Health insurance

Important warnings

• Delilim is not an insurance intermediary and does not recommend any specific insurance company.

What this page gives you

• General information on the health-insurance requirement in residence applications
• The kinds of accepted health-insurance proof (SGK coverage, a GSS application, a bilateral social security agreement, private health insurance) and the general conditions of each
• A list of the minimum elements to check in a policy

The checklist and guide shown on this page, which you can print from your browser. No completed official form, personalised petition or assessment is produced.

Documents you need

1. SGK provision (eligibility) document, for people already covered by general health insurance

   Where to get it: Social Security Institution (SGK). If you are covered by general health insurance, you obtain the document from SGK yourself. According to the Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) explanation it must be e-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed; for a family residence permit it must cover both the supporter and the family members.

   Format: E-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, document

2. Document showing an application for general health insurance (GSS)

   Where to get it: SGK provincial directorate or social security centre. A document showing an application to SGK to become a general health insured person is one of the proofs Göç İdaresi accepts. The application is made at the social security provincial directorate or centre nearest to your address. The documents listed in the joint Göç İdaresi/SGK booklet (dated 2014) are: the residence permit document, a letter showing your social security status issued by the social security body or labour attaché of your country, and an undertaking form. Confirm the current document list with SGK.

   Format: E-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, document

3. Document confirming that you can receive health services in Türkiye under a bilateral social security agreement

   Where to get it: Provincial social security unit (SGK). People covered by a bilateral social security agreement have their situation confirmed by the provincial social security unit and attach the e-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, document to the application. Whether an agreement applies to your nationality, and which document is issued, is confirmed with SGK.

   Format: E-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, document

4. Private health insurance policy

   Where to get it: An insurance company licensed in the health branch (supervised by SEDDK). You obtain the policy yourself from the insurer you choose, or through that insurer's authorised insurance agent or an insurance broker; Delilim does not recommend any company or intermediary. Under the SEDDK circular the policy must be concluded by an insurer holding an operating licence in the relevant branch, or by the Turkish organisation of an insurer established abroad; policies are issued online/in real time. The insurance period must cover the residence-permit period requested. In the e-İkamet form you enter the policy number, company name, renewal number and start and end dates; at the appointment the e-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, original of the policy is presented (a certified copy for extension applications).

   Format: E-signed, or signed and stamped/sealed, original policy (certified copy for extensions)

5. SEDDK list of companies operating in the health branch (for checking)

   Where to get it: Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency (SEDDK). On the seddk.gov.tr page "Sigorta, Reasürans ve Emeklilik Şirketleri" there is a PDF titled "Hayat Dışı Grubu Sigorta Branşlarında Faaliyet Gösteren Şirketler" with a "Hastalık/Sağlık" (illness/health) column. The list is only for checking whether a company is licensed; it is not a recommendation.

   Format: PDF list (the file name on the page carries the date 11.09.2026)

6. Document showing that health costs are met by a public body (if applicable)

   Where to get it: The public body or hospital concerned. According to the Göç İdaresi FAQ page, the valid-health-insurance requirement is not applied to foreigners whose accommodation, food or health costs are met by the public bodies concerned during the permit; information or a document on the treatment may be requested from the hospital or public body when needed. Which body issues the document, and in what form, depends on the case.

   Format: Letter/document issued by the body concerned

Steps

1. Identify the residence-permit type you are applying for and check its insurance rule: residence-permit applications require valid health insurance covering the period requested (Implementation Regulation art. 21); a family residence permit requires the supporter to have insurance covering all family members (Law 6458 art. 35); valid health insurance is one of the conditions for a long-term residence permit (Law art. 43). According to Göç İdaresi a work permit takes the place of a residence permit; this guide does not cover the work-permit process.
2. Review the exemptions listed in the Göç İdaresi explanations, by permit type: for short-term and student permits the valid-insurance requirement is not applied to people under 18 or over 65 (the "under 18 / over 65" option is selected in the insurance-type field of e-İkamet); for a long-term residence permit, for people over 65 a document showing they could not obtain insurance is enough; for a family residence permit, insurance covering all family members is requested from the supporter. Those who already hold valid insurance present their documents. The requirement is also not applied where public bodies meet the health costs during the permit. If you are unsure which applies to your permit type, ask Göç İdaresi through YİMER (157).
3. Decide which of the accepted proofs you will present. According to Göç İdaresi one of the following is sufficient: (1) a document showing that health services can be received in Türkiye under a bilateral social security agreement; (2) an SGK provision document; (3) a document showing an application to SGK to become a general health insured person (see the next step for the conditions); (4) private health insurance. The proof must cover the residence-permit period requested; for a two-year short-term permit the Göç İdaresi FAQ says a 1+1-year policy or a 2-year general health insurance can cover it. For a long-term permit, insurance of at least one year is requested.
4. If you are considering general health insurance (GSS), learn the rules: Law 5510 says that, subject to the principle of reciprocity, foreigners who hold a residence permit and are not insured under another country's legislation become GSS insured on request once their residence in Türkiye exceeds one year, and that those resident for less than one year fall outside GSS; for students the one-year condition does not apply and the request period is regulated separately. GSS is not compulsory; it depends on a request. The application is made at the social security provincial directorate or centre nearest to your address (see the document list above for the papers).
5. Know the premium and scope rules of GSS: foreigners in this group pay the premium themselves; to use health services the law requires a total of 30 premium days in the year before the application to the provider and no premium debt (Law 5510 art. 67; exceptions such as emergencies and under-18s are reserved); a separate premium rule for foreign students studying in Türkiye was introduced in January 2025 (art. 67), so if you are a student, check the current rule with SGK; chronic illnesses that existed before the date a foreigner enters GSS are not financed by the Institution (art. 64). GSS ends for reasons such as the end of the residence permit. Learn the current premium amount from SGK's official pages or the social security provincial directorate.
6. If you choose the private route, check whether the company is licensed in SEDDK's list "Hayat Dışı Grubu Sigorta Branşlarında Faaliyet Gösteren Şirketler" (the "Hastalık/Sağlık" column). Under the SEDDK circular, people applying for a residence permit are treated as resident in Türkiye, and the policy must be concluded by a company licensed in the relevant branch in Türkiye or by the Turkish organisation of a foreign company; otherwise the policy is not processed.
7. Check the policy against the SEDDK circular on these points: (a) does the insurance period cover the residence-permit period you request; (b) does the policy carry a statement that it covers the circular's minimum coverage structure, and the circular's minimum annual limits for outpatient and inpatient treatment (the current limits are written in the circular); (c) are health services for sudden illnesses left out of cover; (d) if there is a waiting period, are the conditions it applies to and its length stated clearly in the policy's special conditions; (e) the conditions for terminating the contract and for premium refund; (f) whether English documents are supplied alongside the Turkish printed ones, with the Turkish text prevailing in a dispute; (g) the rule that the premium is paid up front (from 1 April 2025). SEDDK has also published an "Özel Sağlık Sigortalarında Yeni Dönem Bilgilendirme Rehberi" (information guide) on the general rules for private health insurance.
8. Make your application yourself in the e-İkamet system (e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr) and enter the insurance details. If you get an "insurance mismatch" error, Göç İdaresi says to obtain the policy number, company name, renewal number and start/end dates from the company and enter them again; if the policy shows no renewal number, enter 0 for a first policy and 1 for a second. On the appointment day the system gives you, go with the documents requested (including the original of a private policy) to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province where you want to live; the fee and card cost are paid before the appointment date. Göç İdaresi announces that it does not work with third parties.
9. Make the extension application before the residence permit expires; according to Göç İdaresi extension applications can be made from sixty days before the permit ends. Under the SEDDK announcement, if a foreigner renews the health insurance, or takes a new policy from the same company, before the ten-day period allowed for a new permit application runs out, this counts as uninterrupted renewal and no waiting period applies to the new or renewed policy. When renewing, check this rule together with the policy's special conditions.
10. If you have a claim denial or a policy dispute with an insurer, know the official routes: first apply to the company in writing about your claim; according to the FAQ page of the Insurance Arbitration Commission (Sigorta Tahkim Komisyonu), if the company answers negatively or does not answer within 15 working days, an application can be made to the Commission (conditions apply, such as the company being a member of the arbitration system and the date of the risk; an application fee exists). Arbitration is optional (Insurance Law No. 5684 art. 30); as a consumer you may instead, depending on the monetary limits, apply to a consumer arbitration committee or, after mandatory mediation, to the consumer court (Law No. 6502 arts. 68, 73/A). A complaint can also be sent to SEDDK through the "Sigortacılık ve Özel Emeklilik Şikayet Başvuru ve Takibi" service by logging in through e-Devlet. If you have e-Devlet access, you can view your own policy details yourself in the Insurance Information and Monitoring Centre's (SBM) "Sağlık Sigortası Poliçe Bilgileri Sorgulama" service.

Fees and appointments

The residence-permit application is made through the e-İkamet system; booking the appointment is free and the system assigns it. A residence-permit fee (harç) and a card cost exist and are paid before the appointment date; we do not state current amounts here, so check them through Göç İdaresi's official channels (e-İkamet, YİMER 157). GSS carries a monthly premium; for the current amount see SGK's official pages or the social security provincial directorate. A private insurance premium is not an official fee; it is set in the contract with the insurer. An application to the Insurance Arbitration Commission carries an application fee; the current amount is on the FAQ page of the Commission's website. A complaint to SEDDK is made through e-Devlet.

When to see a lawyer

If a claim was refused or you have a dispute about your policy, find out about applying to the Insurance Arbitration Commission (Sigorta Tahkim Komisyonu) and seek help from a lawyer. You may contact the bar association in your province or its legal aid office.

Your data and how long it is kept

This guide does not ask you to upload documents or enter personal information; nothing you type on this page is stored.