Cyprus

By presenting your European Health Insurance Card and a valid ID, you can receive treatment from general practitioners at state healthcare centres. To consult a specialist, you need a referral from a general practitioner within the state system. You will be charged a small standard fee.

Additional surcharges apply for laboratory tests and follow-up examinations such as X-rays. Certain groups, such as students and chronically ill patients, are eligible treatment for free or reduced-rate treatment.

There are also private doctors and treatment facilities in Cyprus. If you seek treatment in the private sector, you must pay all costs yourself.

An exception applies if you have received a referral from the Department of Health for private treatment not available in state hospitals.

The costs of dental care are usually not reimbursed, so you must pay all costs yourself in Cyprus. However, certain groups, such as those over the age of 65, disability pensioners, and the chronically ill, can receive dental treatment in the public sector free of charge or at a reduced rate.

Ιn the event that you require dental care, you must seek treatment at a state healthcare center using the European Health Insurance Card. The cost of treatment provided by private-sector dentists cannot be reimbursed under Cypriot legislation.

You can obtain partial reimbursement for medicines prescribed by a private-sector doctor by presenting the prescription at a pharmacy within the healthcare system along with your European Health Insurance Card and a valid ID. Medicine prescriptions are valid for 6 months in Cyprus.

You can obtain prescription medicines prescribed by a doctor from any pharmacy that is part of the GHS system.

You can access hospital treatment if you have a doctor´s referral. In an emergency, you may also go directly to a state hospital via the emergency department. In addition to any referral, present your European Health Insurance Card and a valid ID.

All emergency clinic patients pay a small standard fee regardless of the type of treatment received. Patients over the age of 65, disability pensioners, and the chronically ill are eligible for a reduction in hospital fees.

Ambulance transport to obtain necessary medical care is free if the patient has a European Health Insurance Card and the treatment is provided at a facility within the public healthcare system.

Remember to make sure that your patient data is transferred between countries. You can provide those responsible for your follow-up care or your health centre with the patient records concerning the treatment you received abroad. If the patient records need to be translated, you will be responsible for arranging that yourself.

In the event of a treatment injury, the legislation and patient insurance of the country where the treatment was provided will apply. If you are dissatisfied with the treatment you received, you should first try to resolve the matter directly with the healthcare provider. The National Contact Point can assist you in finding the appropriate authority if you wish to file a complaint.

The General Healthcare System operating in Cyprus (Geniko Systima Ygeias, GeSY) combines a national healthcare service model with a social health insurance model. The system is funded through contributions paid by insured persons, employers, and the state. Services are provided by both public providers and private providers that have signed agreements with the system.

Medical and pharmaceutical services are free of charge in public hospitals. When a patient uses private healthcare providers that have a contract with GeSY, they pay the full cost in advance and later submit the receipts to their insurance fund for reimbursement. Medical services provided in the private sector are not reimbursed.