Non-EU Students

All Non-EU students must have private health insurance for immigration purposes.  This must cover you from the date you arrive to Ireland until the date you leave. Immigration services will only grant permission to reside in Ireland if you can produce private health insurance policy documentation. 

In the case of visa requiring students it is mandatory to submit private health insurance details with your visa application. When you arrive to Ireland, your health insurance document must be written in English and have full medical cover for accidents and medical incidents, including hospital stays in Ireland, valid for 12 months, or for the duration of your stay. More information can be found here.

If you are in Ireland for more than 12 months duration then you will need to be in recepit of private medical insurance sourced in Ireland.

 Studying at UCC for less than 12 months

If your home university does not cover your health insurance, UCC have agreed rates with both VHI and Study and Protect. We would recommend Study and Protect for any student studying in Ireland for less than 12 months. 

 UK Citizens

UK citizens have the same rights as an Irish citizen if you are ordinarily resident.  This means that you are here to study a course of more than 12 months duration. If you are here as a UK visiting student for one semester or one year only, the UK government may pay for your healthcare.

Visiting EU Students

Students from other EU member states who are attending a course of study at UCC are entitled to access public health services in Ireland. We recommend that visiting European students have their European Health Insurance Card, which is issued in their home country, when they arrive in Ireland as this may be required to access these services.

While European students can avail of the public health service in Ireland, all students are advised that it is desirable to have cover for private medical care. Such cover would ensure that a student has choice of doctor, choice of hospital and choice of hospital accommodation in the event of illness.

Options for Private Health Insurance

There are many options available for private medical insurance. You can either:

• Obtain private health insurance from your home country. Please ensure that it is valid in Ireland. If you are coming to Ireland for a course of study that is more than 12 months in duration then you must purchase insurance from an Irish company.

• Obtain private health insurance from providers operating in the Irish Market.

Irish Health Insurance Companies:

There are many health insurance companies operating in Ireland for you to consider. All of these companies have agents who will be able to advise you on the costs of their policies and the best policy based on your needs and duration of stay. We have listed some of these companies for you below.