Health Insurance in Greece: A Guide for Foreign Workers

Greece has a national health system funded through social security contributions. For a foreign worker, the path into it runs through three things: a social security number, a contribution record and registration with the national health insurer. Get those in place, and most public care is free or very low-cost. This guide explains how the system works, what it covers, what it costs, and what foreign workers and professional drivers need, including how cover ties in with residence. Greece is in the European Union, the euro area and the Schengen area, which keeps things straightforward for European arrivals.

The short version: when you work in Greece, you pay into the unified social security fund, known as EFKA, and your health cover is provided through the national health insurer, EOPYY, which buys care from the public health system, ESY, and from contracted private providers. Everything is tied to your social security number, the AMKA, and you generally need a short contribution record before health benefits begin. Employees are enrolled automatically by their employer. Because some everyday care still involves out-of-pocket costs and dental is largely private, many foreign workers also hold private insurance.

How health insurance in Greece works

Greece runs a social insurance model layered on a national health service. You pay contributions to the unified social security fund, EFKA — now extensively digital and referred to as e-EFKA — which collects the money. EOPYY administers your health entitlements; the National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services acts as the purchaser, paying public hospitals and health centres in the national health system, ESY, and a network of contracted private doctors. The thread that ties it together is the AMKA, the social security number that every person who works or lives in Greece must have; it links your contributions, your work history and your health cover. Greece has been rolling out a personal doctor system for primary care, though in practice patients can often book specialists directly.

The types of cover you will come across.

A few kinds of cover sit side by side in Greece. Statutory cover through EFKA and EOPYY is the public layer for people who work and contribute. Private health insurance, mostly from Greek insurers and focused on hospitalisation and faster access, is widely held on top. International health insurance covers you inside Greece and abroad. Travel insurance is short-term cover for visitors only. Because Greece is in the European Union and the European Economic Area, the European Health Insurance Card covers necessary care during a temporary stay, the United Kingdom’s Global Health Insurance Card works the same way, and the S1 and S2 forms handle pensioners, postings and planned treatment — a pensioner with an S1 registers it with EFKA to access the system. Note that certain residence routes, such as the Golden Visa, the Digital Nomad visa and the financially independent person visa, do not give access to EFKA, so holders must keep private cover.

Who actually needs health insurance?

Anyone who works legally in Greece must be in the social security system, regardless of nationality or how long the job lasts. Employed foreign workers are enrolled by their employer, who pays contributions on their behalf, and the worker does not arrange it themselves. The self-employed register and pay their own contributions, choosing among set categories. Family members — spouses and children up to a set age, longer if studying — can be covered through the insured person. A key rule for newcomers is the qualifying period: you generally need a minimum contribution record, often around fifty days in the relevant period, before health benefits become active. People on residence routes that exclude EFKA, and those waiting for their AMKA and contributions to take effect, rely on private cover in the meantime.

What the public system covers

Statutory cover is broad and includes visits to doctors and specialists, hospital treatment, maternity care, diagnostics, emergency care and prescription medicines. Treatment in public hospitals is free at the point of use, and care from EOPYY-contracted doctors is covered. The main out-of-pocket feature is the medicine co-payment, typically around a quarter of the cost for many prescriptions, lower for essential medicines and waived in some cases such as certain chronic conditions. The notable gap is dental care: Greece has largely privatised dentistry, so most adult dental treatment is paid for out of pocket, with only limited preventive care covered. Emergency care is provided to anyone, insured or not. Many Greeks also pay privately for everyday visits and tests simply because it is faster.

What it costs

For employees, social security contributions are a percentage of gross salary, split between worker and employer, of which a defined portion funds health insurance; the employee share is in the region of fourteen per cent across all branches, with the employer paying a larger share on top, all deducted and paid automatically. The self-employed pay both sides themselves, choosing among set contribution categories each year. On top of the statutory system, private health insurance in Greece is generally affordable and focused on hospitalisation, while comprehensive international plans cost more, depending on age and benefits. All amounts are in euros. You should budget for the medicine co-payments, private dental treatment, and any everyday visits you choose to pay for privately to avoid waiting.

Why do most foreign workers add private cover?

Statutory cover handles the substance of care, but waiting times for specialists in the public system, the medicine co-payments and the largely private dental sector lead many foreign workers to add a private layer. Private cover mainly buys faster access to specialists and private hospitals, shorter waits, English-language service in the cities, and broader dental benefits. International plans also fund treatment overseas and medical evacuation. When you compare policies, look at what is covered for a hospital stay, the outpatient and dental limits, any waiting periods, whether pre-existing conditions are excluded, and — if you drive across borders or travel often — whether cover extends beyond Greece. Many employers offer private health cover as a benefit, so check what your package already provides.

Health insurance for your residence permit

European Union and European Economic Area citizens do not need a permit. They are covered through employment in the same way as Greeks, or by an S1 transfer if they remain insured elsewhere. Third-country nationals applying for a visa or residence permit generally need to show health insurance covering their stay: those who will work join EFKA once employed, and their contributions take effect, while others — including investor, digital nomad and financially independent routes that do not give EFKA access — must hold a private policy, typically meeting a set coverage level with repatriation. Residence and migration matters are handled through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Requirements differ by route and can change, so always confirm the current rules with the migration authorities before you apply.

Health insurance for truck and transport drivers

Professional drivers carry more health risks than most workers — long hours at the wheel, time away from home and the constant risk of a road accident. Greece is the European Union’s gateway to the south-east, with the major port of Piraeus, the northern land borders towards Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Turkey, and long ferry distances to the islands, so many drivers cross frontiers and move freight by sea. Statutory cover and the European Health Insurance Card cover necessary care across the European Union and European Economic Area. Still, it is worth checking on-road emergency cover along the routes you actually drive, accident and injury cover including hospitalisation and rehabilitation, and the occupational-health provisions for the medical examinations a professional licence requires. A private layer that extends beyond Greece adds protection for drivers who travel widely.

Using your insurance day to day

Day to day, everything runs off your AMKA, which you obtain at a citizen service centre. You can register a personal doctor for primary care, and you book public appointments through the national e-health platform using your tax credentials and AMKA, or visit EOPYY-contracted doctors. Prescriptions are electronic, and you pay your co-payment at the pharmacy. Treatment in public hospitals is free at the point of use. In an emergency, call 166 for an ambulance or 112, the European emergency number, and urgent care is provided regardless of status. Hospitals and specialists are concentrated in Athens and Thessaloniki, with health centres across the regions and islands. Greek is the official language and uses its own alphabet; English is widely spoken in private clinics and tourist areas, less so in smaller public facilities.

Choosing a private insurer

For private or international cover, check that the insurer is authorised to operate in Greece and look closely at what the policy covers. Confirm the benefits for a hospital stay, the outpatient and dental limits, and whether private hospitals are included. Look closely at the exclusions — pre-existing conditions are where cover usually stops — and check the waiting periods that apply to planned treatment and maternity. If you need cover for a visa, make sure the policy meets the required coverage level and includes repatriation, and that the certificate is formatted as the authorities expect. If you travel often, make sure cover extends beyond Greece. No single insurer is recommended on this page; the goal is neutral information so you can decide for yourself.

For professional drivers in Greece

If you are relocating to drive in Greece, get your AMKA early, and make sure your employer enrols you and pays contributions. Your cover will take effect, and consider private cover for faster access and cross-border protection. Every employer on our platform complies with Greek labour and social security law, including enrolment in the social security system.

• Browse driver vacancies in Greece.
• Register a driver profile.
• For employers — guidance on employment package requirements

Health insurance by Greek region

Greece is divided into thirteen regions, and the rules are the same in each — statutory cover through EFKA and EOPYY, private cover on top — but hospital networks and travel distances differ by area, especially across the islands. Here is the picture region by region.

Attica

The capital region around Athens and the country’s main centre for advanced treatment, with the largest hospitals, specialists, the port of Piraeus and the busiest transport hub. Driver jobs in Attica.

Central Macedonia

The main northern region centred on Thessaloniki, the second city, with university hospitals and a major port and freight hub. Driver jobs in Central Macedonia.

Thessaly

A central region centred on Larissa and the port of Volos, on the main north-south motorway, with regional hospitals. Driver jobs in Thessaly.

Crete

The largest island, a region in its own right, with university and regional hospitals, busy ports and long road distances. Driver jobs in Crete.

Western Greece

A western region centred on Patras and its major port, the gateway to Italy by ferry, with regional hospitals. Driver jobs in Western Greece.

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

The north-eastern region on the borders with Bulgaria and Turkey, a key transit area for freight, with regional hospitals. Driver jobs in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

Peloponnese

The southern peninsula with regional hospitals, agricultural freight and routes radiating from the motorway network. Driver jobs in the Peloponnese.

Central Greece

A region on the mainland north of Attica, crossed by the main highways, with regional hospitals serving its towns. Driver jobs in Central Greece.

South Aegean

The island region of the Cyclades and Dodecanese, where care is spread across many islands and ferries and air links matter for access. Driver jobs in the South Aegean.

Epirus

A north-western region centred on Ioannina, home to a university hospital, near the Albanian border. Driver jobs in Epirus.

North Aegean

The island region near the Turkish coast, including Lesbos and Chios, with regional hospitals and ferry-dependent access. Driver jobs in the North Aegean.

Western Macedonia

A northern inland region near the North Macedonian and Albanian borders, with regional hospitals and mountain routes. Driver jobs in Western Macedonia.

Ionian Islands

The western island region including Corfu and Kefalonia, with regional hospitals and ferry links to the mainland and Italy. Driver jobs in the Ionian Islands.

Related guides

• Health insurance in Europe — overview
• Greece residence permit guide
• Greek citizenship guide

Official government sources

• EOPYY — the national health insurer.
• e-EFKA — social security contributions.
• Ministry of Health — health policy and the national health system.
• Ministry of Migration and Asylum — residence and permits.
• Bank of Greece — currency and the euro.

Information only — not legal, medical or insurance advice. Rates, covered services and rules can change. Always confirm current details with the official Greek authorities above before you act.