Going abroad for treatment? Check first.

Independent UK checklists, country guides and clinic information for dental, hair, cosmetic, weight-loss, eye, IVF and orthopedic treatment abroad.

What treatment? (e.g. Dental, Hair, IVF…)
Where? (Country)

Accreditations to look for

JCI accredited
ISO 9001
EU Directive 2011/24/EU
NABH (India)
SAK (Czechia)
Ministry of Health licensed

What is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is travelling abroad for planned healthcare — typically elective procedures like dental implants, hair restoration, cosmetic surgery, weight-loss surgery, IVF, eye surgery or joint replacement. According to the Office for National Statistics, 523,000 UK residents travelled abroad for medical treatment in 2024 — up from 431,000 in 2023, a 50% rise in two years. Turkey alone accounted for nearly 200,000 of those visits.

Most journeys are clinically successful. The ones that go wrong usually involve avoidable shortcuts: unverified surgeons, unlicensed facilities, no aftercare plan, or compressed recovery timelines that ignore DVT risk on the flight home. The FCDO confirms 7 British nationals died in Turkey in 2025 following medical procedures (gov.uk source); every page on cliniccheck is designed to help you spot the shortcuts before you pay a deposit.

UK vs abroad: indicative price comparison

Indicative starting prices in GBP. Always request itemised written quotes from any specific clinic.

TreatmentUK private fromAbroad fromSaving
Dental Treatment£2,400£450~70%
Hair Transplant£6,000£1,500~75%
Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery£7,500£2,200~60%
Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery£11,000£3,500~65%
Eye Surgery (LASIK & Cataract)£4,000£1,100~65%
IVF & Fertility£8,000£2,800~60%
Orthopedic & Joint Surgery£14,000£6,500~55%
Cardiac & General Surgery£25,000£9,000~60%

Popular destinations

Where UK patients most often travel for treatment — with the things to watch for.

🇹🇷
~4 hours

Turkey

Dental TreatmentHair TransplantCosmetic & Plastic Surgery
🇭🇺
~2.5 hours

Hungary

Dental TreatmentCosmetic & Plastic Surgery
🇵🇱
~2.5 hours

Poland

Dental TreatmentHair TransplantIVF & Fertility
🇨🇿
~2 hours

Czechia

Cosmetic & Plastic SurgeryIVF & FertilityEye Surgery (LASIK & Cataract)
🇲🇽
~11 hours (via US hub)

Mexico

Weight-Loss (Bariatric) SurgeryCosmetic & Plastic SurgeryDental Treatment
🇮🇳
~9 hours

India

Cardiac & General SurgeryOrthopedic & Joint SurgeryWeight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery

Featured clinics

Hospitals and clinics with the licensing and accreditation we recommend you verify.

Istanbul Smile Clinic

Hospital-based dental clinic in Şişli specialising in implants, full-arch restorations and zirconium crowns. T

🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey

Budapest Dental House

Long-established central Budapest practice. Provides itemised treatment plans and a two-stage care model (prep

🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary

Antalya Hair Restoration Center

FUE and DHI hair transplant clinic in Antalya serving UK patients with all-in packages from £1,500. Confirm th

🇹🇷 Antalya, Turkey

Warsaw Hair Clinic

Smaller-volume European clinic offering surgeon-led FUE. Suits patients who prioritise EU regulation and consu

🇵🇱 Warsaw, Poland

Istanbul Aesthetic Hospital

JCI-accredited private hospital handling rhinoplasty, BBL, breast surgery and gastric sleeve. Higher-risk proc

🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey

Prague Plastic Surgery Institute

Surgeon-led Prague clinic offering rhinoplasty, breast surgery and facelifts. Two-week recovery in Prague is p

🇨🇿 Prague, Czechia

Tijuana Bariatric Center

Hospital-based gastric sleeve and bypass programme with a strong record of UK patients. Confirm the lead surge

🇲🇽 Tijuana, Mexico

Apollo Chennai International

World-renowned tertiary hospital with dedicated international patient wing. Strongest in cardiac surgery, join

🇮🇳 Chennai, India

Why cliniccheck?

Independent

We don't take bookings, commissions, or paid clinic placements. Listing is not an endorsement; verification is up to you, and we give you the tools.

Practical checklists

Plain-English questions to ask, red flags to spot, and country-specific safety notes — designed to be used before you pay a deposit.

Written for the UK

NHS interaction, FCDO advice, UK travel insurance and aftercare options — all considered from a UK patient's perspective.

Patient stories

How people used cliniccheck before they travelled.

Dental implants · Budapest, Hungary

Used cliniccheck before I booked. The 22-point dental checklist made me ask questions I would never have thought of — and one clinic dropped me as soon as I asked them, which told me everything.

Sarah, Manchester

used cliniccheck before booking

Hair transplant · Istanbul, Turkey

I read the red-flag list and immediately recognised three of them in the WhatsApp quote I'd been sent. Picked a different clinic. Result is excellent at 9 months.

James, Bristol

used cliniccheck before booking

IVF (donor egg) · Prague, Czechia

The IVF checklist explained the donor-anonymity differences clearly. We went in with eyes open and chose the country that matched our values.

Priya, London

used cliniccheck before booking

Gastric sleeve · Mexico

Lifelong follow-up was barely mentioned by two clinics. cliniccheck made it the headline. I picked a hospital that takes it seriously.

Daniel, Glasgow

used cliniccheck before booking

Latest guides

How to research clinics, what travel insurance covers, and more.

Research

How to research a clinic abroad in under an hour

Six concrete steps — public registers, accreditation databases, review platforms and government safety notices — that take a clinic from "looks fine" to "I trust them".

Safety

What the FCDO says about medical tourism (and why you should read it)

The UK government publishes practical safety guidance for patients travelling abroad for treatment. Here is what it actually says — and what to do about it.

Insurance

Travel insurance for treatment abroad: what is and isn't covered

Standard travel insurance excludes most complications of elective treatment. Specialist policies exist. Here is how to read them.

Heading abroad for treatment? Start with a checklist.

Independent, free, and written for UK patients. Use them before you pay a deposit.