Healthcare in Turkey for Foreign Residents and Property Owners (2026)

Healthcare in Turkey for Foreign Residents and Property Owners (2026)

Last updated: October 2026

Short answer: Turkey has a public health insurance system run by the Social Security Institution (SGK), called general health insurance (genel sağlık sigortası, GSS). Foreign residents who are not insured in their home country can join it voluntarily after one year of legal residence, by applying and paying a monthly premium. Until then, and for every residence permit application, you need valid health insurance, usually a private policy from an insurer operating in Turkey. Emergency care is available to everyone, but public healthcare is not free for uninsured foreigners.

Healthcare matters for property owners for two reasons. First, health insurance is a condition of the residence permit. Second, if you live in Turkey for part of the year, you need to know where to go and what it costs.

How the system is organised

Healthcare in Turkey has three levels:

• Family doctors (aile hekimi) at family health centres (Aile Sağlığı Merkezi): check-ups, prescriptions, basic tests, vaccinations and referrals.
• Public hospitals: state hospitals, training and research hospitals and city hospitals run by the Ministry of Health, plus university hospitals.
• Private hospitals and clinics: some have a contract with SGK, others do not.

SGK pays for treatment covered by its Health Implementation Communiqué (Sağlık Uygulama Tebliği, SUT). Patients pay small fixed contributions for visits and prescriptions.

Health insurance for your residence permit

Every residence permit application, including the short-term permit based on property ownership, requires valid health insurance. The Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) accepts one of the following:

• a document showing you can use health services in Turkey under a bilateral social security agreement;
• an SGK provision document (provizyon belgesi), or proof that you have applied to SGK for general health insurance;
• a private health insurance policy.

The insurance must cover the whole period of the permit you request. A shorter policy can lead to a shorter permit or a refusal. Private policies must meet the minimum cover set by the Treasury's Circular No. 2016/16 on health insurance for visa and residence permit applications. Policies from insurers abroad and travel insurance are usually not accepted.

Insurers set their own age limits and conditions. Many residence-permit policies are sold only up to a certain age, and most exclude pre-existing illnesses. Older applicants should check what they can buy before they apply. See our guide to the Turkish residence permit through property for the full list of permit documents.

Joining SGK as a foreign resident

Under Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510, Article 60, foreigners who live in Turkey and are not insured under the law of their own country can become GSS members after one year of residence in Turkey, on application.

• How to apply: at the SGK provincial office, with your foreign identity number (it starts with 99) and your residence permit.
• When cover starts: cover does not start automatically. It starts after you apply.
• Premiums: you pay a monthly premium calculated from the gross minimum wage, which is updated every year. Foreign residents pay a higher premium than Turkish citizens in the same category. Confirm the current amount with SGK before you register.
• Unpaid premiums: premium debts can suspend your access to SGK-covered treatment.
• Family: a spouse and children may be covered as your dependants, subject to SGK approval.

Foreigners who work in Turkey with a work permit are insured through their employer and do not wait one year.

What new Turkish citizens get

A foreigner who becomes a Turkish citizen by investment has the same rights as any other citizen. If you live in Turkey and have no other social security cover, you are registered in GSS. An income test (gelir testi) then decides the premium:

• if your household's income per person is below one-third of the gross minimum wage, the state pays your premium;
• if it is above, you pay the premium yourself. In 2026 this is about 1,982 TL a month, after the rate for this group rose from 3% to 6% from December 2025 (Presidential Decision No. 10602).

Citizens can then use family doctors, public hospitals and SGK-contracted private hospitals with their Turkish ID number. Read our Turkish citizenship guide for the citizenship process itself.

Private hospitals and private insurance

Many foreigners use private hospitals for shorter waits and English- or Arabic-speaking staff. Costs depend on your cover:

SGK-contracted private hospitals may not charge the additional fee for life-threatening emergencies (the first 24 hours), intensive care, burns treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, newborn care, organ and stem cell transplants and dialysis.

From 1 January 2026, an SGK member pays a contribution of 26 TL for a visit at a public hospital and 60 TL at a private hospital. A visit to the family doctor has no contribution.

Emergency care

Call 112 for an ambulance. The 112 emergency service and hospital emergency departments treat everyone, insured or not. An uninsured foreigner will be stabilised, but may be billed for treatment after that. With SGK cover, a life-threatening emergency is covered at public and SGK-contracted private hospitals without the additional fee.

Pharmacies

Medicines are sold at pharmacies (eczane). Doctors issue electronic prescriptions (e-reçete), and the pharmacy reads them with your ID number. SGK members pay:

• 3.76 TL per prescription for up to three boxes, plus 1.25 TL for each additional box (2026);
• a share of the medicine price, usually about 20% for working insured people and 10% for pensioners.

At night and on holidays, a duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane) is open in every district. The list is posted on the door of every pharmacy.

How to register with a family doctor

1. Register your address. A family doctor is assigned according to the address registered in the address system, so your residence permit address must be correct.
2. Check your assigned doctor on e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr) with your Turkish or foreign identity number.
3. To change doctor, use e-Devlet or the Ministry of Health's e-Nabız system, or apply at a family health centre with available places.
4. Book appointments through the Ministry of Health's MHRS system (mhrs.gov.tr) or by calling ALO 182. Walk-ins are also accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Is healthcare in Turkey free for foreigners?

No. Emergency care is available to everyone, but uninsured foreigners pay for treatment. Foreign residents get SGK cover only by joining GSS and paying monthly premiums, which is possible after one year of residence.

Do I need health insurance for a residence permit in Turkey?

Yes. You need health insurance covering the whole permit period: a private policy, an SGK document, or cover under a bilateral social security agreement. Travel insurance is usually not accepted.

When can a foreign resident join SGK?

After one year of legal residence in Turkey, if you are not insured under your own country's law. You apply to SGK with your residence permit and foreign identity number, and cover starts after you apply.

Do Turkish citizens by investment get public health insurance?

Yes, on the same terms as other citizens. If you live in Turkey without other cover, you are registered in GSS; an income test decides whether the state pays your premium or you do.

Can I use a private hospital with SGK?

Yes, if the hospital has an SGK contract. SGK pays its tariff and the hospital can charge an additional fee of up to 200% of it, except in cases such as emergencies and intensive care.

Sources: Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510; Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458 and its Implementing Regulation; Presidency of Migration Management (goc.gov.tr) residence permit document list; Treasury Circular No. 2016/16; Presidential Decision No. 10602 (Official Gazette No. 33084, 21 November 2025); SGK Health Implementation Communiqué (SUT). This is general information and rules and premiums change every year; confirm your situation with SGK, the Presidency of Migration Management or a licensed lawyer.

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