Can my children go to school in Cyprus for free?

Yes. Public education is free from age 4 years 8 months to 18, including textbooks, and every child living in Cyprus can enrol whatever their nationality. Lessons are in Greek, which is why most British families choose a private English-medium school at first.

Do my children get free healthcare in Cyprus?

Only if a parent is a GESY beneficiary, usually through work in Cyprus, permanent residence or an S1. Then children are covered as family members: personal-doctor visits are free and co-payments are capped at €75 a year. Families on a visitor permit or digital nomad visa pay for private insurance instead.

How much money do we need to move to Cyprus as a family?

On a visitor permit, a family of four must show €36,000 a year remitted from abroad. For living costs, Numbeo puts a family of four at €2,898 a month in Paphos before rent, and a 3-bed rental outside the centre averages €1,671.

Can UK children get a yellow slip?

Only if a parent holds an EU passport and the family applies under EU free-movement rules, or the family was covered by the Withdrawal Agreement before 2021. UK-only families apply for temporary residence permits instead, with each child on their own application.

What is the best area in Paphos for families?

The one nearest your school. Families at ISOP often choose Tala or Konia, Aspire families Chloraka or Kissonerga, and TLC families Peyia or Coral Bay. Lumio in Acheleia suits the east side of town.

When should we start planning a family move?

Six to twelve months ahead. Permits, school places and insurance all take time, and state-school registration for September happens the January before.

Can we keep claiming UK Child Benefit in Cyprus?

Usually not, if you moved after 2020. GOV.UK says you may still get it only if you're liable to pay UK National Insurance and are employed or self-employed, or you get certain benefits such as the State Pension. Tell the Child Benefit Office before you go.

Is there free childcare in Cyprus?

Not before pre-primary. GOV.UK says there's no government-sponsored childcare system for under-4s, so families use private nurseries. Compulsory pre-primary from 4 years 8 months is free in state schools.

Do I need to register a baby born in Cyprus with the UK?

Yes, if you want a UK birth certificate and a British passport. Register the birth in Cyprus first, then with the UK, then apply for the passport.

Family walking along Paphos harbour promenade in the late afternoon

Families

Moving to Cyprus with Children: A Paphos Guide for Families

Paphos works well for families: four English-medium private schools with fees from €3,250 to €13,850 a year, free Greek-language state schools, and GESY healthcare with a €75 annual co-payment cap for children. The catch for UK-only passport holders is residence. Your permit decides whether your children get GESY, so sort that first.

Get my family relocation plan Compare Paphos schools

The short version

Residence comes first. UK-only passport holders can't get a yellow slip. Most families come on a visitor permit ("pink slip"), a work permit, the digital nomad visa or permanent residency.

Private school fees for 2026-27 run from €3,250 (ISOP kindergarten) to €13,850 (Lumio IB Diploma years). Aspire and TLC give fees at interview.

State schools are free from age 4 years 8 months to 18, but every lesson is taught in Greek.

GESY covers your children only if a parent is a GESY beneficiary, usually because they work in Cyprus or hold permanent residence. Visitor-permit and digital nomad families need private cover.

Children under 15 register with a paediatrician as their GESY personal doctor. Their co-payments are capped at €75 a year.

Budget: Numbeo puts a family of four at €2,898 a month before rent in Paphos. A 3-bed flat outside the centre averages €1,671.

Family guides for Paphos

Start with the question that's keeping you up at night. Each guide was checked against school, GESY and Migration Department sources in September 2026.

School campus on a Paphos hillside with olive trees and a distant sea view

Schools

Schools in Paphos

Public and private schools, how the Cyprus system works, enrolment steps and term dates.

Explore

Bright classroom with children working in small groups and palm trees outside the window

Schools

International schools compared

ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio side by side: curriculum, ages and 2026-27 fees.

Explore

Bright paediatric clinic waiting room with a play corner and palm trees outside

Health

Healthcare for children

GESY for dependants, paediatricians, vaccinations and hospitals in Paphos.

Explore

Children on scooters in a quiet residential lane in a village near Paphos

Where to live

Best areas for families

Tala, Peyia, Chloraka, Konia and more, matched to school runs and budgets.

Explore

Moving boxes and a child's bicycle by the door of a bright Paphos apartment

Checklist

Family move checklist

Every document, deadline and booking from six months out to your first term.

Explore

Parent and two children sitting on a stone wall above a Paphos cove at sunset

FAQ

Families FAQ

Quick answers on permits, schools, GESY, safety, costs and settling in.

Explore

Is Cyprus good for families?

Yes, if you plan the paperwork properly. Paphos gives you English-medium schools that follow the curriculum your children already know, a paediatrician as your child's family doctor under GESY, and living costs that Numbeo puts about 20% lower than the UK's once rent is included.

Two children running towards the sea at a sandy beach near Paphos on a summer morning — Beach mornings, before the midday heat.

The things that trip families up are not the beaches or the heat. They're the residence permit, school places and health cover, in that order. Each one depends on the one before it.

Your permit decides whether your children can register with GESY, the national health system.
Your school decides where you should rent, because the school run shapes your week.
Your health cover has to be in place before the Migration Department will issue a permit at all.

I moved my own family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. The honest summary: the schooling and healthcare were better than we feared, and the bureaucracy was slower than we hoped. Start early and you'll be fine.

Watch out

British passport only? The yellow slip isn't for you

Since Brexit, UK nationals are third-country nationals in Cyprus. The yellow slip (form MEU1) is only for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. If one parent has an EU passport (Irish is the most common), that parent gets a yellow slip and the rest of the family can apply as their family members.

If nobody in the family has an EU passport, you need a different permit. The next section compares the routes families actually use.

Residence routes for families moving to Cyprus

Which permit you hold changes two things for your children: whether they can use GESY, and how much income you must prove. Figures are from the Migration Department and GESY, checked September 2026.

Route	Who it suits	Money test for the family	GESY for the children?
EU passport + family members (MEU1 / MEU2)	One parent holds an EU passport	Depends on the EU parent's status (work, self-sufficient)	Yes, if the EU parent works in Cyprus or holds an S1
Visitor temporary residence permit ("pink slip")	Families living on income from abroad; you can't work in Cyprus	€24,000 a year for one person, +20% for a spouse, +15% per child, remitted from abroad	No. Plan A private insurance for every family member
Employment or company of foreign interest	A parent takes a job with a Cyprus employer	Set by the job and permit type	Yes, as family members of an employed beneficiary
Digital nomad visa	A parent works remotely for a non-Cypriot employer	Income threshold +15% per child	Not automatically. The visa itself requires private health insurance
Permanent residency by investment	Buyers investing €300,000+ in property	Annual income test +€10,000 per dependent child	Yes, permanent residents are a GESY category

Visitor permit figures: Migration Department supporting documents list (Dec 2025). GESY categories: gesy.org.cy eligibility FAQ. Use the relocation route finder if you're not sure which applies.

What the visitor permit means for a family of four

Two parents and two children on a visitor permit need to show €36,000 a year (€3,000 a month) arriving in a Cyprus bank account from abroad. That's the €24,000 base, plus 20% for the spouse and 15% for each child. For a first permit the Migration Department also accepts a €10,000 transfer or deposit.

Every family member needs a Plan A health insurance certificate covering inpatient, outpatient and repatriation. Children under 15 take a Mantoux skin test instead of a chest X-ray for the medical. And if your child is at school, you add proof of enrolment to their file.

Not sure which route fits? The relocation route finder asks eight questions and points you to the right permit. For retirees with children still at home, compare Category F residency and permanent residency by investment.

Cyprus for families in numbers

€3,250

cheapest published private fee in Paphos

ISOP kindergarten, 2026-27

€0

state school tuition and textbooks

Ages 4y8m to 18

€75

yearly GESY co-payment cap for children

Under-21s, gesy.org.cy

age until which your child's GESY doctor is a paediatrician

Where one is available

Coral Bay beach in the late afternoon with families in the shallow water

Schools in Paphos for expat families

Paphos has four English-medium private schools. Three follow the English National Curriculum to IGCSE and A level, and one is an IB World School. State schools are free but teach entirely in Greek.

School	Where	Curriculum	Ages	2026-27 fees
The International School of Paphos (ISOP)	Anavargos	English National Curriculum, IGCSE, A level, Apolytirion	2½–18	€3,250 (kindergarten) to €9,515 (Years 12–13)
Aspire Private British School	Chloraka	British National Curriculum, IGCSE, International A level	Early years to 18	Not published online
TLC Private School	Peyia	English curriculum, IGCSE/GCSE, A level	Kindergarten to Sixth Form	Given at interview
Lumio Private School	Acheleia	Cambridge primary, IB MYP and Diploma	6–18	€8,600 (Grade 1) to €13,850 (Grades 11–12)

Fees come from each school's own website, checked on 27 September 2026. They exclude extras: ISOP adds a €250–€375 composite fee, and Lumio excludes meals, buses and trips.

Two things catch UK parents out. ISOP's terms say a child who leaves mid-year is liable for the whole year's fees. And both ISOP and Lumio want a deposit to hold a place: €1,000 and €500 respectively.

For state schools, you register in January for the following September at the school for your address. Arrive mid-year and the Paphos District Education Office places your child wherever there's space.

Read the full guide to schools in Paphos, or go straight to the international schools comparison.

Healthcare for children in Cyprus

Your children get GESY, the national health system, as family members of a beneficiary. That means at least one parent must qualify first: by working in Cyprus, holding permanent residence, or holding an S1 from another country. GESY covers spouses, minors and dependent children under 26.

Parent and toddler walking past a small whitewashed clinic in Paphos — A neighbourhood clinic on a quiet Paphos street.

Once registered, each child under 15 goes on the list of a paediatrician who acts as their personal doctor. Visits to that doctor are free. A specialist visit with a referral costs €6, A&E €10 and each medicine €1. Children's total co-payments stop at €75 a year.

If your permit doesn't give you GESY, you pay privately. The Migration Department's minimum is Plan A cover for every family member. Brokers quote Plan A from about €120 per person a year, while full family cover runs €150–€400 a month (broker and DevelopersCyprus figures, 2026).

Paphos General Hospital in Anavargos runs the district's public A&E. Private hospitals including Evangelismos, Iasis and Blue Cross are GESY-contracted too. The full detail, including the vaccination gaps UK children often have, is in our healthcare for children guide and the GESY guide.

Free family plan

Get a relocation plan built around your children

Tell us your children's ages, your move date and which schools you're considering. We send back the permit route, school deadlines and health-cover steps in the order you need them.

Which permit gives your children GESY
School application deadlines for your year groups
Introductions to vetted education and insurance advisors

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

Best areas in Paphos for families

The best area is the one closest to your school. Paphos traffic isn't London traffic, but a 25-minute school run twice a day adds up to over 8 hours a week.

Tala sits about 6 km north of Paphos on the hill and about 5 km from ISOP. Quieter, cooler in summer, pricier villas.
Konia is on the eastern edge of town, close to ISOP in Anavargos and the Lumio campus in Acheleia.
Chloraka is 3 km north of the centre on the coast and home to Aspire. Family rents in Chloraka and Peyia run about €1,200–€2,000 a month.
Peyia is 14 km north-west, with a large British community and TLC on the doorstep. It suits families near Coral Bay.
Paphos town and Universal put you within walking distance of shops and buses, with smaller outdoor space.

Family cycling along a lane between banana plantations at Kissonerga — Kissonerga's banana groves run almost down to the sea.

Numbeo's August 2026 averages are €1,862 for a 3-bed flat in the centre and €1,671 outside it. See the best areas for families guide for school distances, and our pages on Tala, Peyia and Chloraka.

What a family of four spends in Paphos

Monthly ranges for two adults and two children renting a 3-bed home. Sources: Numbeo (August 2026), Cyprus Mail (April 2026) and school fee sheets.

Rent, 3-bed outside the centreNumbeo average €1,671

€1,300–2,000

GroceriesCyprus Mail family estimate

€700–1,200

UtilitiesMore in July and August with air-con

€150–400

Private school, two childrenISOP primary to Lumio secondary, spread over 12 months

€1,000–1,800

Private health insurance (no GESY)Family cover, 2026 broker range

€150–400

Car running costsMost families need two cars outside town

€200–400

Total per month

€3,500 – €6,200

State-school families on GESY can drop the school and insurance lines. Run your own numbers in the Paphos cost calculator.

What family life in Paphos is really like

The pace is slower, the days are longer outside and most parents say their children spend more time outdoors. Paphos gets more than 300 days of sun, so summer camps, swimming and beach afternoons are a normal part of the year.

The trade-offs are real, though:

July and August are hot. Expect school holidays spent indoors in the middle of the day.
Orthodox Easter moves the spring holiday. In 2027 Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May, five weeks after UK Easter on 28 March.
You'll drive a lot. Buses exist, but most family life outside Paphos town runs on a car.
Friendships take a term. Children at the international schools usually settle fastest because half their class arrived from somewhere else too.

Children playing in a seafront playground in Kato Paphos at dusk — Seafront playgrounds fill up once the heat drops in the evening.

Want to check the numbers for your own family? The Paphos cost calculator lets you set rent, schools and insurance, and our Paphos vs Limassol comparison helps if you're still choosing a city.

Your family move roadmap

The order matters. Each step unlocks the next one.

1
Choose your residence route
6–12 months before
Decide between the visitor permit, work, digital nomad visa, an EU passport route or permanent residency. Use the route finder.
2
Shortlist and apply to schools
6–9 months before
Private schools fill popular year groups early. ISOP's €1,000 reservation deposit for 2026-27 places was due by 31 January 2026. For state schools, registration is in January.
3
Arrange health insurance
1–2 months before
Buy Plan A cover for every family member if your permit needs it. Certificates are usually issued within days. See health insurance help.
4
Rent near your school
Arrival month
Sign a lease you can register with the Migration Department. Read our renting in Paphos guide before you pay a deposit.
5
Apply for residence permits
Within 3 months
Book appointments for each family member, including children. Keep certified, translated birth and marriage certificates ready.
6
Register with GESY and a paediatrician
Once permits are issued
If a parent qualifies, enrol online and add each child to a paediatrician's list. Bring the UK Red Book to the first visit.

Build your family move timeline

Enter your arrival date and tick "Moving with children". The planner lays out permit, school, insurance and GESY tasks week by week, counted from the day you land.

Family walking a clifftop path near the Sea Caves at Peyia in spring — Spring on the Peyia coast, when the wildflowers are out.

UK paperwork to sort before the family leaves

These are the UK-side jobs families forget until they're in Cyprus, when they're harder to fix. Checked against GOV.UK in September 2026.

0 of 9 done

Progress saves in this browser.

1 Benefits and records

Tell the Child Benefit Office you are movingGOV.UK says to tell them if you go abroad for more than 8 weeks. For moves after 2020, you can usually only keep Child Benefit if you're still paying UK National Insurance and working, or getting a benefit such as State Pension.
Each child's last two school reportsPlus any SEN plan, EHCP or assessment. Schools ask for them at application.
Red Book and a GP record summary for each childYour Cyprus paediatrician needs the vaccination history. See healthcare for children.

2 Identity documents

Birth certificates, apostilled and translatedNeeded for residence permits and state-school registration.
Marriage certificate, apostilled and translatedLinks the spouse to the main applicant on family permits.
Passports with plenty of validity leftRenew any passport close to expiry before you go. You'll show it at every permit application and renewal.
The other parent's consent, if they aren't movingA sworn consent or a custody order for each child.

3 After you arrive

A letter of authority for trips without youGOV.UK says children aged 17 and under need one to travel out of Cyprus without a parent or legal guardian, for example on a school trip.
Register any baby born in Cyprus twiceWith the Cypriot authorities first, then with the UK for a UK birth certificate and first British passport.

Moving to Cyprus with children: common questions

Yes, for most families who plan it properly. Paphos has four English-medium private schools, free state schools and a paediatrician-led GESY service for children. The hard parts are the residence permit and the Greek-language bureaucracy, not daily life.

School backpacks and sun hats by the door of a whitewashed villa in a Paphos village

Next step

Get your family's move in the right order

Permit, school, insurance, house. We'll map the sequence for your children's ages and introduce you to vetted education and insurance advisors in Paphos.

Get my family relocation plan Download the family move checklist

Sources checked for this page

1.The International School of Paphos — Schedule of fees 2026-2027, Primary & Secondary (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
2.The International School of Paphos — Kindergarten fee schedule 2026-2027 (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
3.Lumio Private School — Tuition fees 2026-27 (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
4.TLC Private School, Peyia — Admissions and fees (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
5.Aspire Private British School, Chloraka (school website; fees not published online)Professional
6.Ministry of Education — Pupils' registration/transfer in public primary schoolsGovernment
7.Eurydice (European Commission) — Cyprus education system overviewGovernment
8.GESY — Beneficiaries eligibility FAQ (third-country nationals)Government
9.GESY — Beneficiary access to a personal doctor (children under 15 register with a paediatrician)Government
10.GESY — Financing, contributions and co-paymentsGovernment
11.Migration Department — Supporting documents: visitor temporary residence permitGovernment
12.Migration Department — Supporting documents: visitor, dependent minorGovernment
13.Migration Department — Digital nomads and family membersGovernment
14.Migration Department — Immigration permits for investorsGovernment
15.GOV.UK — List of hospitals in Cyprus (updated 24 June 2026)Government
16.Numbeo — Cost of living in Paphos (August 2026)Professional
17.Cyprus Mail — Cost of living in Cyprus in 2026 (April 2026)Professional
18.DevelopersCyprus — Cost of living in Cyprus 2026 (family health insurance range)Professional
19.Local insurance broker guide — Immigration medical insurance (Plan A) limits and pricesProfessional
20.GOV.UK — Living in Cyprus (children, births, benefits; updated 5 Feb 2026)Government
21.GOV.UK — Claiming Child Benefit if you move abroadGovernment

Written by

Jason

Founder, Paphos Advisor

British founder who moved his family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. I write down what I learned doing it properly — the tax, the residency and the living-here detail — and introduce people to the specialists I’d use myself.

How I research and fact-check

Keep reading

Guide

Schools in Paphos: Private and State Options for UK Families (2026)

Every English-medium school in Paphos with 2026-27 fees, how Greek state schools work, and the January enrolment rule most UK families miss.

Guide

International Schools in Paphos: ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio Compared

ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio compared school by school: curriculum, ages, year-by-year 2026-27 fees, deposits and the extras that aren't in the headline price.

Guide

Healthcare for Children in Cyprus: GESY, Paediatricians and Vaccinations

How your children get GESY, why their family doctor is a paediatrician, the vaccines UK children often lack, and where to go in Paphos when they're ill.

Area guide

Best Areas to Live in Paphos for Families

Where families actually settle in Paphos, ranked by school run, space, rent and daily practicality, with 2026 rents and drive times to each school.

Guide

Families Moving to Cyprus: Your Questions Answered

Straight answers for families moving to Cyprus: permits for UK children, schools, GESY, costs, safety and the first few months in Paphos.

Free tool

Moving to Cyprus with Family: The Paphos Move Checklist

A phased, tick-off checklist for families moving from the UK to Paphos: permits for every family member, schools, healthcare, pets, tax and the first year.

Moving to Cyprus with Children: A Paphos Guide for Families