Newsroom
Parliament unanimously approved a long-overdue measure on Thursday to guarantee insurance coverage for members of the Army of the Republic who are injured or killed while carrying out dangerous duties, a move MPs described as the absolute minimum owed to those defending the country.
The amendment formally puts insurance protection into the rules for soldiers who receive special duty allowances, covering cases of death or permanent total incapacity when the incident occurs in the line of duty.
In plain terms: if a soldier doesn’t come home or can never work again because of their service, the state will now pay clearly, predictably, and without legal grey zones.
What the coverage includes
Under the new rules:
- €115,000 will be paid as a lump sum in the event of death, split equally among the heirs.
- An additional €95,000 for each dependent will also be paid.
- The same amounts apply in cases of permanent total incapacity, with the injured soldier receiving the payment directly.
- All payments are tax-free and come on top of any allowances already granted for high-risk duties.
- In disability cases, the payout will follow a decision by a competent medical board, confirming that the injury happened while the soldier was performing the duties tied to the allowance.
Why it matters
These allowances exist precisely because some military tasks carry real, sometimes deadly, risk. Until now, however, the insurance safety net behind those risks was fragmented or, in some cases, simply assumed.
Thursday’s unanimous vote changes that, turning an expectation into a guaranteed right.
Lawmakers stressed that this is not a bonus or a privilege but a basic safeguard for soldiers and their families, especially in moments when financial uncertainty is the last thing they should be facing.
Legal clarity, fewer court battles
The amendment also spells out how compensation works if families or injured soldiers later pursue legal claims against the state. Any insurance money already paid will be offset against court-awarded compensation, avoiding double payments while ensuring families aren’t left unprotected in the meantime.
The bottom line
Cyprus now has a clear rule: if the state asks soldiers to take on dangerous missions, it also takes responsibility when things go wrong.
For many MPs, the message was simple: defending the country should never mean leaving families exposed. And for once, Parliament agreed without a single dissenting vote.
