University of Kyrenia (Girne Üniversitesi) – Degree Recognition & Transfer

The University of Kyrenia at a glance

The University of Kyrenia (Girne Üniversitesi in Turkish) is a private university in Kyrenia (Girne) in the north of Cyprus. The TRNC authorities approved it in March 2013, and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) followed in January 2014. It describes itself as the sister institution of Near East University. It is not the same as Girne American University: the two are separate institutions.

Its campus sits on a 27-acre coastal site in Karakum, east of the town centre, and opened in November 2015. Its faculties include Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy. In Northern Cyprus, the university is regulated by YÖDAK.

Clinical training takes place at the Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital on campus, which opened on 15 November 2016 and, according to the hospital, has 150 beds. The Faculty of Medicine started its first academic year in October 2016, and dentistry students train at the Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Dental Hospital. The Faculty of Medicine states that it is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.

Important for 2026: recognition

Only Turkey recognises Northern Cyprus as a state. As a result, a University of Kyrenia degree is not recognised in many countries. From our placement work in 2026, we know that North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia accept neither the degrees nor transfer students from Northern Cyprus. This is not about the quality of teaching; it is about political status. Students there can usually move to a recognised university in Europe without losing time, and we help them do it.

• Medicine: 6 years, 360 ECTS, taught in English (also offered in Turkish); three preclinical years, two years of clinical clerkships and an internship year.
• Dentistry: 5 years, taught in English or Turkish; practical training at the Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Dental Hospital.
• Pharmacy: 5 years, taught in English.

How the programme is structured

According to the Faculty of Medicine course catalogue (2019), the medical degree carries 360 ECTS credits in three stages:

• Years 1 to 3: integrated preclinical phase
• Years 4 and 5: clinical clerkships
• Year 6: internship

Clinical training takes place at the university’s own Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital. Dentistry and Pharmacy last five years each.

We do not place students at the University of Kyrenia

Medschool Experts does not place students at the University of Kyrenia. The reason is not the university itself but its degree: many countries do not recognise it, because only Turkey recognises Northern Cyprus as a state.

Planning to study medicine or dentistry? Our partner universities offer alternatives with a recognised degree. You can compare them on our universities page.

Already studying at the University of Kyrenia? Then a transfer to a recognised university in Europe is the way forward. A free consultation shows which options you have.

Tuition fees and living costs

For 2026–27, the University of Kyrenia lists an annual fee of €12,600 for English-taught medicine. After the 50% scholarship you pay €7,650 per year, including VAT and the administrative fee, payable per semester. A one-off registration fee of €105 applies.

• Medicine (English, 6 years): €7,650 per year
• Dentistry (English, 5 years): €7,125 per year
• Dentistry (Turkish, 5 years): €5,970 per year
• Pharmacy (English, 5 years): €4,147 per year

For rent, food and daily life in Kyrenia, budget around €450 to €650 per month.

Worked example: what the remaining years cost

You finished year two of medicine in summer 2026. Four years remain: 4 × €7,650 = €30,600 in tuition. At about €550 a month, living costs add €26,400, for a total of roughly €57,000 before flights. A dentistry student at the same point still faces €21,375 in fees, a pharmacy student €12,441. These figures assume prices and your scholarship stay the same. The bigger question is whether your country will accept the degree at the end.

Degree recognition: the political problem

Only Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a state. In 1983, UN Security Council Resolution 541 declared its proclamation legally invalid. The University of Kyrenia is regulated by YÖDAK and also approved by Turkey’s YÖK, but outside Northern Cyprus and Turkey, recognition depends on each country.

• North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia: These countries do not recognise Northern Cyprus as a state. From our placement work in 2026, we know that they accept neither the degrees nor transfers from Northern Cyprus universities to their own universities.
• Morocco: Since May 2024, on instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Morocco has issued no equivalence for Northern Cyprus degrees. Morocco World News (March 2026) and Yabiladi (April and July 2026) put the number of affected students and graduates at about 3,000 to 3,500. Students protested in Rabat in 2026.
• Other countries: Cyprus Today reported in December 2020 that Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates no longer recognised TRNC institutions.

Why the EU route matters

Under EU Directive 2005/36/EC, medical degrees from EU member states are recognised automatically across the EU. Northern Cyprus lies outside EU law in practice, because the EU acquis is suspended in the north. The Republic of Cyprus in the south is an EU member state and a different case.

The key point: the problem is not the quality of teaching but the political status of Northern Cyprus.

Living in Kyrenia

Kyrenia (Girne) is a coastal town in the north of Cyprus with a historic harbour and a Venetian castle. The University of Kyrenia campus lies right on the coast in Karakum, east of the town centre. The harbour area has restaurants and cafés, and there are several beaches nearby.

The climate is Mediterranean: long, hot summers with swimming weather often into October, and mild winters in which daytime temperatures rarely drop below 15°C.

The nearest airport is Ercan (ECN), about 40 minutes by car. Most connections run via Istanbul. The capital, Nicosia (Lefkoşa), is about 30 kilometres to the south.