Policy paper

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

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on 18 December 2020.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 31 December 2020
• Last updated: 23 February 2022 — See all updates

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Documents

Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of Ireland concerning Common Travel Area healthcare arrangements (in recognition of residency-based health systems)

HTML

Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of Ireland concerning Common Travel Area healthcare arrangements (in recognition of residency-based health systems)

PDF, 283 KB, 25 pages

Details

This memorandum of understanding in parts overlaps with the reciprocal healthcare arrangements agreed in the UK/EU and EAEC: Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). 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 TCA takes precedence.

See the Exchange of letters on UK-Ireland reciprocal healthcare arrangements for further guidance on the reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and Ireland.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between the UK, the Crown Dependencies (Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Isle of Man) and Ireland. The CTA established cooperation between respective immigration authorities enabling British and Irish citizens to move freely between, and reside in, these islands.

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.

In recognition of the residency based health systems of the UK and Ireland, the MOU sets out reciprocal healthcare arrangements that will apply to residents of the UK and Ireland. Following the agreement of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK and Ireland will review the terms of the MOU to clarify the interaction with the EU agreement. This will ensure that all people covered by the MOU, can continue to access healthcare.

Published 31 December 2020
Last updated 23 February 2022 + show all updates

1. 23 February 2022

   Updated 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.

2. 31 December 2020

   First published.