Cyprus did not fully recognize a doctor's British training — Cyprus Mail
In Cyprus, a 34-year-old family doctor who completed her specialization in the United Kingdom was unable to secure full recognition of her training to work in her profession after returning to the island. The reason was rules introduced after the United Kingdom left the European Union, Cyprus Mail reports.
The doctor, referred to in the publication as Anna, received her medical education at the University of Nicosia and then went to the United Kingdom for mandatory practical training in family medicine. She began it in August 2021 and, after completing her residency, returned to Cyprus in August 2024 and found a job. However, while processing her documents, she was told that her specialization would not be fully recognized.
Difference in training duration
According to the Cyprus Medical Council, EU citizens who began training or specialized practice in the United Kingdom before the country left the EU retain the right to apply for registration and recognition of qualifications. Applications from those who began specialization after Brexit are considered under regulation KDP 357/2003.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The council noted that family doctors in Cyprus had previously been required to undergo four years of training, while the British program lasts three years. Since November 2025, recognition of the family medicine specialty has required five years of training. Therefore, doctors with British specialization may be short by one or two years, depending on the date they began training.
Work experience may be credited
The Cyprus Medical Council said it had introduced a mechanism for doctors trained in the United Kingdom. Certificates of paid professional experience in the specialty obtained after receiving a British qualification may be credited toward covering the missing training period. If a doctor has one or two years of such experience, they may qualify for recognition of their qualification in Cyprus.
In the absence of the required experience, an applicant must complete a specialization program available in Cyprus under a bilateral agreement with Greece. To do so, they must pass annual written and oral entrance examinations conducted in Greek and complete an additional two years of training. Anna ultimately returned to the United Kingdom, where she now works as a family doctor.
