Cyprus health insurance for PR 6.2: Plan A requirements, providers and GESY in 2026

Health insurance is one of the mandatory conditions for every investor applying for Cyprus Permanent Residency under Regulation 6(2) or Category F. The Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) requires a valid private health insurance certificate at the time the MIP1 application is submitted, together with a commitment to maintain continuous cover for as long as the status is held. This seems simple, but it involves many specific rules that Vietnamese applicants often misunderstand — especially the difference between the Plan A required for immigration and GESY (Cyprus’s public health system).

This article covers in full the CRMD’s Plan A requirements for 2026, the minimum cover, actual premiums from the major providers, a list of reputable insurers, the path to switching to GESY after PR is granted, and the common mistakes that lead the CRMD to return insurance documents.

The CRMD’s Cyprus health insurance requirements

According to official guidance from theCivil Registry and Migration Department, all PR applicants must have valid private health insurance issued by an insurer licensed to operate in the Republic of Cyprus or the EU. The requirement applies to the main applicant, spouse and each dependent child — each person must have their own policy; a single family policy cannot be used.

The only type of insurance the CRMD accepts is calledPlan A— short for Immigration Health Insurance Plan A. It is a standardised insurance contract regulated by the Cyprus Ministry of Finance, with the same terms across all insurers. The only difference between providers is the premium.

Minimum cover

Plan A has fixed minimum levels of cover:

• Outpatient care: €1,700 EUR per person per year
• Inpatient care/hospitalisation (inpatient treatment and surgery): €8,544 EUR per person per year
• Body repatriation (transporting remains home): €3,418 EUR in the event of death
• Total annual limit: €13,700 EUR per person
• Reimbursement rate: 90% of eligible medical costs within the limits

For immigration purposes, this level of cover meets the legal requirement but is not enough for real medical risks. Major surgery, cancer treatment or a long hospital stay in the Republic of Cyprus can exceed €13,700 EUR. This is why many lawyers recommend investing in additional comprehensive private health insurance once Plan A has been obtained for the application.

Validity and maintenance requirements

Cyprus health insurance must be valid for at least 12 months from the date the MIP1 application is submitted. If the policy expires before the CRMD grants PR (on average 2–6 months after applying), the application may be put on hold and a new policy requested. Applicants usually buy a policy starting on the day of their CRMD appointment to make the most of the time.

The obligation to maintain insurance does not end once PR is granted. The CRMD checks annually, together with confirming that the investment is maintained. Letting insurance lapse is one of the common reasons PR is revoked under Regulation 6 of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations.

What Plan A is and how it differs from other types of insurance

Plan A is a standardised immigration insurance contract regulated by the Insurance Companies Control Service (ICCS) of the Cyprus Ministry of Finance. All insurers licensed in Cyprus must sell Plan A using the same template terms, differing only in price.

Why Plan A is standardised

Before 2018, each Cypriot insurer had its own Plan A template, leading to inconsistencies when the CRMD reviewed applications. Some applicants were rejected because their policy lacked a repatriation clause, while the same level of cover from another insurer was accepted. The ICCS stepped in and issued a standard contract in 2018 that still applies today.

The practical consequence for applicants: there is no need to compare terms in detail — just compare prices. This is also why many applicants are “wrongly advised” by brokers that they need to buy more premium insurance to be approved faster — this is false. The CRMD only verifies whether the policy meets the Plan A template.

Comparing Plan A with GESY

GESY (Γενικό Σύστημα Υγείας — General Healthcare System) is Cyprus’s public health system, rolled out in 2019 for outpatient care and 2020 for inpatient care. GESY provides comprehensive healthcare to all residents through a network of family doctors, public hospitals and contracted private hospitals.

The core differences between Plan A and GESY:

• Plan A: private insurance, mandatory for immigration applications, no requirement for actual residence in Cyprus
• GESY: the public health system, free or with low co-payments, requiring residence and social insurance contributions

The CRMD does NOT accept GESY instead of Plan A when applying. The reason: at the time of application, the applicant is not yet a PR holder and so cannot register with GESY. After PR is granted, applicants can register with GESY alongside Plan A — but must keep at least the body repatriation part of Plan A.

Travel insurance is NOT accepted

Some applicants try to use Schengen travel insurance to save money when applying. The CRMD rejects all travel insurance — without exception. The reason: travel insurance is designed for short periods, lacks standard repatriation cover and is not issued by insurers licensed to operate in the Republic of Cyprus.

Similarly, international insurance from Bupa, Cigna, Allianz Care and others is not accepted unless the insurer has a licensed branch or representative in Cyprus and issues the policy on the Plan A template. Applicants need to buy Plan A from a Cypriot insurer first, and can then add international insurance as a second layer of protection.

Cyprus health insurance premiums in 2026

According to an April 2026 market survey of the major insurers, Plan A premiums vary considerably with age and occupation in Cyprus. Age is the biggest deciding factor. Medical history does NOT affect the Plan A price — a difference from ordinary private insurance.

Premiums by age

Plan A price bands in 2026:

• Children under 18: €100–150 EUR a year
• Adults aged 18–40: €120–180 EUR a year
• Adults aged 41–60: €180–240 EUR a year
• Adults aged 61–70: €240–300 EUR a year
• People over 70: €300–450 EUR a year or more depending on the provider

The average premium for a typical Vietnamese investor family (father aged 45, mother aged 40, 2 children under 18): about €600–800 EUR a year for the whole family. Compared with the MIP1 fee of €500 EUR per main application, this is a noticeable but not large cost within the total PR investment.

Factors affecting the price

Besides age, several other factors affect the premium:

• Intended occupation in Cyprus: office workers have the lowest premiums; manual workers pay 20–30% more
• Number of people on the policy: family policies usually get a 5–15% discount compared with separate individual policies
• Payment frequency: paying annually costs less than paying monthly
• Discount loyalty: customers who already hold other policies (car, home, etc.) with the same company get a 10–15% discount

Comparison with GESY costs after PR is granted

After PR is granted and the applicant registers with GESY, they contribute 2.65% of gross income to the public health fund (capped at €180,000 EUR of income a year). For an investor with income of €50,000 EUR a year, the GESY contribution is about €1,325 EUR a year — more than Plan A, but in return they receive full public healthcare rather than minimum cover only.

Many investors keep both Plan A (cheap, meeting the immigration requirement) and GESY (full practical services) after PR is granted. This is the optimal structure for both legal compliance and real health protection.

List of reputable Plan A providers

Cyprus has about 30 insurers licensed by the Insurance Companies Control Service. Of these, the following companies are the most popular choices for Cyprus PR 6.2 applicants.

Pitsas Insurances

Pitsas Insurances is an insurance brokerage operating since 1985 with more than 10,000 clients in 45 countries. It has the largest market share in immigration insurance for expatriates in Cyprus, representing major underwriters such as AIG and Aetna International.

Pitsas’s premiums are usually rated the lowest on the market — from €120 EUR a year for young people. The process is fully online: send a scan of your passport and a utility bill proving your address in Cyprus, and receive the policy by email within 15 minutes. Cypriot lawyers often refer Vietnamese applicants to Pitsas for its speed and competitive prices.

EuroLife Insurance

EuroLife is a subsidiary of Bank of Cyprus, founded in 1989 and one of the pioneers of the Cypriot life insurance market. EuroLife offers Plan A alongside more comprehensive health insurance products for clients who want to upgrade after PR is granted.

EuroLife’s advantage is its connection to Bank of Cyprus — applicants who have opened an account at Bank of Cyprus can easily arrange Cyprus health insurance in the same place. EuroLife’s Plan A premiums are usually 10–15% higher than Pitsas’s, but come with customer service integrated with the bank.

CNP Cyprialife

CNP Cyprialife is the Cypriot branch of the French insurance group CNP Assurances and one of the three largest life insurers in Cyprus, with a 65% market share (together with EuroLife and Universal Life). CNP Cyprialife offers immigration Plan A at competitive premiums with bilingual English–Greek service.

CNP Cyprialife’s advantages: a wide network of partner hospitals in Cyprus and experience handling complex claims. Clients can upgrade from Plan A to a comprehensive CNP insurance package once PR is granted.

Universal Life

Universal Life is a local Cypriot insurer and one of the three largest in the life insurance market. Universal Life’s Plan A targets the mid-range segment — pricier than Pitsas but with Greek-language support and an agent network in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca.

Allianz Cyprus and Aetna International

Allianz Cyprus is a branch of the German Allianz group, operating in Cyprus for more than 25 years. Aetna International (represented through Pitsas Insurances) is an American health insurer with a network of more than 22 million members worldwide. Both suit investors who need to link their Cyprus insurance with international systems when travelling between countries.

The process of buying Cyprus health insurance for a PR application

Buying Plan A is fairly simple for Vietnamese applicants and fully online, with no need for the investor to be in the Republic of Cyprus. Health insurance is a mandatory document attached when submitting theCyprus MIP1 application form— Section 9 of the form requires a policy valid for ≥12 months. The whole process from receiving a quote to receiving the official policy takes 1–2 business days.

Documents to prepare

To buy Plan A from any provider in Cyprus, applicants need to prepare:

• Scans of the passports of the main applicant, spouse and each child (the photo and details page)
• Date of birth, nationality and intended occupation in Cyprus for each person
• Residential address in Cyprus — the title deed of the purchased home, a lease registered at the Land Registry, or the lawyer’s/agent’s address if the property transaction is not yet complete
• A utility bill in English proving the address (electricity, water, internet)
• An email address to receive the policy

Medical history does NOT need to be declared for Plan A — an important difference from ordinary private insurance. Plan A accepts all applicants, with no individual underwriting process.

The process

Step 1: Contact the insurer through its website or your representing lawyer. Provide basic information and request a quote. Most companies return a quote within 1–2 business hours.

Step 2: Accept the quote and pay the premium. Common payment methods: international SWIFT transfer, international credit card, or a domestic transfer if you already have a bank account in Cyprus. The premium must be paid in full before the policy takes effect.

Step 3: Receive the Cover Note by email. This document confirms the contract has been concluded and is equivalent to the official policy for submission to the CRMD. The Cover Note contains full details of the insured person, level of cover and start and end dates.

Step 4: Receive the official policy within 5–10 business days. The policy is sent by email as a PDF, to be printed in colour and submitted to the CRMD with the other documents in the MIP1 file.

When cover should start

Cypriot lawyers recommend setting the start date of cover to coincide with the CRMD appointment to submit the application. This optimises timing — starting earlier means paying for time you do not need; starting later means having no valid policy when the CRMD receives the application.

Some very well-prepared applicants buy a Plan A valid for 14 months (instead of the minimum 12) to have a 2-month buffer — ensuring the policy does not expire before the CRMD decides to grant PR. The extra cost is only a few tens of EUR, well worth it to reduce risk.

Registering with GESY after PR is granted

Under the Cyprus National Health Insurance Law 89(I)/2001 and its 2017 amendment, third-country nationals holding a valid Permanent Residence Permit are entitled to register with GESY and access the public health system in full, like Cypriot citizens.

Conditions for registering with GESY

To register with GESY, PR holders must meet the conditions set by theHealth Insurance Organisation (HIO):

• Hold an Aliens Registration Certificate (ARC) or a Cypriot ID card
• Be registered for a Social Insurance number (needed to contribute 2.65% of income)
• Have a residential address in Cyprus (the title deed of the purchased home or a lease registered at the Land Registry)
• Open an account on the GESY Health Portal and choose a Personal Doctor (GP)

Registration takes 2–4 weeks from submitting the application online via hiosystem.gov.cy. Once you have a GESY beneficiary number, you have full access to public healthcare.

GESY co-payments and benefits

GESY operates with very low co-payments:

• GP (family doctor) visits: free
• Specialist visits with a GP referral: €6 EUR per visit
• Specialist visits without a referral: €25 EUR per visit
• Tests and diagnostics: €1–10 EUR per test
• Hospital admission and surgery: completely free
• Annual co-payment cap: €150 EUR per person (€75 for children under 21)

Once the annual co-payment cap is reached, all further services are free. This is why GESY is considered one of the most affordable public health systems in the EU for residents.

Limitations of GESY

GESY has some practical limitations investors should know about:

• Waiting time for specialist appointments: 2–4 weeks
• Waiting time for imaging (MRI, CT): can be longer
• Adult dental care is not covered (only children under 18)
• Eye tests and glasses are not covered
• Some high-end private hospitals such as Aretaeio and Apollonion do not participate in GESY or participate only partially

Because of these limitations, many PR holders keep additional private health insurance — not the immigration Plan A but a comprehensive package with a wider network.

Upgrading your insurance after PR is granted

Immigration Plan A meets the legal requirement for the MIP1 application but is not the optimal insurance for real medical risks. After PR is granted and life in Cyprus has settled, many investors upgrade to more comprehensive insurance packages to secure real health protection.

Local Private Plans

Cypriot insurers offer comprehensive private insurance packages with much higher cover than Plan A. Annual limits usually range from €100,000 EUR to €2,000,000 EUR per person, enough for major surgery and long-term treatment.

Premiums range from €40–60 EUR a month for a basic package for under-35s, €60–80 EUR a month for a comprehensive package including specialists and imaging, and €100–150 EUR a month for a premium package with a wide hospital network. Local plans suit families settled permanently in Cyprus who do not travel abroad much.

International Health Insurance (IPMI)

For investors with an international lifestyle — travelling frequently between Vietnam, Cyprus, the EU and the US — IPMI packages from Bupa Global, Cigna Global, Allianz Care or Aetna International are a better choice. IPMI provides:

• Worldwide or broad regional cover (EU + Southeast Asia is common)
• Direct billing at partner hospital networks (no waiting for reimbursement)
• High annual limits of €300,000–€6,000,000 EUR per person
• Free choice of hospitals and doctors
• Portability — the policy stays with you when you move to another country

IPMI premiums are 20–250% higher than local plans, ranging from €150–300 EUR a month depending on cover and age. This is a significant cost but suits investors with income of €50,000+ EUR a year, as required for Cyprus PR 6.2.

The optimal insurance structure for Cyprus PR

A 3-layer structure recommended by many lawyers and financial advisers for PR holders:

• Layer 1: Plan A reduced (repatriation only, ~€60–80 EUR a year) — meeting the immigration requirement
• Layer 2: GESY (2.65% of income, max €4,770 EUR a year) — full public healthcare with low co-payments
• Layer 3: a Local Private Plan or IPMI (€40–300 EUR a month) — covering what GESY does not (waiting times, high-end private hospitals, dental care, glasses)

The total cost of the 3 layers for a family of 4 with income of €50,000 EUR a year: about €4,000–7,000 EUR a year — a reasonable cost for the comprehensive protection received.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

After handling thousands of Vietnamese applications, Cypriot lawyers have identified some of the most common mistakes investors make when arranging Cyprus health insurance.

Buying the wrong type of insurance

Applicants often confuse immigration Plan A with ordinary private health insurance. Buying ordinary private insurance with high cover of €100,000–500,000 EUR does not mean the Plan A requirement is met — because the policy does not follow the Plan A template set by the ICCS. How to check: ask the insurer to issue anInsurance Certificate clearly stating “Plan A — for Immigration Purposes”.

Cover shorter than 12 months

Some applicants buy a Plan A valid for 6 months to save money. The CRMD requires the policy to be valid forat least 12 monthsfrom the date of application — without exception. This mistake leads to the application being put on hold and a new policy with the correct term being requested.

Missing family members

Each family member (spouse and each child) must have their own Plan A policy — a single family policy cannot represent everyone. Many Vietnamese applicants buy a policy for the main applicant and forget to add policies for young children, leading the CRMD to request them after the application has been submitted.

Not updating when family circumstances change

After PR is granted, if there are new family members (a birth, a marriage) or members leave (divorce, a child turning 18), the Cyprus health insurance policies must be updated accordingly. The CRMD cross-checks annually, and any gap in cover can lead to a warning or revocation of PR.

Not maintaining cover after registering with GESY

Some PR holders cancel Plan A after successfully registering with GESY to save money. This is a serious mistake — even with GESY, applicants must still keep at least thebody repatriation(€3,418 EUR) portion of Plan A. Many insurers offer a “Plan A reduced — repatriation only” package at a lower premium (~€60–80 EUR a year) for this purpose.

Summary and next steps

Plan A Cyprus health insurance is an indispensable condition of an application forCyprus residency by investmentunder Regulation 6(2). The contract is standardised across providers, with minimum cover of €1,700 EUR outpatient, €8,544 EUR inpatient and €3,418 EUR repatriation. Actual premiums range from €120–300 EUR per person per year depending on age.

Top 5 reliable Plan A providers: Pitsas Insurances (lowest price, online), EuroLife Insurance (linked to Bank of Cyprus), CNP Cyprialife (wide hospital network), Universal Life (local service) and Allianz Cyprus/Aetna International (international connections). The purchase process is fully online, needing only a passport and a utility bill proving an address in Cyprus.

After PR is granted, investors are entitled to register with GESY — Cyprus’s public health system, with low co-payments and an annual cap of €150 EUR. However, even with GESY, the obligation to maintain Plan A body repatriation cover still applies. The optimal structure combines Plan A reduced with GESY and comprehensive private insurance for the best real health protection in the Republic of Cyprus.