Quick answers: healthcare in Greece
- How much does health insurance cost in Greece for expats?
- Indicative international health insurance for a 32-year-old living in Greece (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA) typically costs £215 to £321 a month, with a median of £271 and the cheapest at £157, based on 13 plan quotes from the 14 insurers on our panel, taken in 2026-09. Your price depends on your age, medical history, plan and deductible, and is only confirmed by the insurer.
- How much does expat health insurance cost by age in Greece?
- Indicative median monthly premiums in Greece (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA): age 25 US$240, age 35 US$341, age 45 US$435, age 55 US$671, age 65 US$1,116. Quotes taken 2026-09; the insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
- Do foreigners need health insurance in Greece?
- It depends on the visa. Short-stay visitors needing a Schengen visa: Travel medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (including in case of death), valid for the whole stay, with minimum cover of 30,000 euros. Digital nomad visa and other national (D) visa applicants, including financially independent persons: Travel insurance valid at least as long as the visa, covering repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical care and emergency hospital care. Third-country nationals whose residence permit category allows private insurance: Joint Ministerial Decision 53821/2014 sets minimum private cover: at least 10,000 euros a year for hospital care, 1,500 euros a year for medical and pharmaceutical expenses and 15,000 euros for permanent disability from accident, with the insured's share capped at 20%. UK visitors (GHIC or UK EHIC holders) and EU visitors with an EHIC: The card gives access to state healthcare only. Countries that require travel insurance to enter
- Can foreigners use public healthcare in Greece?
- Visitors from the UK need a GHIC or UK EHIC to use state healthcare, and the card does not replace travel insurance. The FCDO notes that without insurance you may only be able to get treatment or diagnostic tests from public hospitals, not from private doctors.
- Do hospitals in Greece ask foreigners to pay upfront?
- Private hospitals and diagnostic centres charge self-paying patients at their listed prices. A GHIC or EHIC does not cover private healthcare or medical repatriation, so these costs fall on the patient or their insurer.
- What is the emergency number in Greece?
- Call 166 for an ambulance in Greece.
What health insurance costs in Greece (indicative)
These are indicative prices, based on 13 plan quotes from the 14 international insurers on our panel, for one standard profile: a 32-year-old living in Greece, inpatient and outpatient cover, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA. The typical monthly price is £215 to £321, with a median of £271 and the cheapest at £157. Your actual price depends on your age, medical history, the plan, your deductible and where you want cover, and is only confirmed by the insurer. Snapshot 2026-09-24. See the Health Insurance Cost Index.
Indicative prices: the 5 lowest of 13 plan quotes, monthly in GBP, cheapest mid-level plan in each insurer's range. Quotes taken 2026-09-24.
See the figures
| Age | Cheapest | Median | Higher end | Plans quoted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | US$148 | US$240 | US$304 | 14 |
| 35 | US$209 | US$341 | US$384 | 14 |
| 45 | US$253 | US$435 | US$493 | 14 |
| 55 | US$328 | US$671 | US$726 | 14 |
| 65 | US$492 | US$1,116 | US$1,224 | 13 |
Indicative. Single adult, inpatient and outpatient, cheapest mid-level plan per insurer, worldwide excluding the USA. Quotes taken 2026-09-29. The insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
How healthcare works for expats
Greece has a public National Health System (ESY) alongside a large private sector of hospitals and diagnostic centres, concentrated in Athens and Thessaloniki. The UK Foreign Office describes treatment and facilities as generally good on the mainland but possibly limited on the islands, with basic ambulance services and serious shortages on some islands.
Public care and state schemes
Visitors from the UK need a GHIC or UK EHIC to use state healthcare, and the card does not replace travel insurance. The FCDO notes that without insurance you may only be able to get treatment or diagnostic tests from public hospitals, not from private doctors.
Private hospitals
Private hospitals publish detailed price lists: IASO in Athens, for example, lists thousands of individual charges from consultations to room rates. Private diagnostic centres often charge far less than hospitals for the same scan or blood test, and prices are shown openly on booking platforms.
Paying up front
Private hospitals and diagnostic centres charge self-paying patients at their listed prices. A GHIC or EHIC does not cover private healthcare or medical repatriation, so these costs fall on the patient or their insurer.
Typical medical costs in Greece
Published prices, mostly from private hospitals. Pound figures are approximate conversions.
| Treatment | Price | About |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor's consultation, IASO private hospital (standard visit to specialist consultant visit)1 Athens, per visit | €87 to €120 | £75 to £103 |
| Urgent (unscheduled) medical visit surcharge, IASO private hospital1 Athens, per visit, added charge | €120 | £103 |
| Hospital room, IASO private hospital (single room to Lux room)1 Athens, per night | €806 to €1,210 | £694 to £1,041 |
| MRI brain, IASO private hospital (1.5T to 3T scanner)1 Athens, per scan | €530 to €695 | £456 to £598 |
| MRI brain, private diagnostic centres listed on doctoranytime (e.g. Iasys, Asklipios Diagnosis, Euromedica)2 Athens and other cities, per scan, self-pay | €120 to €190 | £103 to £163 |
| CT brain, IASO private hospital1 Athens, per scan | €175 | £151 |
| CT brain, private diagnostic centres listed on doctoranytime (e.g. Ionio Iatriki, Eurodiagnostiki, Euromedica)3 Athens and other cities, per scan, self-pay | €50 to €70 | £43 to £60 |
| Full blood count, IASO private hospital1 Athens, per test | €42 | £36 |
| Full blood count, private laboratories listed on doctoranytime (e.g. Genelabs, Check Up Medicus, Affidea)4 Athens and other cities, per test | €3 to €4 | £2 to £3 |
| Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), IASO private hospital1 Athens, price-list charge; inclusions not stated on the list | €5,175 | £4,453 |
| Inguinal hernia repair, IASO private hospital (with mesh to laparoscopic)1 Athens, price-list charge; inclusions not stated on the list | €1,448 to €2,120 | £1,246 to £1,824 |
| Laparoscopic appendectomy, IASO private hospital1 Athens, price-list charge; inclusions not stated on the list | €1,048 | £902 |
Health insurance rules for foreigners
Short-stay visitors needing a Schengen visa
Travel medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (including in case of death), valid for the whole stay, with minimum cover of 30,000 euros.5
Digital nomad visa and other national (D) visa applicants, including financially independent persons
Travel insurance valid at least as long as the visa, covering repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical care and emergency hospital care. The digital nomad visa itself requires income of at least 3,500 euros a month after tax and is issued for up to 12 months.6,7,8
Third-country nationals whose residence permit category allows private insurance
Joint Ministerial Decision 53821/2014 sets minimum private cover: at least 10,000 euros a year for hospital care, 1,500 euros a year for medical and pharmaceutical expenses and 15,000 euros for permanent disability from accident, with the insured's share capped at 20%. The policy must run for one year, carry no exclusions or special add-on agreements, and state that it applies while the holder lives in Greece.9
UK visitors (GHIC or UK EHIC holders) and EU visitors with an EHIC
The card gives access to state healthcare only. It does not cover private healthcare, medical repatriation or changes to travel plans, and is not an alternative to travel insurance.10
Tips before you buy cover
- Compare the same test across providers: on published lists a brain CT costs 175 euros at a private hospital but 50 to 70 euros at private diagnostic centres, and a full blood count 42 euros against under 4 euros.
- Pharmacies are well stocked, but rules on dispensing some medicines, including antibiotics, are strict. Bring your prescriptions and a doctor's letter stating the quantities you need, and keep medicines in their original labelled containers.
- If you plan to spend time on the islands, note that facilities there can be limited and ambulance services stretched, so check that any policy includes medical evacuation.
- Private hospital surgical prices are listed as line items. Ask for a written estimate that states whether surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre and room charges are included.
- Without insurance you may be limited to public hospitals, so keep proof of cover with you.
Compare cover for Greece
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Sources
- 1.Τιμοκατάλογος (Price list), IASO private hospital, Athens (accessed September 2026)
- 2.Μαγνητική τομογραφία εγκεφάλου (Brain MRI) centre prices, doctoranytime (accessed September 2026)
- 3.Αξονική τομογραφία εγκεφάλου (Brain CT) centre prices, doctoranytime (accessed September 2026)
- 4.Γενική εξέταση αίματος (Full blood count) laboratory prices, doctoranytime (accessed September 2026)
- 5.Lodging of visa application (Schengen visas), Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Greece in the USA (accessed September 2026)
- 6.Visa info: long term, national D visa, Global Visa Center World (Greek visa application centre, UK) (accessed September 2026)
- 7.Greece welcomes digital nomads, Embassy of Greece in the United Kingdom (accessed September 2026)
- 8.Work from Greece: digital nomad visa, Marketing Greece (accessed September 2026)
- 9.Joint Ministerial Decision 53821/2014 on private insurance of third-country nationals, Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum (October 2014, accessed September 2026)
- 10.Greece travel advice: health, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (accessed September 2026)
- 11.Euro foreign exchange reference rates: GBP, European Central Bank (25 September 2026)
Costs and rules change. Always check with the hospital, the insurer or the relevant authority before relying on a figure.