To become a holder of a residence permit card (ikamet) in Turkey, we must take out basic health insurance (accident insurance) for the entire duration of ikamet, for example – if we decide to get a residence permit card for 2 years – we must pay for this entire period in advance at the time of submitting the application. The cost of such basic, compulsory insurance varies between 300tl and 1000tl (annually) depending on basic parameters such as age, height, weight, and on the information about chronic diseases which me might have. Such insurance is compulsory for people under the age of 65.
And what if we have already crossed this magical border? – we are often asked what is the safest solution in this case.
Our answer is : The best option is definitely to take out health insurance for 1 year with an insurance company in your home country. Ask your insurer for details. Remember that when we are not insured, if we need any medical intervention, hospital stay or surgery, we will pay a lot of money, most often in euro currency. For example: eye retinal surgery costs 5,000 euros, and it’s already discounted! 2-day hospital stay with basic examinations 2500 euro. Looking at these numbers, you can see for yourself that it is profitable to take out health insurance!
We strongly recommend that anyone who decides to stay in Turkey for a shorter or longer period of time, regardless of whether they intend to apply for a residence card or not, buy such insurance.
