GESY for newcomers: how Cyprus healthcare works and who can register
GESY covers residents with a qualifying status, not property owners as such. Under Law 89(I)/2001 employees pay 2.65%, the self-employed 4.00% and pensioners 2.65%, on combined income up to €180,000.
Updated Next review 29 April 20275 min read
On this page 9 sections
This page explains the general rules as published by the Cyprus authorities on the date shown. Rates, thresholds and procedures change, and your position depends on facts we do not know. Before you act, confirm the figures with the Tax Department or the Department of Lands and Surveys and take advice from a lawyer registered with the Cyprus Bar Association or a licensed accountant.
What GESY is and who runs it#
GESY (Γενικό Σύστημα Υγείας, General Healthcare System) is the national health system of Cyprus, set up by the General Healthcare System Law of 2001, Law 89(I)/2001, as amended.1 The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO, Οργανισμός Ασφάλισης Υγείας) runs it: it contracts personal doctors, specialists, hospitals, pharmacies and laboratories, and it manages the fund into which contributions are paid.
GESY is not a policy you buy. Entitlement comes from where you live and your legal status, and contributions are charged on earnings, pensions and other income whether or not you use the system. That is why a buyer who moves to Cyprus should work out two separate questions: am I a beneficiary, and do I owe contributions.
For the HIO's own explanations, forms and the list of contracted doctors, use the official GESY website (gesy.org.cy). This page summarises the law the HIO applies.
Who is a beneficiary#
Article 16 of Law 89(I)/2001 says a beneficiary is a person whose habitual residence (συνήθη διαμονή) is in the government-controlled areas of the Republic and who is one of the following.1
- A citizen of the Republic of Cyprus.
- An EU citizen who is an employee or self-employed in Cyprus, keeps that status, or has acquired permanent residence under Law 7(I)/2007 on the free movement of EU citizens.1
- A third-country national who has lawfully acquired permanent residence under the Aliens and Immigration Law (Cap. 105).1
- A third-country national with a legal right to equal treatment in the social-insurance branches under the same law.
- A recognised refugee or a person with subsidiary protection.
- Family members of the people above, under the conditions the article sets for each group.
Where the EU social-security coordination rules apply (Regulations (EC) 883/2004 and 987/2009), the article applies them alongside these categories.1
Contributions by category#
Article 19(1) of the law fixes who pays and at what rate.1
| Contributor | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | 2.65% | earnings |
| Employer | 2.90% | each employee's earnings |
| Self-employed | 4.00% | earnings |
| Pensioner | 2.65% | pension |
| Office holder | 2.65% | earnings from the office |
| Income earner (εισοδηματίας) | 2.65% | income |
| The Republic (Consolidated Fund) | 4.70% | earnings and pensions of employees, the self-employed, pensioners and office holders |
Rates from Article 19(1) of Law 89(I)/2001, consolidated text on CyLaw.1
"Income" here means income from the sources in Article 5 of the Income Tax Law other than earnings or pensions, and it includes dividends.1 A person who has several kinds of income pays on each of them.
Contributions are charged only on the first €180,000 of a person's combined earnings, pensions and income.1 If more was paid, Article 19(4) sets two refund routes.1 For contribution years that start on or after 1 January 2025, the contribution paid above €180,000 is refunded by the Tax Commissioner under the Assessment and Collection of Taxes Law.1 For contribution years before 2025, you apply to the HIO for the refund, in the way the HIO sets by decision.1
Registering and choosing a personal doctor#
Once you are a beneficiary you register with the system and choose a personal doctor (a family doctor contracted by the HIO), who is your first point of contact and refers you to specialists. The law limits each personal doctor's list to 2,500 beneficiaries at any time, unless the HIO decides to allow more.1 If a doctor's list is full, choose another one.
The documents the HIO asks for when you register are published on the GESY website and change by HIO decision, so this page does not repeat them. Bring proof of the status that makes you a beneficiary, because that is what entitlement depends on: for an EU citizen, the registration certificate; for a third-country national, the permit that places you in one of the Article 16 categories.1
Private insurance and residence conditions#
GESY entitlement and residence rules interact. An EU citizen who stays longer than three months without working must have sufficient resources and comprehensive sickness insurance cover in Cyprus, under Article 9(1)(b) of Law 7(I)/2007.2 Until such a person is a GESY beneficiary, that cover normally has to come from a private policy or from another member state's system.
For third-country nationals, the insurance requirement attached to each permit category is set by the Migration Department in the conditions for that category. Check the conditions published for your own permit; this page does not list them.
If you are still at the buying stage, the rules on who may buy are on our page on whether foreigners can buy property in Cyprus, and the steps of a purchase are in how to buy property in Cyprus.
What this page does not cover#
Treatment while you are only visiting Cyprus, private hospital prices, and income tax on your pension or rental income are outside this page. For the one-off costs of the purchase itself, see the costs of buying property in Cyprus.
Questions readers ask
Can I use GESY if I buy a home in CyprusWhat is the GESY contribution rate for pensionersIs there a maximum GESY contributionWho runs GESYDo EU citizens who do not work in Cyprus need private health insurance
- Can I use GESY if I buy a home in Cyprus?#
- Not because of the purchase. Article 16 of Law 89(I)/2001 grants entitlement to people habitually resident in Cyprus with a qualifying status, such as EU workers or third-country nationals with permanent residence.
- What is the GESY contribution rate for pensioners?#
- 2.65% of the pension, under Article 19(1) of Law 89(I)/2001. Other income such as dividends is charged at 2.65% as well.
- Is there a maximum GESY contribution?#
- Yes. Contributions are charged only on the first €180,000 of combined earnings, pensions and income. For contribution years from 1 January 2025 an overpayment is refunded by the Tax Commissioner; for earlier years you apply to the Health Insurance Organisation.
- Who runs GESY?#
- The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO). Its website, gesy.org.cy, publishes the registration documents and the list of contracted doctors.
- Do EU citizens who do not work in Cyprus need private health insurance?#
- Law 7(I)/2007 requires an EU citizen staying over three months without working to have sufficient resources and comprehensive sickness insurance in Cyprus. Until they qualify for GESY, that cover usually comes from a private policy or another EU system.
Sources for this page
2 sources from 1 publisher. Every figure on this page is traceable to one of them.
Ο Περί Γενικού Συστήματος Υγείας Νόμος του 2001 - 89(I)/2001 (General Healthcare System Law)
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19(4)(α) … €180.000 … εισφορά … που αφορά έτος εισφορών που αρχίζει κατά ή μετά την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2025, επιστρέφεται στον εισφορέα από τον Έφορο Φορολογίας
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εντός προθεσμίας τεσσάρων μηνών από την ημερομηνία άφιξής τους ... τέλους ύψους είκοσι ευρώ (€20) ... δύο χιλιάδες πεντακόσια ευρώ (€2500)