecond; per eye not statedNot 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.

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 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.

Planning the trip from the UK

  1. 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.
  2. Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
  3. Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
  4. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
  5. LanguageArabic; English is the everyday language of private hospitals.
  6. 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.
  7. After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Compare United Arab Emirates with every other country for cataract surgery from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.

Open the calculator

Related pages

Cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates from the UK: questions

How much is cataract surgery in United Arab Emirates for UK patients?

The published prices we found work out at £4,170 at the clinic, from Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai). Adding a rough travel estimate of £770 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £4,940. Your own fares and dates will change that part.

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 £2,940 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to United Arab Emirates.

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 United Arab Emirates?

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; United Arab Emirates is outside it.

Sources

  1. Prices. Mediclinic City Hospital (Dubai). Read 27 October 2026.
  2. Cataract surgery. Optical Express (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Cataract surgery. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Cataract surgery. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  7. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  8. Cataracts. NHS (nhs.uk), 12 March 2025. Read 27 October 2026.
  9. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.