The Medical Card, explained

A Medical Card is one of the most valuable things you can hold in Ireland — it gives free GP visits, heavily subsidised prescriptions, free public hospital care and more. The catch is that it's means-tested, and a lot of people who'd actually qualify never apply because they assume their income is "too high". The income test is more generous than most people think — especially because the HSE deducts your rent, childcare and other costs first.

What does the Medical Card cover?

A full Medical Card covers free GP visits, prescribed medicines for a small capped charge, free public hospital care (in-patient and out-patient), dental, optical and aural services, maternity and infant care, plus exemption from certain charges.

A full Medical Card gives you:

• Free GP visits and free care from your family doctor.
• Prescribed medicines for a small charge per item, capped monthly per family.
• Free public hospital care (in-patient and out-patient).
• Dental, optical and aural services, plus maternity and infant care.
• Some community and personal supports, and exemption from certain charges.

Who qualifies for a Medical Card in Ireland?

Anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland whose net weekly income is within the HSE limits: roughly €184 a week for a single person under 66, €266.50 for a couple, and — assessed separately and more generously — about €550 single or €1,050 for a couple over 70. Crucially, rent, childcare and travel-to-work costs are deducted before the test.

It depends on your net weekly income compared to the HSE's limits for your household. The crucial part people miss: before the test, the HSE deducts a long list of costs from your income, including:

• Rent or mortgage payments
• Reasonable childcare costs
• Travel-to-work costs
• Certain other expenses

So your "income" for the test can be a lot lower than your gross wage. As a rough guide to the weekly income limits (net, after those deductions — confirm current figures on hse.ie):

• Single person living alone (under 66): about €184 a week
• Couple (under 66): about €266.50 a week, plus allowances for each child
• Over 70 (gross income): about €550 a week single / €1,050 a couple

If you're 70 or over, the test is separate and more generous, and many older people qualify automatically.

Over 70? You already have a GP visit card

This is the fact that surprises people most, and Citizens Information states it flatly: "If you are aged over 70, you automatically qualify for a GP visit card." No means test, no income limit, no application to be assessed on. It is not something you win — it is something you already have.

The means test at 70 and over decides only whether you get the full medical card instead, which covers far more. The limits are €550 a week for a single person and €1,050 a week for a couple.

And if your spouse or partner dies, you keep the medical card for three years while your income stays under the couple's limit — it does not drop to the single limit the moment you are widowed.

Is the medical card means test on gross or net income?

The over-70 and under-70 tests measure different things, and comparing the wrong figure to the wrong limit is the commonest reason people decide not to bother.

So the under-70 limits look brutal, and taken at face value they are — but they are measured against a much smaller number, and allowable expenses come off on top of that. Rent or mortgage, childcare and the cost of travelling to work are all deducted before the HSE compares you to the limit. Somebody who looks well over on payslip terms can be under once the test is applied properly.

What if your income is over the medical card limit?

Being refused a medical card is not the end of it, and both of the next steps are automatic or free.

• The GP visit card is assessed for you. Citizens Information: "If your income is above the limit for a medical card, you are automatically assessed by the HSE for the GP visit card which has higher income limits." You do not apply twice. The GP visit card limit for a single person living alone is €418 a week, against €184 for the full card — more than double.
• The discretionary medical card. If you are above the limits for both, the HSE can still award a card by looking at your medical and social circumstances rather than the arithmetic: "They will decide if you would have trouble paying for medical care for you and your family and may provide a medical card." Serious illness and heavy ongoing costs are exactly what this exists for, and it is the step most people never take because nobody tells them it is there.

What income is not counted for a medical card?

For people over 70, the HSE leaves out a good deal — and one worth naming is rent-a-room income up to €14,000 (€16,000 from January 2027) a year from a private tenant, which does not count against you at all.

On the deductions side, the travel-to-work allowance is more generous than people assume and is almost never claimed in full. The HSE allows public transport costs, or driving expenses at 30 cent per mile / 18 cent per km where a car is needed.

If a couple needs two cars to get to work, a double allowance applies, and reasonable contributions towards carpooling count too. Rental income, if you have any, is assessed only after deducting the mortgage payments and insurance premiums on that property.

How do you apply for a Medical Card?

Apply online at hse.ie (fastest) or by paper form. Gather payslips plus proof of rent or mortgage, childcare and travel-to-work costs first — those deductions lower your assessable income and are the difference between refusal and approval for many working families.

Common questions

Every figure on this page is checked against its official source automatically. The income limits come from Citizens Information's medical card means tests and were last verified on 10 September 2026. If a limit moves, a check on our side fails and we are told.

This guide is general information, not medical or financial advice. Income limits and rules change — always confirm the current details and run the means test on hse.ie before relying on it.

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