Moving to Greece is a beautiful adventure, but navigating a new healthcare system is often one of the most complex parts of settling in. Understanding how the system works—and where the bottlenecks are—can help you stay prepared.
The following guide breaks down the Greek healthcare landscape for visitors and residents, backed by recent data on the local medical environment.
Understanding the System: Visitors vs. Residents
Your access to medical care in Greece is determined by your legal status and insurance coverage:
- Short-Term Visitors: EU citizens can access necessary public care using their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Non-EU visitors must typically rely on travel insurance or pay out-of-pocket, as they are not eligible for state-funded care.
- Legal Residents: Expats living and working in Greece gain access to the public system through EFKA (the social security fund). This requires an AMKA (social security number). To find out how to obtain your AMKA number, you may read here.
- Other Visa Holders: For those on a Golden Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, or Retirement Visa, private health insurance is a legal mandate. These policies must generally provide a minimum of €30,000 in coverage, including emergency care and repatriation.
7 Expat Insider Tips to Greek Healthcare
1. Navigating Public Wait Times
The Greek National Healthcare System (ESY) provides essential services, but high demand often leads to significant delays. According to research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 87% of people surveyed identified long waiting times as the primary obstacle to accessing public hospital care.
Insight: For non-emergency issues like routine consultations or specialist advice, digital medical platforms can act as a “fast track,” allowing you to bypass physical waiting rooms.
2. The “AMKA Gap”
There is often a transition period between arriving in Greece and receiving your official AMKA. During this time, you may find yourself in an administrative gap where you aren’t yet covered by the state but may require medical services.
Insight: It is wise to have a secondary plan for medical advice during your first few months to avoid paying full-price private rates at public facilities while your paperwork is processed.
3. Language and Communication
While many Greek physicians are highly trained and often speak English, the administrative and nursing staff in public hospitals may not. In medical settings, nuance is vital for a correct diagnosis.
Insight: Seeking out “English-first” medical services ensures that your symptoms and history are communicated accurately, reducing the risk of misunderstandings & bringing additional stress on yourself.
4. Manage Out-of-Pocket Costs
Should you encounter extended wait lists in the public system, private healthcare is the standard alternative. That said, financial transparency is often a concern in private healthcare. The same study noted that 18.5% of people reported the inability to pay out-of-pocket costs as a major barrier to care.
In tourist-heavy areas or expat-oriented private clinics, there may be higher rates for international patients.
Insight: Using services with fixed, transparent pricing allows you to manage your healthcare budget without the “tourist tax” sometimes encountered at walk-in private clinics.
5. Rural Medical Access
If you have settled in more remote areas such as Peloponnese (e.g. Mani Peninsula), the mountains of Zagori, or Ikaria, geographical distance is a genuine factor.
Insight: In remote areas, digital medical consultations are a necessity, bringing care to you without the need for a ferry ride or a long drive to the city.
6. Use Digital Prescriptions
Greece has modernized its pharmacy system through “Intangible Prescribing” (Auli Syntagografisi), managed by IDIKA. Once registered, your prescriptions are sent directly to your phone via SMS.
Insight: You do not always need a physical appointment to renew a routine prescription. Many doctors can issue these digitally following a brief virtual consultation, which you can then fulfill at any local pharmacy.
7. Consider Continuity of Care
Expats often move between their home country and Greece, or travel frequently between islands. This lifestyle can make it difficult to maintain a single, cohesive medical record with one local clinic.
Insight: Getting your health journey through a digital provider like Medpods ensures that your medical history is accessible at your next destination.
Your Partner in the Greek Odyssey
Navigating a new country is easier when you have a local partner. At Medpods, we provide the professional English-speaking doctors, transparent pricing and digital tools you need to make healthcare the simplest part of your move to Greece.
Additional Sources:
Gov.gr: Public Health Information
