Healthcare in Turkey: insurance, co-pays and emergency care
How healthcare works in Turkey for residents and students: residence permits and policies, SGK enrolment, co-payments, pharmacies and emergency care.
Table of Contents
People living or studying in Turkey encounter two systems in one: public and private hospitals, with insurance that depends on their residence permit and how long they have lived there.
At a glance · checked on 20.10.2026
The system combines public and private care, and what you pay depends on your cover.
- Cover: a short-term residence permit requires valid insurance for its entire duration: a private policy, an SGK document or an application for enrolment. Foreign nationals with one year of continuous residence and foreign students can apply for SGK’s Genel Sağlık Sigortası (GSS).
- Co-payments: for someone insured by SGK, there is no co-payment for a family doctor consultation; a consultation at a state hospital costs 26 TL and at a secondary or tertiary private facility 60 TL. For medicines, SGK states 20% of the price plus 3.76 TL per prescription.
- Numbers: the Ministry of Health lists 112 for emergencies and Alo 184 (SABİM, 444 3 833); to book an appointment, use MHRS’s Alo 182.
The clinic desk
Choose a card and a door: the desk prints what the cardholder pays at that door, with a source beside each line. The amounts are those SGK states for its insured members; dotted lines have no fixed amount: the policy or the facility’s price list determines it.
- Family doctorAile hekimi
- State hospitalDevlet hastanesi
- University hospitalÜniversite hastanesi
- Private hospital or clinicÖzel hastane
- PharmacyEczane
- Emergency departmentAcil
Visitor passport, no residence permit
Monthly premiumno SGK enrolment
Family doctor Aile hekimi
- Consultationaccording to the facility’s price list
State hospital Devlet hastanesi
- Consultationaccording to the facility’s price list
University hospital Üniversite hastanesi
- Consultationaccording to the facility’s price list
Private hospital or clinic Özel hastane
- Consultationaccording to the facility’s price list
Pharmacy Eczane
- Medicinesaccording to the pharmacy price
Emergency department Acil
- If you are asked to pay for emergency care and are uninsured, SGK says to contact the Ministry’s provincial health directorate.SGK
- The emergency number listed by the Ministry of Health is 112.Ministry of Health
Permit and private policy policy covers the permit
Policy premiumset by the insurer
A short-term residence permit requires insurance valid for the entire period requested. The migration authority’s e-ikamet portal requires the signed and stamped original, with the wording on minimum cover from circular no. 9 of 06.06.2014; a policy taken out abroad is valid only if arranged by an agency in Turkey. e-ikamet
Family doctor Aile hekimi
- Consultationaccording to the policy or the facility’s price list
State hospital Devlet hastanesi
- Consultationaccording to the policy or the facility’s price list
University hospital Üniversite hastanesi
- Consultationaccording to the policy or the facility’s price list
Private hospital or clinic Özel hastane
- Consultationaccording to the policy or the facility’s price list
Pharmacy Eczane
- Medicinesaccording to the policy or the pharmacy price
Emergency department Acil
- If you are asked to pay for emergency care and are uninsured, SGK says to contact the Ministry’s provincial health directorate.SGK
- The emergency number listed by the Ministry of Health is 112.Ministry of Health
SGK member enrolled through work, study or after a year
Monthly premiumset by SGK at enrolment
Family doctor Aile hekimi
- Family doctor consultationno co-paymentSGK
- If your doctor refers you to a facility (sevk), the specialist consultation co-payment is halved: 50% less.SGK
State hospital Devlet hastanesi
- Specialist consultation26 TLSGK
- Consultation with family doctor referral (calculated)13 TLSGK
- SGK states that co-payments for consultations at secondary and tertiary public hospitals are paid at the pharmacy with the first prescription.SGK
- If you visit another facility for the same specialty within 10 days, the co-payment increases by 5 TL; exceptions apply to primary care consultations, chronic illnesses listed by SGK, electronic referrals and emergencies.SGK
University hospital Üniversite hastanesi
- Specialist consultation26 TLSGK
- Consultation with family doctor referral (calculated)13 TLSGK
- The same amount applies to hospitals belonging to state and foundation universities with medical faculties.SGK
- Foundation universities contracted with SGK may also charge an additional fee: see the private hospital door.SGK
Private hospital or clinic Özel hastane
- Specialist consultation, secondary and tertiary care60 TLSGK
- Consultation with family doctor referral (calculated)30 TLSGK
- Additional fee (ilave ücret): SGK states that contracted non-public facilities, including foundation universities, may charge insured members an additional fee on top of the tariff set by the Health Services Pricing Commission; the President of the Republic has the power to set its cap, up to twice that tariff.SGK
- Before providing the service, the facility must obtain written consent to the additional fee from the patient or a family member; without that consent, it cannot demand the fee afterwards.SGK
- For an inpatient stay with SGK services exceeding 100 TL in the same case, the facility provides a document listing the services and any additional fee, no later than discharge.SGK
Pharmacy Eczane
- Share of medicine price20%SGK
- Per prescription, up to 3 boxes3.76 TLSGK
- Per extra box1.25 TLSGK
- SGK pensioners and their dependants: 10% instead of 20%. With an illness on the exemption list and a medical report, no co-payment is due for the medicines specified.SGK
Emergency department Acil
- SGK states that emergency care in emergency departments carries neither a co-payment nor an additional fee, at both contracted and non-contracted facilities.SGK
- For patients assessed as not having an emergency after examination, SGK covers costs under the “green zone consultation” tariff (yeşil alan muayenesi, code 520.021).SGK
- The emergency ends when the patient, stabilised within 24 hours, is admitted or referred to another department. To charge an additional fee, the facility must provide the written form stating that the emergency has ended (EK-1/D) and obtain a signature.SGK
- If you are asked to pay for emergency care and are insured, SGK says to contact the provincial SGK directorate.SGK
- The emergency number listed by the Ministry of Health is 112.Ministry of Health
These are SGK’s co-payments for insured members, read on 20.10.2026; the “calculated” lines use the 50% referral reduction and the per-box rates stated by SGK.
How the system works
The Ministry of Health’s latest statistics, for 2025, count 1,553 active hospitals: 943 run by the Ministry, 70 university hospitals and 540 private hospitals. There are 270,829 beds and 232,315 doctors, or 270 per 100,000 people, with around 1.14 billion doctor visits during the year.
Primary care
The family doctor
SGK distinguishes three levels: family doctors, whose consultations carry no co-payment; secondary and tertiary public hospitals, including the Ministry’s training and research hospitals and university hospitals; and secondary and tertiary private facilities.
The Ministry offers a way to look up your family doctor on the e-Devlet portal: Aile Hekim Bilgisi Sorgulama.
Getting cover as a foreign national
For a short-term residence permit, the e-ikamet portal lists valid health insurance among the required documents. It must cover the permit’s entire duration. Any one of these four documents is enough: a document from the provincial social security office confirming healthcare benefits under a bilateral agreement; an SGK document confirming access to benefits (provizyon); a GSS enrolment application document; or a private health insurance policy.
A private policy must include the wording on minimum cover from circular no. 9 of 06.06.2014, and the signed and stamped original must be submitted; a policy taken out abroad is valid only if arranged by an agency in Turkey. For a family residence permit, cover must include the entire family. Insurance is not required for those under 18 or over 65, but they must submit any insurance they already have; a long-term residence permit requires at least one year of insurance.
SGK states that foreign nationals who have lived in Turkey continuously for one year, and foreign students, can apply for GSS. People working under an employment contract are listed among those insured by SGK, except citizens of countries with a social security agreement. SGK provides an online check of entitlement to benefits (SPAS, on e-Devlet). SGK states that, to receive benefits, GSS members must have paid a total of 30 days of premiums in the year before attending the facility; for those enrolled as foreign nationals, SGK also states that there must be no premium arrears.
| Situation | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor, no residence permit | No SGK enrolment. Charges follow the facility’s rates or the travel insurance policy. | SGK |
| Short-term residence permit | Valid health insurance for the permit’s entire duration: a bilateral agreement document, an SGK document, a GSS enrolment application or a private policy. | e-ikamet |
| One year of continuous residence | Foreign nationals can apply to enrol in Genel Sağlık Sigortası (GSS). | SGK |
| Foreign student | Can join GSS on request; no other insurance is required for the permit, but enrolment must be completed and reported within three months. | SGK, e-ikamet |
| Worker with a contract | Listed among those insured by SGK, except citizens of countries with a social security agreement. | SGK |
What you pay
For people whose income exceeds one third of the gross minimum wage, SGK states a GSS premium for 2026 of 6% of the gross minimum wage, or 1,981.80 TL per month. For those enrolling as foreign nationals, SGK sets the amount at enrolment.
| Where | Cost for an SGK member | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Family doctor | No co-payment for the consultation. | SGK |
| State, training and research, or university hospital | 26 TL per consultation; 13 TL with a family doctor referral (calculated). | SGK |
| Secondary or tertiary private facility | 60 TL per consultation; 30 TL with a referral (calculated). Plus any additional fee. | SGK |
| Second consultation in the same specialty at another facility within 10 days | +5 TL | SGK |
| Prescription medicines | 20% of the price, plus 3.76 TL per prescription for up to 3 boxes and 1.25 TL for each extra box. | SGK |
| Medicines for SGK pensioners and their dependants | 10% of the price, plus prescription charges. | SGK |
SGK states that co-payments for consultations at secondary and tertiary public hospitals are collected at the pharmacy with the first prescription; at private facilities, the facility collects them. Contracted non-public facilities may also charge an additional fee (ilave ücret): SGK says the President of the Republic sets its cap, up to twice the tariff set by SGK, and the facility must first obtain written consent from the patient or a family member.
For consultations, “calculated” means 26 TL and 60 TL reduced by 50%, the reduction SGK states for patients with a family doctor referral.
Booking appointments and accessing your medical records
MHRS
Book an appointment
The Ministry of Health’s appointment system, MHRS (mhrs.gov.tr), can be used with an e-Devlet or e-Nabız login and has a telephone line, Alo 182.
e-Nabız is the Ministry’s free application for personal health data: create your first password through e-Devlet or ask your family doctor for a temporary password.
Pharmacies and medicines
Eczane
Pay co-payments at the pharmacy
At the pharmacy, SGK charges a share of the medicine price and a prescription charge; co-payments for consultations at public hospitals are also collected here. Outside normal hours, the Ministry provides a link on the e-Nabız login page to the nearest duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane).
For active ingredient names, use the Turkpidya medicine finder.
Emergencies
The Ministry of Health lists 112 (Alo 112) for emergencies; its emergency services website is acilafet.saglik.gov.tr.
SGK states that neither contracted nor non-contracted facilities charge a co-payment or an additional fee for emergency care. The emergency ends when the patient, stabilised within 24 hours, is admitted or referred to another department; to charge an additional fee after that point, the facility must provide the form stating that the emergency has ended (EK-1/D) and obtain a signature. For patients assessed as not having an emergency after examination, SGK covers costs under the “green zone consultation” tariff.
If payment is requested for emergency care, SGK says to contact the provincial SGK directorate if you are insured, or the Ministry’s provincial health directorate if you are not.
The signs
Eight Turkish words found on signs and at service desks. Tap a sign for its pronunciation, meaning and where you will see it.
Acil
Emergency department
The red emergency department sign: it shows where to enter in an emergency.
Randevu
Appointment
Appears at service desks and in the app for booking a consultation.
Eczane
Pharmacy
The pharmacy sign; outside normal hours, look for the duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane).
Sigorta
Insurance
Appears on your policy and at desks where you show your cover.
Muayene
Visit
The word for a consultation and its co-payment (muayene katılım payı).
Reçete
Prescription
The electronic or paper document you take to the pharmacy.
Ağrı
Pain
Another useful word at reception: it means pain.
Aile hekimi
Family doctor
The first level of the system; look up your doctor’s name on the e-Devlet portal.
Quick answers
How much does a state hospital consultation cost?
For an SGK member, 26 TL per consultation, according to SGK, and 13 TL with a family doctor referral. There is no co-payment for a family doctor consultation.
What insurance do you need for a residence permit?
For a short-term permit, the e-ikamet portal requires valid health insurance for the entire duration: a bilateral agreement document, an SGK document, a GSS enrolment application or a private policy.
When can a foreign national apply for SGK’s GSS?
SGK lists foreign nationals with one year of continuous residence and foreign students, on request.
What number do you call in an emergency?
The Ministry of Health lists 112. To book a consultation, use MHRS’s Alo 182.
Where can you find duty pharmacies?
On the e-Nabız login page, the Ministry provides a link to the nearest duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane).
Sources
- 2026 yılı için genel sağlık sigortası prim tutarı ne kadardır? – SGK, GSS premium, checked on 20.10.2026
- Genel Sağlık Sigortası nedir? – SGK, who is covered, checked on 20.10.2026
- Gelir testi nedir? – SGK, income assessment, checked on 20.10.2026
- Muayene Katılım Payı – SGK, consultation co-payments, checked on 20.10.2026
- İlaç Katılım Payı – SGK, medicine co-payments, checked on 20.10.2026
- Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri – SGK, emergencies, checked on 20.10.2026
- İlave Ücret – SGK, additional fee, checked on 20.10.2026
- Yurtiçi – SGK, entitlement to benefits, checked on 20.10.2026
- Sigortalılık Kapsamı – SGK, insurance through employment, checked on 20.10.2026
- Kısa dönem ikamet izni başvurularında istenen belgeler – e-ikamet, short-term permit documents, checked on 20.10.2026
- Başvurulara ve belgelere ilişkin açıklamalar – e-ikamet, document guidance, checked on 20.10.2026
- Merkezi Hekim Randevu Sistemi (MHRS) – Ministry of Health, appointments, checked on 20.10.2026
- e-Nabız – Ministry of Health, personal health data, checked on 20.10.2026
- T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı – Ministry of Health, Alo 112 and Alo 184 numbers, checked on 20.10.2026
- Acil Sağlık – Ministry of Health, emergency services, checked on 20.10.2026
- Sağlık İstatistikleri Yıllığı 2025 Haber Bülteni – Ministry of Health, statistics, checked on 20.10.2026
