Health & Life

Private Health Insurance

Private hospitals, your own doctor

Private health insurance pays for treatment at private hospitals and lets you choose your doctor. In Turkey it also matters for another reason: foreign nationals applying for or renewing a residence permit must hold valid health insurance.

What it covers

Inpatient treatment

Surgery, hospital stays, intensive care and the tests that go with them.

Outpatient treatment

Doctor visits, diagnostics, imaging and medication. Usually an optional module.

Emergencies

Emergency admission and treatment, often across a wider hospital network.

Pregnancy and birth

Available on some policies, almost always after a waiting period.

Chronic care

Ongoing treatment for conditions accepted at the time the policy is written.

What to watch for

Conditions that existed before the policy started are usually excluded, or accepted only with a loading or a waiting period.
Each policy has its own hospital network. A hospital outside the network is either paid at a lower rate or not at all.
Cosmetic procedures, dental care and glasses are generally outside the standard scope.
Waiting periods apply to pregnancy, some surgeries and chronic conditions.
Your declaration at application matters. An undeclared condition can leave a claim unpaid.

Who it is for

Anyone who wants to reach private hospitals without waiting, and every foreign national in Turkey who needs cover that satisfies the residence permit requirement.

What we add as a broker

Two things decide a health policy: the hospital network and how pre-existing conditions are treated. These are the hardest parts to compare from a price table, and they are exactly what we read for you before you sign. For residence permit applications we also check that the policy meets the format the authorities expect.

Frequently asked

Does this satisfy the residence permit requirement?

Policies written for that purpose do. Not every private health policy is accepted, so tell us at the outset that the cover is for a residence permit and we will place you on a product that qualifies.

I already have SGK. Do I need private health insurance too?

SGK gives you access to state hospitals and, at contracted private hospitals, covers part of the cost. Private health insurance is what gets you into private hospitals without the difference falling on you. Complementary health insurance sits between the two.

I have a pre-existing condition. Can I still get cover?

Often yes, but the terms vary a lot between insurers — some exclude it, some accept it with a loading, some after a waiting period. This is the single biggest reason to compare rather than take the first quote.

Let us compare 30+ insurers on an identical cover set for private health insurance.

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