Medium
One trip
Up to 7 days (by procedure)
6 months of check-ups
Not medical advice. Whether this treatment is right for you is a decision to take with a doctor or dentist who has examined you. Talk to your own doctor before you book.
What it is
Laser eye surgery and lens surgery correct short-sight, long-sight and astigmatism. With laser surgery the surgeon changes the shape of the outer layer of the eye (cornea); with lens surgery an artificial lens is put in the eye. Surgery to correct your sight is usually private. Cataract surgery (replacing a cloudy lens) is different: ask your doctor at home whether your health system treats your cataract before you pay abroad.
It is usually done under local anaesthetic (eye drops or an injection) and you go home the same day. Both eyes are often treated on the same day, but for some lens surgery the eyes are done on separate days.
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Laser surgery (LASIK and similar) | A laser reshapes the cornea; in LASIK a thin flap is cut in the cornea first, by a blade or a laser. Rubbing the eye afterwards can dislodge the flap. |
| Lens surgery | An artificial lens is placed in the eye. Some implants can be removed if they cause problems. |
| Implantable contact lens (ICL, phakic lens) | A lens is placed inside the eye in front of your own lens, which stays; it is an option for high short sight, including when the cornea is too thin for laser. It is chosen from measurements of the eye (the depth of its front chamber and the number of cells on the back of the cornea), and a small laser opening in the iris may be made 1 to 2 weeks before. You need regular eye examinations for life, with counts of those cells (FDA). |
Before you book
- Have a consultation with the surgeon about what will happen on the day, the aftercare and what to do if there are complications (NHS).
- If you wear contact lenses, stop before the eye examination: soft lenses 2 weeks, toric or rigid gas-permeable lenses at least 3 weeks, hard lenses at least 4 weeks, or the measurements can be wrong (FDA).
- Tell the doctor about your past and present medical and eye conditions and every medicine you take, and do not feel pressured into deciding (FDA).
- Light side effects such as glare, halos, starbursts and ghost images are common after laser or lens surgery and usually improve within a few months; avoid driving at night until your eyes have recovered (NHS). Ask the surgeon whether both eyes are done on the same day before you plan the stay.
Who it is for
- The eye doctor decides after a thorough examination whether you are a good candidate. Results are generally not as good with very large prescriptions, and you may still need glasses or contact lenses afterwards (FDA).
- Raise these with the eye doctor before you book: dry eyes (laser surgery tends to make them worse), a prescription that changed in the past year, diabetes, pregnancy or breastfeeding, autoimmune diseases, and medicines such as steroids that affect healing (FDA).
- Thin corneas and keratoconus (or a family history of it) are reasons laser surgery may not be safe: the doctor should measure the thickness and shape of your cornea (FDA). If you take tamsulosin or a similar prostate medicine, tell the eye surgeon (the NHS lists eye surgery as something to mention) and do not stop it yourself.
Recovery and travel
Stop before the eye examination (soft lenses 2 weeks, toric or rigid gas-permeable at least 3, hard at least 4), or the measurements can be wrong (FDA).
Have the examination (front chamber depth, cell count on the back of the cornea, pupil size) weeks before, not on arrival day: the lens is chosen from these measurements and is often ordered for your eye, and a small laser opening in the iris may be made 1 to 2 weeks before surgery (FDA). Tests on arrival and surgery the next day mean a lens from stock or a rushed plan.
About 20 to 30 minutes; you usually go home the same day. Do not drive: arrange for someone to take you back.
After lens or cataract surgery you usually use eye drops for about 4 weeks; do not drive until your vision is back to normal (NHS).
See the doctor within the first 24 to 48 hours: they remove the eye shield, test your vision and examine the eye.
Do not drive until the eye doctor tells you it is safe, and avoid driving at night until your eyes have recovered (NHS).
For some types of lens surgery the eyes are done on separate days: ask when the second eye is planned, and stay until both have been checked (NHS).
Plan a few days off until burning, watering, blur and sensitivity to light settle. Non-contact sports after one to three days, as the doctor advises.
After surface laser (PRK, LASEK) a bandage contact lens protects the eye for the first days: ask when it is removed, and stay until then or know who removes it at home.
Wait up to two weeks (or until your eye doctor says it is fine) before using lotions, creams or make-up around the eye.
No strenuous contact sports for at least four weeks; no swimming or hot tubs for one to two months.
It may take three to six months for vision to stabilise; check-ups at regular intervals for at least the first six months.
Regular eye examinations for life, with counts of the cells on the back of the cornea, which can fall over the years; keep your implant card and records for the eye doctor at home (FDA).
Flying home: For laser surgery we found no official minimum before flying: stay at least until the surgeon has checked your eyes, within 24 to 48 hours. For lens surgery and implantable lenses, which are done inside the eye, the UK Civil Aviation Authority's guidance for doctors says 1 week should pass after an intra-ocular procedure before flying (it does not name these operations): the planner uses it. Ask your surgeon for your own operation.
Trips: One short trip, but you need check-ups for at least six months: arrange them with an optician or eye doctor at home before you go.
Put these steps on your own dates
Risks
Loss of vision
Some patients lose vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery; complications include a detached retina and permanent, serious loss of vision.
Glare, halos and night vision
Glare, halos, starbursts and double vision can seriously affect night vision; most side effects improve within a few months, but not always.
Dry eye
Severe dry eye can follow surgery and may be permanent, needing intensive drops, plugs or other procedures.
Under- or over-correction, a second operation
The correction can be more or less than intended; a second operation may be needed (fine-tuning, repositioning or replacing a lens), and may not always be possible.
Red flags
- Surgery booked without a thorough eye examination by the surgeon, or a decision pushed on the day.
- A flight home before the check-up you need 24 to 48 hours after surgery.
- Promises of perfect vision without glasses: some patients still need glasses or contact lenses afterwards.
- Measurements taken while you still wear contact lenses, or the only examination the day before surgery.
- Laser surgery offered without a scan of your cornea, or "presbyopia mode guaranteed".
- An ICL with the tests on arrival and the surgery the next day, without saying whether the lens comes from stock.
Questions to ask the clinic
- Who examines my eyes, who operates, and what are their qualifications and registration?
- Which technique, which laser or lens, and why for my eyes?
- For lens surgery: which lens (for example monofocal or multifocal), what side effects such as halos and glare it can cause, and will both eyes be done on the same day?
- When is the check after surgery, and who sees me if something goes wrong once I am home?
- What happens, and who pays, if I need a second operation?
- Have you measured the thickness and shape of my cornea (topography or tomography)? Is there keratoconus in my family?
- I am over 40: is the plan monovision or a presbyopia mode, will you test it with contact lenses first, and will I still need reading glasses?
- I have glaucoma or a macular disease: which lens is suitable for me?
- I am pregnant or breastfeeding, or I have dry eyes: is this the right time?
- For surface laser (PRK, LASEK): when is the bandage lens removed, and who removes it if I have flown home?
- For an ICL: have you measured the front chamber depth and the cell count of my cornea, is the lens ordered for my eye or taken from stock, will I need a laser opening in the iris first, and who does the yearly checks once I am home?
Ask for the answers in writing. A clinic that will not name the person who treats you has answered the first question.
Where to check the clinic
Each country has its own registers of doctors, dentists and clinics. Pick the destination:
The checks that apply everywhere
- Talk to your doctor or dentist at home first. They know your history, can tell you whether you need the treatment at all, and you will rely on them afterwards.
- Consult the person who will treat you, not a salesperson. Video calls do not replace an examination, and a cooling-off period between consultation and surgery protects you.
- Check the doctor's or dentist's registration yourself. Qualifications should be verified independently, not taken from the clinic's website.
- Check the clinic's licence. Clinics need an authorisation from the health authority; in some countries a separate one for international patients.
- Look for accreditation, but do not rely on it alone. International accreditation bodies list accredited facilities abroad, but accreditation does not guarantee a good outcome.
- Get a written plan, quote and contract. A treatment plan and a price should follow an examination by a qualified professional, and a written contract tells you what you can claim.
- Know what the price includes. Follow-up care can carry substantial extra fees, and revisions after a complication add to the cost.
- Arrange your aftercare at home before you go. Follow-up care might not be easily available at home and may not be covered by your health system.
- Get insurance that covers the treatment. Standard travel insurance does not normally cover elective surgery abroad, and an air ambulance home is very expensive.
- Plan enough days before flying home. Surgery and long flights each raise the risk of blood clots: the days before flying home matter most after major surgery.
- Bring your records home, in a language your doctor at home reads. Doctors at home need to know exactly what was done, with which materials and medicines.
- Be careful with agents and holiday packages. Private companies have a financial interest in booking your treatment; the UK government advises caution with websites selling surgery as part of a holiday.
Once you are home
- Get urgent help if floaters suddenly appear or increase, you see flashes of light, a dark curtain or shadow moves across your vision, or your vision suddenly blurs (NHS: these can be signs of a detached retina).
- Bring home your records: the type of surgery, the laser or lens used, and your measurements before and after. An optician or eye doctor at home will need them.
What your health system covers after private treatment abroad depends on where you live:
🇬🇧 If you live in the United Kingdom
The NHS (Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland) does not pay for private treatment you choose abroad, and your EHIC or GHIC does not cover planned treatment. Standard travel insurance does not normally cover you if you travelled for elective surgery: you may need specialist cover.
The NHS is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment abroad, and the Foreign Office cannot usually help: planned treatment is treated as a commercial arrangement. Plan your aftercare and how records will be shared before you go.
🇮🇪 If you live in Ireland
The HSE Cross Border Directive scheme only refunds planned care in another EU or EEA country that is publicly funded in Ireland, with a referral, up to what it would cost in the Irish public system; travel and accommodation are not refunded. So cosmetic treatments, hair transplants and laser eye surgery, which are not publicly funded in Ireland, are outside it. In the EU: Your EHIC does not cover planned treatment in another EU country (EU): it is for care that becomes necessary during a stay. Hospital care with a night in hospital may need the HSE's approval before you go (EU).
Ask your GP before you go how follow-up would work once you are home, and check whether your travel insurance covers planned treatment and its complications: many policies exclude it.
🇫🇷 If you live in France
Purely aesthetic procedures and their follow-up are not reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie, in France or abroad. Other planned care in another EU country is refunded only if it is reimbursable in France, and at most at the French rate: care without a night in hospital, such as most dental care, needs no prior authorisation; send the paid invoices with form S3125 to your CPAM. Laser or lens surgery to correct your sight: ask your CPAM whether it is reimbursable in your case, and your mutuelle whether it pays an allowance, before you book. Outside the EU: Outside the EU, the EU rules on refunds for planned care do not apply: planned treatment there is at your own cost (EU).
Ask your CPAM (health insurance office) and your mutuelle (top-up insurer) before you go how care for a complication would be covered once you are home, and check your travel insurance.
🇺🇸 If you live in the United States
Check whether your health plan covers anything abroad: most do not cover planned treatment, and Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, with limited exceptions. Consider supplemental cover, including medical evacuation.
Seek care promptly if a complication develops, during travel or after you return, and bring your overseas records in English. Legal recourse abroad may be more limited than in the United States.
🇦🇺 If you live in Australia
Medicare doesn't cover you when you're overseas, reciprocal health care agreements only cover some situations, and basic travel insurance rarely covers medical tourism: get a specialised policy for your procedure, its complications and medical evacuation, and tell your insurers everything. Ask your private health fund whether it pays anything for complications of surgery done overseas, and about waiting periods for treatment at home.
You, your family or your insurer pay for further care or an evacuation. Consular staff can contact your family and give lists of English-speaking hospitals and lawyers, but cannot pay bills or recommend surgeons. Smartraveller advises taking someone with you.
🇳🇿 If you live in New Zealand
Make sure your travel insurance covers complications and medical evacuation, and talk to your health practitioner in New Zealand about the procedure and its risks before you go. ACC does not pay for treatment costs overseas: ask ACC before you go what it would cover if you are injured by the treatment and need care once you are home.
Get copies of your surgical details before you leave: problems can appear once you are home, and your practitioner in New Zealand will need them. Check with a health practitioner before flying after surgery.
🇸🇦 If you live in Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Health sends patients abroad at its expense only by royal order or on the decision of the High Medical Commission. Planned treatment you choose yourself, such as cosmetic surgery, is private and at your own cost.
Ministry-referred patients are followed by the Saudi health attaché in the country of treatment. If you go privately, nobody follows you: get supplemental insurance that includes medical evacuation before you go (CDC), and ask what it pays for treating a complication, talk to your doctor in Saudi Arabia before you leave, and if a problem starts once you are home, see a doctor at once and bring your records.
🇩🇪 If you live in Germany
Statutory insurance (GKV) can refund planned care from a provider in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, at most what it would pay in Germany and only for care it covers; hospital treatment needs your fund's approval first (§13 SGB V). Cosmetic surgery is not covered. Private insurance (PKV) depends on your policy: ask before you book. For weight-loss, dental or eye treatment, tell your fund and your doctor at home about any complication. The cost-sharing rule for cosmetic surgery (§52(2) SGB V) is about operations that were not medically needed.
Check your travel insurance for complications, and agree with your doctor at home who will see you afterwards.
🇨🇦 If you live in Canada
Provincial and territorial health plans rarely cover any of the cost of care outside Canada, and then usually only a small part (Government of Canada). In Ontario, OHIP pays for planned treatment abroad only with written prior approval from the Ministry of Health before the treatment, applied for by your doctor, and only if the procedure is not available in Ontario (or a delay would be life-threatening or cause serious irreversible harm); travel, accommodation and meals are never covered. Other provinces have their own rules: ask your plan before you book. Rules differ by province (Ontario's prior-approval rule is above): check your own plan's out-of-country rules, for example BC's MSP, Quebec's RAMQ or Alberta's AHCIP, before you book.
Buy travel medical insurance that covers the treatment's complications and transport home: Ontario encourages it even when the treatment has prior approval. Foreign hospitals can be very expensive and may ask for cash in advance (Government of Canada).
🇳🇴 If you live in Norway
For care received in another EEA country, Norway refunds only care you would have had cover for in Norway, at most what it would have cost the public system there; hospital treatment follows separate rules and may need prior approval. Outside the EU: Outside the EEA the refund rules for care in another EEA country do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost.
Talk to your doctor or dentist in Norway before you go, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications. If the care is something folketrygden covers and you had it in the EEA, apply to HELFO within the time limit.
🇸🇪 If you live in Sweden
For planned dental care in the EU or EEA, Försäkringskassan can refund what you would have received for necessary dental care in Sweden, afterwards; cosmetic dental work is not refunded, and you can ask for an advance decision (förhandsbesked) on the amount. For other planned care you can apply in advance; you pay travel and lodging yourself (1177). Outside the EU: Outside the EU and EEA the cross-border refund rules do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost.
Agree with your region or health centre (vårdcentral) how the follow-up works once you are home, keep every record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇧🇪 If you live in Belgium
For planned care in another EU or EEA country you are refunded at most what the Belgian insurance would pay, and only for care it covers in Belgium; care with a night in hospital or very specialised care usually needs your mutualité's prior authorisation (INAMI; EU). Travel and accommodation are yours to pay (EU). Outside the EU: Outside the EU and EEA, the EU rules on refunds for planned care do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost (EU).
Talk to your doctor or dentist in Belgium before you go, ask your mutualité in writing what it would refund, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇳🇱 If you live in the Netherlands
Your basic insurance refunds care abroad only if the same care is insured in the Netherlands, up to the usual Dutch rate; ask your insurer beforehand, as it can set conditions such as a referral (Zorginstituut Nederland). For adults the basic insurance covers surgical dental care, X-rays and removable dentures; implants only in special cases (Rijksoverheid).
Talk to your GP (huisarts) or dentist before you go, ask your insurer in writing what it would refund, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇸🇬 If you live in Singapore
MediShield Life is designed for subsidised bills at public hospitals in Singapore and does not cover treatment overseas; MediSave can be used for elective hospitalisation and day surgery abroad only at accredited hospitals (Ministry of Health, 2024). For Malaysia: Crossing to Johor by road: plan who drives you back after any sedation or anaesthetic, and where you are seen if a problem starts once you are home.
Ask your Integrated Shield Plan insurer in writing what it covers abroad, agree the follow-up with a doctor in Singapore before you go, keep every record, and get insurance that covers complications.
🇦🇪 If you live in the United Arab Emirates
What your UAE health insurance pays for planned treatment abroad depends on your plan: ask your insurer in writing before you book, and get insurance that covers complications and transport home.
Agree with a doctor or dentist in the UAE who will see you once you are back, keep every record and invoice, and check what your insurer pays for treating a complication of care done abroad.
🇩🇰 If you live in Denmark
For care bought in another EU or EEA country you can get the subsidy you would have had in Denmark, never more than you paid; planned hospital treatment with at least one night in hospital needs your region's prior approval (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed). You pay first and claim afterwards. Outside the EU: Outside the EU and EEA the subsidy rules for care bought abroad do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost.
Talk to your doctor or dentist in Denmark before you go, ask your region's patient office what it would pay, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇦🇹 If you live in Austria
For planned care in another EU or EEA country you are refunded only for care you are entitled to under Austrian law: outpatient care at 80% of the Austrian contract tariff (the Wahlarzt rule), never more than you paid; hospital treatment needs your insurer's approval first (oesterreich.gv.at). Outside the EU: Outside the EU and EEA the EU rules on refunds for planned care do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost.
Talk to your doctor or dentist in Austria before you go, ask your health insurer in writing what it would refund, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇫🇮 If you live in Finland
Kela can refund treatment in another EU or EEA country if it is medically necessary and part of the services of the Finnish public system, at most what it would have cost in your wellbeing services county; you pay first, claim within 6 months of paying, and can ask Kela well in advance how much it would refund (Kela). Outside the EU: Outside the EU and EEA, Kela's rules for treatment in another EU or EEA country do not apply: planned treatment there is normally at your own cost.
Talk to your doctor or dentist in Finland before you go, ask Kela for advance information, keep every invoice and record, and check your travel insurance for complications.
🇨🇭 If you live in Switzerland
Basic insurance covers treatment in Switzerland and emergencies abroad, not planned treatment abroad: the exception is a treatment not available in Switzerland, when your doctor applies to the insurer's medical adviser first (FOPH). Supplementary insurance may cover more: ask it in writing. Switzerland is outside the EU: the EU cross-border refund rules do not apply to Swiss residents, wherever the clinic is.
Agree the follow-up with a doctor or dentist in Switzerland before you go, ask your insurer in writing what it covers, keep every record, and get insurance that covers complications.
Sources
- NHS: Laser eye surgery and lens surgery nhs.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026
- FDA: LASIK, what to expect before, during and after surgery fda.gov · checked 25 Oct 2026
- FDA: LASIK, risks and how to find the right doctor fda.gov · checked 25 Oct 2026
- NHS: Cosmetic surgery abroad (general advice on surgery abroad) nhs.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026
- FDA: When is LASIK not for me? fda.gov · checked 25 Oct 2026
- NHS: Cataract surgery nhs.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
- NHS: Tamsulosin nhs.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
- FDA: Phakic intraocular lenses, before, during and after surgery fda.gov · checked 27 Oct 2026
- UK Civil Aviation Authority: surgical conditions and flying (guidance for health professionals) caa.co.uk · checked 7 Nov 2026
Next review due 25 Apr 2027. Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us via the contact address.