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Detailed guide: Healthcare for UK nationals living in Greece

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This guidance will be updated if anything changes to how you get state healthcare in Greece.

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This information is about living in Greece. There’s different guidance if you’re visiting Greece.

State healthcare in Greece is not completely free. You may still have to pay to use some parts of the healthcare system.

UK nationals usually access the Greek healthcare system in one of these ways:

  • paying national insurance contributions if you’re registered to work in Greece
  • using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays
  • registering a UK-issued S1 form in Greece

Healthcare if you live and work in Greece

You must register as a resident if you want to stay in Greece for more than 3 months.

If you’re employed or self-employed in Greece, you’ll have to register with the Greek authorities and get a social insurance number.

Once you’re registered to work in Greece and make social insurance contributions, you’ll be entitled to state-run healthcare on the same basis as a Greek citizen.

Public healthcare in Greece is run by the Greek National Organisation for Healthcare Services Provision (EOPYY). The EOPYY website (in Greek only) has information on:

  • how to access healthcare
  • EOPYY’s local offices that cover all Greek regions
  • EOPYY-contracted doctors

For non-emergency hospital appointments, you need a referral from an EOPYY doctor, health centre or local health unit (TOMY).

Once you’re a resident, you may be entitled to a Greek EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension

If you are not working and do not have a registered S1 form, you’ll have to take out private health insurance.

How to register

Social insurance is called AMKA in Greek. You can get an AMKA number through your local citizens service centre or KEP office (website in Greek).

Once you’ve got your AMKA, you must register online with EOPYY (website in Greek). This will give you access to state healthcare services on the same basis as a Greek citizen.

How much you’ll pay

If you’re registered with EOPYY, you can see an EOPYY doctor for free or at a reduced cost.

Treatment in a state hospital is free if you’ve been referred by an EOPYY doctor or health centre.

You’ll pay around 25% of the cost of prescriptions, depending on the medicine. You may be able to get free or reduced cost medication, for example if you have a chronic illness.

If you go to a private clinic contracted with EOPYY, only part of the cost is covered by the state. You’ll need to make a co-payment towards the cost of your treatment.

If your UK employer has sent you to Greece temporarily (‘posted workers’)

A posted worker, also known as a ‘detached worker’, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Greece using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: using an S1 form in Greece

There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker.

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a Greek resident and receive a UK State Pension.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.

If you started living in Greece before 1 January 2021, you may also be entitled to an S1 if you receive some other ‘exportable benefits’.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Greek system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to state healthcare in Greece on the same basis as an insured Greek citizen.

You’ll also get:

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Greece than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services.

NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Saturday, 9am to 3pm

How to use an S1 form in Greece

You’ll need to register as a resident then get a Greek social insurance (AMKA) number through your local citizens service centre or KEP office (website in Greek).

Once you’ve got your AMKA, you can register your S1 form with the Greek National Organisation for Healthcare Services Provision (EOPYY, website in Greek).

This will mean you’re entitled to access state healthcare on the same basis as a Greek citizen.

Studying in Greece

You can use an EHIC or GHIC to get medically necessary healthcare until the end of your study period.

Getting treatment in the UK

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes UK nationals who started living in the EU before 1 January 2021.

Read more about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.

If you return to live in the UK you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.

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