If you've searched online for health insurance that covers expats in Ireland then you are probably for looking for established UK based health insurance companies that can cover your medical costs in Ireland.
Living as an expat in Ireland you want to avoid any unwanted and unexpected medical costs. In some countries these can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds for serious medical conditions.
Our advice when shopping around for health insurance that covers expatriates living in Ireland is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want absolute certainty that Ireland is covered by your policy you should consult with a medical insurance broker who can explain which providers will cover medical costs for expatriates in Ireland and which will exclude it.
There are many advantages to using a broker but the biggest by far is that you're using their expertise at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than by you so it costs you no extra to use their brokering services.
- Do you live in many different postcodes? Some will give you a cheaper premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance policy? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your insurance policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different insurance policies?
- You've developed a certain medical condition and want to know which insurer offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every health insurance provider you can find and ask if they provider cover for expats in Ireland, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its much quicker to speak to one health insurance broker which will know which providers on the market offer cover for expats in Ireland and under what conditions they do or don't cover it.
Ireland Information
Tourism in the Republic of Ireland is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of the Republic of Ireland, with 9.0 million people visiting the country in 2017, about 1.8 times Ireland's population. Each year about €5bn in revenue is made from economic activities directly related to tourists, accounting for about 4% of GNP and employing over 200,000 people. In 2011 alone, Ireland was voted 'Favourite holiday destination in the World' by readers of Frommer's Guide, Lonely Planet listed Ireland as the world's friendliest country and Cork City as one of the top ten cities in the world and the Irish tourist boards website, DiscoverIreland.com, was named the best tourist board website in the world. Most tourists visiting Ireland come from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and France.
Ireland's national flag carrier is Aer Lingus, which services Europe, North America and North Africa, but the vast majority of flights originating from continental Europe come from another Irish company, Ryanair, the biggest low cost airline in the world. These airlines, along with others, fly into all three of Ireland's international airports, Shannon Airport, Dublin Airport and Cork Airport. Dublin Airport is by far the busiest, accounting for over 80% of passenger entering and leaving Ireland in 2011. Along with these airports there are several other regional airports in the country including Ireland West Airport Knock and Kerry Airport, which both operate international flights to Europe. For travellers from mainland Europe and the UK, another way to enter the country is by sea, with connections by ferry to Roscoff and Cherbourg in France, Liverpool in England and Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead in Wales, Douglas on the Isle of Man and Santander in Spain. These routes are operated by Irish Ferries, Stena Line, Celtic Link Ferries, P&O Ferries and Brittany Ferries.
Motorways link Dublin with all the major cities in the country and there are plans to extend the motorway system in the future. In recent years the quality of Irish roads has improved dramatically with the advent of the Celtic Tiger and significant European Union funding, although outside the main routes, roads can be quite unpredictable in terms of quality and upkeep, especially in rural areas such as Co. Kerry and Co. Donegal. The rail and light rail network in Ireland is not as extensive as it once was, but it is still possible to get from city to city using the rail system, although many rural stations have closed along these lines. At the moment there is only one Light rail system in the country, the Luas in Dublin. This system opened in 2004 and due to the number of people availing of it (27.5million in 2010) it was stated as being "Dublin's best public transport success story" by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar in 2011.
The tickets are heavily discounted and offer a cheap means of travelling from anywhere on the UK rail network to anywhere on the Irish rail network with just one ticket. A bus connection from Dublin Port is required to reach Dublin's main train stations, Connolly or Heuston.
The largest city in the Republic of Ireland is Dublin. Due to its proximity to Britain, it was the most important city in Ireland during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and subsequent British Invasions until after 1922 when the Irish Free State was formed. As the British held a presence here for over 500 years, most of the historic buildings from the 1500s on were built by them. As Dublin Airport is located just outside the city, most international visitors to Ireland begin their stay here. Among the main attractions in Dublin are Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922, Phoenix Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world, The General Post Office, one of Ireland's most famous buildings due to the 1916 Easter rising, Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison turned museum that held and executed the rebels of the 1916 Rising and Trinity College, where the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow are held. In 2010, Dublin was awarded the title of UNESCO City of Literature, as many famous writers such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett are from the city.
Situated on the southern coast of Ireland, Cork is the second biggest city in the country. Due to a population explosion in the 1800s, many of its most famous buildings are from this era. In this period two cathedrals were built, Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne and Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral. Another historic attraction from this time is Cork City Gaol which opened in 1824, it is now a visitor centre for people to feel what it was like to live in the city, and imprisoned in the jail, 200 years ago. Cork's most famous building and the symbol of the city, The Church of St. Anne, is known for its clock tower dubbed "The Four Faced Liar" on account of all four of the clocks showing slightly different times. Cork Airport is located just outside the city and connects Cork to many other European cities, although many direct flight routes are only available in the summer.