From UK · CT scan · Hungary
CT scan in Hungary from the UK: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For UK patients, a CT scan in Hungary costs £68–£114 at the clinic we checked, or about £298 with a rough travel estimate added.
- Clinic price
- £68–£1141 provider, one CT scan of one body area
- With travel
- £298clinic £68 + about £230 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in UK
- Not verified
- Wait in UK
- 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Cover in UK
- The NHS does CT scans when a GP or specialist refers you, at no charge; the radiologist writes to the doctor who referred you.
- Soonest booking there
- “We can make appointments for diagnostic imaging tests within 24 hours.”Wáberer Medical Center (Budapest)
- Rank from UK
- 1 of 3 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £298
Figure 2CT scan: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
How soon hospitals in Hungary can see you
At home the official figure is 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.
Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)
- Imaging
No booking time published: ask in writing
25 published pricesDetails
Wáberer Medical Center (Budapest)
- Imaging
- Check-ups
- Orthopaedics
Booking: “We can make appointments for diagnostic imaging tests within 24 hours.”
3 published pricesDetails
Published CT scan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)Budapest | 30,000 HUFabout £68 · €82 · C$128 · $92 | Agykoponya CT vizsgálat kontrasztanyag nélkül (natív) [head CT, without contrast]Not stated on this price page (the 'prices are indicative / exclusions' notice appears on some Semmelweis Premium price pages, not on this one) Indicative; no validity date on page. | Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)read 27 October 2026 |
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)Budapest | 30,000 HUFabout £68 · €82 · C$128 · $92 | Mellkas CT vizsgálat kontrasztanyag nélkül (natív) [chest CT, without contrast]Not stated on this price page (the 'prices are indicative / exclusions' notice appears on some Semmelweis Premium price pages, not on this one) Indicative; no validity date on page. | Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)read 27 October 2026 |
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)Budapest | 50,000 HUFabout £114 · €136 · C$214 · $153 | Has és kismedence CT vizsgálat kontrasztanyag nélkül (natív) [abdomen and pelvis CT, without contrast]Not stated on this price page (the 'prices are indicative / exclusions' notice appears on some Semmelweis Premium price pages, not on this one) Indicative; no validity date on page. | Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)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.
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 the UK
England, August 2026: 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS CT waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (181,619 waiting; median wait 1.9 weeks, the shortest of the 15 tests). Waits and prices for a CT scan in the UK.
Can the NHS pay?
From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.
Planning the trip from the UK
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a CT scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goTake your referral letter, or the question your doctor wants the scan to answer.
- Before you goTell the clinic in advance about kidney problems, diabetes medicines or an allergy to contrast dye.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images.
- After you returnIf the scan finds something, the follow-up normally happens at home.
Compare with your wait and price at home
Compare Hungary with every other country for a CT scan from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
CT scan in Hungary from the UK: questions
How much is a CT scan in Hungary for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £68–£114 at the clinic, from Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University). Adding a rough travel estimate of £230 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £298. Your own fares and dates will change that part.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
We have not verified a self-pay price in the UK for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for a CT scan in the UK?
England: 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS CT waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (181,619 waiting; median wait 1.9 weeks, the shortest of the 15 tests).
How many days do I need in Hungary?
1 day for the scan and the report. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the NHS pay for it?
Only through the S2 route, for state treatment at a public provider, approved before you travel. Private clinics like those on this page do not qualify.
Sources
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). 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.
- Accreditation. Wáberer Medical Center (Budapest). Read 27 October 2026.
- CT scan. NHS (nhs.uk), 8 November 2023. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.