Study Medicine or Dentistry at Cyprus International University
Cyprus International University (CIU) · Nicosia · North Cyprus
Cyprus International University (CIU) in Nicosia was founded in 1997 and teaches medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in English. We also support CIU students with a transfer to a European university — usually without losing time.
At a glance
The key facts about this university at a glance.
Programmes
Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
Tuition fees
Per the university's fee calculator (set each year)
Duration
Medicine 6 years, Dentistry 5 years, Pharmacy 5 years (PharmD 6 years)
Language of instruction
English
Admission process
Intake
Autumn semester from September, spring semester from February
Recognition
Not recognised in North Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia, Morocco and others
Living costs
approx. €350–600 per month
Total students
14569
How Safe Is This Study Location?
Based on assessments from residents and visitors collected by Numbeo over the past five years.
110
Medicine 6 years, Dentistry 5 years, Pharmacy 5 years (PharmD 6 years)
475
Climate
Average daytime highs by month.
✓ Placement without a grade cut-off — we place you regardless of your school-leaving grades. We go through the specific requirements together.
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About Cyprus International University
Cyprus International University (CIU) is a private university founded in 1997 in Nicosia (Lefkoşa), the northern part of Cyprus's divided capital. Its campus sits on the edge of the city near Haspolat. According to the university (2026), more than 14,000 students from 110 countries study there across over 100 degree programmes. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, CIU is placed in the 601–800 band.
Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy are taught entirely in English. The Faculty of Medicine is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. Dentistry has been teaching since the 2019–20 academic year and uses the university's own Oral and Dental Health Application and Research Center for the clinical years. The Faculty of Pharmacy opened in 2011–12. CIU is regulated by YÖDAK, the higher education council of Northern Cyprus, and is also a member institution of YÖK, Turkey's Council of Higher Education.
Medicine follows its own pattern: years 1 to 3 are taught on the Nicosia campus, and according to CIU, years 4 to 6 take place at Başkent University's Dr. Turgut Noyan Application and Research Center in Adana, Turkey.
Important for 2026: recognition
Only Turkey recognises Northern Cyprus as a state. As a result, a CIU degree is not recognised in many countries, whatever the quality of teaching. From our placement work in 2026 we know that North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia accept neither the degree nor transfer students from CIU. If you need a degree that counts in your country, you can transfer to a recognised university in Europe, and we will guide you through it.
- Founded: 1997
- Location: Nicosia (Lefkoşa), campus near Haspolat
- Programmes: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
- Language of instruction: English
- Oversight: YÖDAK (Northern Cyprus), also a member of YÖK (Turkey)
- Recognition: not recognised in North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Morocco and other countries
Study medicine or dentistry: programmes and language of instruction
Structure, duration, language of instruction and degree — for every programme at this university.
- Medicine: 6 years in English; years 1 to 3 in Nicosia, clinical years 4 to 6 at a Başkent University centre in Adana, Turkey.
- Dentistry: 5 years (300 ECTS) in English, taught since 2019–20; clinical years 4 and 5 at the university's own dental centre.
- Pharmacy: 5 years to the MPharm, with a sixth year leading to the PharmD; faculty open since 2011–12.
Study conditions and campus life abroad
Medicine (6 years)
Years 1 to 3 form the preclinical part and are taught on the Nicosia campus. According to CIU, students complete clinical years 4 to 6 at Başkent University's Dr. Turgut Noyan Application and Research Center in Adana, Turkey, with in-patient training, outpatient clinics and observation in the operating room.
Dentistry (5 years, 300 ECTS)
After the preclinical years, years 4 and 5 are clinical and take place at the university's own Oral and Dental Health Application and Research Center.
Pharmacy (5-year MPharm, 6-year PharmD)
The five-year programme leads to the MPharm, and a sixth year leads to the PharmD. Practical training periods run across the years of study.
What this means for a transfer
For medical students, the end of year 3 is a natural break, since the move to Adana follows anyway. If you are thinking about a transfer, this is a good moment to act, and the earlier you start, the more options you have.
Admission: how to get a place to study medicine abroad
Medschool Experts does not place students at Cyprus International University. The reason is recognition, not teaching: a degree from Northern Cyprus is not accepted in many countries, and we want your degree to count where you plan to work.
Planning to study Medicine or Dentistry? Our partner universities offer alternatives without this political recognition problem. See our university overview.
Already studying at CIU? A transfer to a recognised university in Europe is possible, usually without losing time. In a free consultation we look at your situation.
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Preparing properly with Medschool Experts
Transferring with Medschool Experts
We specialise in helping students move from universities in Northern Cyprus to recognised universities in Europe, and we have already guided dozens of students along this route.
Our aim is a transfer that usually costs you no time. The new university reviews and credits the exams you have passed. We are the leading specialist for study transfers and frequently achieve high year placements.
- We review your situation and your academic record.
- We look for universities whose degree is recognised where you want to work.
- We support you until your first day at the new university.
You stay enrolled at CIU until your new place is confirmed, so there is no gap in your studies.
The consultation is free and without obligation. Book your free consultation
Tuition fees and living costs to study medicine abroad
Tuition fees and living costs
CIU does not publish a fixed fee table. According to the university, tuition fees are set at the start of each academic year and shown through the fee calculator on its website (as of 2026). CIU states that most students benefit from 50%, 75% or 100% scholarships or discounted fees. The binding figure is always the one the fee calculator gives for your academic year.
For living costs in Northern Cyprus, current student guides (2026) give roughly €350 to €600 per month, depending on housing and lifestyle.
What the remaining years cost
Take Dentistry, which is taught entirely in Nicosia. A student who stays after year 2 until graduation still pays three annual fees per the fee calculator, plus about €12,600 to €21,600 in living costs over 36 months. In Medicine, the move to Adana and living costs there come on top from year 4.
Before you put that sum into a degree whose recognition in your country is uncertain, it is worth looking at the alternatives. If you transfer, the new university reviews and credits the exams you have passed.
Degree recognition and career prospects
Degree recognition: the political problem
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was declared in 1983. To this day, only Turkey recognises it as a state, and UN Security Council Resolution 541 (1983) declared the declaration legally invalid. The recognition of every university degree from the north of the island depends on this, including degrees from CIU.
- 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 degree nor transfer students from CIU.
- Morocco: equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus has been frozen since May 2024 on instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Around 3,000 to 3,500 Moroccan students and graduates are affected (Morocco World News, March 2026; Yabiladi, April and July 2026). Protests took place in Rabat in 2026.
- Other countries: according to a Cyprus Today report (December 2020), Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the UAE no longer recognise higher education institutions in Northern Cyprus.
Automatic EU recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC does not help either. It covers medical degrees from EU member states, and EU law is effectively suspended in the north of Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus in the south is an EU member state with its own universities, which is a different case.
Key point: the problem is not the quality of teaching at CIU but the political status of Northern Cyprus.
Alumni now practising internationally
Former students of this university who, according to publicly available sources, now work as doctors or dentists internationally. Anonymised overview — not an indication of any cooperation with Medschool Experts.
The city as a place to study medicine
Nicosia (Lefkoşa) is the northern part of Cyprus's divided capital and the administrative centre of Northern Cyprus. The CIU campus lies on the edge of the city near Haspolat, with dormitories, flats, cafés and shops on and around campus. The old town inside the Venetian walls is a few kilometres away.
The climate is Mediterranean. Summers are hot and dry, with daytime highs in July and August often above 35°C, while winters are mild and wetter. The north coast at Girne (Kyrenia) is about half an hour away by car.
Ercan Airport (ECN) is around 20 minutes by car from campus. Flights to Ercan route via Turkey, usually with a change in Istanbul. Many students instead fly into Larnaca (LCA) in the Republic of Cyprus and cross into the north at one of the Nicosia crossing points.
The currency in the north is the Turkish lira. English is widely used on campus and in many shops.
- City: Nicosia (Lefkoşa), northern part of the divided capital
- Country: Northern Cyprus (TRNC, recognised only by Turkey)
- Airport: Ercan (ECN), about 20 minutes by car
- Climate: Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild winters
About the author
Marcel Kloos
Federally recognised dentist, founder and owner of Medschool Experts
Marcel Kloos founded the company while still studying abroad himself; since then more than 500 study places have been arranged. Originally from Stuttgart, he studied dentistry in Sofia from 2015 to 2021 and is a federally recognised dentist.
He now lives in Bern and runs the company full-time as its owner. He visits the partner universities in person on a regular basis.
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Student story
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FAQ: studying medicine abroad at this university
Is a CIU degree recognised in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia or North Macedonia?
No. These countries do not recognise Northern Cyprus as a state. From our placement work in 2026 we know that they accept neither degrees from Cyprus International University nor transfer students from CIU to their own universities. If you plan to work in one of these countries later, it makes sense to think about a transfer to a recognised university early.
Is a CIU degree recognised in Morocco?
Not at present. Morocco has frozen equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus since May 2024 on instruction from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Morocco World News (March 2026) and Yabiladi (April and July 2026) put the number of affected Moroccan students and graduates at around 3,000 to 3,500. No official solution had been published by September 2026, so plan on the basis that the freeze continues.
Is a CIU degree recognised in the EU?
Not automatically. Directive 2005/36/EC gives automatic recognition to medical degrees from EU member states, and Northern Cyprus is effectively outside the EU legal framework. A CIU degree is therefore treated as a third-country qualification, and each EU country decides case by case, often with additional exams. In Germany, for example, the usual route is the Kenntnisprüfung, a state knowledge exam.
Can I transfer from Cyprus International University to another university?
Yes. Students of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy at CIU can transfer to recognised universities in Europe. The new university compares the exams you have passed with its curriculum, credits them and sets your entry year. We are the leading specialist for study transfers and frequently achieve high year placements. Which university suits you is something we work out in a free consultation.
Will I lose time by transferring?
Our aim is a transfer that usually costs you no time. How well that works depends on how closely your completed courses match the curriculum of the new university. The receiving university sets your exact entry year after reviewing your documents. The sooner you get in touch with us, the more options remain open to you.
Which documents do I need for a transfer?
That depends on the university you want to move to, because each one has its own requirements and deadlines. So we do not go through documents in general terms but individually in the free consultation. There we look at what you already have and tell you exactly what you still need for your transfer.
Do I have to leave CIU before I transfer?
No. You stay enrolled at CIU until your new place is confirmed. That way there is no gap in your studies and you take no unnecessary risk. Only once the new university has confirmed your place do you deal with withdrawing from CIU. We support you through each of these steps.
Why don't you place students at CIU?
Because a degree from Northern Cyprus is not recognised in many countries. This has nothing to do with teaching at CIU; it is due to the political status of Northern Cyprus, which only Turkey recognises as a state. We only place students at universities whose degree will not create such obstacles later. If you have not started yet, we show you alternatives at our partner universities.
How much does the consultation cost?
The consultation is free and without obligation. We look at your year of study, your results so far and your goals, and explain which transfer options are open to you. Afterwards you decide in your own time whether you want to continue with us. You can book an appointment on our contact page.
I study at CIU – what should I do now?
First, check whether your degree will be recognised in the country where you want to work. If that is uncertain, or if it is not the case, as in Morocco, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or North Macedonia, get advice early. Stay enrolled, collect your transcripts and book a free consultation. We show you how a transfer usually works without losing time.
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500+ students placed.
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