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Cyprus Local Reference INFOrmation

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Having a Baby: Pregnancy and Birth in Cyprus

The information you need to know if you are pregnant or planning a family in Cyprus, with details on finding an obstetrician, maternity leave, planning the birth, registering the baby and getting a birth certificate and passport, and postnatal care.

On becoming pregnant in Cyprus, first visit an obstetrician. Any Cyprus resident who is registered with the general hospital in a town may be entitled to free health care there. Alternatively there are numerous private clinics across the island to choose from.

Prenatal Checks and Scans

Following confirmation of the pregnancy, the first scan is generally given at five weeks, and then every three weeks until about seven to eight months into the pregnancy. Thereafter, scans are given every two weeks to monitor the progress of the baby. Some gynaecologists may scan more frequently.

At five months the mother has a scan to check the foetus for Down's Syndrome. This can be done at Paphos General Hospital (for women who are registered there) or at the special antenatal clinic in Limassol (all private patients).

The general hospitals may provide some antenatal classes for free, usually held mornings. Some private clinics provide classes (it depends on each doctor) and there is a fee for these.

Maternity hospitals in Cyprus

The Ministry of Health is responsible for Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics and Ante-Natal Care Clinics in Cyprus and provides for Health Visitors who work with women before and after the birth. Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia, Larnaca and Ammochostos all have general hospitals with maternity sections.

Private hospitals and clinics with English-speaking maternity departments include the following:

Evangelismos Hospital in Paphos
Iasis Hospital in Paphos
St-Raphael Private Hospital in Larnaca
Achillion Private Hospital in Limassol
Ayii Anargyri Clinic in Limassol
ISIS Clinic in Nicosia

Allowances and Grants

An employed woman may notify her employer of her pregnancy at any time, although it's advisable to do so before the pregnancy starts to show.

Each parent is entitled to four months unpaid leave until a child reaches the age of four. Cyprus does not yet have paternity leave allowance.

A woman who works (or has worked) in Cyprus and paid social security may be entitled to maternity grant and maternity allowance.

Maternity allowance

A woman is entitled to 18 weeks paid maternity leave in total; it is paid out on a monthly basis over the four months. To claim this, visit the local Social Insurance office and obtain a maternity leave form. This form must be signed by the claimant, her employer and her doctor, and then returned to the office at least five months prior to the birth.

The form is available to download from the Social Insurance services: Click here (available in Greek only)

Maternity grant

The maternity grant is a fixed birth allowance paid out at the birth of a child to any woman who has worked in Cyprus and paid deductions. It is payable out of her or her husband's Social Insurance. The request forms are available from the local Social Insurance office. These must be completed by the parent and returned to the office after the birth; the date of birth and a copy of the birth certificate must be submitted with the form.

For more information about Social Insurance in Cyprus see this English-language brochure: Click here

The Birth

Usually the birth takes place at the hospital or clinic where the chosen doctor works. However, this is not necessarily obligatory and alternatives can be discussed with the obstetrician during early pregnancy.

Water birth and natural birth facilities, as well as home births, are not common in Cyprus. Some private clinics allow for a birth plan. General Hospitals have their own methods and don't allow for an individual woman's wishes. Caesarean deliveries are frequent in Cyprus.

Women who have given birth at a private clinic are released as soon as they are fit (women are recommended to request release as soon as they feel ready to leave); a five-day stay following birth is standard procedure at most General Hospitals.

Registering the birth

After the birth of the baby, the hospital or private clinic issues a form which documents the basic details of the infant (including its name and father's name). To register the birth, take this form to the local Citizen Service Center (CSC); the birth certificate is then issued; four to five additional duplicates are also provided. There is a small fee payable.

To register a birth, one of the parents should take the following to the registration office at the CSC:

Parents' birth certificates
Marriage certificate (unmarried parents are required to sign a declaration of parentage at the local court)
Parents' passports, residents' document or photo IDs
Forms issued by the clinic or hospital and signed by the person attending the birth

Further advice is available from the clinic or hospital.

To find a local Citizen Service Center (CSC): Click here

Registering the birth with a consular office

Any foreigners having a baby in Cyprus are recommended to register the birth with their nation's consular office. The consular office can also arrange a passport for the newborn if this is required.

British citizens who register a birth are issued with a British-style birth certificate. Registration should be made at the British High Commission in Nicosia; it is not obligatory.

For full information on the process and documents required: Click here

American citizens who have a baby in Cyprus must register the birth with the Consular office of the American Embassy in Nicosia to ensure the child has American citizenship. Both parents must go to the office in person; there are several documents to complete.

Full detailed information is available on the Embassy website: Click here

A consular office might require a certified translation of the baby's Cyprus birth certificate. The Cyprus government has a multi-lingual translation department which can provide this.

For information on how to get certified translations from Greek to English: Click here

Postnatal Care

The chosen pediatrician sets the timetable of when and how often a baby should be brought in for check-ups. Initially visits are frequent to check the baby's growth and progress, but decrease as the baby gets older.

General guidelines from the Ministry of Health are that children attend a clinic several times during their first year of life, gradually reducing the visits to one appointment every six months and then once a year.

Vaccinations

After the birth, the hospital or clinic provides a booklet/child record book which must be taken to each doctor's appointment; it is used for children up to the age of six years. The record book is in Greek, but all vaccinations are detailed in English at the back. On leaving the hospital, a parent is told when the first immunisations are due (usually within two months of the birth); after each vaccination the parent will be informed when the next one is due. Vaccines usually start at two months and continue to 16 years.

Vaccinations are provided completely free (with or without a medical card) at all Cyprus General Hospitals. Vaccinations are given any week day, Monday to Friday, from 07:30-14:00 and Wednesday afternoons 15:30-17:30. Vaccinations are also available at private clinics.

Sight and hearing tests

After birth, the clinic or hospital provides a form which can be used to get a newborn's hearing tested at the The Center for Preventive Paediatrics in Limassol. The test is free, quick and painless to the infant. Payment is by donation to a relevant foundation. The test is available by appointment only; there is usually a waiting list.

Health Visitors working with government maternity hospitals monitor a child's progress and provide advice with things such as mother and child nutrition and breast feeding immediately following birth. These government clinics also provide for a Hearing Test at eight to nine months of age, and again at four and a half years; and a Vision Acuity Test at age three to four years.

Child Benefits

Child benefit is available to all families regardless of their income, provided they are resident in Cyprus, and the children are living under the same roof and fall into the following categories:

Children aged under 18
Children aged 18-25 who are in the National Guard
Children aged 18-23 attending college/university or some form of education
Boys aged 23-25 if they are still attending college/university or some form of education having spent time in the National Guard
Disabled children of any age

The local Citizen Service Center provides copies of the birth certificate. Send one to the Ministry of Finance in order to apply for child benefit.

The basic child benefit breakdown is worked out based on a family's income and the number of children. Payments are made once a year in December. The application form is available from the same local registration office which issued the birth certificate.

The completed form should be send to: