Health insurance for foreign nationals in Cyprus

The most popular type of insurance amongst foreign nationals living in Cyprus is compulsory health insurance, which is required by the Department of Civil Registration and Migration. This insurance is required for all foreign nationals; it is a prerequisite for them to be able to obtain both a temporary residence permit (pink slip) and permanent residence on the island.

How much does it cost?

Such a policy is considerably cheaper than standard health insurance. Prices start from €175 per year and depend on two main factors. Firstly, insurance for children aged between one month and 18 years and for adults over 55 is generally more expensive.

Secondly, if the insured person intends to obtain a residence permit on the island for the purpose of employment, the cost of the insurance may be affected by the nature of their work. Depending on the risk of injury, insurance for an office worker will be cheaper than for someone engaged in manual labour.

What cover is provided?

Due to the low cost of this type of insurance, the cover is minimal and usually amounts to around 13,000 euros per year. At first glance, this sum may seem sufficient to cover the cost of straightforward operations and the treatment of a number of illnesses.

However, there are a number of restrictions. For example, the maximum payout for a doctor’s visit in the event of illness or an accident does not exceed €700. Hospitalisation (provision of a ward and meals) is covered up to €70 in a standard ward and up to €170 in an intensive care unit for the entire duration of the stay. Undoubtedly, these amounts are very low and do not reflect the actual cost of treatment in Cyprus.

There are also numerous restrictions relating to the duration of the insurance cover. For example, during the first six months after taking out the insurance, the policy will not cover treatment for a number of conditions, as these may have arisen before the contract was signed. As this insurance is on an annual basis, the likelihood of receiving a payout is significantly reduced. Not to mention that if an insurance company’s costs for a particular client rise, it always reserves the right to refuse to renew the contract or, upon its expiry, simply exclude the condition from the list of covered conditions.

A further restriction is that insurance companies reimburse 90 per cent of the aforementioned costs; the remaining 10 per cent must be paid by the foreign national themselves, who in this case acts as a co-insurer.

The advantages of this type of insurance include its widespread availability and low cost, cover for doctor’s appointments averaging 15–18 euros per visit, and reimbursement of pregnancy-related expenses amounting to around 500 euros, but only if the birth takes place at least ten months after the contract is signed.

To summarise…

Given that health insurance for foreign nationals in Cyprus is compulsory and covers, amongst other things, the costs of transporting the body to the country of burial or cremation (unlike standard insurance, which does not provide such cover), it is clear that the main purpose of this type of insurance is to cover the state’s liability towards the insured person.

This type of insurance is no substitute for comprehensive medical cover. Given its minimal cost, one should not expect substantial compensation payments. However, if you wish, you can extend the cover provided by this insurance by taking out standard medical insurance, which must be arranged separately. This will take effect from the moment the immigration insurance cover ceases. Furthermore, by combining the two, standard medical insurance will work out cheaper.