Cross Border Directive - Types of healthcare available

There is no list of specific healthcare you can get abroad under Cross Border Directive (CBD) scheme.

Generally, if the healthcare is available publicly in Ireland, you can be referred for the same healthcare abroad.

To find out if you're eligible, contact us for help.

Healthcare available under CBD

Examples of healthcare available under the CBD scheme:

day case, inpatient and outpatient care in acute hospital services, including psychiatric services
community-based outpatient care
dental and orthodontic services (with some exceptions, such as dental screening services in schools)
speech and language services
occupational therapy services (with some exceptions, such as assessment for aids at home)
psychology services
physiotherapy services
disability services
ophthalmic services, such as cataract surgery
orthopaedic services, such as hip replacements
fertility treatment (IVF, IUI or ICSI )
mental health services
methadone programme
addiction care

If you want to access an addiction service abroad, contact us for help.

Community-based services

Your GP or consultant can refer you for community-based services.

You can also be referred for some community-based services by:

public health nurses
community dentists
HSE orthodontists
other HSE health specialists

Healthcare not available under CBD

Examples of healthcare you cannot get under the CBD include:

organ transplants
any long-term care that helps people do everyday tasks such as nursing home care
vaccination against infectious diseases
clinical trials
drug therapies that are not currently provided publicly in Ireland

Orthodontic treatment

Orthodontic treatment can be used to help straighten your teeth. It's usually done by fitting braces. A full course of treatment usually takes 18 months to 2 years. After the braces are removed, most people must wear a retainer.

Orthodontic treatment is available under the CBD. But you have to be eligible for the same public treatment in Ireland. Usually, only children under the age of 16 are eligible.

You can access the HSE orthodontic service through screening appointments in primary school.

To be eligible:

Your local HSE dental clinic must refer your child for an orthodontic assessment.
The HSE orthodontic service must assess your child and approve their treatment.

Your HSE orthodontic service can give you a letter to show that your child is eligible for treatment. You must send this letter with your application.

How much you can claim for orthodontic treatment

The maximum repayment for orthodontic treatment under the CBD is €2,200. For example, if your treatment abroad costs €5,000, you can claim €2,200. If it costs €1,000, you can claim €1,000.

The maximum repayments for each stage are:

assessment for eligibility for orthodontic treatment: €100
orthodontic treatment: €2,100

You can only get a repayment when the orthodontic treatment is completed. This is after the braces are removed and your child enters the retainer stage.

Fertility treatment

You can get IVF, IUI or ICSI using the CBD scheme.

You will need to:

When you apply for healthcare costs

You can apply for healthcare costs in the normal way for each scheme.

The healthcare professional abroad that treats you abroad will need to sign your application. This is to confirm that you meet the access criteria as it is in Ireland.

We will also check that any treatment you get is the same that is publicly available in Ireland.

You will not receive healthcare costs if your care was shared between a healthcare provider in Ireland and a provider abroad. For example, you cannot use eggs that you had frozen in Ireland as part of your treatment abroad. You must have all of your treatment at your chosen provider abroad.

Treatment that is not covered

You cannot use the CBD to get IVF, ICSI or IUI if you:

cannot use your own eggs or sperm
are in a same-sex couple
are single

This is because treatment under these circumstances is currently not available in Ireland. You can only have the same treatment that is available to public patients in Ireland.