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How to get HIV PrEP in Ireland

The HSE has run a national PrEP programme since November 2019. You can self-refer to a public PrEP clinic without a referral letter, where the consultation, tests and medication are all free, or attend an approved GP or private provider, where the medication is free but you pay for the consultation and tests. At the pharmacy you need a Drugs Payment Scheme card, medical card or Long-term Illness card.

Sources checked 24 September 2026. Next editorial check planned for 24 March 2027. Republic of Ireland only. This guide covers how to reach the HSE PrEP programme, what it costs and what to bring. It does not describe how the medicine works, how it is taken or its side effects; the HSE pages linked below cover those. General information, not medical, legal or financial advice.

Welcome sign at the main entrance to St James's Hospital campus, Dublin (home of the GUIDE sexual health clinic), with hospital buildings behind
Photo: Darren J. Prior, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Who this is for

  • Anyone who is HIV negative and wants to find out whether they qualify for free PrEP and where to go. The HSE’s published conditions are that you are likely to benefit, it is safe for you to take, and you will attend follow-up appointments, usually every three to six months.[1]
  • People who are not eligible for free PrEP: an approved GP or private provider can still prescribe it and you buy it at a pharmacy.[2]
  • People who want a first HIV test before making contact: the HSE’s free home STI test kit, for anyone aged 17 or over in the Republic of Ireland, includes HIV.[9]

Before you start

  • One of three cards for the pharmacy: a Drugs Payment Scheme card, a medical card or a Long-term Illness card. Anyone with a PPS number can apply for a DPS card; there is no means test.[1][10] See how to get a DPS card.
  • If you do not have a PPS number, the HSE points to Citizens Information on how to get one.[1]
  • A decision on route: public clinic (free but new appointments depend on availability) or approved GP or private provider (paid consultation and tests, free medication).[2]

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check the HSE’s published conditions

    PrEP is free through the HSE if you are likely to benefit from it, it is safe for you to take, and you will attend follow-up appointments. The HSE lists who may benefit on its About PrEP page, and says PrEP is not free for someone in a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who is HIV negative or who is living with HIV on treatment with the virus under control.[1] The service, not this guide, decides eligibility at your first assessment.
  2. 2

    Choose a public clinic or an approved provider

    There are two routes: public PrEP clinics, and GP surgeries and private providers the HSE has approved.[2] In a public clinic there is no consultation fee and all care, tests and medication are free.[2][4] With an approved GP or private provider the medication is still free, but you pay for the consultation, tests, any STI treatment and vaccines; some private services do not yet have access to free vaccines.[2][4] The HSE’s stated aim is that all HIV prevention care becomes free wherever you attend, but that is an ambition, not the current position.[4]
  3. 3

    Contact the service yourself

    You do not need a referral letter: being able to self-refer is a core requirement of the national standards, and every PrEP service must have a self-referral policy.[4] There is no national booking line. The HSE’s Where to get PrEP page lists each public clinic with a phone number, an email address or a “Book an appointment” link, and lists approved GP and private practices by county and Dublin postcode.[2] The list has no search or map; on 24 September 2026 it showed 14 public clinic entries in 11 counties and 42 GP or private entries, almost all in Dublin. Two entries are limited to registered students of Trinity College Dublin and UCD.[2]
  4. 4

    Expect a reply within 7 working days and an appointment within 3 months

    The standards say a service must contact you within seven working days of you making contact, and offer an appointment within three months; within one month is desirable and within 14 working days highly desirable. While you wait you should be given HIV and STI prevention information.[4] The HSE’s own 2024 report found that at the end of that year only 7 of the 13 public services met the three-month standard for self-referrals, and 3 met the 14-day one, while all 13 met it for urgent referrals such as moving straight from PEP to PrEP.[5] The HSE page itself says new appointments depend on availability and publishes no waiting times.[2]
  5. 5

    Attend the first appointment and the follow-ups

    Tests are needed before you start, including a laboratory HIV test, a hepatitis B test, a kidney function check, STI tests and, if you can get pregnant, a pregnancy test. It may be possible to start on the day of the first appointment; your clinician decides.[3] The next appointment is arranged at that visit, and on daily PrEP the follow-up tests come every three to six months. Attending follow-up is a condition of free PrEP.[1][3] Your PrEP service may let you use the HSE’s free home STI test kit for some follow-up testing.[3]
  6. 6

    Collect the medication at a community pharmacy

    The prescriber registers your eligibility with the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service; the approval is valid for 12 months. You bring the prescription and your DPS, medical or Long-term Illness card to a community pharmacy, which dispenses the medicine and claims the cost from the HSE.[1][5][7] Medical card holders do not pay the usual prescription charge on PrEP.[8] No HSE page publishes a list of participating pharmacies; the wording is simply community pharmacies.[5]

What to have ready

What to have ready0 of 5 ticked

Ticks are only kept on this page while it is open.

Public PrEP clinic or approved GP and private provider

Public PrEP clinic

Consultation
Free; no consultation fee.
Tests, STI treatment, vaccines
Free.
PrEP medication
Free, with a DPS, medical or Long-term Illness card at the pharmacy.
Referral
Self-referral, no letter needed.
Where
14 clinic entries in Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin (4), Galway, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Sligo, Waterford and Westmeath on the HSE list.
Waiting
New appointments depend on availability; 7 of 13 public services met the 3-month self-referral standard at end 2024.

Approved GP or private provider

Consultation
You pay. No official page states the amount.
Tests, STI treatment, vaccines
You pay; some private services cannot yet offer free vaccines.
PrEP medication
Free on the same basis if you are eligible; otherwise the provider can prescribe and you buy it.
Referral
Self-referral, no letter needed.
Where
42 entries on the HSE list: Cork (2), Dublin (36), Galway (1), Mayo (2), Maynooth University (students).
Waiting
Not measured on any page we read; one Dublin entry advertises same-day appointments.

Public PrEP clinics on the HSE list

Free PrEP with no consultation fee. New appointments depend on availability.[2]

From the HSE page Where to get PrEP, last reviewed by the HSE on 26 March 2026 and read by FairCare on 25 September 2026. The HSE page does not link its “Book an appointment” lines, so use the phone number, email or website given for each service.

  • Clare

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Ennis General Hospital, HSE Ennis Outpatients Department, Westpoint Business Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis, County Clare, V95 D9KW

  • Cork

    Sexual Health Clinic

    South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Old Blackrock Road, Cork, T12 X23H

  • Dublin

    Gay Men's Health Service (GMHS)

    Meath Primary Care Centre, Heytesbury Street, Dublin 8, D08 HX97

  • Dublin

    The Guide Clinic

    St James's Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, D08 NHY1

  • Dublin

    PrEP and STI Prevention Clinic

    Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH), 70 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, D07 R2WY

  • Dublin

    Prevention Support Clinic

    Department of Infectious Diseases, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, D04 TC63

  • Donegal

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Letterkenny University Hospital, Errigal Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Hub, Kilmacrennan Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal

  • Galway

    Sexual Health Clinic

    University Hospital Galway (UHG), Newcastle Road, Galway

  • Laois

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP), MRH Portlaoise, County Laois

  • Louth

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Louth County Hospital, Clinic B, Outpatients Dept, Louth County Hospital, Dundalk

  • Limerick

    Sexual Health Clinic

    University Hospital Limerick, St Nessan's Road, Dooradoyle, Limerick

  • Sligo

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Sligo University Hospital, The Mall, Rathquarter, Sligo, F91 H684

  • Waterford

    Sexual Health Clinic

    University Hospital Waterford, Dunmore Road, Co. Waterford

  • Westmeath

    Sexual Health Clinic

    Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar, Longford Road, Mullingar, County Westmeath, N91 NA43

The HSE’s general list of sexual health clinics is longer (it includes Carlow, Kerry, Wexford, Drogheda, Ballinasloe and Castlebar) but does not mark which clinics offer PrEP; use the PrEP page for that.[2] Counties with no PrEP provider of either kind on the list are not served locally: the nearest clinic or a Dublin GP is the published route.

Approved GP and private providers on the HSE list

These providers can prescribe free PrEP medicine, but you pay for the consultation, tests, any treatment of STIs and vaccines. Ask the practice what those cost before you book.[2]

From the HSE page Where to get PrEP, last reviewed by the HSE on 26 March 2026 and read by FairCare on 25 September 2026. The HSE page does not link its “Book an appointment” lines, so use the phone number, email or website given for each service.

Cork2 providers
Dublin 1 and 27 providers
Dublin 45 providers
Dublin 65 providers
Dublin 74 providers
Dublin 84 providers
Dublin 92 providers
Dublin 10 and 112 providers
Dublin 15 and 162 providers
Dublin 18 and 223 providers
Dublin county2 providers
Galway1 provider

  • Dr Mari Gleeson

    Portumna Medical Practice, St Brendan’s Street, Portumna, Galway, H53AOX8

Maynooth University1 provider
Mayo2 providers

Free home HIV and STI testing

Anyone aged 17 or over living in the Republic of Ireland can order a free home STI test kit through the HSE’s partner SH:24, giving a name, mobile number and address. The kit tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis; results usually arrive within 72 hours of the laboratory receiving the samples, and a reactive HIV result brings a phone call and referral to a sexual health clinic for a confirmatory blood test.[9] If kits run out, the HSE advises trying again the following morning.

If you are not eligible for free PrEP

An approved GP or private provider can still prescribe PrEP and you buy it on prescription from a pharmacy.[1][2] The HSE warns that generic PrEP is sold on the internet and that sourcing prescription medicine without a prescription, or selling it online to people in Ireland, is illegal.[1]

What happens next

Once you are on the programme, the prescriber’s approval on the HSE system lasts 12 months and follow-up appointments continue, usually every three to six months, with a hepatitis C test every 12 months.[3][7] By the end of 2024, 8,633 people had accessed PrEP through the HSE since the programme began.[5]

If something goes wrong

HSE HIV and Sexual Health Helpline: freephone 1800 459 459, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm, helpline@hse.ie.[1] HSE Live: freephone 1800 700 700, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm.[2]

FairCare lists the HSE’s published clinics; it does not book appointments or hold any health information. The clinic decides eligibility at your assessment.

Common questions

Do I need a referral from my GP?
No. The national standards make self-referral a core requirement, and the HSE says people can expect to access a PrEP service without a referral letter.
Is there an age limit?
No HSE page we read states one for the PrEP programme. The 17-and-over limit applies to the free home STI testing service, not to PrEP.
How much does PrEP cost through a GP?
The medication is free with your card if you are eligible, but you pay the GP or private clinic for the consultation and tests. No official page publishes those fees, so ask the practice before booking.
Is PrEP covered by the medical card prescription charge?
Citizens Information lists PrEP among the items medical card holders do not pay the prescription charge for.
Can I get PrEP without a DPS or medical card?
The HSE says you need a DPS card, medical card or Long-term Illness card to get the medication free. A DPS card has no means test and needs only a PPS number; if you have no PPS number, apply for one first.

Official application

HSE: Where to get PrEP

The HSE page holds the current clinic and provider list with each service’s own booking route. FairCare does not collect any details.

Find services on FairCare

A listing here does not mean the provider takes part in any scheme described in this guide. Check with the provider.

Sources

  1. [1] HSE: About PrEP and who can take it, page dated 2026-03-26
  2. [2] HSE: Where to get PrEP, page dated 2026-03-26
  3. [3] HSE: Testing and monitoring when taking PrEP, page dated 2026-04-09
  4. [4] HSE: National Standards for HIV PrEP in Ireland, version 1.3 (PDF), page dated 2024-10
  5. [5] HSE Sexual Health Programme: HIV PrEP monitoring report 2024 (PDF), page dated 2026-05
  6. [6] HSE: PrEP information for service providers (undated page, read 24 September 2026)
  7. [7] HSE: PrEP monitoring and evaluation framework, version 1.2 (PDF), page dated 2026-02
  8. [8] Citizens Information: Prescription charges for medical card holders, page dated 2025-06-25
  9. [9] HSE: Order a free home STI test, page dated 2026-09-15
  10. [10] HSE: Drugs Payment Scheme card (undated page, read 24 September 2026)
  11. [11] HSE: HIV prevention, page dated 2024-12-18
Figures in this guide that change
  • Programme started: November 2019 (source [5])
  • Referral letter: Not needed: self-referral is a core national standard (source [4])
  • First contact standard: Service contacts you within 7 working days; appointment offered within 3 months (core), 14 working days (highly desirable) (source [4])
  • Public clinics meeting the 3-month self-referral standard, end 2024: 7 of 13 (source [5])
  • Cost at a public PrEP clinic: Nothing: consultation, tests and medication are free (source [2])
  • Card needed at the pharmacy: DPS card, medical card or Long-term Illness card (source [1])
  • HSE HIV and Sexual Health Helpline: Freephone 1800 459 459, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm (source [1])