Surgery in Moscow for Foreign Patients: How to Plan the Trip Step by Step

Travelling to Moscow for surgery is mostly a planning exercise. The operation itself may take a few hours, but the decisions around it, from the first consultation to the flight home and follow-up afterwards, decide how smooth the experience is. This guide sets out the steps in a sensible order, explains what a clinic usually handles and what stays with you, and lists the questions to settle before anything is booked.

Start with an online consultation, not with a ticket

The first step is a medical one. Before you look at flights, send your questions, photos and medical history to the clinic and have a consultation with the surgeon. Many Moscow clinics that treat international patients, including City Medical Centre, offer the first consultation free of charge and can hold it online.

Use this conversation to confirm the basics:
• whether the procedure you have in mind suits you, or whether the surgeon suggests something else;
• which tests and documents are needed and whether they can be done at home;
• the anaesthesia, the length of the operation and the hospital stay;
• what the price covers and when it is fixed;
• who will be your contact person throughout.

Keep in mind the time difference and the clinic's working hours. City Medical Centre, for example, is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 Moscow time and is located at 1-Y Volkonskiy Pereulok, 15. A clear written plan after the consultation is the sign that you are ready to move to the practical part of the trip.

What the clinic arranges and what you arrange yourself

Clinics differ a great deal in how much of the trip they organise, so never assume a service is included. At City Medical Centre a personal coordinator guides each patient from the first enquiry through recovery, which means you have one person to ask about the schedule, the tests and the next steps.

Other parts of the trip are not described on the clinic's site, and you should raise them with the coordinator directly:
• entry requirements and whether any invitation or document support is available;
• accommodation near the clinic and transport between the hotel, clinic and airport;
• languages spoken by staff and whether an interpreter is needed;
• payment methods for patients coming from abroad.

Check entry rules for your nationality with official sources before you book, since they depend on your passport and can change. It is also worth sorting travel insurance early and reading what it says about planned medical treatment abroad. Put every answer you receive in writing, so that nothing depends on a phone call or a promise you cannot check later.

How recovery shapes the length of your stay

The right length of stay depends on the procedure and on how you heal, and it should be agreed with the surgeon rather than guessed. Still, knowing the usual recovery milestones helps you see why some operations need more time in the city than others.

• Hair transplant: done under local anaesthesia in one day, and the patient goes home the same day; the first 10 days are the main healing period.
• Rhinoplasty: one day or night in the inpatient unit, with the internal splints removed on day 7 and the external splint kept for up to 14 days.
• Breast surgery: one day in hospital, office work after 7 to 14 days and a compression garment for 4 to 6 weeks.
• Bariatric surgery: a hospital stay of 1 to 5 days, with travel best planned no earlier than about a month after the operation, as confirmed by the surgeon.

Avoid booking a return flight before the surgeon has confirmed when you can travel safely. A few extra days, and an easy journey home with light luggage, make recovery far calmer.

Setting a realistic budget

A realistic budget has two parts: the medical bill and everything around it. For the medical part, ask for a written quote and check what it includes, such as anaesthesia, the hospital stay, dressings, garments and follow-up visits. At City Medical Centre the cost is quoted at the consultation and fixed in the contract, which protects you from changes after arrival.

As an illustration, the clinic's rhinoplasty page with prices and the recovery schedule lists primary rhinoplasty at $4,200 at the time of writing (September 2026), with revision rhinoplasty at $5,400 and rhinoseptoplasty at $5,000. For weight-loss operations, its page on gastric sleeve and bypass surgery in Moscow lists a sleeve gastrectomy from $3,600 and a gastric bypass from $4,000. Hair transplants are listed from $2,200 for FUE during the September promotion, and breast augmentation at $4,700.

To this, add flights, accommodation, local transport, meals, travel insurance and time off work, both for you and for anyone who comes with you. Keep a reserve for extra nights in case the surgeon asks you to stay longer. The cheapest option on paper is rarely the cheapest once these costs are counted.

Preparing documents, tests and follow-up at home

Good preparation starts weeks before the flight. Depending on the operation, the clinic will ask for blood tests, an ECG and other checks. For rhinoplasty, for example, the list includes a blood count, biochemistry, coagulation tests, infection screening, an ECG, a chest X-ray and a sinus X-ray or CT, with preparation starting 21 days before surgery. For bariatric surgery, smokers are asked to quit a month in advance.

Pack a folder with copies of your test results, a list of current medication, your contract and the clinic's contact details. Ask for your operation notes and discharge summary in writing before you leave, as any doctor at home will need them.

Follow-up does not end at the airport. Clinics that work with foreign patients usually continue remote check-ups; City Medical Centre, for instance, schedules hair transplant follow-ups at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and a year of follow-up after breast surgery. Arrange a local doctor who can see you if needed, and keep the coordinator's contact handy for the first months, when most questions come up.