Find a medical facility
Are you looking for insurance coverage?
See how you can find your health professional with MSH
Already a member?
Please log in to find your healthcare provider
Sales team
Customer services
Individuals sales team
From 9 AM to 6 PM (CET)
Send us an email
Corporates sales team
From 9 AM to 6 PM (CET)
Send us an email
Quick Access

Turkey

Turkey, a state in Europe and Asia, is a transcontinental country. It shares its borders with 8 countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Turkey is also bordered by the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean Sea to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the southwest. 3% of Turkey's territory is in Europe, while the rest of the country is on the Asian continent. Since May 2022, the official name of Turkey in English is Türkiye.
  • Population: 84.34 million in 2020
  • Area: 783,562 km2
  • Currency: Turkish lira
  • Official languages: Turkish

Healthcare system

Discover how the Turkish healthcare system works

Turkey is a popular destination for medical tourism and has a good quality healthcare system. The medical staff is well qualified, the infrastructures are generally efficient, and the facilities strive to comply with international standards.

Turkey has a universal health insurance system. All residents are enrolled in the SGK (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu), the national Social Security scheme. This means they are entitled to healthcare in public facilities (sickness, maternity, occupational accidents, occupational diseases, and disability).
 

Healthcare formalities for expatriates

If you, or your spouse, are employed in Turkey, you are entitled to coverage under the SGK. If you are self-employed, you can also join for a monthly contribution of 614 Turkish Liras (around €33) and provided you have a residence permit.

The private sector has much more advanced and ultra-modern hospitals and healthcare centers, with extremely short waiting times and a large number of English-speaking healthcare professionals.

It is therefore highly recommended that you take out private international health insurance in Turkey. This will be particularly useful if you need to be repatriated and to benefit from the best possible medical care in the private sector.
 

Visiting a doctor

In Turkey, there are around 2 doctors for every 1,000 people so you will have no trouble finding a healthcare professional in the country.

Turkish medical personnel in the public sector do not always speak good English. You are more likely to find an English-speaking doctor in the private sector.

In private facilities, you should expect to pay an average of €80 for a consultation with a general practitioner and more than €100 for a consultation with a specialist, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
 

Hospitalization

Being admitted to hospital

There are almost 1,250 hospitals in Turkey, 32 of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which ensures compliance with international healthcare standards.

To find one of these JCI-accredited hospitals where most of the staff and doctors are certified English speakers, visit this dedicated page.

To find a doctor, hospital or healthcare center in Turkey, visit the Doctors of Turkey website.
 

Buying medication

You will easily find many pharmacies (eczane) in Turkey, usually open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday where you will find all the usual medicines. There are also several 24-hour duty pharmacies.

If you are taking medication with you on your trip, remember to bring your doctor's prescription which you may be asked to show at customs.
 

Vaccinations to be carried out

No vaccinations are required for travel to Turkey. However, it is recommended that you are up to date with the usual vaccination schedule. In particular, it is advisable to get the necessary booster shots for DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-polio) and MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) in children, as well as the vaccination against tuberculosis.

Depending on the geographical areas you are visiting and the conditions of the stay, vaccinations against yellow fever, viral hepatitis A and B, and rabies may be advisable.
 

Health risks

In Turkey, Crimean-Congo fever, a viral disease transmitted by ticks, is present in certain regions: in Central Anatolia, on the Black Sea coastal area, as well as in the forest areas near Istanbul and Ankara. To avoid the risk, it is advisable to use repellents when visiting these regions.

Also keep away from stray dogs, which are present in several Turkish cities, some of which may be carrying rabies.

You should also be aware that tap water is generally not safe to drink in Turkey. Drink only bottled water or water that has been made safe for drinking.

Lastly, to avoid the risks of typhoid fever, a bacterial disease, be sure to adopt good food hygiene (wash your hands before each meal and avoid eating raw or undercooked products). Also, follow the usual coronavirus measures and recommendations in place in the country at the time of your departure.
 

Good to know

Emergency services and useful numbers:
  • Police: 155
  • Fire service: 199
  • Medical emergencies: 112

Official name: Republic of Türkiye
Main cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmır, Antalya, and Bursa
Type of state: Unitary presidential republic
Capital: Istanbul
 

Get your health insurance for Turkey

MSH can help you design the best international health insurance plan to suit your needs.

Going for less than a year?  
We have the right health insurance plan to cover you for 1 to 12 months, whether it's for a personal project, an apprenticeship, a working holiday or any other reason.

Going for a year or more?
Explore our comprehensive and highly flexible health insurance solutions to protect you and your family while you're abroad.

QUICK FACTS

OFFICIAL NAME

Republic of Turkey

MAIN CITIES

Istanbul

CAPITAL

Ankara

GOVERNMENT

Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic

COMMON LANGUAGE

Kurmanji, Arabic, Zaza, Kabardian

FIND OUT MORE

Turkey on Wikipedia

CLIENT STORIES

Client story: they were there for my baby

Laure and Robert moved to Singapore in 2014 for work - but they ended up starting a family there too! She told MSH that she was pregnant and was amazed by all the support she got. First she received a practical guide on pregnancy (what to do at each stage, medical exams etc.) and then a member of the team called her to explain all her guarantees personally and advise her on the best place to give birth. The day her daughter was born, a gift pack arrived with a growth chart and a baby toy, with all good wishes from MSH. And now there's another one on the way...
Client story: MSH was a lifesaver

Matthieu was hiking in a canyon in Peru when he accidently fell down several meters and fractured his kneecap and elbow: "After 12 days in a local hospital, I was sent back to  France where I spent 2 more weeks in hospital and months in physiotherapy" he remembers. Matthieu's hospitalization, repatriation and rehabilitation expenses were all covered by MSH: "Without my private health insurance, it would have been a nightmare: €16,000 for the hospital and €50,000 for my repatriation with two air ambulances - can you imagine?"
Client story: No worries mate!

Tanguy subscribed to Start’Expat to cover his gap year in Australia. He was out roller-skating one day when he slipped and blacked out for a few minutes. A passerby directed him to the nearest hospital for a scan. Fortunately, there was nothing serious and he was delighted to learn that all the expenses from €400 would be paid by MSH in advance, saving him a total of €513 -that's a lot of money for a student!   
DISCOVER THEIR STORIES

For more information

Find out about other countries' healthcare system

Want to learn more?
Find the right plan for you in just a few clicks
Contact our team of specialists
We're here to help you 24/7 in your language