Source: GOV.UK: “Under the CTA, British and Irish citizens enjoy additional rights in each country. This includes the right to access public health services on the same basis as local citizens when resident in each country.

Post Brexit, Ireland and the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for healthcare arrangements.

With regards to Frontier Workers the MOU states:

1. Each Participant [Country] will afford healthcare, on the same terms as those that would apply to a resident of that Participant’s state, to a frontier worker whose status as a frontier worker is confirmed as per part 3 in Annex A. [This refers to a list of documents to confirm identity and address e.g. Passport and recent utility bill.]
2. A frontier worker who is pursuing an activity in Ireland may apply for means-tested healthcare on the same terms as those that would apply to a resident of Ireland.

The MOU was updated on 23 February 2022 to reflect that following an exchange of letters between the UK and Ireland, only certain parts of this memorandum of understanding currently apply, and in most areas the UK/EU and EAEC: Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) takes precedence.

See also: Memorandum of understanding: Common Travel Area healthcare arrangements between the UK/Northern Ireland and Ireland

Page last checked on 16 August 2023

This webpage is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep it up-to-date, errors may occur. It is very important that you check with the relevant body to ensure the information is current and is applicable to your situation.

If you would like to suggest amendments or highlight new information that could be useful to others please don’t hesitate to get in touch.