Transfer from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University: Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy (2026)

What is Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University?

Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (Kıbrıs Sağlık ve Toplum Bilimleri Üniversitesi, KSTU) is a private university in Morphou (Güzelyurt) in Northern Cyprus, founded in 2016. Its campus on Kutlu Adalı Boulevard hosts six faculties, including Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy.

The other faculties are Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Veterinary Medicine, plus a School of Physical Education and Sports and a Vocational School of Health Services. On its Turkish admissions site the university speaks of more than 3,500 students. Patients are seen at the university's own KSTU Polyclinic, which lists dental departments such as orthodontics and implantology alongside internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology and radiology.

Like every university in Northern Cyprus, KSTU is regulated by YÖDAK, the higher education authority of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also appears in YÖK Atlas, the programme database of Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YÖK). The health programmes, as published on kstu.edu.tr and study.kstu.edu.tr in September 2026:

Fees are in dollars. The euro figures are approximate and use the European Central Bank reference rate of 16 September 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1537 USD). Scholarship terms can change the amount you actually pay, so your own contract is what counts.

Is a degree from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University recognised in 2026?

A degree from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University is recognised in Turkey, the only state that recognises the TRNC. Elsewhere in 2026, recognition of a KSTU medical, dental or pharmacy degree depends on your country's policy towards Northern Cyprus, not on what you learned in Morphou.

The reason goes back to 1983. UN Security Council Resolution 541 called the TRNC's declaration of independence legally invalid, and most governments still follow that line. A diploma issued in Güzelyurt is therefore judged by ministries that do not recognise the state behind it. In June 2026, assessments made clear that recognition varies by country and institution.

The clearest case is Morocco. Following a directive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Higher Education, equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus has been frozen since May 2024. Reporting in 2026 put the number of affected students and graduates at roughly 3,000 to 3,500, including in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Students protested in Rabat in March 2026, outside parliament on 22 April 2026 and at a sit-in in July 2026. Talks about a solution were reported in July 2026. Nothing has been announced.

Earlier, in December 2020, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates were reported as no longer recognising institutions in Northern Cyprus. A country-by-country overview is in our guide to degree recognition in Northern Cyprus.

What does this mean for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy students at KSTU?

For students of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University, recognition decides whether they can ever register to practise. A graduate in business can sometimes work around a doubtful diploma. A doctor, dentist or pharmacist cannot, because every licence starts with a recognised degree.

Timing matters. Medicine at KSTU runs for twelve terms, dentistry and pharmacy for ten. A first-year student who stays commits five more years to a diploma whose value abroad may not improve.

None of this is a verdict on teaching in Morphou. The problem sits in foreign ministries. Your passed exams keep their academic value, and that value is what a transfer builds on.

Can you transfer from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University to Europe?

Yes. Students of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University can move to another university in Europe and have their passed exams reviewed there. In 2026, Medschool Experts has already transferred several students from English-taught programmes in Northern Cyprus to universities elsewhere in Europe.

The new degree then comes from the receiving university and carries that country's recognition. If that country is an EU member state, EU Directive 2005/36/EC makes a medical degree recognised automatically across the European Union. For students from Morocco, Jordan or Egypt, it is a diploma their home authorities can assess on its own merits.

Here is how we work. You send us your record from KSTU. We check which universities currently take students from Northern Cyprus, match your passed courses against their curricula and handle the application with the university that fits. You do not leave Morphou before a new place is secured.

Medschool Experts is the world's leading specialist for medical study transfers and frequently achieves high year placements, often into year 4 or 5, at top universities. Your exact entry year depends on your record, and we give it to you after a free review. More on what we handle is on our services page.

Why can KSTU students no longer transfer to Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina?

In our placement work in 2026, universities in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina accept neither degrees from Northern Cyprus nor transfer students coming from there. For a student at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University, both countries are therefore closed, even though they were a common choice in earlier years.

No ministry has published a statement on this; we see it in the answers to applications. Students who write to those universities on their own often wait weeks for a refusal, and those weeks can cost a term.

Keep it short. Ask first where your KSTU transcript is accepted today, then apply. Which universities are open changes from intake to intake, and following that is part of our daily work. An overview of the universities we work with is on our universities page.

What does it cost to stay at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University?

Staying at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University costs USD 7,000 a year in Medicine, USD 6,000 in English-taught Dentistry and USD 5,000 in Pharmacy as of September 2026. That is roughly €6,070, €5,200 and €4,330 a year before rent, food and flights.

Take a worked example. A medical student who has just finished year 2 still has four years to pay: about €24,270 in tuition alone. A dentistry or pharmacy student at the same point has three years left.

These fees are moderate, which is why many students chose Morphou. The real cost lies elsewhere. If the degree cannot be used in the country where you want to work, every euro and every year spent on it buys a diploma you may have to requalify from. Moving earlier keeps that risk small, while your passed exams still travel with you.

Fees at the receiving university vary by country, and we compare them with you during the consultation.

Which KSTU students should act now?

Students at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University should act now if they plan to practise in Morocco or in a country that has been reported as not recognising Northern Cyprus degrees, or if they are not yet sure where they will work. Waiting does not change the politics. It only shortens the time left to change course.

Three groups stand out:

• Moroccan students in any year. The freeze has lasted since May 2024, and no solution has been announced as of September 2026.
• Students in years 1 to 4. Your passed exams can be reviewed, and there is time left to finish elsewhere.
• Students who want to work in the EU. A degree from an EU member state is recognised automatically under Directive 2005/36/EC. A KSTU degree is not.

Unsure? That is normal. Our student stories show how others weighed the same decision.