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Patients covered by Cyprus’s national health system (GESY) and other approved groups will not be affected by the recently announced €100 advance fee for Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) visits, health officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The fee applies only to non-beneficiaries, such as tourists from outside the EU or people not registered with GESY or the Health Ministry’s approved lists.
In comments to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Charalambos Charilaou, spokesperson for the State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY), stressed that GESY beneficiaries will continue to pay only €10 for emergency room registration as usual, with all other services provided free of charge under the current healthcare system.
Who pays what?
According to Charilaou, there are three basic categories of emergency room patients:
- GESY beneficiaries: Pay only the standard €10 registration fee.
- Special groups (e.g. political asylum seekers, Ukrainian refugees): Also pay €10. Any additional costs are covered by the Ministry of Health.
- Non-beneficiaries (such as third-country tourists): Must pay a €100 advance fee at the A&E.
However, Charilaou made it clear: No one will be denied emergency care, regardless of whether they can pay upfront.
“If someone comes in needing urgent care and doesn’t have the €100, they will still receive treatment,” he said. In those cases, an invoice will be issued, and the patient can settle the payment later.
How the advance fee works
For non-GESY patients who do pay the €100:
If the actual cost of their treatment is less than €100, the extra amount will be refunded.
If the total cost is more, the patient will be required to pay the difference.
This clarification comes after the state doctors’ union PASYKI raised concerns over the new policy. Charilaou responded by stressing that the decision is about fair and consistent billing for those not entitled to subsidized care, not about limiting access to emergency treatment.
