Health & Protection in Ireland

Many assignments to Ireland will come with a protection package included in the benefits. Yet one will find that the regular household insurance might need to be purchased on the side, which will not be too complicated. You can explore with us the deferent degrees of protection in order to recreate the same level as you had back home.

"Healthcare could be better like in many countries. The public service works well, the only problem is the waiting lists for everything. But on the other hand, everything is free and once you get into the system, you’re in. I would advise expats to take an extra private insurance."- Anne Canaveera, Expat in Ireland

Getting Insurance

When choosing an insurance company, you have to check first if it is licensed and accredited by the Banc Ceannais na hÉireann (Central Bank of Ireland). It is the institution that can assist expats or consumers if they have any complaints and issues regarding their policy provider.

Medical outpatient cover is the most common and basic type of insurance that everyone should have. In the case of expats, this usually comes as the kind of benefit which is included in their relocation package. There are also many international and local insurance companies in Ireland that you can choose from if ever your dependents are not covered by the policy from your employer. AIG is one of the leading multinational providers of general and life insurance for expats in Ireland. You can also get different types of insurance products from a local bank such as Bank of Ireland.

It is best that you thoroughly discuss with an agent the scope of your coverage so you can make the most out of your investment. You can start by asking your HR department if they have any broker to recommend.

Local Insurance

The insurance market is a vital sector that helps boost the Irish economy. In 2014, life insurers were ranked as the leading role players in the industry with a total of 37.2 billion assets. All of these companies, including non-life policy providers are represented by Insurance Ireland, an agency that promotes and maintains a high standard of performance for all insurance providers in the country.

"Ireland’s healthcare system was just ranked the worst in Europe – no offense Ireland! The queues are crazy. I went to an emergency because they suspected an appendicitis, and I still had to wait for 10 hours."- Melissa,  Expat in Dublin, Ireland

Irish government insures the person, not the vehicle. For example, if your friend or relative borrows your car and encounters an accident, then their own personal insurance should cover for them. That is why third party limited liability is mandatory in Ireland. This is to make sure that any damage to third party property or injury/death to a person involved in the collision will have adequate coverage.

Expat moving to Ireland will face no shortage of options when it comes to choosing which company will provide their coverage.