Health insurance in Ireland.
Non-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
The rules
What Ireland asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Non-EEA students: private insurance
All non-EEA students must hold private medical insurance while they study in Ireland. It should cover accident and/or disease, and any period in hospital.
Source: irishimmigration.ie - Proof at registration
You show proof when you register with immigration. This can be your college group scheme letter, or an individual policy bought in Ireland.
Source: irishimmigration.ie - First year: travel insurance may do
New first year students can use travel insurance if it covers the full year, or the whole stay if under 1 year. It must pay at least 25,000 euros for accident and 25,000 euros for disease, and cover hospital stays.
Source: irishimmigration.ie - Second year on: no travel insurance
At second and later registrations you need private medical insurance, and proof you held it the year before. If you cancel it after registering, you break your immigration conditions.
Source: irishimmigration.ie - Ordinarily resident: 1 year
You can use public health services if you have lived in Ireland for at least 1 year, or intend to live here for at least 1 year. The HSE may ask for proof such as a lease, bank statement or utility bill dated in the last 12 months.
Source: citizensinformation.ie - Dependants are not automatic
If you are a non-EU national and you are eligible, your dependants are not automatically eligible. They may have to show the same proof.
Source: citizensinformation.ie
If you are ordinarily resident, you can use public hospitals. The daily in-patient charge for public patients was abolished on 17 April 2023. Without a medical card or GP visit card you still pay for GP visits and prescribed medicines.
Source: citizensinformation.ieLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Public patients no longer pay a daily hospital charge, but most pay for GP visits, and A&E without a GP letter costs €100. Private cover bought within 9 months of moving also avoids the lifetime loading.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Ireland. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Ireland.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Ireland and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Ireland.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Late entry loading: 2% a year over 34
If you buy inpatient cover after your 9 month window, you pay 2% more for each year of age above 34. Starting at 36 means a 4% loading.
Source: hia.ie - A&E without a GP letter: €100
Charged at your first emergency department visit for an illness or accident. An injury unit visit is €75. Medical card holders and GP referrals pay nothing.
Source: citizensinformation.ie - Private room in a public hospital: €1,000 a night
What a private patient pays for a single room in the larger public hospitals, or €813 in a shared room. Consultant fees come on top.
Source: citizensinformation.ie
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Ireland.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Hospital stays
For students, the cover must include any period of hospitalisation. Check the plan says so.
- Limits for the whole stay
Check the limit covers the full length of your course, and that it renews. Travel cover only works for the first year.
- Written in English
The student has to give proof of insurance in English. Ask your insurer for an English letter.
- GP and everyday care
Without a medical card, GP visits and medicines are paid by you. Check if the plan pays for them, or only for hospital.
Step by step
Getting covered in Ireland.
- 01Students: show proof at registration. Non-EEA students show their college group scheme letter or an Irish policy when they register with immigration. In the first year only, full-year travel cover with 25,000 euros each for accident and disease can do.
- 02Buy inpatient cover within 9 months. The 9 months start when Ireland becomes your main home. Buy later and from age 35 you pay the lifetime community rating loading.
- 03Plan around the waiting periods. As a new customer, expect up to 26 weeks before new illnesses are covered, 52 weeks for maternity and 5 years for pre-existing conditions.
- 04Prove you are ordinarily resident. To use public hospitals, show the HSE you live here or plan to for 1 year. A lease, bank statement or utility bill from the last 12 months works.
- 05Check your family separately. Dependants of non-EU nationals are not eligible just because you are. Gather the same proof for each of them.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Using travel insurance again at your second registration. It is not accepted.
- 02Cancelling your insurance after registering. That breaks your immigration conditions.
- 03Assuming your family is covered because you are eligible. Dependants may need to show proof too.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need health insurance to study in Ireland?+
Yes, if you are a non-EEA student. You must hold private medical insurance covering accident and/or disease and any hospital stay.
Can expats use the Irish public health system?+
Yes, once you are ordinarily resident. That means you have lived in Ireland for at least 1 year, or you intend to live here for at least 1 year.
Is GP care free in Ireland?+
Only with a medical card or GP visit card. Without one, you pay for GP visits and prescribed medicines.
Is my family covered if I am eligible?+
Not automatically. Dependants of non-EU nationals may have to show the same proof of residence.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.