How to register with GESY and add your family
Checked: Changed:
In short
- Who it applies to
- Everyone ordinarily resident in Cyprus who fits the law: Cypriot citizens, EU citizens who work or have permanent residence, employed third-country nationals and permanent-residence holders — and their spouses and children. A visitor permit is not on that list.
- What it costs
- Registration itself is free. You pay through contributions: employees 2.65% of salary, employers 2.90%, the self-employed 4%, pensioners 2.65% of their pension, rent, interest and dividends 2.65%; nothing is charged on income above €180,000 a year. At the doctor's there are co-payments: €1 per medicine, €6 per specialist visit with a referral, €25 if you see a specialist without one.
- How long it takes
- If the system finds you in the registers straight away, you register online in one go. If not, you print the request and post it to the ΟΑΥ with documents, and you may receive care provisionally until the decision. Then a personal doctor accepts your request, and the first visit to them completes the registration.
- Where to apply
- Online: an account at registration.gesy.org.cy, then a request on the Πύλη Δικαιούχων, the Beneficiary Portal (portal.gesy.org.cy). Without internet — at any GESY personal doctor (Προσωπικός Ιατρός), who fills in the request for you. Questions: the GESY Contact Centre, free on 17000.
- If your case differs
- First check whether GESY covers you at all: the branches below go by who you are. Each family member registers separately and needs their own doctor; children under 15 go to a paediatrician.
Deadlines and conditions
| Condition | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| children under 15 are registered with a paediatrician | Law 89(Ι)/2001, s. 26(2): «Δικαιούχοι, μέχρι τη συμπλήρωση του 15ου έτους της ηλικίας τους, εγγράφονται υποχρεωτικά σε κατάλογο ιατρού με ειδικότητα στην παιδιατρική» — or with a non-geriatric doctor where there is no paediatrician. |
| from 15 to 18 — a paediatrician or an adult doctor, from 18 — an adult doctor only | Law 89(Ι)/2001, s. 26(2): from 15 to 18 — «είτε σε κατάλογο ιατρού με ειδικότητα στην παιδιατρική είτε σε κατάλογο προσωπικού ιατρού», and the teenager's own view «λαμβάνεται σοβαρά υπόψη». ΟΑΥ FAQ: at 18 anyone still with a paediatrician is moved to an adult doctor automatically. |
| from 65 you may choose a geriatrician | Law 89(Ι)/2001, s. 26(3): «Δικαιούχοι μετά τη συμπλήρωση του 65ου έτους της ηλικίας τους εγγράφονται σε κατάλογο προσωπικού ιατρού με ειδικότητα στη γηριατρική ή σε κατάλογο άλλου προσωπικού ιατρού»; under 65 you cannot register with a geriatrician. |
| you can change your personal doctor 12 months after registering with them | ΟΑΥ FAQ on doctors' lists (Greek and English): «Μπορείτε να αλλάξετε ΠΙ αφού περάσουν 12 μήνες από την ημερομηνία εγγραφής σας» (general rule). ΟΑΥ announcement of 11.08.2022: from 31.08.2022 the period rose «από τους έξι (6) στους δώδεκα (12) μήνες»; legal basis ΚΔΠ 187/2022. Exceptions: children under 2 — no limit; after automatic allocation — before 6 months. |
| children under 21 count as family without conditions | Law 89(Ι)/2001, s. 16(3): a family member is «(α) Το/τη σύζυγο δικαιούχου, (β) τα τέκνα δικαιούχου ηλικίας κάτω των 21 ετών, και (γ) τα τέκνα … άνω των 21 ετών, τα οποία είναι συντηρούμενα». |
| a dependent student — until 26 | ΚΔΠ 241/2019, reg. 4(1): a dependent child over 21 is «(α) κάθε τέκνο ηλικίας κάτω των είκοσι έξι ετών που είναι φοιτητής· ή (β) κάθε τέκνο που στερείται μόνιμα της ικανότητας για αυτοσυντήρηση»; a student studies full-time at a recognised institution in Cyprus or abroad (reg. 4(2)). |
| co-payments are capped at €150 a year | ΟΑΥ page «Χρηματοδότηση» (Greek): «Το μέγιστο ετήσιο ποσό συμπληρωμής ανέρχεται στα €75 για τους λήπτες Ελάχιστου Εγγυημένου Εισοδήματος, τους χαμηλοσυνταξιούχους και τα παιδιά κάτω των 21 ετών και στα €150 για τον υπόλοιπο πληθυσμό». Co-payment regulations 2019, Annex IV; calendar year. |
| for children under 21 the cap is €75 a year | The same line of the «Χρηματοδότηση» page: €75 for children under 21, recipients of the Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα and low-income pensioners. |
| a specialist without your personal doctor's referral — €25 per visit | «Χρηματοδότηση» page, Συνεισφορά Ι: «Κάθε φορά που δικαιούχος επισκέπτεται Ειδικό Ιατρό απευθείας, χωρίς παραπομπή από Προσωπικό Ιατρό» — 25.00; no co-payment on top for the same visit. Exception: women aged 15+ seeing a gynaecologist. With a referral the visit costs €6 (same page). |
| an employee pays 2.65% of salary | Law 89(Ι)/2001, s. 19(1): μισθωτός 2.65% of earnings, εργοδότης 2.90%, αυτοτελώς εργαζόμενος 4.00%, συνταξιούχος 2.65%, εισοδηματίας 2.65%; s. 19(4)(α): nothing is due above €180,000 a year. The «Full Implementation (As of 1/3/2020)» column of the financing page matches. |
Your case
If you are a Cypriot or EU citizen
A Cypriot citizen is covered by citizenship — it is enough to live ordinarily in the government-controlled areas; you register with your identity card number. An EU citizen is covered if working in Cyprus or holding permanent residence: you need a Δελτίο Εγγραφής Αλλοδαπού (for EU citizens, the registration certificate or «yellow slip»). If the system cannot find you in the registers, the ΟΑΥ may ask for a copy of the ARC, a signed form and proof of ordinary residence such as electricity or water bills.
If you are a third-country national working in Cyprus
You are covered as a worker with equal treatment in social insurance, and so are your spouse, your children under 21 and your student children under 26. Before registering, check that the Υπηρεσίες Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων hold the number from your Δελτίο Εγγραφής Αλλοδαπού: without it the system will not recognise you — the number is added at the district Social Insurance office or a ΚΕΠ. Each family member needs their own ARC. Foreign marriage and birth certificates need an apostille and, unless in Greek or English, a Greek translation by a sworn translator of Cyprus.
If you hold permanent residence — including an Immigration Permit under category F or reg. 6(2)
You are covered as a permanent resident, whether or not you work. But the family of a permanent resident is covered only if each of them also holds permanent residence — a spouse on a temporary permit will not get in. If the system cannot confirm you itself, the ΟΑΥ asks for more than from others: electricity and water bills covering a continuous 12 months, all passport pages, last year's tax return (if filed), the children's school certificates — and a form with all entry and exit dates for this year and last.
If you hold a visitor permit, are a tourist or are waiting for an asylum decision
The law lists who is covered, and these cases are not on the list: a visitor permit gives neither the right to work nor permanent residence, and of those granted protection only recognised refugees and people with subsidiary protection are covered. Care is through private insurance or out of pocket. The law lets the ΟΑΥ admit excluded people voluntarily under its internal regulations; ask the GESY Contact Centre on 17000. Once you take up employment or get permanent residence, register under your branch above.
A residence permit is not a pass into GESY: visitors are not covered, and foreign parents must register before their children
What follows from this:
- registration has two steps: entry in the GESY register (Μητρώο Δικαιούχων) and registration with a personal doctor; GESY care starts only after both
- parents without Cypriot citizenship should register before their children — then the children's records link to their accounts automatically; if you are late, ask the child's paediatrician to add your details
- each family member is registered by a separate request and chooses their own doctor; one account can file requests for everyone, but it does not show the others' medical records — adults need their own accounts
- according to an ΟΑΥ announcement of 15.07.2025, the GESY website and portals are temporarily reachable only from Cyprus and Greece — you cannot register from abroad in advance
- you can change your personal doctor after 12 months and must give a reason; the ΟΑΥ's English registration page still says «six months» — that rule is out of date
- 3 months before your residence permit expires the ΟΑΥ starts a re-evaluation; without a valid permit a foreign national's GESY right is terminated automatically — renew your permit in time
- a doctor may remove you from their list — you then have 15 days to choose another, or the system assigns one
Sources
- Ο περί Γενικού Συστήματος Υγείας Νόμος 89(Ι)/2001, sections 16, 19, 26www.cylaw.orgWho is covered and who counts as family; contribution rates and the €180,000 ceiling; ages for paediatrician, adult doctor and geriatrician.
- ΚΔΠ 241/2019 — Συντηρούμενα Τέκνα Δικαιούχου άνω των 21 και Απόδειξη Συνήθους Διαμονήςwww.gesy.org.cyChildren over 21: students under 26 and children unable to support themselves; foreign documents need an apostille and a Greek translation.
- ΚΔΠ 164/2019 — Αποφάσεις για τις διαδικασίες εγγραφής και διαγραφής δικαιούχωνwww.gesy.org.cyA separate request for each person (7(3)); provisional care until the decision (19); services only after registering with a doctor (20); re-evaluation 3 months before a permit expires (22(3)).
- ΟΑΥ — Διαδικασία Εγγραφής Δικαιούχων (Beneficiary Enrolment Process)www.gesy.org.cyThe two registration steps; online, via a doctor, and paper requests for special categories; the ARC number at Social Insurance; doctor ages 15/18/65.
- ΟΑΥ — FAQ: Personal Doctor List Managementwww.gesy.org.cyChanging doctor after 12 months and the exceptions; 15 days to choose a new doctor; automatic allocation; requests on behalf of a child under 18.
- ΟΑΥ — announcement of 11.08.2022 on changing personal doctorwww.gesy.org.cyFrom 31.08.2022 the period before changing doctor is 12 months instead of 6, and a reason must be given.
- ΟΑΥ — Χρηματοδότηση (contributions, co-payments, Personal Contribution I)www.gesy.org.cyContribution rates, co-payments of €1/€6/€10, Personal Contribution I of €25 for a specialist without a referral, the annual co-payment cap of €150 and €75.
- ΟΑΥ — Beneficiaries Registration FAQwww.gesy.org.cyParents without Cypriot nationality enrol before their children; children's records link to both parents' accounts; the filing account does not see others' medical records.
- ΟΑΥ — Additional evidence per beneficiary eligibility category (PDF 31.10.2024)www.gesy.org.cyFor category F and 6(2) permanent residents — 12 months of bills, all passport pages; for family — apostille and sworn translation.
- ΟΑΥ — announcement of 15.07.2025 on access from abroadwww.gesy.org.cyThe GESY website and portals are temporarily reachable only from Cyprus and Greece.
- ΟΑΥ — Beneficiary Re-evaluation Processwww.gesy.org.cyRe-evaluation 3 months before a permit expires; automatic termination for foreign nationals without a valid permit; contact 17000.