From UK · Gastroscopy · Hungary
Gastroscopy 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 gastroscopy in Hungary costs £178–£295 at the clinic we checked, or about £408 with a rough travel estimate added.
- Clinic price
- £178–£2951 provider, one diagnostic gastroscopy
- With travel
- £408clinic £178 + about £230 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in UK
- Not verified
- Wait in UK
- 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Cover in UK
- The NHS does a gastroscopy when you are referred, for example to check what is causing digestive symptoms.
- Soonest booking there
- Not published: ask in writing
- Rank from UK
- 2 of 6 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £408
Figure 2Gastroscopy: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
How soon hospitals in Hungary can see you
At home the official figure is 29.9% 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
No booking time published: ask in writing
3 published pricesDetails
Published gastroscopy 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 | 78,000 HUFabout £178 · €213 · C$333 · $238 | Gastroscopia [gastroscopy]Sedation not included (separate 'altatásban' price); biopsy/histology not stated for this line; not stated as a line-by-line inclusion; page notice (Hungarian): prices are indicative, the exact fee is in the quote; fee does not include preliminary examinations, necessary implants, single-use surgical instruments, inpatient nursing or histology Indicative; no validity date on page. | Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)read 27 October 2026 |
| Semmelweis Premium (Semmelweis University)Budapest | 129,000 HUFabout £295 · €352 · C$551 · $394 | Gastroscopia altatásban [gastroscopy under anaesthesia]Under anaesthesia; histology not stated; not stated as a line-by-line inclusion; page notice (Hungarian): prices are indicative, the exact fee is in the quote; fee does not include preliminary examinations, necessary implants, single-use surgical instruments, inpatient nursing or histology 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: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting). Waits and prices for a gastroscopy 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 gastroscopy and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your doctor whether to stop acid-reducing tablets or blood thinners beforehand.
- Before you goBook the test before the flights and get the time in writing.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- LanguageHungarian; Budapest private clinics usually have English pages and staff.
- After you returnBring the report, the photos and any lab results to your doctor.
Compare with your wait and price at home
Compare Hungary with every other country for a gastroscopy from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
Gastroscopy in Hungary from the UK: questions
How much is a gastroscopy in Hungary for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £178–£295 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 £408. 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 gastroscopy in the UK?
England: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting).
How many days do I need in Hungary?
1 day: about 6 hours without food before the test, then rest after sedation. 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.
- Gastroscopy. NHS (nhs.uk), 13 August 2026. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.