GESY and S1 holders
Subscribe to the topic
Post new topic
ATTENTION ALL S1 DOCUMENT HOLDERS!
If you are on GESY as being an S1 document holder and therefore having the white 'medical card' (as it is known) PLEASE NOTE that this card has an expiry date and needs to be renewed.
If you are on GESY with an S1 and you don't have a white medical card, you need to make an appointment with Citizens Advice Cyprus to obtain one. You will need to take a copy of your S1 from the DWP, UK together with a copy of your immigration document to that appointment.
Some people have received an email from GESY to say that they need to update them and send in a copy of the medical card with a valid date or they will be removed from GESY and possibly even fined.
If you have any questions or are unsure about anything contact the Ministry of Health at 22605300 or 22605301 and you may contact them also by forwarding an e-mail to perm.sec@moh.gov.cy.
One further note
ON CALL WEEKEND GESY DOCTORS.
It seems that Gesy now have "on-call Doctors" for weekends at varying hospitals across the island as well as the General.
IF YOU NEED EMERGENCY LIFE SAVING ATTENTION you MUST still go to the General.
But, you do now have an option for other ailments that may need attention before Monday between 11am and 5pm on weekends and bank holidays.
It appears that you are saying that with an S1 from the UK you will have a white medical card to access GESY . We applied for this card in December 2022 when we applied for immigration , we have an ARC but no cards have been issued . Our ARC expires in 3 weeks time , we have an appointment for a further year in one months time .
I am puzzled by the statement that when you have submitted an S1 you will get a white medical card , this is not the case with us . We have been told by two different advisers that you cannot access GESY without a white medical card - is this correct?
Yes it is correct .... When I got my pension this year in Jan and my form S1 I had to go to Citizen Service Centre to have my wife's S1 updated with my own medical card and S1 details ... GESY Medical Centres require you to have an uptodate valid medical card .. I think they only last 5 years. In fact my local medical centres are notifying gesy users to check the validity of their patients white medical cards
I completed the GESY on line and sent the S1 and papers in the post to Nicosia. That was in July and my application is still showing as pending! Should I go to the Citizens Advice to see if I can get if sped up?
We have had the same response to all our queries over immigration and the medical cards , we have been using and paying so called advisers to manage our immigration , GESY and tax affairs . We have been promised everything will be resolved within weeks by both of our highly paid advisers . This has been the ongoing situation for almost a year , no plastic cards , no GESY and no dual taxation but "this is Cyprus".
I suspect that like the citizenship backlog ...the temporary residency applications the fast track residency applications the land registry and council.of ministers permissions the ministry of the interior are all stuck in similar backlogs.... Under resourced departments... Chaos
Am not sure that any further enquiries in progress etc will.help.matters. ..more likely to be fobbed off with a stock response...
@phildraper
We were told not to apply on the GESY website if we have S1.
We had to email Mr. Sotiris Stratis from the ministry of health.
He asked for copies of the documents which we emailed to him and he sent us the hospital cards.
It was very quick.
After we got the white cards, we were able to sign up with a doctor. We did that at the doctor's office, not online.
I suggest you email this guy. He answers within a day or two.
sstratis@moh.gov.cy
good luck
@tabbs
Thanks for the information... Very helpful ...how recent
Coincidently I received an email from Mr. Sotiris Stratis today , this was in response to an email I sent just over a month ago . The form I downloaded from Mr Stratis requires a "Social Insurance Number in Cyprus ", do I need one as both my wife and I are retired and not seeking work ? Do I leave this part of the form blank when I complete this form ? The rest of the form appears very straightforward and hopefully we can obtain the elusive white medical cards.
I would suggest you reply and ask that very question ..as they may need your UK NI number or the S1 reference number as they claim costs from NHS in uk
I believe he is asking for the id number, the one you got when you became resident
it is on your residency paper or id, you drivers license..
How and where to renew your Medical Card
Published on: February 21, 2023
If and when you need to renew your (white) medical card you have to make an appointment at your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau – this is the number to call 22 309 100 there is a choice of locations, depending on where you live.
After you have made your selection you will actually be put through to a person who will give you the next available date.
When you go please take with you the following:
Current medical card
Passport
Residency document
As at February 2023
With thanks to the CPRG
Ours are due in February so will come in handy...
Evening everyone, I have my Temp visa card but it runs out next week I have only just received via post this morning letter about my pension payments which I need for my S1 what do I need to do now ??
You need the actual S1 Form as well to get access to GESY and that also takes time to process
@phildraper
Discovered you shouldn't do it online as papers get lost when you send them in. Better to go to a GP and register through them. They do it for you but once you have started the process online you are stuck in the system. I got mine but my husband is ' still pending'. They want the white hospital card which we sent together.
Yes you need to apply for the white medical card first with your Form S1 .. that can be done at the local Citizen Service Centre
@phildraper.
You might get more sense out of the staff there... I've used them a few times on various matters and always found them very helpful. They are now much better organised.
@Toon
Toon here is a question. Are we "old un's" (pre Brexit) on a different system. Probably should have one-- never have had. Am registered on GESY from day one. When and if I need to visit Famagusta General ( normally referred) they never ask for anything except ARC number and that too they seem to know (they just confirm). Suppose speaking Greek makes an awful lot of difference. Question-- (hahaha) do I need to become "legal" with all this or do I carry on regardless!!!!
You seem to be the font of all knowledge. either call or send a private please.
Charles
Interesting that you should ask as yesterday my Maltese friend who moved here 2018 from Malta told me yesterday that he didn't do anything at all as he had forgotten all about it and his white medical card got renewed automatically and was posted to him...
So am just wondering if that just applies to EU nationals....or was he just lucky.
Or will it apply to anyone PR pre brexit ... Who knows? NB just remembered he is still.TR as hasn't applied yet for his PR
Mine is due February next year so we shall see .. I wrote to the MoH two weeks ago to find out but am still awaiting a reply .
Am not really wanting to wait until.expiry as it's likely to be delayed if its allowed to expire without renewal and it doesn't auto renew ....
@charles533
Another old adage is ... "if it ain't broke dont fix it"
Just a thought ...we registered with GESY too from day one so maybe it's just a glitch with early entrants and they haven't caught up with the system
Literally just got this response.....
Dear Sir,
Your card will be renewed automatically
Best regards,
Σωτήρης Στρατής
Τομέας Ταυτοτήτων Νοσηλείας | Υπουργείο Υγείας
Προδρόμου 1 & Χείλωνος 17, 1448 Λευκωσία, Κύπρος
Τηλ.: 00357 22 605349 | Φαξ.: 00357 22 605485
Email: sstratis@moh.gov.cy | Website: www.moh.gov.cy
Articles to help you in your expat project in Cyprus
- Raising children in Cyprus
As Cyprus is one of the safest countries in the world, you shouldn't have any worries about raising your kids ...
- Accommodation in Nicosia
With a population of 200,452 people, the capital city of Nicosia is the most densely populated in Cyprus. Dubbed ...
- Leisure activities in Cyprus
One of the reasons an increasing amount of expats chooses Cyprus for their new home is the relaxed pace of living ...
- Northern Cyprus holidays
North Cyprus is one of the last unspoilt, most beautiful and popular island holiday destinations in the ...
- General visa requirements for Cyprus
If you are planning on a short-term stay in Cyprus, you should know beforehand whether or not you will need a ...
- Permanent residency and citizenship in Cyprus
The complexity of staying long-term in Cyprus (for more than 90 days) varies greatly depending on your ...
- Banking and finance in Cyprus
Opening a bank account is one of the first things you'll need to do in Cyprus. Thankfully, the banking system ...
- Driving in Cyprus
As Cyprus is a small island, the best way to get around is by car. But is your drivers license valid in the ...
Find more topics on the Cyprus forum
![](/images/marketplace/services/banking.jpg)