dkiel

Hi,
I am traveling to Ireland next week.
At this moment I am living in Brazil and moving to Galway next week.
Is it mandatory to hire a private health plan before arriving in Ireland? Will I be asked about this during the immigration?

I have asked some information to VHI and they said that I can only hire the private plan once I am in Ireland territory.

My family (Brazilians) will reach Ireland in June and I believe that for them it is mandatory. I am just not sure about me.

Thank you.
Daniel

BritInParis

AFAIK British citizens are covered under the RoI's public healthcare system in the same way Irish citizens are. Your family should also be covered if they are moving there with you under EEA freedom of movement rules

Moses2013

Ireland has a two-tier system, so private health insurance means you can access private hospitals and clinics. You don't need health insurance, but then you can only go to public hospitals. If you are visiting Ireland temporarily, then you'd be covered through the NHS or might have to pay in full depending on country you are coming from. This link will help:Entitlement to health services


You'll be resident in Ireland, so it's up to you to decide if you want health insurance. If you are working here, some companies might offer discounts to employees and overall it does make sense for families to have private health insurance. There are loads of different plans and really depends what you need Compare Health Insurance in Ireland | HIA

Zelda247

I highly recommend you get Health Insurance as the public health system is appalling. You can wait up to 18 months for a consultant appointment.