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From UK · MRI scan · Japan

MRI 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, an MRI scan in Japan costs £328 at the clinic we checked, or about £1,390 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about £1,140 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£249).

Clinic price
£3281 provider, one body area
With travel
£1,390clinic £328 + about £1,060 travel (rough estimate)
Pay privately in UK
£249–£380
Wait in UK
22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Cover in UK
The NHS does MRI scans when a GP or specialist refers you, at no charge; the wait is the issue.
Soonest booking there
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from UK
5 of 6 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP

Trip total £1,390£1,140 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 2MRI scan: 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 Japan can see you

At home the official figure is 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.

Published MRI 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.

MRI scan prices in Japan
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥68,750about £328 · €392 · C$614 · $438Brain MRI/MRA + carotid MRAAs listed; contrast not stated.TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)read 27 October 2026
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥206,250about £984 · €1,180 · C$1,840 · $1,320Cardiac MRIAs listed.Not comparableTIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)read 27 October 2026
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥137,500about £656 · €783 · C$1,230 · $877DWIBS (whole-body diffusion MRI)As listed.Not comparableTIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)read 27 October 2026
TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre)Osaka¥68,750about £328 · €392 · C$614 · $438MRCPAs 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: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting). Waits and prices for an MRI scan in the UK.

Paying privately in the UK: £249–£380, from Vista Health.

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 an MRI scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
  3. Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
  4. Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
  5. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
  6. LanguageJapanese; some hospitals require a registered medical interpreter for foreign patients.
  7. After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
  8. After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens at home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

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

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Related pages

MRI scan in Japan from the UK: questions

How much is an MRI scan in Japan for UK patients?

The published prices we found work out at £328 at the clinic, from TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Adding a rough travel estimate of £1,060 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £1,390. 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 £249, about £1,140 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to Japan.

How long is the wait for an MRI scan in the UK?

England: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting).

How many days do I need in Japan?

1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. 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. MRI scans. Vista Health (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
  6. 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.
  7. International Health Care Center FAQ. National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS) Hospital, Tokyo. Read 26 October 2026.
  8. MRI scan. NHS (nhs.uk), 11 September 2025. Read 27 October 2026.
  9. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.