Greece — Healthcare for retirees

This page is for general information only. It is not medical advice.

What this page covers

How retirees get healthcare in Greece. What the public system is. When you need private insurance. How EU cards and EU pensions work. Why an AMKA number alone is not insurance. What to do if you are from the USA.

Public vs private (simple)

Greece’s public arrangement has two layers:

• ΕΣΥ (ESY) — the state provider network (hospitals, PEDY/TOMY, health centres)
• ΕΟΠΥΥ (EOPYY) — the statutory purchaser that contracts private doctors, labs, and clinics

Insurance capacity (ασφαλιστική ικανότητα) is managed through e-ΕΦΚΑ (the electronic social-security body).

Private insurance means you pay a company for cover. Many residence permits require it.

AMKA ≠ coverage. The ΑΜΚΑ social-security number is a mandatory identifier. It does not by itself mean you have contribution-based ΕΟΠΥΥ entitlement. Active capacity usually comes from work contributions, registered S1, or other statutory affiliation (verified electronically via ΗΔΙΚΑ).

Separate track — uninsured legal residents (ν. 4368/2016 art. 33): with AMKA and lawful stay, you may access public ΕΣΥ structures for nursing and medical-pharmaceutical care (pharmacy participation generally mirrors insured rates unless exempt). This is welfare-style public-structure access, not a marketed voluntary ΕΟΠΥΥ product, and it does not automatically open the full contracted private network — or replace residence-permit insurance proof.

No verified open paid ΕΟΠΥΥ buy-in for general third-country retirees (no Spain convenio / Italy volontaria-style published fee schedule for ordinary TCNs in 2025–2026 packs). A narrow optional sickness branch exists for Greek nationals / ομογενείς on a foreign pension (8.5% of pension; 2026 minimum base €661.19 → implied ≈ €56.20/month) — not for ordinary TCN retirees.

If you are from the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Short visits — EHIC / GHIC

EHIC means European Health Insurance Card. The UK version is GHIC.

Show EHIC (or Provisional Replacement Certificate) + ID at ΕΣΥ or ΕΟΠΥΥ-contracted points for medically necessary care on the same terms as domestic insured. Public ΕΣΥ outpatient/health centres: free with EHIC; contracted private doctors free within a monthly cap of 200 visits per doctor — beyond that, patient pays. Public hospital inpatient: free with EHIC; contracted private hospitals: co-pay per contract; non-contracted private: full patient cost. Medicines often ~25% patient share; contracted diagnostics often ~15%. Necessary dental mainly at public dental units. Ambulance: 166 / 112 to public hospital on duty. Planned care needs S2.

Settling as a pensioner — S1 → e-ΕΦΚΑ → EU-AMKA

1. Confirm which state is competent (pension-paying rules under Regs 883/2004 & 987/2009).
2. Request S1 from the home competent institution (UK: NHS Overseas Healthcare Services).
3. Complete residence formalities for stays >3 months.
4. Obtain AMKA / EU-AMKA via ΚΕΠ or e-ΕΦΚΑ.
5. Register S1 with e-ΕΦΚΑ (ΕΟΠΥΥ NCP contacts: tm.asfikan@efka.gov.gr; International Relations gd.international@efka.gov.gr). Prefer NCP over older GOV.UK text that says “register with ΕΟΠΥΥ”.
6. Use ΕΣΥ / contracted care with EU-AMKA; budget medicine co-pays.

No separate statutory multi-month wait beyond administrative registration was found in NCP materials. Workers contributing to e-ΕΦΚΑ enrol via ordinary affiliation. Non-active EU without S1 still need sickness insurance for free-movement stays >3 months — EHIC is not a residence document.

If you are from outside the EU

Verified tracks:

1. Work / self-employment → e-ΕΦΚΑ contributions → ασφαλιστική ικανότητα → ΕΟΠΥΥ package.
2. S1 only if an EU/EEA/CH/UK competent institution issues it (not a US path).
3. ν. 4368/2016 art. 33 — legal residents who are uninsured may use public ΕΣΥ structures with AMKA (see Public vs private).
4. Private insurance meeting ΚΥΑ οικ.133692/2024 for permit types that allow private cover — the usual path for financially independent / many non-work permits.
5. Narrow optional regimes — continuation for people with prior Greek insurance history; art. 11 ν. 1276/1982 for Greek nationals/ομογενείς on foreign pensions only.

Residence-permit insurance gate (ΥΑ 95391/2024): initial grant generally needs proof of application for full sickness insurance covering the same risks as for Greeks or, where the Code allows, a compliant private policy. Renewal needs active ασφαλιστική ικανότητα for the prior period or compliant private cover. Foreign policies must expressly cover stay in Greece.

Private-insurance minima — ΚΥΑ οικ.133692/2024 (ΦΕΚ Β΄ 2724/10-5-2024), for permit types that allow private insurers:

Policies with exclusions and/or special riders are not accepted. These are immigration-compliance floors, not a recommendation of adequate retiree cover.

If you are from the USA

• Medicare does not cover routine care in Greece.
• There is no USA–Greece bilateral healthcare treaty opening ΕΟΠΥΥ to US retirees.
• U.S.–Greece SSA totalization coordinates retirement/survivors/disability credits only. SSA notes that if the agreement exempts you from Greek social-security contributions, you generally do not receive Greek health/sickness-type benefits — arrange private or other cover.
• Visa / residence: for permit types allowing private insurance, meet ΚΥΑ οικ.133692/2024; foreign policies must name Greece. Re-check the competent consulate’s checklist.
• When public access may open: (1) Greek work contributions → e-ΕΦΚΑ; (2) lawful stay + AMKA under 4368/2016 for public ΕΣΥ structures if uninsured; (3) Greek national / ομογενής foreign-pension optional branch if eligible; (4) otherwise private for permit + care. No verified open paid voluntary ΕΟΠΥΥ buy-in for ordinary US retirees.

Simple enrollment checklist

EU / EEA / Swiss (and UK S1-eligible)

• Confirm competent state; obtain EHIC/GHIC for travel phase.
• If settling as pensioner without Greek pension: request S1 abroad.
• Register residence (>3 months); obtain AMKA / EU-AMKA via ΚΕΠ or e-ΕΦΚΑ.
• Register S1 with e-ΕΦΚΑ; keep confirmation.
• Use ΕΣΥ / ΕΟΠΥΥ-contracted care; budget ~25% medicine co-pays.
• Do not rely on EHIC for settlement.

Non-EU (typical retiree / FIP)

• Identify permit category under ν. 5038/2023.
• Buy private insurance meeting ΚΥΑ οικ.133692/2024 (or e-ΕΦΚΑ if a work path applies). Foreign policy must name Greece; avoid exclusions/riders.
• Visa D / residence file with insurance + ΥΑ 95391/2024 docs.
• After lawful stay: obtain ΑΦΜ and AMKA.
• Clarify with hospital admin / ΚΕΠ whether you are contribution-insured or 4368/2016 uninsured-with-AMKA for public structures.
• Keep private policy active for renewals unless you can show continuous ασφαλιστική ικανότητα.
• US citizens: do not rely on SSA totalization for health.

Things to double-check

1. No general TCN paid voluntary ΕΟΠΥΥ fee schedule located on ΕΟΠΥΥ/e-ΕΦΚΑ primary pages for 2025–2026; absence ≠ proof no niche circular exists — flag before absolute marketing claims.
2. GOV.UK vs ΕΟΠΥΥ NCP on S1 desk (ΕΟΠΥΥ vs e-ΕΦΚΑ) — prefer NCP (e-ΕΦΚΑ).
3. AMKA ≠ ασφαλιστική ικανότητα — do not treat the number as proof of insurance for Migration renewals.
4. 4368/2016 ≠ full ΕΟΠΥΥ contracted network and does not replace permit insurance documents.
5. ΚΥΑ 133692/2024 minima are immigration floors only; many retirees buy higher private limits commercially.
6. Co-pay tables (~25% meds, ~15% some diagnostics) are indicative from EC/EOPYY visitor materials — confirm at point of service.
7. Consulate-specific US visa D checklists beyond the national ΚΥΑ — re-verify per mission.

References

• Emergency: 112 · EKAV ambulance: 166