Finding help in an emergency
If you have a serious or life-threatening emergency or you need an ambulance, the police or the fire brigade, dial 112. Calls are free of charge.
Visiting Cyprus
Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance if you're planning to visit Cyprus. The government always advises UK nationals to take out comprehensive travel insurance when going overseas. Your
EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance and you should have both when you travel abroad.
An EHIC enables you to access necessary state-provided healthcare in Cyprus at a reduced cost, or sometimes for free, if you are staying there temporarily.
Emergency medical care is provided to anyone requiring urgent attention. You can expect to be charged in full for any care provided if you do not have an EHIC.
Make sure that you are treated by a healthcare provider in the state system. Your EHIC will not cover you for private healthcare.
Remember to keep all receipts and any paperwork.
Pre-existing health conditions
You should buy medical travel insurance before visiting Cyprus if you have a pre-existing health condition. You must tell the insurance company about any pre-existing health conditions you have, so that you can get the cover you need.
The Money and Pensions Advice Service has information about
buying travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
If you have a pre-existing condition that will need treatment while abroad, ask your doctor in the UK for advice before you travel. Take any documents about your health condition or medicine with you.
Your EHIC will be valid until the UK leaves the EU. Your EHIC can also be used to access UK-funded treatment if your visit or treatment started before exit day until you return to the UK.
Your EHIC may not be valid after exit day if there is a no-deal Brexit. This will depend on whether the UK has an arrangement with Cyprus and might mean to need to pay in full for treatment.
If you are travelling to have planned medical treatment, read our guide to
seeking medical treatment in Europe.
Hospitals
You need to be referred by a doctor for any specialist treatment.
You'll need to present a valid EHIC when you're admitted to hospital, to receive treatment at the same cost as a resident.
The Ministry of Health provides a
list of state hospitals, including phone numbers.
Prescriptions
If you don't have a Cypriot medical card or alternative means of cover you will be charged the full cost of a prescription.
Pharmacies in Cyprus open from 9am until noon, close for a few hours and reopen from 3pm to 6pm or 7pm. Some may not open at all in the middle of the week.
Bringing your own medicines to Cyprus
Some prescribed medicines contain drugs that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation in the UK. This means that additional legal controls apply to these medicines.
You may need a personal license to take controlled medicines abroad. Specific requirements also apply to:
- the information that you must take with you
- how you carry your controlled medicines
Visit GOV.UK for more information about
travelling with controlled medicines.