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Health insurance for expats in Turkey: features, benefits and cost of medical services in the country

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Health insurance for expats in Turkey: features, benefits and cost of medical services in the country

Turkey can boast of a well-developed field of medicine. In the country, any person can receive the necessary high-quality medical care. Learn more about the benefits, features and prices of health insurance in Turkey

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Turkey has a well-developed health care system. The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey enshrines the right to social security for everyone, so any person can receive the necessary medical care. Services provided in public and private hospitals and clinics are acceptable and publicly available.

Read more about the benefits of Turkey's medical system and insurance features below.


Features of the health care system of Turkey


Thanks to a number of measures taken to modernize the health care system, Türkiye has become one of the leading countries in the world in terms of the level of medical services:  

• the clinical base is developing in the country, new hospitals and medical centers are opened every year, in connection with which the number of beds per capita is increasing;

• the number of doctors increases and the level of their training increases.

The state's medical system offers all types of services in the main areas: ophthalmology, orthopedics, traumatology, diseases of internal organs, otorhinolaryngology, gynecology, general surgery, diseases of the teeth and oral cavity, neurosurgery, skin and venereal diseases (dermatology), and pediatrics.

Thanks to the growing number of doctors and their high level of training, the professional level in many new medical areas, such as plastic surgery, eye and heart surgery, has significantly increased in Turkey. Also, in recent years, Turkey has developed significantly in the following fields: organ transplantation, treatment of eye diseases, dentistry, plastic medicine and hair transplantation.

The variety of medical services attracts medical tourists to the country, who come to Turkey for treatment, and also contributes to the growth of the number of elderly foreigners who want to live here in retirement.


Advantages of the medical system of Turkey


Experts highlight a number of reasons why Türkiye occupies a leading position in the world in the field of health care:

• high level of service quality;

• favorable geographical position - at the intersection of 3 continents, where 1.5 billion people live, who can fly to Turkey in just 4 hours at most;

• developed transport system in the country;

• mild favorable climate.


Of course, one of the key factors, thanks to which Türkiye occupies the position of the leading country in the world in terms of the level of development of the health care system, is the experience and professionalism of doctors. Being a doctor in Turkey is honorable and prestigious, so successful and intelligent school graduates often choose medical universities for admission.

Again, due to population density and structure, the number and variety of clinical cases faced by Turkish physicians in their practice is greater than in many other countries. This factor expands the opportunities of specialists to gain important experience and learn in practice. All this has a positive effect on the level of qualification of Turkish medical personnel.


The list of factors thanks to which Türkiye attracts the attention of potential patients and has more advantages for treatment in the country compared to other states:

• provision of services at the level of global indicators;

• availability of modern equipment and materials, as well as a large number of beds;

• a high number of accredited medical institutions and organizations;

• availability of narrow-profile specialists;

• involvement of advanced innovative methods of treatment;

• competitive prices;

• individual approach in treatment;

• personnel who speak foreign languages;

• efficiency of the services provided;

• in addition to traditional methods - the use of alternative approaches in treatment.


All these factors attract to the country tourists who come to restore health, as well as those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle after retirement and receive quality medical services.


The cost of medical services in Türkiye


Of course, the main reason why tourists from abroad come to Türkiye for treatment is the high level of medical care. However, the relatively low cost of services remains no less significant. Of course, this does not mean that medical care in Turkey is cheap, just that the prices here are more acceptable than in the vast majority of European countries.

Compulsory health insurance in Turkey


A foreigner who wishes to obtain a residence permit in the Republic of Turkey must obtain medical insurance. When issuing a permit for a foreign citizen for the first time, it is sufficient to issue a health insurance policy at any company that provides these services. For minors and persons over 65 years of age, obtaining health insurance is voluntary, except for a family certificate, when everyone must obtain a health insurance policy without exception.
In order to issue an Ikamet, you only need to have an insurance policy issued by a Turkish company. As a rule, such insurance covers 40-60% of costs for outpatient treatment and 40-100% for inpatient treatment, but only in clinics that have concluded a contract with the insurance company that issued the policy. Insurance from local companies almost never covers the cost of dental procedures. The main purpose of this insurance is to compensate for the costs of emergency medical care services.

Is it possible to get full insurance coverage in Turkey, just like at home?


We offer a solution that will reduce the stress of looking for coverage, filling out forms, waiting and getting a personalized quote from a foreign insurance company. In the proposed option, you choose the amount of coverage on the website, enter your data, immediately see the cost, pay online and receive the policy in the mail - the very next day you can contact the assistance company and receive the required amount of medical care without surcharges.




Daria Rogova - Head of Insurance at Visit World


Use the insurance policy to obtain a residence permit in Turkey on our resource. Online registration at an affordable price.




Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:


Checklist for obtaining a visa and necessary documents in Turkey;

Legal advice on immigration in Turkey;

Insurance for residence permit in Turkey.




We monitor the accuracy and relevance of our information. Therefore, if you see any error or discrepancy, please write to our hotline.


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