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Cyprus is taking a new approach to one of its most persistent healthcare problems: encouraging more young people to become nurses and stay in Cyprus to work.
In a move aimed at tackling the island's long-standing shortage of nursing staff, the Council of Ministers has approved a new annual grant scheme for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students studying at recognized universities in Cyprus.
Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides described the decision as an important step towards addressing what he called one of the most pressing issues facing the country's healthcare system.
Starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, eligible students will receive financial support throughout their studies. The grant increases each year, with students receiving:
- €1,000 in their first year
- €1,250 in their second year
- €1,500 in their third year
- €2,000 in their fourth year
That adds up to €5,750 over the course of a four-year degree.
The scheme is open to students who are permanent residents of Cyprus and are enrolled in recognized nursing or midwifery programs, regardless of their year of study or family income.
But there is one important condition. In return for receiving the grant, graduates will be required to work for at least two years in healthcare institutions in Cyprus after completing their studies.
According to the Health Minister, the goal is simple: make nursing a more attractive career choice while ensuring hospitals and clinics have enough qualified staff in the years ahead.
Anyone who has spent hours waiting in a busy emergency department or watched exhausted nurses juggling patient after patient knows how important that is. Behind the staffing shortage are real people, patients waiting longer for care and healthcare professionals working under increasing pressure.
The grant program forms part of a wider strategy to rebuild the nursing workforce. Other measures already underway include scholarships offered by private hospitals, incentives for qualified nurses who have left the profession to return, campaigns in schools to promote nursing careers, and fast-track training programs for healthcare assistants to take on non-nursing duties.
The ministry says those awareness campaigns are already showing results, with the number of undergraduate nursing students doubling over the past two years.
The Cyprus Federation of Patient Associations (OSAK) welcomed the government's decision, describing it as a positive step towards strengthening the country's healthcare workforce.
The organization noted that the shortage of nurses affects every part of the healthcare system, from hospitals to community nursing services and palliative care. It also warned that some services required under existing legislation cannot be fully implemented because there simply are not enough nurses to meet legal staffing requirements.
OSAK called on more young people to consider nursing as a career, while also urging employers and the state to improve working conditions and create a better work-life balance for nurses already in the profession.
For Cyprus, the challenge isn't just training more nurses; it's making sure they choose to build their careers at home. This latest initiative is designed to do exactly that.
