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You are here: Home > Health > Medical cards and GP visit cards > Medical cards


MEDICAL CARDS

 * What is a medical card?
 * How to qualify for a medical card
 * Do you qualify without a means test?
 * How to apply for a medical card
 * Medical cards for children and young people
 * Appeals, reviews, renewals and managing your medical card
 * More information


WHAT IS A MEDICAL CARD?

If you have a medical card, you can get certain health services free of charge.
Usually, your dependent spouse or partner and your children can also get the
same range of health services for free.

Your medical card is issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE).


WHO CAN APPLY FOR A MEDICAL CARD?

If you are ‘ordinarily resident’ in Ireland you can apply for a medical card.
This means that you are living in Ireland and intend to live here for at least
one year.

To qualify for a medical card, your weekly income must be below a certain figure
for your family size. Cash income, savings, investments and property (except for
your own home) are taken into account in the means test (see ‘How to qualify for
a medical card’ below).

GP visit cards: If you do not qualify for a medical card on income grounds, you
may qualify for a GP visit card.

Medical cards for people coming from other countries

If you are coming to Ireland from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection
Directive, you may be entitled to a medical card immediately. There is a special
medical card application form (pdf) for people from Ukraine. Read information
from the HSE in Ukrainian and Russian.

If you are coming from a country in the European Union, United Kingdom or
another non-EU country you can check if you can get a medical card and your
entitlement to public health services in Ireland.


WHAT SERVICES DOES THE MEDICAL CARD COVER?

You are entitled to many health services, other services and some prescription
medicines with a medical card. You can check what is covered on our page
Services for medical card and GP visit card holders.


HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A MEDICAL CARD

To qualify for a medical card, your weekly income must be under a certain
amount. The HSE will complete a means test to check your income. Some people can
qualify automatically without a means test, see ‘Qualifying without a means
test’ below.


MEANS TEST

There are different guidelines for the means test depending on whether you are
aged over or under 70. See:

 * Means test rules for people under 70 years of age
 * Means test rules for people over 70 years of age

The HSE assessment of a couple for medical cards is based on the age of the
older person.


DISCRETIONARY MEDICAL CARD

If your income is above the limit, you may still be able to get a medical card
if your circumstances would result in financial hardship without one. This is
sometimes called a discretionary medical card.

The application process for the discretionary medical card is the same as for
the means tested medical card, but you should also include information about
your family’s medical expenses in your application.






DO YOU QUALIFY WITHOUT A MEANS TEST?

Who qualifies for a medical card or GP visit card without a means test?  
Medical card GP visit card People aged over 70  Means test No mean test Children
aged under 8  Means test No means test People getting Carer’s Allowance or
Carer’s Benefit  Means test No means test People with EU entitlement  No means
test n/a Children aged under 18, diagnosed with cancer within the last 5 years
No means test n/a People who live in direct provision accommodation  No means
test n/a People affected by the drug Thalidomide No means test n/a Children in
foster or residential care  No means test n/a Women who have had a
symphysiotomy  No means test n/a Women who were resident in certain institutions
No means test n/a Children whose parents get a Domiciliary Care Allowance No
means test n/a


HOW TO APPLY FOR A MEDICAL CARD

If you have any questions before you send your application, you can phone 01 864
7100 or Lo-call 0818 22 44 78, contact your Local Health Office, or email
clientregistration@hse.ie.


APPLY ONLINE FOR A MEDICAL CARD

You can apply online for a medical card and GP visit card on mymedicalcard.ie.
This is the quickest method of getting the card.


APPLY BY POST FOR A MEDICAL CARD

Or you can download a medical card and GP visit card application form:

 * MC1 Medical Card and GP Visit Card Application Form (pdf)
 * MC1(a) Medical Card and GP Visit Card Application Form - People Aged 70 Years
   or Older (pdf) if you are aged over 70

You can also get the application form and a list of participating GPs from your
local health centre or Local Health Office for your area.

You return the form to the Client Registration Unit (address below), along with
any documents required. If you are applying online, you can upload photos, scans
or photocopies of the original documents specified on the form.

You can track the progress of your medical card application on the HSE website.


SELECTING A DOCTOR

The HSE have a list of doctors that accept medical card patients (pdf).

If you apply online, the HSE will contact the doctor you select and ask them to
accept you as a medical card patient.

If you apply using the printed application form, you can call the GP that you
have chosen from the list of participating doctors (pdf). Usually, the GP you
select must be within 7 miles of where you live. If the GP agrees to accept you
as a patient for medical card GP services, you can send them the form to sign.

If you use the printed application form and you have been a medical card patient
within the last 6 months and you want to keep the same GP, you should state this
on your form.

If your preferred participating GP cannot accept you as a medical card patient,
they may not be currently accepting new patients and you should try another
participating GP in your area (pdf).

If you are refused by 3 GPs, the HSE will assign a doctor to you. State this on
your application, including the 3 names of declining GPs and their clinics. The
GPs need to be based at three different clinics.




MEDICAL CARDS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

If you have a medical card, your child is included as a dependent on that card
and can get the same medical card services as you. If you do not qualify for a
medical card, your child may still get a medical card if they:

 * Are in residential care
 * Living in Direct Provision
 * Have been diagnosed with cancer within the last 5 years
 * Are in foster care


ADDING AN INFANT TO YOUR CARD

If you have a medical card and you have a baby, you can apply for a card for
them if you are getting Child Benefit for your new baby.

To apply, send a cover note with:

 * Your name, address,
 * Your phone number,
 * Your PPS number and your child's PPS number
 * Your medical card details
 * A photocopy of the child's birth certificate

Send your letter to the Medical Card Unit, see below for the address.


MEDICAL CARDS FOR PEOPLE AGED 16 TO 25, INCLUDING STUDENTS

If you are aged 16 to 25 and dependent on a parent or guardian, you are eligible
for a medical card if your parent or guardian has a medical card.

If you are already included on your family's card, you will be sent your own
card when you turn 16.

If you are not already included on your family’s card you must send in your own
medical card application form (pdf) and your parents or guardians need to apply
for you too. Send both applications together.

This does not apply if their income is above the means test limit and they have
a discretionary medical card.

APPLYING FOR A MEDICAL CARD WHEN AGED 16 TO 25

If you live with your parent or guardian and you have an income over the medical
card income limit for a single person living with family, you are considered
financially independent, and the usual means test applies. you must complete
your own medical card application form (pdf).

If you are not living with or dependent on a parent or guardian, then you are
considered as financially independent, regardless of income. You must complete
your own medical card application form (pdf) and your application is assessed
using the means test for people aged under 70.


DOMICILIARY CARE ALLOWANCE

If you have a child for whom you are getting Domiciliary Care Allowance, the
child is eligible for a medical card, without a means test.

If the child does not have a medical card or GP visit card, you can register the
child for a medical card online or download a registration form (pdf).

If the child already has a medical card or GP visit card, you do not need to
register; they will be automatically registered for a medical card.


CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

Children under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with cancer within the last
5 years are eligible for a medical card without a means test. The application
form does not require information about income but does require a medical
report. You can download the Medical Card Application Form for Children under 18
years, Form MC1 (b) (pdf).


GP VISIT CARD FOR CHILDREN UNDER 8

If your child does not qualify for a medical card and is under 8, they can get a
GP visit card for children under 8 without a means test. If your child is over 8
years, the GP visit card is means tested.

Read more about health and medical services for children




APPEALS, REVIEWS, RENEWALS AND MANAGING YOUR MEDICAL CARD

If your circumstances change, you must tell the HSE as you may no longer be
eligible for a medical card. For example, if your income or family circumstances
change, you must inform the Medical Card Unit as soon as possible — their
contact details are at the end of this webpage.


MEDICAL CARD EXPIRY DATE

Your medical card is valid for a set period of time. It has a ‘valid to’ date on
it.

Your card will be reviewed by the HSE periodically. The HSE will write to you at
the address you applied with to check if you still qualify for a medical card.

They will also review your details to check if you qualify before they renew
your card.


MEDICAL CARD REVIEWS AND RENEWALS

You may be sent a letter with a PIN code from the HSE, inviting you to use the
online medical card application system to review your medical card.

If you do not provide the information they ask for, your application cannot be
re-assessed and your card may not be re-issued.

If you need a paper form, rather than the online review form, complete and
return MC1 Medical Card and GP Visit Card Application Form (pdf). If you are
aged over 70, the review notice you get will include a form that you can use
instead of the online review form.

If you complete the review form by the given date but the review process
continues past the expiry date of your card, the card’s validity may be extended
so that you can continue to use it while the review is taking place. The
extension is on a month-by-month basis so you should contact the Client
Registration Unit to confirm that your card has been extended and continues to
be valid.

YOUR MEDICAL CARD WHEN YOU RETURN TO WORK

If you are getting a social welfare payment for a year or more and return to
work, you may be able to keep your medical card for up to 3 years. You will need
to submit a new medical card application stating that you are applying on this
basis. Your dependent family members may qualify to keep their card, even if
they become employed during this 3 year period.

People taking part in certain government schemes may keep their medical cards
while they are on the scheme. See the assessment guidelines (pdf) for the list
of schemes.

YOUR MEDICAL CARD IF YOU MOVE HOUSE

You can use your medical card for up to 3 months if you are living temporarily
in a different area. In this case, you can attend any GP in the area
participating in the medical card scheme.

If you are going to be away longer than 3 months, you do not have to re-apply
for a new Medical Card. However, you must tell the HSE that your address has
changed and you will need to change your GP if you have moved area.

Contact your new Local Health Office or check the list of participating doctors
working in your new area.

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS

If your address has changed, you must give the HSE your new address. You can
phone Lo-call 0818 22 44 78 or 01 864 7100 or email nmcu.cod@hse.ie. You will
need to provide:

 * Proof of address such as a utility bill dated within the last 3 months
 * Name and PPS number for everyone on the card
 * Name and PPS number of dependants with their own cards living with you

CHANGING YOUR GP

If you are changing your GP, you complete a Change of Doctor Form (pdf), giving
details of the new doctor. The form is available online or by phoning Lo-call
0818 22 44 78.


APPEALING IF YOU ARE REFUSED A MEDICAL CARD

If you have been refused a medical card and are not satisfied with the decision,
you may have it reviewed. Your circumstances may have changed or you may have
left out some relevant information from the original application. The contact
details will also be contained in your letter of refusal.

The Appeals Office will conduct a reassessment of your application. This will be
conducted by HSE staff who were not involved in deciding on your original
application. You can read about appealing a medical card decision on the HSE
website.


MORE INFORMATION

Read about what services you can get with a medical card.

If you are aged under 70 check if you can apply under the means test for a
medical card or GP visit card for under 70s.

If you are aged over 70 check if you are eligible under the means test for
people aged over 70.

Read about prescription charges for medical card holders.

You can read more information about GP visit cards and the GP visit card for
children aged under 8

You can find more information on the medical card and GP visit card on the HSE
website. You can find further detail in the HSE Assessment Guidelines for
medical cards and GP visit cards.




NATIONAL MEDICAL CARD UNIT,

(Postal applications)
P.O Box 11745
Finglas
Dublin 11
D11 XKF3

Email: pcrs.applications@hse.ie
Page edited: 4 September 2024





RELATED DOCUMENTS

 * Emergency medical cards
   In certain emergency situations, a healthcare professional can apply for you
   to get a medical card known as an emergency medical card.
   2038.5281
 * Services for medical card and GP visit card holders
   Family doctors (GPs) provide certain services to medical card and GP visit
   card holders free of charge.
   2030.4181
 * Over 70s means test for medical cards
   How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are
   over 70 years of age.
   1833.9854


CONTACT US

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information
Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre.




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