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Country guide · Greece

Health insurance when moving to Greece: the checkpoints

Whether you are insured in Greece through your work or need to arrange cover yourself depends on your status.

6 checkpoints13 sourcesUpdated 12 October 2026
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At a glance

Greece in 6 points

You clarify these points before you move to Greece. Each line names its source; last updated 12 October 2026.

  1. 01

    Provider

    In Greece, the National Organisation for Healthcare Services (EOPYY) provides benefits in kind in case of illness for people insured with the Unified Social Security Fund (e-EFKA), which includes employees, self-employed people, farmers and seafarers.

    Source [1], [2]

  2. 02

    Family doctor and own share

    Insured people choose a family doctor from the list of the local primary care network (PEDY) and can see doctors contracted with EOPYY; visits to non-contracted doctors are not reimbursed.

    Source [1]

  3. 03

    Without insurance

    Uninsured EU citizens with residence documents have access to public health structures.

    Source [5], [1]

  4. 04

    Stay of over three months

    After the first three months, you register in person with the police.

    Source [6], [7], [8], [9]

  5. 05

    Proof without work

    If you do not work, you need comprehensive health insurance cover for a stay of more than three months.

    Source [6], [7], [9]

  6. 06

    EHIC

    The EHIC applies only to a temporary stay.

    Source [10], [11], [12], [13]

To tick off

Clarify before the move

  • Clarify your status: working in Greece, secondment, pension or no occupation.
  • Ask your health insurer (Krankenkasse) about the EHIC, the S1 and the day on which your cover in Germany ends.
  • Ask e-EFKA from when you are entitled to benefits in kind and whether insurance periods from Germany count.
  • Ask e-EFKA how you get the AMKA and how the registration of an S1 works.
  • Note down your date of entry so that you keep track of the three-month period.
  • Ask the competent police office which documents and which proof of health insurance it requires.
  • For a policy, have the scope of cover, territory, term and comprehensiveness confirmed in writing.
  • Plan for the time until Greek cover begins with interim cover.
  • Clarify who in your family will be co-insured and how you prove it.

In detail

Everything about Greece, step by step

The systemHow health insurance works in Greece

In Greece, the National Organisation for Healthcare Services (EOPYY) provides benefits in kind in case of illness for people insured with the Unified Social Security Fund (e-EFKA), which includes employees, self-employed people, farmers and seafarers. Insured people choose a family doctor from the list of the local primary care network (PEDY) and can see doctors contracted with EOPYY; visits to non-contracted doctors are not reimbursed.

Insured people also pay an own share, for example for medicines, for tests at contracted laboratories and at contracted clinics; in public hospitals, insured people pay no co-payment for inpatient treatment.

You can find out which doctors near you have contracts with EOPYY from e-EFKA and on the EOPYY website.

Obligation and accessWhen you must be insured in Greece or get access

In principle, the country responsible for health insurance is the country where you work, otherwise the country where you live; nationality does not count.

SituationWhat the sources sayWhat you clarify
Employees and self-employed people in GreeceAccess to benefits in kind in case of illness requires that contributions have been paid for a minimum number of days; whether you are entitled immediately as a new arrival is something you clarify with e-EFKA.Ask your employer or e-EFKA when your insurance starts and whether periods from Germany count.
Seconded employeesAnyone posted by their employer to another member state, or temporarily working there as a self-employed person, stays insured in the previous country if the activity is expected to last no more than 24 months.Ask your employer whether the secondment (posting abroad) meets the conditions and which certificate they apply for.
RetireesAnyone who receives a pension only from another member state and has no entitlement to benefits in kind in their country of residence receives them there at the expense of the institution responsible for the pension; the S1 is requested from the institution of the pension country.Ask your Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer) and your pension insurer who issues the S1, and ask e-EFKA how registration works.
People of independent means and investors without an occupationUnder Art. 33 of Law 4368/2016, uninsured EU citizens with residence documents have access to public health structures; a social security number (AMKA) is generally required. Whether this access applies to you is something you clarify with e-EFKA before moving, because the article of the law was amended later.Clarify which insurance you need for registration and for the time afterwards. The sources do not contain a separate rule for investors: what matters is whether you work in Greece. The sources read do not describe a route into the EOPYY system with reimbursement for people who do not work and receive no pension.
Partners and childrenCo-insured family members, such as a spouse who does not work and children up to certain age limits, have the same entitlements as the insured person; for the right of residence, family members follow the EU citizen.Clarify who in your family will be co-insured.

Anyone who is integrated into the Greek system through an S1 needs an EU AMKA; e-EFKA and the international relations department provide information on registration.

ProofWhen proof of health insurance is required

EU citizens who stay in Greece for more than three months and do not work need sufficient means and comprehensive health insurance cover; employees and self-employed people instead provide proof of their activity. After the first three months, you register in person with the competent police authority at your place of residence; under the directive, the deadline may not be shorter than three months from arrival.

According to the administrative portal, any private or public health insurance taken out in Greece or abroad is generally sufficient, provided it is comprehensive; the EHIC counts as full cover only if you do not move your residence to Greece. Whether your police office accepts your insurance in your individual case is something you clarify with them before moving.

SituationWhat the sources sayWhat you clarify
Employees and self-employed peopleFor the registration certificate, the administrative portal lists proof of activity and gives no information on health insurance.Ask the office which documents it requires for your situation.
Without gainful activityIf you do not work, you need comprehensive health insurance cover for a stay of more than three months.Clarify which insurance your office accepts as proof.
OptionsYour options: local or international
OptionWhat the sources sayWhat you clarify
Greek system through e-EFKAAccess follows the insurance with e-EFKA (section “System”).Ask e-EFKA from when and under what conditions you are entitled to benefits in kind.
Existing insurance via S1For retirees and seconded employees, the sources name the S1; details are in the section “Obligation and access”.Ask your health insurer (Krankenkasse) whether an S1 is an option for you.
Private or international policyThe administrative portal names private insurance in Greece and abroad as possible proof (section “Proof”).Have it confirmed that the policy is comprehensive and valid in Greece, and ask the office whether it accepts it.

How the rules have changed since this page was last updated, you check at the sources on the day of your move. You can find more on the policy at international health insurance. For partners and children, read Health insurance for families abroad.

In GermanyWhat you clarify in Germany before you move

Before you deregister (Abmeldung) in Germany, you clarify in writing what happens to your current insurance. The questions below apply to any destination country. They are questions, not legal advice: the answers are in your contract documents or come from the body you ask.

You clarify three Greece topics in advance with your Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer): the EHIC, a possible S1 (form for entitlement in the new country of residence) and the day your cover in Germany ends. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) applies only to temporary stays in another EU country and only for public providers; where your habitual residence moves, the European Commission names the S1 form instead.

If you have statutory insurance: questions for your Krankenkasse

  • What happens to my membership when I deregister in Germany, and on what date does it end?
  • Can I suspend the membership or take it up again later, and under what conditions?
  • What confirmation of my previous insurance periods do I receive, and how quickly?
  • What applies to co-insured family members: who stays insured and who does not?
  • Is an S1 an option for me, and who issues it?
  • Until which day does my cover apply, so that there is no gap between Germany and Greece?

If you have private insurance: questions for your insurer

  • Does my contract end with the move, is it suspended or does it continue?
  • Is there an Anwartschaft (a German option to keep certain rights in private insurance while abroad), and what is preserved under it? Ask about the difference between the small and the large Anwartschaft, and whether a new health assessment would be needed on a return.
  • Does my contract apply in the destination country, and for how long at a stretch?
  • Which documents do I receive in writing before I cancel?
  • Is the policy comprehensive, and does it apply in Greece for the entire length of stay?
  • Does the insurer confirm this in writing so that I can present it at registration?

Do not cancel any contract before it is clarified in writing what applies afterwards. We explain the connections on the pages Health insurance when emigrating and PKV and Anwartschaft. For families, there is more at Health insurance for the family abroad.

Stumbling blocksTypical mistakes with health insurance for Greece

  1. EHIC as a permanent solution

    The EHIC applies only to a temporary stay. Ask your health insurer (Krankenkasse) about the route for a change of residence.

  2. Planning registration without proof of insurance

    If you do not work, you need comprehensive health insurance cover for a stay of more than three months. Clarify in advance which insurance your office accepts.

  3. Missing the registration deadline

    After the first three months, you register in person with the police. Note your date of arrival and clarify the documents beforehand.

  4. Confusing access for the uninsured with insurance

    Access to public health structures for the uninsured is not health insurance with reimbursement. Clarify with e-EFKA which cover you need for registration and for the time afterwards.

  5. Taking out a policy without checking it

    Have it confirmed that the policy is comprehensive and valid in Greece, and ask the office whether it accepts it as proof.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Greece

Do I need to take out my own health insurance in Greece?

That depends on whether you work there: in Greece, the National Organisation for Healthcare Services (EOPYY) provides benefits in kind in case of illness for people insured with the Unified Social Security Fund (e-EFKA), which includes employees, self-employed people, farmers and seafarers.

For health insurance, the country where you work is generally responsible, otherwise the country where you live; nationality does not matter. EU citizens who stay in Greece for more than three months and do not work need sufficient means and comprehensive health insurance cover; employees and self-employed people instead provide proof of their activity. Ask e-EFKA what applies to your situation, and ask your Krankenkasse in Germany until when your current cover applies.

Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [6], [7], [9]

Do I need proof of health insurance for registration in Greece?

EU citizens who stay in Greece for more than three months and do not work need sufficient means and comprehensive health insurance cover; employees and self-employed people instead provide proof of their activity.

After the first three months, you register in person with the competent police authority at your place of residence; under the directive, the deadline may not be shorter than three months from arrival. According to the administrative portal, any private or public health insurance taken out in Greece or abroad is generally sufficient, provided it is comprehensive; the EHIC counts as full cover only if you do not move your residence to Greece. Ask the police office which documents it requires for your situation, and keep the confirmation of your insurance for the appointment.

Sources: [6], [7], [9], [8]

How is health insurance arranged if I move to Greece with a German pension?

Anyone who receives a pension only from another member state and has no entitlement to benefits in kind in their country of residence receives them there at the expense of the institution responsible for the pension; the S1 is requested from the institution of the pension country.

Anyone who is integrated into the Greek system through an S1 needs an EU AMKA; e-EFKA and the international relations department provide information on registration. Whether e-EFKA processes the S1 for you in this way is something you clarify before moving with your Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer) and with e-EFKA. For partners: co-insured family members, such as a spouse who does not work and children up to certain age limits, have the same entitlements as the insured person; for the right of residence, family members follow the EU citizen.

Sources: [3], [12], [13], [1], [6]

Do I have access to doctors in Greece if I am not insured?

Under Art. 33 of Law 4368/2016, uninsured EU citizens with residence documents have access to public health structures; a social security number (AMKA) is generally required.

This access does not replace health insurance with reimbursement. The version read is the one from 2016; whether and how the access applies to you today is something you clarify with e-EFKA. Access to benefits in kind in case of illness requires that contributions have been paid for a minimum number of days; whether you are entitled immediately as a new arrival is something you clarify with e-EFKA. Also ask whether your situation falls under a different rule.

Sources: [5], [1]

Does my EHIC apply if I move to Greece?

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) applies only to a temporary stay in another EU country and only for public providers; if you move your habitual residence, the European Commission names the S1 form instead.

Whether an S1 is an option for you and until when your card covers you in a move, you clarify with your health insurer (Krankenkasse). Anyone posted by their employer to another member state, or temporarily working there as a self-employed person, stays insured in the previous country if the activity is expected to last no more than 24 months. Ask your employer which certificate they apply for on your behalf.

Sources: [10], [11], [3], [12]

Show all 13 sources Updated 12 October 2026
  1. European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: Your social security rights in Greece (manuscript completed July 2026), chapters Healthcare and Social assistance official · manuscript completed July 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026Brochure in English; read as a PDF. It describes the Greek system for EU citizens but is not a legal text.
  2. Ministry of Labour of the Hellenic Republic (ypergasias.gov.gr): Insured persons official · no date given · accessed 10 October 2026In English; no date given.
  3. Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, Art. 11, 12 and 24, consolidated version (EUR-Lex) official · consolidated version of 31 July 2019 · accessed 10 October 2026English version; later amendments not checked.
  4. Your Europe (European Commission): Your health insurance cover in the host country (German-language page) official · page, last checked 19 August 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026 (official source in German)
  5. Ministry of Health of the Hellenic Republic (moh.gov.gr): Law 4368/2016, Art. 33, Health coverage of uninsured and vulnerable groups (text on the ministry page) official · PDF file dated 22 June 2016, later amendments (including Law 5078/2023) not incorporated · accessed 10 October 2026Legal text in Greek, version of 2016; read as a PDF.
  6. Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of Union citizens to move and reside freely, Art. 7 and 8 (EUR-Lex) official · retrieved 11 October 2026, English version, later amendments not checked · accessed 10 October 2026English version.
  7. MITOS (directory of administrative services of the Hellenic Republic): Certificate of registration for Union citizens residing in Greece as financially inactive persons official · last update according to the page 5 October 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026English version of the portal; content read via a summary.
  8. MITOS: Certificate of registration for citizens of the Union residing in Greece as employees or non-employees official · last change according to the page 31 July 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026English version of the portal; content read via a summary.
  9. Your Europe (European Commission): Economically inactive EU citizens and their residence rights (German-language page) official · page, last checked 1 July 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026 (official source in German)
  10. EU Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (German-language page) official · no date given · accessed 10 October 2026 (official source in German)
  11. Your Europe (European Commission): Health care during a temporary stay in another EU country (German-language page) official · page, last checked 16 September 2026 · accessed 10 October 2026 (official source in German)
  12. EOPYY, National Contact Point for cross-border healthcare: Moving to Greece for EU citizens official · Last Update: 23 December 2021 · accessed 10 October 2026In English; as of December 2021, content read via a summary.
  13. EOPYY, National Contact Point: Accessing health services in Greece for EU citizens official · Last Update: 23 December 2021 · accessed 10 October 2026In English; as of December 2021, content read via a summary.
Who this page is for and what it does not do

This page is for you if you live in Germany and are planning your move to Greece.

  • No insurer names and no prices as long as we cannot back them up.
  • No scare scenarios, only questions and sources.
  • No individual advice and no legal advice. This is general information.
  • No promotion of emigrating: the page only puts health insurance in context, for people who are leaving anyway.
  • Nothing on visas, work, housing or taxes. The authorities of the country and your advisers are responsible for those.
  • No questions about health data. These belong in the application, not in comments, messages or the call booking.

Who is writing here

Tassilo Peter Seitz is a shareholder of Verus Vorsorge GmbH and advises in German and English (insurance broker licensed under Section 34d (1) of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO)). How we work and how we are paid is explained on the page How we work, how we earn.

By , advising for Verus Vorsorge GmbH (insurance broker licensed under § 34d (1) GewO). This page provides general information and does not replace individual advice. What is binding is the law, the terms of your policy and the competent authorities.

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