HEALTH SERVICES ELIGIBILITY
CYPRUS HEALTH SERVICE -
ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION
See also the EHIC tab.
Cyprus has its own National Health Service and many non-Cypriot European citizens and expatriates have free access to it.
There are also a number of private clinics and hospitals available for use, particularly in the Paphos area.
You are entitled to medical care in Cyprus if you have an EHIC, and if you are receiving the state pension. It is not the age of 60 or 65 that matters but being a pensioner. But you need to register for a medical card. To register for a medical card you need to be registered at the Immigration Office.
Private health insurance is also widely available and it is strongly recommended that even those eligible for the local National Health Service take this insurance out, not least because the public hospitals are not equipped to carry out all likely medical procedures. Private health insurance is also required when you apply to Immigration with your MEU1 Form (although whether this is legal under EU law must be doubtful).
Whilst health insurance will provide expatriates with useful cover for major illnesses and operations, and assist towards the cost of in patient care, there is still the likely occurrence of an individual just feeling temporarily unwell. In this event, it is recommended that he/she first considers a visit to the local pharmacy next to the Pissouri Police Station for advice from the local Pharmacist, Kyriakos. He can be contacted on 25 222800 or 99 692550.
Emergency treatment is provided free to everyone at our hospitals, but be careful not to abuse this right.
Check out www.moh.gov.cy for full details about health cover entitlement for EU citizens, as well as the section further down this page.
PROVISION OF HOSPITAL TREATMENT
The late Andrew Noyes kind wrote to record his experiences of private hospital treatment after breaking his arm in a fall (see below):
However, a recent road accident once again raised the question of who pays for EU nationals without a Cyprus medical card or insurance - a subject of concern to anyone who thinks they may not be covered. As Tracie and Allan found to their cost, while the private service provided is undoubtedly excellent (as are the State services), it is also expensive without insurance. Following Allan’s motorbike accident on fine, loose gravel on the road, they were landed with a large bill at the same hospital. Tracie was so worried about getting Allan to hospital she didn’t stop to think of the alternatives, and friends took her and Allan straight to the Evangelismos. Had they gone direct to Paphos Hospital Allan would have been admitted and treated free - all emergency treatment is free, except for one or two items such as scans.
Everyone on the island is entitled to emergency treatment at the General Hospitals, with or without a medical card.
For non-emergency treatment, if you do not have a Cyprus Medical Card, you have to pay at the General hospitals, but if your EHIC is in order you can reclaim the cost from your home EU state. (If you move to Cyprus from another EU country to another this provision ceases after a specified time. Cyprus Immigration law requires all EU citizens to register within 4 months of arrival).
For emergency treatment requiring admission, for those who do not have a medical card there is a nightly charge of about €100 (depending on the number of beds in the room) plus the cost of treatment. You can get an idea of the cost of Cyprus General hospital care on excellent Cyprus Ministry of Health website.
http://www.moh.gov.cy/moh/moh.nsf/A11/E638B467B67F4CF1C225702A0023717B?OpenDocuments
Even if you do not have a valid EHIC, technically you should be entitled to State medical services in Cyprus under the EU "free movement of citizens" regulations. However, if you have no valid EHIC, and have not registered with Immigration as required, and have not paid social security while in Cyprus, you will certainly have problems getting free Cyprus State medical services.
In this case, you certainly need private medical insurance.
Non-Emergency Treatment:
A Cyprus Medical Card entitles the holder to either free or reduced-cost State Care, depending on your income. The entitlement to State care is clearly set out in the Cyprus Government leaflet here. UK NHS advice to residents moving to Cyprus is equally good and can be found here.
If you go to a private hospital, there is no reimbursement of your costs under EU medical arrangements.
Private medical insurance is obviously an excellent alternative to State care if you choose to go down that road. Discussions on the subject indicate that the best of all worlds is to have both private insurance AND to have a Cyprus Medical Card, so even if you have insurance you would be well advised to get your card as well.
Third-country nationals must pay for treatment in State hospitals, so private insurance is strongly recommended.
From the literature available, it is clear that you must have the correct EU/UK forms to entitle you to a Cyprus Medical card, but if you are correctly registered with Immigration and have the correct EU cards you can register for the Cyprus card, whether or not you are a pensioner. It therefore makes it important that you should get your residence status in Cyprus correctly registered.
Further advice is available if you do a search on the internet forums suggested on our website on the Links Tab - in particular, AngloINFO Cyprus. If you have any corrections, amendments or observations, please pass them on.