Study Medicine in Kyrenia (Girne), North Cyprus
Girne American University (GAU) · Kyrenia · North Cyprus
Girne American University (GAU) in Kyrenia teaches medicine and pharmacy entirely in English. We also support GAU 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, Pharmacy
Tuition fees
€13,000 per year (Medicine, 2025–26) plus €500 fee
Duration
6 years (12 semesters, 360 ECTS)
Language of instruction
English
Admission process
Intake
Recognition
Not recognised in North Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia, Morocco and others
Living costs
approx. €550 per month
Total students
20000
How Safe Is This Study Location?
Based on assessments from residents and visitors collected by Numbeo over the past five years.
135
6 years (12 semesters, 360 ECTS)
13000
550
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 Girne American University
Girne American University (GAU) is a private university in Kyrenia (Girne) on the north coast of Cyprus. It was founded in 1985, and its main site, the Karmi Campus, lies in Karaoğlanoğlu, west of the town centre. In 2026 GAU reports more than 20,000 students from 135 countries.
In the health sciences, GAU offers an English-taught Doctor of Medicine and an English-taught Pharmacy degree. Its official list of faculties, checked in September 2026, includes no Faculty of Dentistry. According to the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), the medical faculty began teaching in 2019. GAU states that the final-year family medicine internship takes place at Mersin University in Turkey under a cooperation protocol.
A common mix-up: GAU is not the University of Kyrenia (Girne Üniversitesi), a separate institution in the same town.
Important for 2026: recognition
GAU is overseen by YÖDAK, the higher education council of Northern Cyprus, and WDOMS lists it as recognised by YÖK in Turkey as well. The real issue lies elsewhere: Northern Cyprus is recognised as a state only by Turkey. As a result, a GAU degree is not accepted in many countries, and some countries do not admit transfer students from there either. This has nothing to do with the quality of teaching. It is a matter of political status.
- Founded: 1985
- Location: Karmi Campus, Karaoğlanoğlu (Kyrenia)
- Programmes: Medicine (6 years), Pharmacy (5 years)
- Language of instruction: English
- Oversight: YÖDAK (Northern Cyprus); also YÖK (Turkey) according to WDOMS
- Recognition: not recognised in many countries, including North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Morocco
Study medicine or dentistry: programmes and language of instruction
Structure, duration, language of instruction and degree — for every programme at this university.
- Medicine (Doctor of Medicine): 6 years, 12 semesters, 360 ECTS, taught in English; final-year internship at Mersin University (Turkey), according to GAU.
- Pharmacy: 5 years, 10 semesters, taught in English; summer training and a hospital pharmacy internship in semester 10.
Study conditions and campus life abroad
How the GAU medical degree is structured
The medical programme runs for six years, 12 semesters and 360 ECTS credits. GAU divides it into four phases:
- Semesters 1–4: basic medical sciences
- Semesters 5–6: introduction to clinical sciences
- Semesters 7–10: clinical sciences in rotations
- Semesters 11–12: family medicine internship, according to GAU at Mersin University (Turkey)
Pharmacy takes five years (10 semesters), with practical training in the summers and a hospital pharmacy internship in semester 10. In both cases the diploma is issued by a university in Northern Cyprus, so the recognition question is the same.
Admission: how to get a place to study medicine abroad
Do we place students at Girne American University?
No. Medschool Experts does not place students at Girne American University, because its degree is not recognised in many countries. We only want to send students to universities whose degree leads to a clear route to a medical licence.
Planning to study medicine? You will find recognised alternatives at our partner universities.
Already studying at GAU? A transfer to a recognised university in Europe is usually the most sensible step. In a free consultation we review which options you have.
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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 supported dozens of students on this path. Our goal is a transfer that usually costs you no time.
How it works:
- Review of your documents: we look at what you have completed at GAU and identify universities that fit the country where you want to practise.
- Credit transfer: the new university reviews your passed exams and credits them. We lead the field in study transfers and frequently achieve high year placements.
- No risk: you stay enrolled at GAU until your new place is confirmed.
- Support until enrolment: we prepare the application with you and stay by your side until you are enrolled at your new university.
Your first consultation is free and without obligation: book your consultation.
Tuition fees and living costs to study medicine abroad
Tuition fees and living costs
According to GAU's fee table for 2025–26, Medicine costs €13,000 per year and Pharmacy €11,000 per year. Both come with an annual registration and activity fee of €500. Instalment plans and special fee offers can change individual amounts, and fees for later years may rise.
For rent, food and daily life in Kyrenia, plan with a guide value of approx. €550 per month, not including flights.
What the remaining years cost
An example: a medical student entering year 3 in autumn 2026 still has four years ahead. At list price that is about €54,000 in tuition (4 × €13,500) plus roughly €26,400 in living costs (48 × €550) – around €80,000 in total. If your target country does not accept the degree, that money does not lead to a licence there. A transfer does not make studying free, but it moves the investment towards a degree with a clear route to recognition.
Degree recognition and career prospects
Degree recognition: the political problem
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is recognised as a state only by Turkey. In 1983, UN Security Council Resolution 541 declared its proclamation legally invalid, and almost every government still follows that position. For future doctors this matters: a medical licence depends on a national authority accepting the institution that issued the diploma.
North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia: From our 2026 placement work we know that these countries currently neither recognise degrees from Northern Cyprus nor accept transfer students from its universities.
Morocco: Since May 2024, equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus has been frozen on instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including medicine and pharmacy. Morocco World News (March 2026) and Yabiladi (April and July 2026) put the number of affected Moroccan students and graduates at roughly 3,000 to 3,500, and families protested in Rabat in 2026.
Other countries: In December 2020, Cyprus Today reported that Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates no longer recognised institutions in Northern Cyprus.
The EU: Under Directive 2005/36/EC, medical degrees from EU member states are recognised automatically across the Union. Northern Cyprus lies outside the EU legal framework in practice, because EU law is suspended in the north. A GAU degree is therefore not covered by automatic recognition. Do not confuse this with the Republic of Cyprus in the south, which is an EU member.
The key point: the problem is not the quality of teaching 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
Studying and living in Kyrenia
Kyrenia (Girne) is a coastal town on the north coast of Cyprus, known for its historic harbour and Venetian castle. GAU's Karmi Campus sits in Karaoğlanoğlu, a few kilometres west of the centre, between the sea and the Kyrenia mountain range. Nicosia (Lefkoşa) is about 30 kilometres away.
The Mediterranean climate brings long, hot summers and mild winters. The nearest airport is Ercan (ECN), about 40 minutes by car from Kyrenia. International connections usually involve a change in Turkey, most often in Istanbul.
Student life is highly international. Turkish is the everyday language in town, while teaching on campus is in English. The currency in Northern Cyprus is the Turkish lira.
- City: Kyrenia (Girne)
- Country: Northern Cyprus (TRNC, recognised only by Turkey)
- Airport: Ercan (ECN), approx. 40 minutes by car
- Climate: Mediterranean, 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 Girne American University degree recognised in Bosnia, Serbia or North Macedonia?
No. From our 2026 placement work we know that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia currently do not recognise degrees from Northern Cyprus. A transfer from a university in Northern Cyprus to these countries is not possible at the moment either. The reason is political: these countries do not recognise Northern Cyprus as a state. If you plan to work there, consider a transfer to a recognised university early.
Is a GAU degree recognised in Morocco?
Not at present. Since May 2024, Morocco has frozen equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus on instruction from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The freeze covers medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, so it applies to GAU's programmes too. Reports by Morocco World News and Yabiladi in 2026 put the number of affected students and graduates at roughly 3,000 to 3,500. No solution has been announced so far.
Is a GAU degree recognised in the EU?
Not automatically. Directive 2005/36/EC grants automatic recognition only to medical degrees from EU member states, and Northern Cyprus lies outside the EU legal framework in practice. Each EU country therefore applies its own rules to a GAU degree, often with additional examinations and an uncertain outcome. The Republic of Cyprus in the south is an EU member, but that does not extend to universities in the north.
Can I transfer from Girne American University to another university?
Yes. Students of Medicine and Pharmacy at GAU can transfer to a recognised university in Europe. We have already helped dozens of students from universities in Northern Cyprus make this move. Which universities suit you depends on your year of study and on the country where you want to practise. We clarify this with you in a free consultation.
Will I lose time or semesters by transferring?
Usually not. Our goal is a transfer without losing time. The new university reviews your passed exams and credits them, and we frequently achieve high year placements. Your exact entry year is set once your documents have been reviewed. The earlier you contact us, the more options you have.
Which documents do I need for a transfer?
That depends on the university you move to and on your year of study. We therefore look at your case individually in the free consultation and tell you exactly what you need. There is no need to work through the requirements of different universities on your own beforehand – we handle that together with you.
Do I have to leave GAU before I transfer?
No. You stay enrolled at Girne American University until your new place is confirmed. That way you avoid unnecessary risk and do not lose time if the process takes longer. Only once the new university has confirmed your place do we plan the next steps at GAU with you.
Why doesn't Medschool Experts place students at Girne American University?
Because its degree is not recognised in many countries. We only place students at universities whose degree offers a clear route to a medical licence. This is not a judgement on GAU's teaching; it follows from the political status of Northern Cyprus. If you want to study medicine, you will find recognised options at our partner universities.
How much does the consultation cost?
Your first consultation is free and without obligation. We look at your situation, explain your transfer options and answer your questions about recognition. After that you decide in your own time whether you want to continue with us. You can book an appointment directly through our contact page.
I study at Girne American University – what should I do now?
First, decide in which country you want to work as a doctor or pharmacist, and check whether it accepts your degree. If the answer is unclear, contact us early. The more semesters you have passed, the more careful planning pays off. In a free consultation we review your documents and show you the route to a recognised university.
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