Ambulance - 112 / 199
Paphos General - 26803100
24hr pharmacies - 90901416
On-call doctors - 90901432
Air sea rescue - 1441

Other useful numbers

Drugs / Narcotics / Poison - 1401
AIDS Advisory Centre - 22305155

The Health Service in Cyprus is different to other EU countries. There is no free NHS like system for everyone and often specialist treatment and medicines are not available unless you travel to the capital, Nicosia. There are no paramedics in ambulances, just a driver.

Not everyone qualifies for free treatment, if your income exceeds the minimum rate you will have to pay towards the cost of your treatment. With this in mind, it would be wise to consider private medical insurance which can be expensive. These generally fall into 2 categories -

• Cyprus Private Medical Insurance - low cost, non-chronic conditions with, limited cover
• International Private Medical Insurance: high cost, repatriation to the UK etc

If you plan to live in Cyprus for more than 90 days a year then you are legally required to register with immigration in Cyprus and if you plan to live for more than 182 days a year you are legally to register for Cyprus tax for both any income you receive including income from savings.

After you register with authorities and in receipt of your ARC (Alien Residency Card) commonly known as a "pink slip", you can make an application for a Cypriot medical by contacting the Ministry of Health (MOH). An application form & notes can English can be found by clicking here.

if you are already resident as a retired or working person and you are registered with the authorities, you can apply for an EU Health Card (EHIC) from the Cyprus Health service by clicking here. If you are of retirement age in Cyprus, you will need an E121 from your home country. If you are UK national, you must contact The Pensions Service.