Health Insurance for Students in Greece: Public Care, EHIC and Private Policies

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Health cover in Greece depends on your citizenship and on what the university or the immigration office asks for. EU students can rely on their home coverage, uninsured students at Greek universities have a right to public care, and non-EU students must show a private policy when they apply for a residence permit. The sources below are university and ministry pages; amounts and decisions change, so confirm them with your university before you buy.

What the Study in Greece portal says

The Ministry of Education's Study in Greece portal tells international students that they must have health insurance during their studies and that it can be issued by any private insurance agency. It adds that students who work, part-time or full-time, are entitled to free public health insurance from the Greek state.

Public care for uninsured students

Several public universities describe the same entitlement. The University of Thessaly and the University of Patras state that undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students without other medical and hospital insurance are entitled to full medical and hospital care in the National Health System. The costs are covered by EOPYY, the national health services organisation. Patras says uninsured students can use public facilities with only their social security number (AMKA) and asks them to submit a declaration under Law 1599/1986. Eurydice confirms that students outside the national health system are entitled to free healthcare until they finish their studies.

The University of Athens describes it as emergency and accident care in public and university hospitals and health units, shown with your academic ID or AMKA. Practice differs between universities, so ask your welfare office what is covered and how to register. These pages do not say whether the entitlement applies to non-EU students, and the immigration rules below still require a policy from them.

EU students: the EHIC

If you are an EU citizen, your national health insurer issues the European Health Insurance Card for free. It gives access to medically necessary state-provided care in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland on the same terms as insured residents. Universities stress that it does not replace travel insurance and does not cover private healthcare. Ask your home insurer whether the card is valid for the length of a degree stay, since coverage rules sit with that insurer.

Non-EU students: the policy for the residence permit

Article 105 of the Migration Code requires full health insurance with benefits equal to those of Greek nationals, and says students who are automatically insured through enrolment at their institution are considered to meet the condition. In practice, universities ask for a private policy. The University of Athens lists these minimum benefits, citing Ministerial Decision 2724/2024:

hospital care: at least €10,000 a year
permanent total or partial disability from an accident: at least €15,000 a year
medical expenses from illness or accident: at least €1,500 a year
the insured person's contribution may be at most 20% of each

The contract must state that it covers these amounts and that it covers events in the EU, specifically in Greece. A policy from your home country is accepted if it provides these benefits and is officially translated, which the university says costs about €30 to €40. A Greek policy starts from about €69 a year according to the same page. The International Hellenic University cites a different decision, Joint Ministerial Decision 53821/2014, so ask your insurer or the immigration office which text applies to you.

Before you travel

For the type D visa, IHU asks for travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover for repatriation, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment. That is a separate document from the policy for the permit, which you show within 90 days of arrival. The process is in student visa for Greece.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.