Refractive surgery

What does laser eye surgery cost in France?

Your question

How much does laser surgery for myopia cost, and will I be reimbursed?

Our answer

Refractive surgery is not covered by the French health system. The cost of laser surgery usually falls between €2,500 and €4,000 for both eyes in the Paris region. Some private insurers pay a fixed amount, commonly €300 to €600 per eye. A written quotation is mandatory before any procedure.

What the French market shows

No institution — neither the health insurance fund, nor the Haute Autorité de santé, nor the French Society of Ophthalmology — publishes a price scale for refractive surgery: fees are unregulated. The only available benchmarks are the price lists French centres publish themselves. They converge:

Procedure	Both eyes, Paris region
Corneal laser surgery (LASIK, PRK)	€2,500 – €4,000

Within that range the ranking is constant: surface laser is the least expensive, LASIK above it because it consumes a femtosecond laser to cut the flap, SMILE slightly higher again. The gap reflects consumables and laser licensing, not the length of the procedure. Since fees are unregulated, nothing caps the top of the range but the surgeon's own restraint; outside the Paris region fees are often lower.

For intraocular procedures — phakic implants for high ametropia, refractive lens exchange — no general range would be meaningful: the quotation is drawn up patient by patient, according to the implant chosen and the medical particularities of the eye. It is issued after the assessment.

What is not reimbursed, and what is

The French health insurance position is unambiguous: refractive surgery is not covered, whatever the technique and however large the refractive error. The official information sheet of the French Society of Ophthalmology draws three consequences that patients often discover late:

no reimbursement of the procedure;
no paid sick leave — you must take annual leave;
you pay in full, then claim from your private insurer.

The ophthalmic consultation, however, remains a medical consultation and is reimbursed under the usual conditions. The pre-operative work-up is generally included in the centre's package.

Private insurance: a fixed sum, not a reimbursement

Many French complementary insurers pay a refractive-surgery allowance, commonly €300 to €600 per eye, reaching €800 to €1,100 on the highest cover. It is a contribution, never full coverage.

Four things to check in your contract before setting a date:

the waiting period — some contracts open the allowance only after one or two years;
the exact wording: per eye or per beneficiary, a twofold difference;
the annual ceiling, which may prevent operating both eyes in the same calendar year;
whether a care network is imposed. An insurer may not make reimbursement conditional on choosing a named surgeon.

Reading a refractive surgery quotation

A written quotation is mandatory once fees reach €70, which covers every refractive procedure. It does not commit you: its purpose is precisely to compare and to consult your insurer.

One eye or two? The first trap: centres alternate between per-eye prices and bilateral packages.
Are theatre fees included? Some lists publish facility fees that exclude the surgeon's fees.
Is the pre-operative work-up included or billed separately?
How long is follow-up covered — a few early checks, or six months?
Is an enhancement included, and for how long? The most discriminating item, and the one to have confirmed in writing.

And our own fees?

The French code of medical ethics requires a doctor to inform patients of his fees, and at the same time forbids using them as advertising or comparison. Our fees are therefore given to you in writing, in the quotation handed over after the pre-operative assessment, once the technique has been chosen — because the amount follows that decision, not the other way round.

A price well below the market should prompt the question of what it excludes: follow-up, enhancement, the choice of surgeon, or a pre-operative examination performed by a doctor. In refractive surgery, safety rests mainly on selecting the right indications — that is, on the time spent before surgery.

Sources

Updated 26 August 2026