X-Ray Cost in Romania
What you actually pay with a CAS referral, at public hospitals on demand, and at private chains such as MedLife and Regina Maria. Last reviewed October 2026.
Short answer: how much does an X-ray cost in Romania?
With a referral (bilet de trimitere) from your family doctor or a CAS-contracted specialist, a standard X-ray is free at public hospitals and contracted private clinics. Paying yourself, a single-view X-ray at a private chain costs roughly 75–190 lei (about $16–40) and a two-view study (front + profile) 130–290 lei ($27–61); MedLife's published prices range from 75–100 lei in smaller cities to 190 lei in Timișoara. Some public hospitals sell X-rays on demand for about 50 lei ($10).
Quick Overview
Romania's public health insurance is run by CNAS (Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate) through county health insurance houses (CAS, and CASMB in Bucharest). Employees pay the CASS contribution of 10% of gross salary. Conventional X-rays are part of the basic package of outpatient paraclinical investigations: the insurer pays the provider a fixed tariff of 40.35 lei per exam and the insured patient pays nothing, provided they bring a valid referral and their health card. Many private clinics — including MedLife, Regina Maria and Affidea (Hiperdia) imaging centres — hold CAS contracts, but each has a limited monthly budget. Self-pay prices vary a lot by city and provider, which is why the same chest X-ray can cost 50 lei at a town hospital and 190 lei at a private hospital.
🏥 CAS / CNAS with referral
- Referral from family doctor or contracted specialist
- Public hospitals and CAS-contracted private clinics
- Bring national health card (card de sănătate) and ID
- Subject to each clinic's monthly CAS budget
🏨 Public hospital on demand
- "Servicii la cerere" price lists, no referral needed
- Example: Năsăud town hospital 2026 — 50 lei per X-ray
- Cheapest self-pay option in many counties
- Opening hours and waiting times vary
🏥 Private chains, self-pay
- MedLife, Regina Maria, Medicover, Sanador, Affidea
- 75–190 lei for 1 view; 130–290 lei for 2 views
- Same-day or walk-in appointments common
- Check whether the radiologist's report is included
X-Ray Prices in Romania by Exam: Public vs Private
Romanian clinics price X-rays per view (incidență): one view (front or profile) or two views (front + profile). The private range below runs from MedLife's lower-priced clinics (Roman, Sfântu Gheorghe) to its hospital-based price list in Timișoara. The public self-pay column uses the 2026 on-demand list of Spitalul Orășenesc Năsăud as an example of what a county or town hospital charges.
| Exam | With CAS referral | Public hospital on demand (lei) | Private self-pay (lei) | USD (≈) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest X-ray (radiografie pulmonară), 1 view | Free | 50 | 100–190 | $10–40 |
| Chest X-ray, front + profile | Free | 50 | 130–200 | $10–42 |
| Hand / wrist X-ray | Free | 50 | 75–190 (2 views 130–290) | $10–61 |
| Ankle / foot X-ray | Free | 50 | 75–190 (2 views 130–290) | $10–61 |
| Knee X-ray | Free | 50 | 75–190 (2 views 130–290) | $10–61 |
| Cervical spine X-ray | Free | 50 | 75–190 (3+ views up to 260) | $10–55 |
| Lumbar spine X-ray | Free | 50 | 75–190 (2 views 130–290) | $10–61 |
| Whole spine (full spine) | Free | 90 | approx. 520 | $19–109 |
| Pelvis / hip X-ray (bazin) | Free | 50 | 100–190 (2 views 130–290) | $10–61 |
| Abdomen X-ray (abdomen pe gol) | Free | 50 | 100–190 | $10–40 |
| Dental panoramic (OPG) | Not covered by CAS | — | approx. 120–250 (dental clinics) | $25–52 |
| Ultrasound, abdomen | Free (CAS tariff 53.92 lei) | 70 (abdomen + pelvis 140) | varies — request a quote | $15–29 (public) |
| CT scan, one region | Free (with referral, subject to funds) | 270 native; 500–550 with contrast | 850 native; 1,000 with contrast | $57–210 |
| MRI, one segment | Free (with referral, subject to funds) | — | 900–1,100 (1.5T); 1,440–1,800 (3T) | $189–378 |
Private X-ray ranges from MedLife clinic price lists (Hyperclinica MedLife Micromedica Roman: 75 lei per view for limbs, joints and spine, 100 lei chest and pelvis; MedLife Tomorad Expert, Sfântu Gheorghe: 100 lei one view, 130 lei two views, prices without interpretation; Spitalul MedLife Medici's Timișoara: 190 lei one view, 290 lei two views, 520 lei full spine). Public on-demand prices from Spitalul Orășenesc Năsăud's 2026 tariff list. CT/MRI private prices from the Ovidius Clinical Hospital (Constanța) imaging price catalogue. CAS tariffs from the CNAS outpatient paraclinical package. Dental OPG is an approximate advertised range. USD at the ECB reference rate of October 2026 (about 4.77 lei = $1).
How CAS Coverage for X-Rays Works
1. Get a referral
- Family doctor (medic de familie) or a specialist contracted with CAS issues a bilet de trimitere pentru investigații paraclinice
- Referrals are electronic or on the standard form — check the validity date
- Specialists in a private practice without a CAS contract cannot issue a free referral
2. Choose a contracted provider
- Any public hospital outpatient radiology department
- Private clinics with a CAS contract (look for "decontat CAS" or "în contract cu CAS")
- Your county CAS website publishes the list of contracted paraclinical providers
- Monthly budgets run out — booking early in the month helps
3. What is covered
- Conventional X-rays: skull, limbs, joints, spine, chest, plain abdomen — 40.35 lei paid by CAS, 0 lei to you
- Ultrasound, CT, MRI with referral (CT/MRI often need a specialist referral)
- Not covered: dental panoramic and intraoral X-rays, bone densitometry (DXA) in the outpatient package
Where to Get an X-Ray in Romania
🏥 Public / University Hospitals
- Spitalul Clinic de Urgență Floreasca — Bucharest
- Institutul Clinic Fundeni — Bucharest
- Spitalul Clinic Colentina — Bucharest
- Spitalul Clinic Județean de Urgență Cluj
- Spitalul Clinic Județean de Urgență "Sf. Spiridon" Iași
- Spitalul Clinic Județean de Urgență "Pius Brînzeu" Timișoara
🏥 Private Networks
- MedLife — hyperclinics and hospitals nationwide; prices in its app
- Regina Maria — nationwide network with dedicated imaging centres
- Medicover — clinics and hospitals in Bucharest and regional cities
- Sanador — Bucharest hospital and clinics
- Affidea (Hiperdia) — imaging centres, many with CAS contracts
- Ovidius Clinical Hospital — Constanța
💡 Regional price differences
- Bucharest, Cluj and Timișoara private prices are highest
- Same chain, different city: MedLife 75–100 lei vs 190 lei per view
- Town and county hospitals often have the cheapest on-demand price
- Always confirm in the provider's app or by phone
Guide by Patient Type
🇷🇴 Insured residents
- Ask your family doctor for a bilet de trimitere — the X-ray is then free
- Check your insured status on the CNAS website if a clinic questions it
- If funds are exhausted, try another provider or the next month
- Self-pay only when you need the result today
🇪🇺 EU / EEA / Swiss visitors
- EHIC gives the same access as a Romanian insured patient
- Medically necessary X-rays covered at public / contracted providers
- Present EHIC and passport or ID card
- Planned treatment and dental X-rays are self-pay
✈️ Non-EU visitors and expats
- Emergency care is provided to everyone
- Non-emergency: self-pay at a private chain (75–290 lei)
- Residents with a work contract pay CASS and are insured
- Keep invoices and reports for travel insurance claims
Practical Details
📋 What to bring
- ID card (buletin) or passport
- National health card (card național de sănătate) or EHIC
- Referral (bilet de trimitere) for a free exam
- Previous imaging on CD/USB
⏰ Typical wait times
- Emergency (UPU): triaged on arrival
- CAS-funded plain X-ray: same day to a few weeks, depending on funds
- Private self-pay: same day, often walk-in
- Report: same day to 48 hours
💡 How to save money
- Use a CAS referral — the X-ray is then free
- Book at the start of the month, when CAS funds are available
- Compare a public hospital's on-demand price with private chains
- Ask whether interpretation is included in the price
FAQ
How much does an X-ray cost in Romania?
With a referral (bilet de trimitere) from a family doctor or CAS-contracted specialist, an X-ray is free at public hospitals and at private clinics contracted with the health insurance house. Paying yourself, a single-view X-ray costs about 75–190 lei (roughly $16–40) at private chains — MedLife lists 75–100 lei in Roman and Sfântu Gheorghe and 190 lei in Timișoara — and two views (front + profile) 130–290 lei. Some public hospitals sell X-rays on demand from about 50 lei.
How much is a chest X-ray (radiografie pulmonară) without a referral?
Self-pay chest X-rays at MedLife clinics are listed at 100 lei for one view in Roman and Sfântu Gheorghe (80 lei for children 0–14) and 190 lei in Timișoara; front + profile costs 130–200 lei. Spitalul Orășenesc Năsăud's 2026 on-demand list prices a standard chest X-ray at 50 lei. Prices in Bucharest and at hospital-based private centres tend to be at the upper end.
Is an X-ray free with a bilet de trimitere?
Yes. Conventional X-rays (chest, limbs, joints, spine, pelvis, plain abdomen) are in the basic CNAS package, reimbursed to the provider at 40.35 lei per exam, so the insured patient pays nothing. You need a valid referral, your national health card (cardul național de sănătate) and insured status. Dental panoramic and intraoral X-rays are not in the paraclinic package.
Why does a clinic say the CAS funds are used up (fonduri epuizate)?
Each contracted clinic has a monthly CAS budget for paraclinical investigations. When it runs out, usually late in the month, the clinic may offer an appointment in the next month or ask you to pay the self-pay price. Try another contracted provider, a public hospital, or book early in the month.
Can I get an X-ray in Romania without a referral?
Yes, if you pay. Private chains such as MedLife, Regina Maria, Medicover and Sanador accept self-paying patients directly, and many public hospitals have a price list for services on demand (servicii la cerere). A doctor still has to justify any exposure to radiation, so the clinic may ask about your symptoms or a doctor's recommendation.
How much do CT, MRI and ultrasound cost privately in Romania?
Examples of published prices: Spitalul Orășenesc Năsăud (2026, on demand) charges 270 lei for a native CT of one region, 500–550 lei with contrast, and 70 lei for an abdominal ultrasound. The private Ovidius Clinical Hospital in Constanța lists CT at 850 lei native and 1,000 lei with contrast, and 1.5T MRI at 900 lei per segment (1,100 lei with contrast), or 1,440–1,800 lei on its 3T scanner. All are free with a CAS referral when the provider has funds.
What does an X-ray cost at the emergency department (UPU) in Romania?
Emergency care at public UPU and CPU units, including X-rays needed to assess an injury, is free for insured patients, and emergency care is provided to everyone. Private hospitals charge more: MedLife Timișoara lists an emergency fee (taxa de urgență) of 800 lei on top of the X-ray.
Can foreigners and tourists use public X-ray services in Romania?
EU/EEA/Swiss visitors with a valid EHIC are treated like Romanian insured patients for medically necessary care, including X-rays with a referral. Non-EU tourists pay the self-pay price or use travel insurance. Foreign residents who work or hold a residence permit pay the CASS contribution and register with a family doctor to get referrals.
How much is a dental panoramic X-ray (OPG) in Romania?
Dental X-rays are not reimbursed by CAS and are paid privately at dental clinics or dental imaging centres. Panoramic X-rays are advertised at approximately 120–250 lei; ask for a quote, as prices vary by city and clinic.
How quickly do I get the X-ray results?
Images are usually given the same day on CD or through a patient portal (MedLife and Regina Maria both have apps). Note that some listed prices exclude the radiologist's interpretation — MedLife's Sfântu Gheorghe list, for example, is marked 'fără interpretare' — so ask whether a written report is included.
Compare X-Ray Costs Across Countries
Sources
- CNAS — basic package of outpatient paraclinical investigations (radiology and medical imaging) with CAS-reimbursed tariffs, as published by contracted providers (Sanador)
- MedLife — clinic price lists: Hyperclinica MedLife Micromedica Roman, Centrul Medical MedLife Tomorad Expert (Sfântu Gheorghe), Spitalul MedLife Medici's Timișoara
- Spitalul Orășenesc Năsăud — tarife pentru servicii medicale la cerere, 2026
- Ovidius Clinical Hospital, Constanța — imaging price catalogue (CT, MRI)
- MedLife — CASMB-reimbursed radiology at Hyperclinica Titan and MedLife Pediatric Hospital
- Dr. Max Romania — chest X-ray with and without referral
- European Central Bank — euro foreign exchange reference rates (October 2026)
Last reviewed: October 2026. Prices vary by city, clinic and contract — confirm with the provider before booking.