Medical Card
Free GP visits and hospital care, based on your income. Prescriptions are not free, there's a per-item charge with a monthly cap, refunded annually if you pay over it.
Last checked July 2026
What it is
Free GP care and hospital services, based on income. Prescriptions have a charge, €1.50 or €1 per item depending on your age, capped monthly. People aged 70 or over are assessed under separate, higher income limits.
Who can get it
- Your weekly net income is under the limit for your household type (for example, a single person living alone under 66 must be under €184 a week, a couple or lone parent with dependants under €266.50)
- If you are 66 or over, a separate, higher GROSS income test applies instead: €550 a week for a single person, €1,050 a week for a couple
- Prescriptions are not free: €1.50 per item if you're under 66 (capped at €15 a month per person or family), €1.00 per item at 66 or over (capped at €10 a month), refunded annually if you pay over the monthly cap.
- If you don't qualify on the standard means test but have significant medical or care costs, you may still get a discretionary medical card.
- A child diagnosed with cancer in the last 5 years, or a child getting Domiciliary Care Allowance, can get a medical card with no means test. The cancer route still needs an application and a medical report; the DCA route is registration only.
- Emergency medical cards exist for a terminal illness (a prognosis of 24 months or less) or end-of-life care, active within 24 hours, with no means test, and they never need to be renewed.
- If you were on a full social welfare or state employment scheme payment for 12 months or more and then start work, you can generally keep your medical card for up to 3 years.
How to apply
Applications go through HSE. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 15 July 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
Are prescriptions free with a medical card?
No. There's a charge of €1.50 per item if you're under 66, capped at €15 a month per person or family, or €1.00 per item if you're 66 or over, capped at €10 a month. You're refunded annually if you pay over the monthly cap.
Can I get a medical card if I don't pass the means test?
Possibly. If you have significant medical or care costs, you may qualify for a discretionary medical card even if your income is over the standard limit.
Can I keep my medical card if I start working?
If you were on a full social welfare or state employment scheme payment for 12 months or more, you can generally keep your medical card for up to 3 years after starting work.
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