Having a Baby in Ireland

The first piece of great news for expectant mothers is that maternity care is free of charge for all ordinary residents of Ireland, and that can include expatriates (depending on your residency status of course).

Either way, having international healthcare insurance coverage in Ireland would still be a good investment.

The Irish Maternity and Infant Care Scheme has a comprehensive programme that provides coverage from antenatal (prenatal) visits to postnatal care. Through this programme, you will be receiving maternity care through a family doctor of your choice and a hospital obstetrician.

Coverage through this scheme extends up to two postnatal visits to the family doctor or GP (general practitioner) which is usually done at two weeks and another at six weeks after birth.

Hospital services for the pregnant mother remain free of charge in public hospitals, whether it's for in-patient or out-patient services.

Make sure that once you have learned of your pregnancy, you inform your family doctor and fill out an application form with him which should be submitted to the local Health Office for you to be included in the scheme.

Having private health insurance in Ireland though would still be helpful, especially since only maternity care services would be free of charge throughout your pregnancy, and care for any other condition or illness not connected to it would be shouldered by the patient.

Citizenship of a child born in Ireland depends largely on whether or not the child is borne of Irish citizens. Children born in Ireland after 2005 with either one of the parents having Irish citizenship, automatically renders Irish citizenship to the child. This also applies to situations wherein one parent is either a British citizen or is entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Irish state without residency restrictions.

Those who were born of both foreign nationals would have to make a claim for Irish citizenship.