Tax Relief for Travel Vaccinations

No. Travel vaccinations are not a qualifying medical expense for Irish tax relief purposes. Revenue's list of qualifying health expenses does not include pre-travel vaccinations, so the cost cannot be claimed on your tax return regardless of whether the vaccination was recommended or required for travel.

Qualifying medical expenses include doctor and consultant fees, prescribed medicines and drugs, hospital or nursing home costs, physiotherapy and certain other treatments, and diagnostic procedures. Relief is granted at 20% (standard rate) on unreimbursed costs. Nursing home expenses qualify at your marginal rate (up to 40%). Travel vaccinations, cosmetic procedures, and routine dental check-ups are among the items that do not qualify.

Through Revenue’s myAccount, go to ‘Review your tax’ for the relevant year and enter your qualifying medical expenses under the health section. You’ll need receipts and, for some treatments, a Form Med 1 or Med 2 completed by your medical practitioner. You can claim for up to 4 prior years.

You receive a tax credit of 20% of qualifying unreimbursed medical expenses. For example, if you incur €400 in qualifying costs, you receive an €80 refund. The credit cannot be claimed if the expenses have been reimbursed by an insurance company. There is no upper limit on the amount of qualifying expenses you can claim.