Study Medicine in Nicosia and Zurich

A unique combination: medical studies in Cyprus, clinical training in Switzerland. The University of Nicosia Medical School is the oldest and largest medical school in Cyprus. Its six-year MD programme is accredited in line with the standards of the World Federation for Medical Education and is taught entirely in English. What makes this location special is the combination: you spend the first four years studying in Nicosia, then complete clinical years five and six at Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich and its selected partner hospitals.

The partnership between the Hirslanden Group and the University of Nicosia has been in place since spring 2022. Hirslanden is Switzerland’s largest private hospital group, and Klinik Hirslanden Zurich is regularly listed among the country’s top five hospitals in the World’s Best Hospitals ranking. For your clinical training, you have the entire Hirslanden network, state-of-the-art surgical technology and experienced hospital doctors at your disposal. Examinations and rotations take place directly at the clinical site.

You graduate with an MD from the University of Nicosia Medical School, which is recognised in Switzerland, throughout the EU and in North America. That is what makes this route so appealing, especially if you plan to practise in Switzerland: you start without an aptitude test, complete your practical training within the Swiss healthcare system and, during your clinical years, already build the contacts that will later be decisive when applying for your first residency position.

Dean and professors

Prof. Dr Adonis Ioannides has led the University of Nicosia Medical School as Dean since 2022 and was confirmed for a further term in November 2025. He graduated with honours from the University of Manchester and earned his PhD in Developmental Biology at University College London.

• Prof. Dr Aleksandar Jovanovic – specialist in clinical pharmacology; heads the faculty’s Basic and Clinical Sciences department; previously at Mayo Clinic and the University of Dundee.
• Prof. Dr Andreas Charalambous – neuroscientist; as Executive Vice President of UNIC Health, he oversees all of the university’s health sciences.
• Prof. Dr Zoi Dorothea Pana – Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Research; previously at Johns Hopkins University.

• Medicine (MD) with clinical years in Zurich: six years, taught in English, leading to an MD from the University of Nicosia Medical School; years 1 to 4 in Nicosia, years 5 and 6 at Klinik Hirslanden Zurich and its partner hospitals.

The MD programme lasts six years and comprises 360 ECTS. Years one to three focus on the medical foundations, with regular patient-care placements from the second year onwards. The fourth year is a transition year, with a research project and first rotations in internal medicine, surgery and general practice. You spend these four years in Nicosia, and teaching is in English.

Years five and six are almost entirely clinical. If you have chosen the Zurich option, you complete them at Klinik Hirslanden Zurich and its partner hospitals: in the fifth year, you rotate through the clinical specialties from cardiology to paediatrics and psychiatry; in the sixth year, you take on increasing responsibility in internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine and general practice. The programme concludes with a six-week elective placement. Examinations take place at the clinical site.

So that you can work with patients in Zurich from day one, the university offers language courses for the respective clinical sites from the first year onwards.

To be admitted, you need a general higher-education entrance qualification. Accepted qualifications include the International Baccalaureate, the Swiss Matura (including the vocational baccalaureate with Passerelle), the Austrian Matura and the German Abitur, as well as equivalent qualifications. You will also need proof of English at B2 level or above, for example IELTS 6.5 or an equivalent test. There is no entrance test: the university decides on the basis of your documents and an online interview focusing on your motivation and your understanding of the medical profession. Aptitude test scores play no role.

Places in Zurich are allocated for the clinical years. Good German skills are required, as clinical training in Zurich takes place in German. If you are interested in the Zurich option, please discuss it with us when you apply.

Whether we can secure you a place at this location is something we assess individually. In a free consultation, we look at your profile, your budget and your goals, and tell you clearly whether the Nicosia and Zurich combination is right for you – or whether one of our 25+ other partner locations would be a better fit.

Tuition fees are 24,000 EUR per year, equivalent to around 22,300 CHF, payable per semester. During the two clinical years in Zurich, a clinical surcharge of 3,000 EUR (approx. 2,800 CHF) per year is added, along with higher professional liability insurance of around 600 to 1,250 EUR (approx. 560 to 1,160 CHF) per year. One-off costs include an application fee of 60 EUR (approx. 55 CHF), as well as an administration fee and a place reservation fee, both of which are credited against your first semester’s fees. Over six years, tuition fees add up to 150,000 EUR, around 139,500 CHF.

For living costs in Nicosia, you should budget around 600 EUR (approx. 560 CHF) per month; accommodation near campus costs about 470 to 560 EUR (approx. 440 to 520 CHF). Zurich is considerably more expensive, and around 2,000 EUR (approx. 1,850 CHF) per month is realistic. If you can live with family in the Zurich area during the clinical years, you can save a great deal here. The faculty awards need-based scholarships covering up to 20 per cent of tuition fees. All CHF amounts are converted at the September 2026 exchange rate and are for guidance only; the university invoices in euros.

Cyprus is a member of the European Union, so the MD from the University of Nicosia Medical School falls under the Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC. Switzerland applies this directive through its Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the EU. In Switzerland, the degree is recognised by the competent federal authority, without an equivalence assessment or an additional examination. Across the EU, it is likewise recognised automatically; licensing depends on your target country.

If you plan to practise in Switzerland, the Zurich combination is attractive for a second reason too: you will already have spent your clinical years within the Swiss healthcare system and will know the processes, the documentation and the language of everyday hospital life. This makes the transition into a residency position and specialist training – regulated by the Swiss Institute for Medical Education (SIWF) – easier than after a degree completed entirely abroad.

Our founder has been through the Swiss recognition process personally and is a federally recognised dentist in Switzerland. We support you with the transition into practice in Switzerland, the EU or your chosen target country.

Your studies begin in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, in the island’s interior. The climate is Mediterranean and sunny: around 11 °C in January and almost 30 °C in July and August. Larnaca International Airport is about 45 kilometres away, with direct flights to Zurich and many other European cities. The sea is less than an hour away, and the beaches of Larnaca and Ayia Napa are popular weekend destinations. English is widely spoken in everyday life, and the university welcomes students from around 100 countries.

After four years, you move to Zurich. Klinik Hirslanden is located in the Witikon district, just a few minutes from Lake Zurich. Zurich combines one of the highest qualities of life in the world with short distances: the airport is 15 minutes away, the Alps an hour, and in summer the lake invites you for a swim straight after your shift. If you have ties to Switzerland, this means family, friends and your future professional network are within easy reach again during the clinical years.