Ireland's healthcare bill depends almost entirely on two things: which route you use, and whether you hold a medical card or GP visit card. Here's the plain breakdown for every route, and how the cards change it.
| Route | Typical cost (no card) | With medical / GP visit card |
|---|---|---|
| Private GP visit | ~€60–€90 | Free |
| Online doctor | ~€21.50–€55 | Not covered by card |
| Pharmacy (covered condition) | Consultation often low/free; you pay for medicine | Reduced charges may apply |
| Out-of-hours GP co-op | Fee (often €50–€70+) | Free |
| Injury unit | Statutory public charge may apply | Free / waived |
| A&E without GP referral | Statutory Emergency Department charge applies | Free / waived |
Indicative for 2026. GP and out-of-hours fees are set by each practice; statutory hospital charges are set nationally and change in budgets. Confirm before you're treated.
For one of the eight conditions in the Common Conditions Service — hay fever, cold sores, conjunctivitis, thrush, shingles, a UTI and so on — the pharmacy is usually the cheapest and fastest. For a routine consult or a repeat prescription, an online doctor typically undercuts a private in-person GP. For anything needing examination or ongoing care, the GP is the right spend — and free if you hold a card.
The medicine is a separate cost from the consultation. If you don't hold a medical card, the Drug Payment Scheme caps what any individual or family pays for approved prescribed medicines in a calendar month (the cap is set nationally and has changed in recent budgets — check the current figure on the HSE site). Medical card holders pay a small per-item prescription charge, itself capped monthly. Over-70s and certain groups have lower caps.
If you qualify for a medical card, GP visits, out-of-hours care, approved prescriptions (bar the small charge), and public hospital care are largely free. A GP visit card covers free GP and out-of-hours visits but not medicines or hospital charges. Many households that don't qualify for a medical card do qualify for a GP visit card, and children under 8 and adults over 70 have automatic entitlements. Full detail and the income limits are on our medical card & GP visit card guide.
Health insurance in Ireland is mostly about hospital and consultant costs, not everyday GP visits — though some plans now bundle a digital-GP benefit and refund part of routine GP/everyday medical expenses. Whether it pays off depends on your situation; we walk through it on the private health insurance guide.
Medical card & GP visit card — who qualifies and the 2026 limits →
How to see a doctor in Ireland — all your options, plainly →