A European Country With Great Public Healthcare Is One Of The Best Places To Retire Outside The US

Retiring abroad can take some advanced planning, and research, especially around things like how to continue receiving Social Security benefits as an expat. However, there's also a serious value proposition with countries like Greece that offer the benefits of both public and private healthcare. Best of all, if you understand how to navigate the system, it's possible to avoid paying out of pocket for your health needs in Greece. Although, even if you do have to pay out of pocket, screenings and lab work tend to be less expensive than in the U.S., with prescriptions generally costing around half as much as they do stateside.

Per a May 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report, the population of Americans aged 65 years and over grew around five times faster than the entire population from 1920 to 2020. That's a difference of 4.9 million seniors in 1920, to 55.8 million seniors by 2020. In the 100 years between 1920 and 2020, total population growth was 200%, compared to around 1000% for seniors. At the same time, an April 2025 Gallup poll found that as many as 11%, or roughly 29 million people, have found it difficult to access quality healthcare due to costs. This highlights the increasing risks for the country's rapidly aging population — especially when you consider that healthcare will be officially unaffordable for Boomers over the next decade. This make a golden years move to Greece more appealing than ever.

Greece's public healthcare system, per Global Citizen Solutions, is called Ethniko Systima Ygeias (ESY), and it provides medical services at a reduced cost, or even for free, thanks to taxes and social security contributions. While this is accessible for non-citizens, it's not automatic. There are several factors that can affect your eligibility including your employment status, dependents, and existing insurance coverage. In order to benefit from Greece's free healthcare, you will need to apply for a social security number, called an AMKA. This number qualifies you to pay into the public insurance system, which is administered through the Electronic National Social Security Fund, or EFKA — the primary social security fund for employed and self-employed people in Greece.

If you are, or were, employed in Greece as an American, your employer would' have made these contributions on your behalf with an insurer, and you would have had to contribute to EFKA for at least 50 days in order to be covered by insurance. Self-employed expats in Greece need to take the extra step of sending an application for insurance on their own behalf to the Organization for the Self-Employed (OAEE), where you'll need to provide identification or a passport, proof of three months worth of insurance payments, and a pair of passport photos. The system is based on reimbursement, so be prepared to cover upfront costs with the knowledge that you'll get that money back.

If you're direct from the U.S., with no work history in Greece, there are other ways to ensure you're insured. Private healthcare is something Americans are familiar with, although the cost difference still makes Greece competitive. According to a personal account in International Living, if you plan on living in Greece with no employment history, and haven't been paying into the public system, you'll need to source and pay for private insurance through a Greek provider — this covers your visits in every hospital in Greece, with the caveat being that you need to obtain this coverage before you turn 65 years old. If you're over 65, or are okay with access to only specific hospitals and clinics within your insurer's network, you can still get coverage so long as you're under 80 years old. 

The cost of a hip replacement in the U.S. in 2024, as per a baseline estimate from World Population Review, was $28,167 — the second highest in the world behind Israel. However, in Greece that cost was just $10,584. Both average estimates are affected by insurance coverage, but the average U.S. cost goes up to $40,000 without insurance. Either way, per International Citizens Insurance, emergency medical care in Greece is always free, regardless of citizenship. However, anything less will require you to pay out of pocket if you're uninsured, or if don't have an AMKA number. 

An overlooked form of healthcare rarely discussed is mental health — especially how it relates to retirees and how it can even be a factor in delaying retirement altogether. According to the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Greece's parliament passed legislation in July 2024 reforming mental healthcare facilities and initiatives — including alcohol and drug rehabilitation. This led to the creation of a new entity called the National Network of Mental Health Services, which is meant to streamline mental health and addiction services in Greece. Like physical health, mental health can also be accessed by expats in Greece, with English-speaking counsellors provided by several centers and directories including The House of Child, Roots Wellness Center, Therapy Nest, Doctor Anytime, and KETHEA Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals.

Online platforms like It's Complicated and the Hi Well app, can also direct retiree expats to local therapists. It's Complicated offers a free of charge matching service that pairs those seeking therapy to a qualified therapist in Greece's capital, Athens. According to Immigrant Invest, mental healthcare in Greece is generally free if you're insured, including any necessary prescriptions.