ENThe question “how much does LASIK cost in Germany” has a firm answer only after the eye screening: the price is per eye and depends on the method your cornea allows. A bare figure says little, as screening and follow-up may or may not be included.
Below, a German quote is taken apart: the doctor’s fee under the official GOÄ scale, why the method sets the sum, what is billed separately, what to send. There are no clinic prices here; for methods, see laser vision correction in Germany.
What goes into the price of laser eye surgery in Germany
The price covers screening, the doctor’s fee, materials, medication and follow-up. The KRC, the refractive surgery commission of DOG and BVA, sets a minimum screening: corneal shape and thickness, vision, eye pressure, pupil size in dim light, a dilated eye check. The fee includes the laser and theatre (§ 4 GOÄ); only used-up materials and medication you keep may be added (§ 10 GOÄ).
Laser eye surgery cost in Germany is calculated per eye. For excimer LASIK the German Medical Association recommends analogue billing under No. 1345 “Hornhautplastik” (1660 points) plus No. 5855 “Intraoperative Strahlenbehandlung mit Elektronen” (6900 points), and for PRK No. 5855 alone. At 5.82873 cents a point and the usual multiplier ceilings of 2.3 and, for No. 5855, 1.8 (§ 5 GOÄ), that comes to €946.47 for LASIK on one eye and €723.93 for PRK. Femto-LASIK and SMILE fall outside it; the doctor picks those items. The cornea, not the budget, decides the method.
| Cost item | What it depends on | Guide figure |
|---|---|---|
| Screening | measurements, a second visit | per clinic estimate |
| Doctor’s fee, LASIK | multiplier | €946.47 per eye at 2.3 and 1.8; total per estimate |
| Doctor’s fee, PRK | multiplier | €723.93 per eye at 1.8; total per estimate |
| Materials, medication, follow-up, enhancement | method, visits, contract | per clinic estimate |
Complexity raises the sum, since the multiplier reflects difficulty and time. Severe short-sightedness or astigmatism may fall outside the KRC’s range for laser, and a thin cornea shifts the plan to a surface method or an implanted lens, a different operation and fee. For one city, see laser eye surgery cost in Berlin.
What the quote does not cover
The quote leaves out flights, accommodation, an interpreter, time off work and a second trip if follow-up is impossible at home. Per the KRC, vision is reduced for the first days after PRK and LASEK, and for hours after LASIK. Contact lenses stay out for days or weeks before the screening, which decides when you can travel.
Enhancement is a separate matter. A small residual error is a known possibility: the KRC lists partial regression in the first weeks among possible side effects, corrected by a second operation if the cornea is thick enough. Whether an enhancement is included, and until when, is a contract term to settle in writing.
Does insurance pay, and how Germany compares
German statutory health insurance does not pay: refractive eye surgery is on the G-BA list of excluded methods (Annex II of its outpatient methods directive). The German Medical Association calls it, bar a few medical indications, a service at the patient’s request. Private insurance pays according to its tariff terms; check beforehand. A foreign patient pays privately anyway.
Laser eye surgery cost across Europe varies by country, so compare what quotes contain, not totals: screening, follow-up, enhancement, laser platform. More in laser eye surgery: which country to choose.
Where it is done in Germany
Laser eye surgery is done by university eye departments and specialised eye clinics. For a visitor it matters more who screens, operates and follows up: the KRC wants an ophthalmologist on its list to screen and decide, and cooperation ensured if surgeon and follow-up doctor differ. See eye clinics in Germany.
Two partner examples, not a ranking. The LMU Klinikum eye clinic in Munich is directed by Professor Siegfried Priglinger, whose focus includes SMILE and Femto-LASIK, ICL lenses for high refractive errors and multifocal lenses for age-related long-sightedness. At the Herzog Carl Theodor Eye Clinic in Munich, Professor Michael Koss performs refractive laser treatments and cataract surgery with refractive lenses, and sees patients before and after in his practice.
How to get a written estimate
The question a clinic receives is “how much does laser eye surgery cost in Germany”, and the answer starts with documents: glasses prescriptions from the past two years to show stability, eye reports, how long you can go without lenses, any dry eye, keratoconus, glaucoma or diabetes, and your medication. Before corneal measurements, every reply is conditional.
In the reply, check: per eye or both, screening separate or deducted, how many follow-up visits, validity, enhancement terms. Plan at least three days: screening, surgery the next day (the KRC wants the decision and risk talk before surgery day) and a check a day or two later. Surface methods take longer while the epithelium heals under a contact lens.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a German LASIK bill mention radiation with electrons?
It names the reference item, not the operation. LASIK is billed by analogy with an equivalent service (§ 6 GOÄ), here No. 5855, “Intraoperative Strahlenbehandlung mit Elektronen”. Under § 12 GOÄ the bill must describe what was actually done and mark the item “entsprechend”.
Can the fee be higher than the usual multipliers allow?
Yes, but a multiplier above 2.3, or 1.8 for No. 5855, needs a written reason. The maximums, 3.5 and 2.5, give €1,344.11 for LASIK on one eye. Going beyond the scale needs a prior written agreement (§ 2 GOÄ), not allowed for every item.
Is the screening charged if I am not operated on?
Yes. The screening is a medical service in its own right, billed even if surgery proves unsuitable, so ask its price and whether it is deducted if you proceed. Some contraindications, such as a cornea too thin for LASIK or SMILE, show only in measurements.
How AlenMed organises treatment
After the first contact, a medical interpreter translates your eye reports and they go to two or three departments. The reply is a written estimate with method and dates; the medical visa paperwork is prepared alongside.
AlenMed has 86 partner hospitals in 38 cities and 345 doctors; the company office is in Munich. A coordinator books screening and surgery on consecutive days, interprets at appointments and makes sure the post-operative check happens before the flight home.
This material is for information only and is not an offer; a doctor decides on treatment at an in-person examination.