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Dentist in Cyprus: what GESY covers and what you pay

GESY pays only for prevention: a check-up and cleaning once every 12 months, plus fluoride for children aged 6–12. Fillings and extractions you pay for.

Health in Cyprus Checked: Changed:

  • 12 monthsat least, between free GESY visits
  • €3on registration at a state clinic with a medical card
  • €10the emergency department under GESY when clinics are closed

In short

Who it applies to
Everyone registered with GESY — adults and children of any age. The free visit is only with a dentist who has a GESY contract; you do not need a referral from your personal doctor.
What it costs
GESY pays only for prevention: a check-up, from age 4 also scaling (removal of tartar), and for children aged 6 to 12 also fluoride. There is no co-payment for this visit. Fillings, extractions, root canals, dentures and X-rays are not covered by GESY: you pay for them at a private dentist or at a Ministry of Health clinic. At a state clinic, holders of a medical card (κάρτα νοσηλείας) pay €3 on registration and get the treatment they need; without the card you pay by the government price list. Children in the 1st and 5th classes of primary school are treated free under the school programme.
How long it takes
The next free visit is no earlier than 12 months after your previous GESY dental visit; a new year does not reset the clock. You book with a GESY dentist directly and can see a different one each time. State dental clinics work Monday to Friday. The date of your last visit is shown on the GESY Beneficiary Portal (Πύλη Δικαιούχων), in the «Αρχείο Δικαιούχου» section.
Where to apply
You find a GESY dentist on gesy.org.cy in the provider search, category «Οδοντίατρος». State clinics are run by the Ministry of Health Dental Services (Οδοντιατρικές Υπηρεσίες) in hospitals and health centres; phone numbers by district are on their website. Refused a free visit or asked to pay for it — the GESY Contact Centre: 17000 (free from Cyprus), +35722017000 from abroad, [email protected]. Your patient's rights breached — the patients' rights officer (Λειτουργός Δικαιωμάτων των Ασθενών) at the practice itself, then the district complaints committee; they do not examine medical negligence or compensation. Professional misconduct by a dentist goes to the Disciplinary Board under the Dentists Law Ν.29/1968.
If your case differs
If a tooth starts hurting in the evening or at the weekend, when state clinics are closed, the Ministry of Health sends you to the emergency department (ΤΑΕΠ) of a general hospital in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol or Paphos. You will be seen by the doctor on duty, not a dentist; under GESY the visit costs a €10 co-payment. GESY has no emergency dental service. You can check that a dentist is registered in the register of the Cyprus Dental Council (Οδοντιατρικό Συμβούλιο Κύπρου) at gov.cy/moh-cdc: it lists the number, town, registration date, university and specialty.

Your case

The child is not yet 4

Once every 12 months, a free check-up of the mouth and advice for the parents: hygiene, eating habits that prevent decay, dummies and thumb-sucking. GESY does not pay for scaling at this age. Book with any dentist who has a GESY contract; no referral is needed.

The child is between 4 and 6

Once every 12 months, free scaling, a check-up and advice for the parents. Fillings and any other treatment are paid for, at a private dentist or at a Ministry of Health clinic. If a child will not cooperate with the dentist, state clinics can treat them under general anaesthesia — ask the dentist for details.

The child is between 6 and 12 — at school

Under GESY, once every 12 months, free scaling, fluoride and a check-up. Treatment under GESY is paid for, but if the child is in the 1st (Α΄) or 5th (Ε΄) class of a public or private primary school, the Ministry of Health school programme treats them free. With the parents' written consent, a Dental Services dentist examines the child between September 2026 and March 2027; if problems are found, the child gets a referral to a private dentist taking part in the programme, and the treatment is free. Treatment with the referral is possible until 30 October 2027. The list of programme dentists is on the Dental Services website, moh.gov.cy/ds.

You or your child are 12 or older

Once every 12 months, free scaling and a check-up; there is no upper age limit. Everything else you pay for. At a private dentist the clinic sets the price. At a Ministry of Health clinic, holders of a medical card (κάρτα νοσηλείας) pay €3 on registration and get the treatment they need; without the card you pay by the government price list. The card is issued to a person without dependants with income up to €15,400 a year, or to a family with income up to €30,750 a year plus €1,700 for each child, and only to those with at least 3 years of social insurance contributions and a filed tax return. As a rule these are Cypriot and EU citizens who live permanently in Cyprus; you apply to the Ministry of Health, +357 22605468.

Deadlines and conditions

  • no earlier than 12 months after your previous GESY visitΟΑΥ catalogue of activities (18.12.2020), general rules, item 1: «εφόσον περάσει διάστημα ενός έτους από την προηγούμενη επίσκεψη του δικαιούχου σε οδοντίατρο στο πλαίσιο του ΓεΣΥ». ΟΑΥ bulletin of 27.11.2023: «τουλάχιστον ενός έτους από την προηγούμενη επίσκεψη».
  • under 4 a check-up only, from 4 also scalingΚ.Δ.Π. 566/2020, Annex I, item 1: check-up and advice «μέχρι τη συμπλήρωση του 4ου έτους της ηλικίας»; item 2: «Αποτρύγωση, έλεγχος στοματικής κοιλότητας …» from 4 to 6.
  • children aged 6 to 12 also get fluorideΚ.Δ.Π. 566/2020, Annex I, item 3: «Αποτρύγωση, τοπική εφαρμογή φθορίου και έλεγχος στοματικής κοιλότητας μία φορά τον χρόνο σε δικαιούχους που έχουν συμπληρώσει το 6ο έτος της ηλικίας τους μέχρι τη συμπλήρωση του 12ου έτους».
  • from 12, adults included, scaling and a check-upΚ.Δ.Π. 566/2020, Annex I, item 4: «Αποτρύγωση και έλεγχος στοματικής κοιλότητας μία φορά τον χρόνο σε δικαιούχους που έχουν συμπληρώσει το 12ο έτος της ηλικίας τους» — no upper age limit.
  • since 1 December 2020ΟΑΥ bulletin of 27.11.2023: «Από την 1η Δεκεμβρίου 2020, με την ένταξη της προληπτικής οδοντιατρικής στο Σύστημα, οι δικαιούχοι του ΓεΣΥ έχουν τη δυνατότητα σε ένα οδοντιατρικό καθαρισμό το χρόνο δωρεάν». Κ.Δ.Π. 566/2020 — Official Gazette Part III(I) No. 5407, 1.12.2020.
  • with a medical card you pay €3 on registrationMinistry of Health Dental Services FAQ, question 1: «θα πρέπει να έχετε μαζί σας την κάρτα νοσηλείας σας. Για την εγγραφή σας πληρώνετε τέλος €3». Ministry press release 2019: «θα καταβάλλουν με την εγγραφή τους τέλος €3 και θα λαμβάνουν την αναγκαία οδοντιατρική φροντίδα».
  • a person without dependants with income up to €15,400 a yeargov.cy, «Issue of medical card»: «Persons without dependants whose annual income does not exceed €15,400.00».
  • a family with income up to €30,750 a yeargov.cy, same page: «Members of families whose annual income does not exceed €30,750.00, increased by €1,700.00 for each dependent child».
Show all conditions (16)
  • plus €1,700 for each childgov.cy, same page: «increased by €1,700.00 for each dependent child»; a dependant is a child up to 21, or older if still supported by the parents.
  • you need at least 3 years of social insurance contributionsgov.cy, same page: «contributed to the Social Insurance scheme for a minimum period of three years» and a filed income tax return; «As a rule Medical Cards are issued to Cypriots and EU citizens who reside permanently in Cyprus».
  • treatment with the referral is possible until 30 October 2027Ministry of Health Dental Services announcement of 28.09.2026: check-ups «κατά την περίοδο Σεπτέμβριος 2026- Μάρτιος 2027»; «Καταληκτική ημερομηνία κατά την οποία τα παιδιά θα μπορούν, έχοντας το παραπεμπτικό, να επισκεφθούν ιδιώτη οδοντίατρο για να λάβουν δωρεάν οδοντιατρική φροντίδα είναι η 30 Οκτωβρίου 2027».
  • an emergency department visit under GESY costs a €10 co-paymentGESY co-payment regulations 2019, First Table: «Ανά επίσκεψη σε νοσηλευτήριο για τη λήψη υπηρεσιών φροντίδας υγείας σε περιπτώσεις ατυχημάτων και επειγόντων περιστατικών. 10,00».
  • obstructing your choice of dentist is punishable by a court fine of up to €5,000Κ.Δ.Π. 566/2020, reg. 18(1): a provider who «παραβιάζει ή επηρεάζει με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο το δικαίωμα του δικαιούχου να επιλέγει παροχέα», on conviction «τιμωρείται με χρηματική ποινή που δεν υπερβαίνει τις πέντε χιλιάδες ευρώ (€5.000)».
  • the officer deals with a complaint within 2 working daysΝ.1(Ι)/2005, s. 22(5)(β): the officer handles complaints they can resolve themselves; «η περίοδος χειρισμού παραπόνου ή/και καταγγελίας δεν υπερβαίνει τις δυο (2) εργάσιμες ημέρες».
  • the committee decides within 1 monthΝ.1(Ι)/2005, s. 23(5): the committee decides «εντός εύλογου χρονικού διαστήματος και όχι αργότερα από ένα (1) μήνα από την παραπομπή του παραπόνου».
  • at a practice with 3 staff or fewerΝ.1(Ι)/2005, s. 22(1): a provider «ο οποίος εργοδοτεί τρία (3) ή λιγότερα πρόσωπα, δύναται να μην ορίζει Λειτουργό Δικαιωμάτων των Ασθενών»; ss. 22(11)(β) and 23(1)(α)(iii): the complaint then goes straight to the district Επιτροπή Εξέτασης Παραπόνων.

What treatment costs at a private dentist

Private clinics' prices are not collected anywhere officially, and the clinic sets its own price. Ask what the treatment will cost before it starts and whether X-rays and follow-up visits are included.

Whether there is an on-call dentist at the weekend

Neither the Ministry of Health nor GESY publishes an official list of on-call dentists. If you need a dentist specifically, ask your own clinic how it handles weekends — or go to the emergency department (ΤΑΕΠ) to the doctor on duty.

Where to file a complaint about a dentist's professional misconduct

The authorities publish no form or separate address for such complaints. Ask the Cyprus Dental Council (Οδοντιατρικό Συμβούλιο Κύπρου): tel. 22819819, [email protected].

Sources

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