How do Foreigners Benefit from Healthcare Services in Turkey?

It is necessary to be subjected to insurance in order the healthcare services to be provided under state guarantee. The citizens of Republic of Turkey can be provided healthcare services under state guarantee within the scope of their professional insurances or through family bonds. However there are certain applications and transactions to be performed by foreigners to benefit from healthcare services. Health insurances consist of two main titles within the scope of general health insurance and private health insurance. 

Foreign citizens should fulfill the procedures for foreigners apart from the health insurances in their homelands in order to benefit from healthcare services within the boundaries of Turkey. The foreigners who receive residence permit in Turkey, the foreigners who do not have health insurance in his/her homeland or in any other country and the persons who make application after having stayed in Turkey for a long period can benefit from healthcare services.

How can Foreigners Benefit from General Health Insurance?

General health insurance is the system which enables the healthcare services received from public hospitals, health institutions, medical centers and family health centers to be performed within the scope of insurance. In order the foreigners to be able to benefit from healthcare services; they are required to be subjected to general health insurance. Furthermore the persons who have general health insurance are provided with government aid for medical drugs, medical materials and medical equipment deemed necessary for treatment.

The foreigners who want to benefit from general health insurance are required to make application to the Social Security Directorate of the region they are located. 

The things to be fulfilled and documents to be compulsorily submitted by the foreign citizens to fulfill the application conditions and to be covered in the health insurance are as follows:

• It is compulsory to append the form and petition where application details are given in full to the file.
• If the applicant is entitled to reside in Turkey, he/she is required to submit the certificate of residence permit.
• In order the foreigners to be able to benefit from healthcare services, the applicant should evidence that he/she does not have health insurance in his/her homeland or in any other country.
• The applicant is required to declare the document indicating his/her status with respect to the general health insurance received from the institutions in his/her homeland.
• The original copy of the document containing information on the general health insurance received from the attaché’s office is acceptable in the application as well.
• It is necessary to complete the form of commitment given by the Social Security Directorate and to sign the same personally.
• The person who makes application for general health insurance has to submit the identity certificates of the dependent family members to the relevant authority in order to have these persons benefit from this right as well.

The persons whose identity certificates are submitted by the foreigners entitled for general health insurance for having them benefit from healthcare services should be persons who are family members and who do not have any insurance. 

If foreign citizen individuals benefit from the rights of general health insurance; the spouse, children under the age of 18, children who continue their studies at high schools under the age of 20, disabled children of this person without age limitation and his/her parents detected to be provided for by that person can also benefit from the insurance provide to have the same rights.

How can Foreigners Benefit from Private Insurance?

One of the ways that foreigners could refer to in order to benefit from healthcare services is private health insurance. Private health insurance is a type of insurance which covers compensation of the costs necessary to treat the health problems arising from accident or disease limited to the coverage details contained in the policy as a consequence of the agreements concluded with insurance companies.

In private health insurances; policy determines the coverage of healthcare services unlike the general health insurance. For this reason it is significant for foreigners maintaining insurance by examining the provisions within the scope of the policy, in terms of the content of the healthcare services that they will benefit from. It is useful to perform detailed examinations in order not to have coverage problems arising from policy particularly in procurement of specific medical interventions and equipment.

Maintaining private health insurance in order for the foreigners to benefit from healthcare services is the obligation of those entering in the country for a specific period without residence permit. The foreigners who stay in Turkey for a short or long period without residence permit are required to maintain private health insurance order to benefit from healthcare services.

The foreigners who want to benefit from healthcare services are required to know the details of the transactions and relevant obligations. You can benefit from our consultancy service in order to progress in a controlled manner in the application and acceptance processes and to be informed about healthcare services and health insurances. 

You can create a request via our PAC Turkey  address or communication line in order to be informed about all your transactions for private health insurance and general health insurance.