Before you arrive: Health Information

Student Health

A General Practice (G.P.) service is available to all NUI, Galway students in the Student Health Unit on campus. The Student Health Unit is located in Áras na Mac Léinn.  The telephone number for the Health Unit is 353-91-492604. A 24 hour emergency medical telephone number is available to students outside office hours - 087 2623997.

Further information regarding the Student Health Unit services, including emergency contact details, are available here. 

Pre-existing Medical Condition                                              

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it is important for you to contact us prior to your arrival by emailing healthunitnuigalway.ie to ensure that all your medical needs can be met as some overseas medications are not licenced for use here in Ireland.  Please also ensure that you bring all your relevant medical documentation from home with you and register with the Student Health Unit on your arrival in NUI Galway so that they are aware of your condition. 

Health Insurance

All International students are advised to ensure that they have comprehensive health insurance which includes cover in the event of hospitalisation in Ireland. Students may wish to take out private health insurance in their country of origin or with an Irish health insurance company. 

Irish Health Insurance Companies
VHI Healthcare - www.vhi.ie/students (10% discount for NUIG students - located in Eyre Sq.)
Vivas - http://www.vivas.ie/
Quinn Healthcare - http://www.quinn-healthcare.com/ (10% discount for NUIG students)

Irish Health Insurance companies can only provide cover to students once they arrive in the country. Students cannot apply for cover with an Irish company while they are still living abroad.

Health Insurance and Immigration Regulations (Non-EU students)

Non-EU students from visa required countries, must present proof of medical insurance when applying for a student visa.

Irish health insurance companies can only provide cover to students once they arrive in the country and therefore cannot provide students with documentation for use when applying for a visa.

Non-EU students from visa required countries may therefore take out health insurance in their home country for this purpose or apply for Medicover, a medical expenses insurance policy available exclusively to students travelling to Ireland from overseas to undertake a course of study at an approved educational establishment.

The Medicover policy provides cover for medical expenses incurred whilst in Ireland arising from any accident or any illness requiring hospitalisation to a limit of €2,500,000 during the period of insurance.

Medicover does not provide cover for any pre-existing illness known to the insured person at the time of purchase.

For more information, or to purchase Medicover, please visit www.odon.ie/nuigalway

Health Insurance for Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) Registration

All Non-EU students, including citizens of non-visa required countries including the United States, Canada and Malaysia. must present proof of comprehensive medical insurance when registering with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) after they arrive in Ireland and complete their student registration.

The GNIB will accept evidence of private health insurance from your home country or an Irish health insurance company (including Medicover) which must include hospitalisation cover. You must provide the original policy document in English and the policy document should cite your name. Your policy should clearly state the precise start and finish dates of the insurance cover. You should therefore ensure that you are covered for the full length of time you are in Ireland i.e. either for the academic year or the semester as appropriate. If you have an insurance card for your policy you should bring it with you to the GNIB office.

EU Students 

EU students from any member state of the EU are entitled to free hospital services provided they have Form E.109 with them.  The E111 and E128 forms have been replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).  See http://www.ehic.ie/ for further details.  The EHIC Card was introduced on 1 June 2004. It means that you can get necessary healthcare in the public system of any EU / EEA country or Switzerland, if you become ill or injured while on a temporary stay in that country.