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Children's health in Athens

In Athens, healthcare plays out on two fronts: a public system that is free in hospital but stretched for everyday care, and a highly developed private sector that most expat families use with good insurance. The good news: the consulate publishes a list of French-speaking doctors, including several paediatricians, and two large public children's hospitals take turns covering emergencies. Everything is checked on official sources.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How the system works

Greek health insurance is run by e-EFKA (membership) and EOPYY (care). It is linked to work: an employee on a local contract is enrolled from hiring, and their family as dependants. A seconded employee often keeps French social security.

Good to know

  • Everything starts with the AMKA, the Greek social security number, requested at a KEP or from e-EFKA. A spouse and children up to 18 (26 if studying) can be covered as dependants. Source
  • Consultations with a doctor from the public primary care network or contracted with EOPYY are fully covered; those of a non-contracted private doctor are not refunded. Source
  • A contracted doctor can only provide 200 reimbursed consultations a month: beyond that, you must find another doctor or pay yourself. Source
  • Hospital stays are free in a public hospital; in a contracted private clinic you pay 10 to 30%, and the full cost in a non-contracted clinic. Source
  • If you still depend on French social security (secondment, S1 form), check before leaving: the consulate refers you to CLEISS to choose the right cover for your status. Source

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Finding a doctor and a paediatrician

Greece has rolled out the 'personal doctor', the equivalent of a registered family doctor, now with a personal paediatrician for children. Many French families also see a French-speaking private paediatrician from the consulate list.

Good to know

  • Registering with a personal doctor is done online on gov.gr, with your Taxisnet login and AMKA. Source
  • To be refunded, choose a doctor from the public primary care network or contracted with EOPYY; direct access to contracted specialists is usually possible. Source
  • Preventive and routine dental care is covered for children up to 14, and largely up to 18. Source
  • Keep your child's French health record and vaccination pages: the LFHED asks for a copy in the enrolment file. Source
  • At the first appointment, bring the child's AMKA, ID, health record and your insurance certificates.

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Emergencies and children's hospitals

An Athens quirk: public hospitals run on duty days. The two public children's hospitals in Goudi take turns; 1434 tells you which one is on duty. In the north, the private MITERA and IASO clinics have their own paediatric emergency departments.

Good to know

  • 112 is the European emergency number (answered in French and English); 166 calls an ambulance, 100 the police, 199 the fire brigade. SOS Médecins: 1016. Source
  • 1434 gives the hospitals and pharmacies on duty that day. Source
  • Poison control centre: +30 210 77 93 777. Child helpline: 1056. Source
  • Agia Sophia shows on its website each day whether it is on duty; Kyriakou publishes its weekly duty rota. Check before setting off. Source

Addresses

  • Hôpital pédiatrique Agia Sophia

    Emergency

    Thivon et Papadiamantopoulou, Goudi, 11527 Athènes

    Greece's largest public children's hospital; paediatric emergencies on duty days, alternating with Kyriakou.

    Website Source

  • Hôpital pédiatrique P. et A. Kyriakou

    Emergency

    Thivon et Levadias, Goudi (Ampelokipi), 11527 Athènes

    The second public children's hospital, next to Agia Sophia; on duty according to a weekly rota published on its website.

    Website Source

  • Paidon MITERA (hôpital privé pour enfants)

    Emergency

    Marousi (groupe MITERA)

    Private paediatric emergency department open 24/7, 365 days a year.

    Website Source

  • IASO, clinique pédiatrique

    Hospital

    Leoforos Kifissias 37-39, Marousi

    Private paediatric clinic with an emergency department; call to confirm opening hours.

    Website Source

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French-speaking doctors, dentists and therapists

The French consulate general in Athens publishes a list of French and French-speaking doctors in Athens, updated in June 2026. It is provided for information only, without engaging the administration's responsibility, and the choice of practitioner is free. We list the practitioners most useful to families; their full contact details are in the list.

Good to know

  • The official list covers paediatricians, GPs, dentists and orthodontists, gynaecologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, speech therapists and many specialists; it is the only public source checked by the administration. Source
  • Most of these practitioners work in private practice: check when booking whether they are EOPYY-contracted or covered by your insurance. Source
  • The Vivre Athènes directory of French-speaking professionals complements the list with practitioners who register themselves. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Anastasia Georgountzou

    Paediatrician

    Kifissia

    Paediatrician.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Ourania Stamatiou

    Paediatrician

    Kifissia

    Paediatrician.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Héléna Maltezou

    Paediatrician

    Glyfada

    Paediatrician, infectious diseases specialist.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Léonidas Vordonis

    Paediatrician

    Glyfada

    Paediatrician.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Mado Kyprianidou

    General practitioner

    Athènes (Kolonaki)

    General practitioner.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Leonidas Papalambrou

    General practitioner

    Palaio Faliro

    General practitioner.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Eléonora Marouli

    General practitioner

    Ano Glyfada

    General practitioner, trained at the Paris VI medical school.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Pr Hélène Lazaratou

    Psychologist

    Cholargos

    Psychiatrist and child psychiatrist, Aiginition university hospital.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Nikolaos Pavlatos

    Psychologist

    Athènes (place Proskopon)

    Psychotherapy for children and teenagers, family consultations.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Sylvie Heitzmann-Kamarinos

    Psychologist

    Athènes (Hilton)

    Psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist, children and teenagers.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Danaé Toyas

    Psychologist

    Ampelokipi

    Psychologist.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Website Source

  • Dr Maria Diniotou-Maris

    Dentist

    Athènes (Pangrati)

    Endodontics and paediatric dentistry.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Photini Garofalidou-Atsalaki

    Dentist

    Ampelokipi

    Dentist for adults and children, orthodontics.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Dr Panagiotis Kanarelis

    Dentist

    Cholargos et Athènes (Patission)

    Orthodontist, works with the LFHED.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

  • Paschalina Katsigri-Krarup

    Agia Filothei (Marousi)

    Speech therapist, works with the LFHED.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Source

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Pregnancy and maternity units

Most expat mothers give birth in the large private maternity hospitals in northern Athens or Palaio Faliro. Several French-speaking obstetricians from the consulate list work there.

Good to know

  • For a woman insured with e-EFKA, medicines are free during pregnancy; tests and hospital stays are free in public hospitals. In a contracted private clinic, you pay 15% of tests and 30% of the hospital stay. Source
  • An employee's maternity leave is 17 weeks: 8 before the birth and 9 after. Source
  • A child born in Greece should also be declared to the consulate, which records the birth in the French registers. Source
  • French-speaking obstetricians and the maternity hospitals where they work are listed by the consulate. Source

Addresses

  • Maternité MITERA

    Maternity

    Erythrou Stavrou 6, Marousi

    Large private maternity hospital in the north; the MITERA group also runs a children's hospital, Paidon MITERA.

    Website Source

  • Maternité IASO

    Maternity

    Leoforos Kifissias 37-39, Marousi

    Large private maternity and gynaecology clinic in Marousi.

    Website Source

  • Maternité REA

    Maternity

    Leoforos Syggrou 383, Palaio Faliro

    Private maternity hospital in the south, handy for families living on the coast.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

Greek pharmacies, recognisable by their green cross, are everywhere and often give good advice. In the evening and at weekends, a duty rota keeps some open.

Good to know

  • 1434 (or 14944) tells you which pharmacies are on duty. Source
  • Every pharmacy must display the duty pharmacy rota in its window; the Pharmaceutical Association of Attica also publishes it online. Source
  • With Greek insurance, the patient's share of medicine costs is usually 25%, reduced to 10% for some conditions and nil during pregnancy. Source
  • A French prescription is in principle valid in Greece as in all EU countries; ask the doctor to write the generic name (active ingredient), since brand names differ. Source
  • Paracetamol is available everywhere, often under different brand names than in France: show the French box or the active ingredient to the pharmacist.

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Vaccines

The Greek schedule resembles the French one, with a few extra routine vaccines. Your paediatrician in Greece will continue from the French health record.

Good to know

  • Chickenpox and hepatitis A are part of the routine recommended schedule in Greece, whereas they are not systematic in France. Source
  • Meningococcal B is recommended from 2 months (2 and 4 months, booster at 12-15 months), meningococcal C at 10 months and the ACWY vaccine at around 11-12. Source
  • The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys alike. Source
  • BCG is offered only to certain risk groups. Source
  • The Ministry of Health updates the programme every year; the emvolio.gov.gr portal brings together the official information. Source
  • When enrolling at the LFHED, a copy of the vaccination pages from the health record is required. Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Athens will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat : professions médicales et paramédicales
  2. 2 Consulat : en cas d'urgence
  3. 3 CLEISS : le régime grec de sécurité sociale
  4. 4 Hôpital pédiatrique Agia Sophia
  5. 5 Hôpital pédiatrique P. et A. Kyriakou
  6. 6 ECDC : calendrier vaccinal de la Grèce
  7. 7 gov.gr : inscription chez un médecin personnel

Get updates to the Athens guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Athens guide changes, never more than once a week.

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