The system is built around your personal doctor. They look after you, issue referrals and write electronic prescriptions. Visits to them are free; everything else costs a small fixed co-payment, with an overall annual cap of €150.
The personal doctor
- Registering on a personal doctor's list is mandatory: a paediatrician for children under 15, a GP from 15.
- A single doctor can have up to 2,500 patients — popular ones close their lists.
- You can change doctor no sooner than 6 months after registering with the current one. There is no time limit for children under 2.
- A visit to your personal doctor is €0. The claim about "€1 per visit" is out of date.
Co-payments
| Service | Co-payment |
|---|---|
| Personal doctor | €0 |
| Specialist with a referral | €6 |
| Specialist without a referral | €25 |
| Prescription medicine | €1 per item |
| Laboratory test | €1, maximum €10 per category |
| Radiology (X-ray, CT, MRI) | €10 per scan |
| A&E without a referral | €10 |
| Inpatient care | €0 |
| Nurse or midwife | €6 |
| Physiotherapist, speech therapist, dietitian and other allied professionals | €10 |
| Medical device or supplies | €1 |
How referrals work
- A referral is issued for a specialty, not for a specific doctor: one referral covers up to three different doctors in the same specialty.
- Women from 15 can go to a gynaecologist directly, with no referral and no co-payment.
- If you choose an originator medicine instead of a generic, you pay the price difference on top of the €1.
Dentistry
GESY covers prevention only: one check-up a year for children aged 0–4, one visit a year with fluoride treatment for ages 6–12, and one check-up with a cleaning from age 12. All treatment — fillings, root canals, prosthetics — is paid privately.