Healthcare in Crete Explained

Healthcare is one of those topics that everybody researches before moving abroad and then figures out slightly differently in practice. Here is the honest picture for Crete, covering both the public system and the private options that most long-term expats actually end up using.

The Public System (EOPYY / ESY)

Greece has a public national health system (ESY) and a social insurance health fund (EOPYY) that covers insured residents. To access public healthcare as a foreign resident, you generally need an AMKA (social security number). EU citizens can obtain AMKA through the registration process at a KEP centre; the process is straightforward in theory but can be slow in practice — budget a few weeks from arrival.

The public system in Crete — centred on the University General Hospital of Heraklion (PAGNI) — is competent for serious and emergency care. PAGNI is a well-regarded teaching hospital with specialists across most areas of medicine. Emergency care is accessible to anyone regardless of insurance status.

For routine outpatient care — GP appointments, specialist referrals, follow-up consultations — the public system is slower and more bureaucratic than what most Western Europeans are used to. Wait times for non-emergency appointments can run weeks to months. This is the gap that private care fills for most expats.

Private Clinics and Hospitals

Heraklion has several private clinics and hospitals — the main ones being Lassion Private Hospital, Cretamedica, and various specialist outpatient clinics around the city. Private care in Crete is significantly cheaper than equivalent private care in the UK, Germany, or France.

A GP consultation at a private clinic costs €40–60. A specialist consultation (cardiologist, dermatologist, gynaecologist) costs €60–100. Blood tests at a private lab run €30–80 depending on what is being tested. These are out-of-pocket prices without insurance — already affordable compared to the equivalent in Northern Europe.

With private health insurance, most or all of these costs are covered, depending on your policy. English-speaking doctors are easy to find in the private system in Heraklion — considerably harder in the public system outside of the emergency department.

Health Insurance

EU citizens have EHIC coverage for emergency care while in Greece, but EHIC does not cover routine care or repatriation. For long-term residents, private health insurance is strongly recommended.

Main providers operating in Greece: Interamerican, Generali Greece, ERGO, Allianz Greece, and AXA. A basic individual plan covering outpatient, specialist, and hospitalisation care runs €40–80/month for a healthy adult under 45. Prices increase with age and pre-existing conditions. Most plans have an excess (deductible) of €100–300 per claim.

If you are on a Greek Digital Nomad Visa, private health insurance is a mandatory requirement for the visa application — factor this in.

Dentistry

Private dental care in Crete is excellent and meaningfully cheaper than Northern Europe. A standard consultation and scale-and-polish costs €40–60. A filling costs €50–80. More significant work — crowns, implants — is 30–50% cheaper than equivalent care in the UK or Germany, which makes dental tourism to Greece genuinely popular.

English-speaking dentists are easy to find in Heraklion through recommendation or a basic Google search. Ask other expats for suggestions — word of mouth tends to surface the best practices.

Pharmacies

Greek pharmacies (φαρμακεία) are well-stocked and pharmacists are generally well-informed. Many common medications available only on prescription in other countries are available over the counter in Greece. A pharmacist in Heraklion can handle a significant proportion of routine health queries without a doctor's appointment, which is a time-saving that long-term residents appreciate.

Bring documentation for any prescription medication you take regularly — generic equivalents are usually available but your pharmacist will need to match the active ingredient.