Free GP visits under 8 in Ireland: how to register your baby

In short

Every child under 8 living in Ireland can get a GP visit card. It gives free GP visits, including out of hours urgent GP care, and the checks at ages 2 and 5. Register online on the HSE site with your PPS number, your child's PPS number and your GP's name. A baby under 4 months can be registered before the PPS number arrives.

Who: all children under 8 living in Ireland. Ages 6 and 7 were added in August 2023.
Covers: free GP visits, out of hours urgent GP care, the age 2 and 5 checks and asthma care.
Not covered: medicines and hospital charges. The Drugs Payment Scheme caps a family at 80 euro a month.
You need: your PPS number, your child's PPS number and a participating GP. Under 4 months can register without the PPS number.
Until: the end of the month of your child's 8th birthday.

Registering your baby for free GP visits is one of the small jobs that is easy to miss in the first weeks. These answers come from the HSE under 8s GP visit card page and from Citizens Information, checked on 2 November 2026.

Who can get the under 8s GP visit card?

All children under 8 living in Ireland can get one. Your child must currently live in Ireland and intend to stay for at least 1 year. Since August 2023 that includes children aged 6 and 7. A child who already has a medical card does not need a GP visit card.

Children who got a card before August 2023 keep it automatically until they turn 8, and do not need to reapply.

What does the GP visit card cover?

It covers free GP visits, including out of hours urgent GP care. It also covers free preventive assessments at ages 2 and 5, which check height, weight and anything that needs follow up, and free care for children with asthma. Medicines and hospital charges are not covered.

Asthma care includes checks, a review of medication and inhaler technique and a written management plan. A child over 2 gets a first check at diagnosis and a second about 3 months later, then a free check every year until age 8.

What is not covered by the GP visit card?

Medication costs and hospital charges are not covered, the HSE says. Inpatient services in public hospitals are free for children under 16. For medicines, a Drugs Payment Scheme card limits a family to 80 euro a month for drugs and medicines, including your child's prescriptions.

What do I need to register my baby?

You need your PPS number, your child's PPS number and your GP's name. First check that your GP is on the HSE list of GPs providing the service, is accepting new patients and takes online registrations. If your GP does not, you must pick another GP. Your baby's PPS number arrives after the birth is registered.

If you do not have your child's PPS number, contact the Department of Social Protection's Client Identity Services on 0818 927 999 or at cis@welfare.ie.

Can I register before my baby's PPS number arrives?

Yes, if your baby is under 4 months old. You can register online and leave the PPS number field blank. The HSE then writes to you separately to ask for the PPS number. Your baby's number is sent to you after the birth is registered, so you can send it on then.

The order to do things in the first weeks

Register the birth, within 3 months. It is free.
Wait for your child's PPS number letter, or register your baby for the GP visit card without it if they are under 4 months.
Register for the GP visit card online.
Bring the card details, or the letter from the HSE, to the 2 week and 6 week GP checks.

How do I register online?

Use the HSE online registration page for under 8s GP visit cards. If your GP accepts electronic registrations, the HSE sends your child's details straight to the GP. After you apply, your GP receives the details and your child gets a card number within a few days.

If your GP does not accept electronic registrations, the HSE emails you a registration copy. Print it, have your GP sign it and post it to the National Medical Card Unit, PO Box 11745, Dublin 11, D11 XKF3.

There is a temporary disruption to plastic card production. The card is still valid, and you get a letter with the card information to use as proof.

Can I apply by post or email instead?

Yes. Download the application form from the HSE, have your GP sign it and send it in. You can email it to pcrs.applications@hse.ie or post it to the National Medical Card Unit, under 8s GP visit cards, PO Box 12629, Dublin 11. You can also phone 0818 22 44 78 to order a form by post.

How long does the card last, and what about a lost card or a new GP?

Your child is covered until the end of the month of their 8th birthday, and the card shows its expiry date. If you lose the card, call 0818 22 44 78 or email ClientRegistration@hse.ie with your child's name, address and date of birth. Moving house or changing GP has its own steps, below.

New address: phone 0818 22 44 78 or 01 864 7100, or email nmcu.cod@hse.ie. Give each child's name and PPS number and a utility bill from the last 3 months.
New GP: fill in the change of GP form, have the GP sign it and send it to nmcu.cod@hse.ie or to the National Medical Card Unit, PO Box 11745, Dublin 11.

Who do I contact with questions?

Call HSE Live on Freephone 1800 700 700, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm. It is closed on Sundays and bank holidays. From outside Ireland, call 00 353 1 240 8787. Citizens Information also helps on 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm.

Lullagram's baby tracker keeps GP and PHN appointments, vaccine dates, feeds and sleep on both parents' phones, so whoever is doing the next visit has the details. It is free for 7 days, then 4.99 euro a month for the household.

This is general information from the HSE and Citizens Information, not advice.

Sources and guidance

This guide is written from the official HSE guidance below, with Citizens Information. It is general information for people in Ireland, not advice. Links checked 2 November 2026.