Health insurance for a residence permit in Greece:
what the law actually requires.

Updated 26 October 2026Reading time 12 minBy Leadinsure, registered insurance agent (no. ΧΑΝ/395) · How we are paid

Non-EU nationals who apply for a Greek residence permit such as the Golden Visa, the FIP permit for people with their own income or the digital nomad permit, or who renew a Golden Visa or FIP permit, need a private health policy that meets Joint Ministerial Decision (ΚΥΑ) 133692/2024, published as ΦΕΚ Β' 2724/2024. It must cover at least €15,000 a year for permanent total or partial disability from an accident, €1,500 a year for medical and pharmacy costs and €10,000 a year for hospital care, and your share of each (the co-payment) can be no more than 20%. Policies with exclusions or special additional agreements are not accepted. The €30,000 quoted on many websites is a different rule, for Schengen short-stay visas. A policy bought abroad can be used if it expressly states that it covers you for as long as you live in Greece.

What health insurance do you need for a Greek residence permit?

If you live in Greece on a Golden Visa (type B.5) or on your own income (FIP, type I.8), or apply for a digital nomad I.8 permit, you need a private health policy that meets ΚΥΑ 133692/2024: three minimum covers, a co-payment of no more than 20% on each and no exclusions, as in the table below. Employees are insured in the public system instead.

As a general rule, the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023, article 8(ε)) requires full health insurance. Non-EU nationals with access to the labour market, and their dependent family members, are insured compulsorily in the Greek public system for their occupation (in practice e-EFKA), like Greek workers. Those who live in Greece for other reasons, such as Golden Visa holders (type B.5) and people living on their own income, for example from a foreign pension (FIP, type I.8), insure privately, unless a foreign institution gives them health coverage in Greece. ΚΥΑ 133692/2024 sets what that private policy must contain, for a first permit and for a renewal. For the grant of the digital nomad I.8 permit, ΚΥΑ 95391/2024 (article 10, par. 3(θ)) expressly asks for a private policy.

The ΚΥΑ sets no minimum policy length and no language. We recommend keeping cover without gaps while you hold the permit, because you need a policy again when you renew. The older ΚΥΑ 53821/2014 required a one-year policy, to be filed again every year when the permit lasted longer than the policy; the current decision has no such rule. If the office handling your file still asks for a one-year policy, follow its checklist.

These rules are for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens who moved to Greece after 31 December 2020. EU citizens follow the EU free-movement rules instead.

Policies with exclusions are not accepted: why this matters

Article 1, par. 3 of ΚΥΑ 133692/2024 is one sentence: policies will not be accepted where they include exclusions and/or special additional agreements. The English-language guides we reviewed rarely mention it, yet it can rule out an ordinary health plan.

A standard hospital plan bought for real protection is usually underwritten: you answer a health questionnaire, and the insurer may exclude conditions you already have, add waiting periods or offer a large deductible in exchange for a lower premium. Each of these can conflict with the ΚΥΑ:

• Exclusions, for example of a condition you already have, are exactly what the clause rules out.
• Special additional agreements are named in the same sentence, so extra clauses that apply only to you need checking.
• A high deductible may not fit the rule that your share of each cover is no more than 20%.

We have found no official guidance on how strictly each office applies this clause, and the decision always belongs to the authority. The safe approach is a policy whose wording plainly shows the three covers, the amounts, a co-payment of 20% or less and no exclusions. Policies designed for residence permits aim to meet these terms, but check their wording too. They only satisfy the permit file: €10,000 a year of hospital cover is the legal floor, not protection against a serious illness, which needs a fuller hospital plan; see our guide to health insurance in Greece.

Do you need €30,000 of cover for a Greek residence permit?

No. The €30,000 comes from the EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) 810/2009, article 15. It applies to applicants for a Schengen short-stay visa: their travel medical insurance must cover medical repatriation, urgent medical care and/or emergency hospital treatment, or death, be valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, and cover at least €30,000. It is not the legal rule for Greek national (long-stay) visas or for residence permits.

If you first need a Greek national visa (type D), for example as a digital nomad or FIP applicant, the consulate asks for travel insurance at that stage. The Foreign Ministry's general list requires travel insurance valid for at least the visa period, covering medical repatriation, urgent medical care and/or emergency hospital treatment, but sets no euro amount. Consulates may have their own practice, so check with yours.

A travel policy, even with a €30,000 limit, is built for a trip. If it covers medical costs only, it does not by itself show the €15,000 accident-disability cover the ΚΥΑ requires, and it may not state that it covers you while you live in Greece.

Can I use a foreign or international health insurance policy?

Yes, if the wording is right. Under article 1, par. 1 of ΚΥΑ 133692/2024, the policy can be concluded in Greece, or abroad if it expressly states that it covers you for as long as you reside in Greece. ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, article 2(δ), adds that foreign cover must expressly cover your stay in Greece for all the minimum risks and amounts. Neither text requires a Greek insurer. Before you rely on a policy from home or an international plan, check that:

• the policy, or a certificate from the insurer, says in so many words that it covers you while you live in Greece;
• it has all three covers at or above the minimum amounts, with your share no more than 20% on each;
• it has no exclusions or special agreements, including exclusions for conditions you already have;
• it is in force on the date you file your application.

Translation into Greek

The ΚΥΑ says nothing about language. An official Greek translation may still be requested: the University of Athens guidance for international students says a foreign policy can be submitted officially translated. We have found no official rule, so ask the authority or lawyer handling your file before you order a translation.

Using an S1 instead of a private policy

Some pensioners, for example people who receive a UK State Pension, can get an S1. It gives access to the Greek public system, paid for by the country that pays the pension; according to the UK's NHS Business Services Authority, it does not cover private healthcare. Whether an S1 can replace the private policy for a residence permit is not settled in the texts we have checked: the Migration Code mentions coverage from a foreign institution, but the FIP document list asks for a policy from a private insurer. Confirm it with the authority handling your application; if a private policy is needed, we can arrange one.

Golden Visa health insurance: each family member, every renewal

The Golden Visa is the investor residence permit under article 100 of the Migration Code (type B.5). It lasts five years and can be renewed for the same period each time (article 100, par. 1 and 4). Its document list, set by ΚΥΑ 214926/2025 (ΦΕΚ Β' 6014/2025), asks for a policy from a private insurer in every initial route under article 100, and again at renewal.

• Each family member. Article 1 of the ΚΥΑ applies the common documents of ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, including proof of health insurance, to the investor and to each family member applying for a permit. Unless a family member is insured in the Greek public system, that means a private policy that meets ΚΥΑ 133692/2024. That ΚΥΑ does not mention family policies. If you use one, it should name each person and meet the minimums for each of them, and you should confirm that it is accepted for your file.
• Every renewal. The renewal file asks for a private policy again, so we recommend keeping cover without gaps over the five years.
• Filing through a representative. Investors under articles 96–100 can file through a proxy before entering Greece and receive a filing certificate without the proof of health insurance required by article 8(ε) of the Code, which for the Golden Visa is the private policy. They then enter Greece within 12 months of filing, give their biometrics and submit that proof (Migration Code, article 10, par. 11). The same applies to family members' applications.
• No right to work. The Golden Visa (type B.5) gives no access to any form of work (article 100, par. 9), so you will not be insured through work in Greece; the private policy is your proof of cover.

FIP, digital nomad, student and family permits: what insurance each needs

FIP visa Greece: health insurance

The FIP permit, officially the residence permit for people with sufficient resources (article 163, par. 8(α) of the Code, type I.8), lasts three years, is renewable for the same period and allows no work of any kind in Greece for you or your family. ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, article 66, asks for a private policy at the first application and at renewal. The threshold is €3,500 a month in net income or capital, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child (ΚΥΑ 225679/2024, ΦΕΚ Β' 5223/2024, article 1, par. 1(ι) and par. 2), from a foreign pension, a bank account or other lawful means of your own. Pages that still say €2,000 repeat the amount of the earlier ΚΥΑ 41712/2014, issued under the previous Migration Code (Law 4251/2014). A separate case: if you already live in Greece legally and receive a pension from a Greek public insurance fund, you can renew your permit as an I.8 without the income requirement, whatever the amount of the pension (article 163, par. 8(δ) of the Code). ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, article 67, then asks for proof of active insurance capacity (ασφαλιστική ικανότητα) issued by your insurance organisation and lists no private policy.

Digital nomad visa Greece: health insurance and the 2026 route change

1. Z.1 national visa at a Greek consulate, for up to 12 months (article 68, par. 1), with travel insurance among the visa documents.
2. I.8 residence permit in Greece, for two years. It may be granted if you still meet the conditions for the visa; you apply before the visa expires, at the Decentralised Administration where you live (article 68, par. 4). The document list asks for a policy from a private insurer (ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, article 10), plus proof of at least €3,500 a month (net of tax for employment or service income), +20% for a spouse or partner and +15% per child.

Nomads who had entered visa-free or on a Schengen visa used to be able to apply from inside Greece. Law 5275/2026 (ΦΕΚ Α' 17/06.02.2026), article 13, repealed that route (article 12, par. 7 of the Code). ΚΥΑ 95391/2024 (article 10, par. 3(α)) still mentions entry on a Schengen visa or without a visa, but the legal basis of that route has been repealed, so plan for the consulate route.

Students, family members and employees

Students covered through their enrolment meet the rule. Family members of Golden Visa, digital nomad and FIP holders do not need the separate reunification approval; for Golden Visa families, each person needs proof of cover, as above. Employees are insured in e-EFKA by law; private cover is optional, on top. At renewal they show proof of active insurance capacity issued by their insurance organisation, and the office handling the application looks for active insurance capacity over the whole time the permit has already run; for any year without cover, they show proof of unemployment benefit for that period or evidence of force majeure (ΚΥΑ 95391/2024, article 2(δ)).

How we check your policy and arrange a compliant one

Leadinsure is an insurance agency (registered insurance agent) for individuals and businesses. You do not need to come to our office: we handle everything by phone, email and online. We ask the insurance companies we work with for proposals and explain them side by side, instead of offering just one policy. For residence permits we:

• check your existing policy, Greek or foreign, against ΚΥΑ 133692/2024: covers and amounts, co-payment, exclusions and special agreements, and the express statement of cover in Greece;
• arrange a policy that meets the minimums for you and each family member, starting on the date you need for your application;
• explain fuller hospital plans side by side if you also want real protection, and tell you when such a plan is not suitable as the permit document.

How much does residence-permit health insurance cost?

The premium depends on the age of each person, the covers you choose and the insurance company, so a general figure would not tell you what you will pay. With your details we can show you the real premium of each option, for a policy that meets the minimums and, if you wish, for a fuller hospital plan.

The authority decides on your application, so we do not promise acceptance; we check that the policy wording matches the rule. Send us your permit type, the people to insure and their ages, your planned filing date and any foreign policy you already hold, through the quote form or by email to info@leadinsure.gr. We reply within 24 hours on working days. Phone +30 28210 86065, Monday to Friday 09:00–16:00 and 17:30–20:30, Saturday 09:00–14:00 (Greek time).

Frequently asked questions

Sources

The laws, decisions and official pages we checked for this guide. Many of them are in Greek.