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From UK · CT scan · Japan

CT scan in Japan 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 Japan costs £262 at the clinic we checked, or about £1,240 with a rough travel estimate added.

Clinic price
£2621 provider, one CT scan of one body area
With travel
£1,240clinic £262 + about £980 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
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from UK
3 of 3 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP

Trip total £1,240

Lowest published clinic price and a rough travel estimate from the UK (return flight and hotel). The travel part is an estimate, not a quote.

Figure 2CT scan: cheapest trip from the UK, by country

Total trip in GBP: lowest to highest published price plus the same rough travel estimate. Click a country for its page for UK patients.

How soon hospitals in Japan 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.

Published CT scan prices in Japan

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.

CT scan prices in Japan
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥55,000about £262 · €313 · C$491 · $351CT chest / abdomenAs listed.TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)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.

Japanese check-up centres price for people living in Japan. NCGM in Tokyo says that people without Japanese health insurance or who do not speak Japanese pay “twice the displayed amount” for its health checks, must book through a registered medical-interpreter agency, and get results in 3 to 4 weeks (NCGM, in Japanese). For other hospital care it bills uninsured patients ¥30 per insurance point (NCGM FAQ). Tokyo Midtown Clinic's price list is silent on visitors, so ask before booking.

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?

NHS and HSE schemes do not reach Japan. 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 Japan 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 a CT scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goTake your referral letter, or the question your doctor wants the scan to answer.
  3. Before you goTell the clinic in advance about kidney problems, diabetes medicines or an allergy to contrast dye.
  4. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
  5. LanguageJapanese; some hospitals require a registered medical interpreter for foreign patients.
  6. After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images.
  7. After you returnIf the scan finds something, the follow-up normally happens at home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Compare Japan with every other country for a CT scan from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.

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Related pages

CT scan in Japan from the UK: questions

How much is a CT scan in Japan for UK patients?

The published prices we found work out at £262 at the clinic, from TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Adding a rough travel estimate of £980 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £1,240. 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 Japan?

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?

No. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU and a few other European countries; Japan is outside it.

Sources

  1. International patients. TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Read 27 October 2026.
  2. Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. 外国籍の方の人間ドック受診について (health checks for foreign nationals). National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS) Hospital, Tokyo. Read 26 October 2026.
  6. International Health Care Center FAQ. National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS) Hospital, Tokyo. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. CT scan. NHS (nhs.uk), 8 November 2023. Read 27 October 2026.
  8. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.