Authorisation first
No promotional investment before the certificate and compliance ground exist.
Medical-tourism guide
Medical Tourism Guide
Medical tourism is a patient travelling to another country for treatment. For Türkiye it is a regulated field requiring an authorisation, a health-tourism unit, multilingual communication and an international patient operation.
According to Service Exporters' Association figures, Türkiye welcomed 1,398,580 international patients in 2025 and earned USD 3.022 billion from medical tourism. Patient numbers fell against the previous year while revenue held, indicating a market shifting from volume toward value.
Under what conditions can medical tourism be provided?
Providing international health tourism services in Türkiye requires an authorisation. Under the regulation of 26 April 2025, healthcare institutions are certified by the Ministry of Health and facilitators by USHAŞ.
Core conditions for private healthcare institutions include a minimum score in the quality standards assessment, a health-tourism unit meeting diploma and foreign-language requirements, and a website where a foreign patient can readily find information.
How the patient journey works
The international patient journey has six stages: awareness, research, first contact, planning, treatment and follow-up. Most institutions focus on the treatment stage, yet the bulk of loss happens at first contact and planning.
At first contact patients expect speed and clarity. Field experience shows patients writing to several institutions at once and shortlisting whoever gives the first substantive answer.
The six stages of the patient journey
- Awareness: treatment abroad becomes an option
- Research: comparison of country, institution and physician
- First contact: form, message or telephone
- Planning: dates, travel, accommodation and cost settle
- Treatment: from arrival to discharge
- Follow-up: post-return review, contact and any revision
Promotion and information limits
The regulation in force since 12 November 2025 prohibits advertising by healthcare institutions and permits only non-directive information. Patient-satisfaction content, discount announcements and brand-led sponsored posts are out of scope.
That does not end digital visibility. The weight shifts to process narrative, preparation information, institutional transparency and search visibility — which happens to overlap with what international patients look for anyway.
Loss happens early
Most loss occurs at first contact and planning, not during treatment.
Not one market
Europe is not a single market; each country carries different language and expectations.
Working sequence
How we move, step by step
- 01Authorisation and compliance
Certificate scope clarified and promotion limits written.
- 02Institutional transparency
Identity, address, team and process information prepared in every language.
- 03Enquiry flow
Form, channels and a first-response rule established.
- 04Team capacity
Language support and follow-up discipline secured.
- 05Visibility
Content and search visibility work begun.
Frequently asked questions
What institutions ask most about this
Is an authorisation mandatory for medical tourism?
Yes. Healthcare institutions wishing to provide international health tourism services need a certificate from the Ministry of Health; facilitators are certified through USHAŞ.
What conditions apply to the certificate?
For private institutions, a minimum score in the quality standards assessment, a health-tourism unit meeting diploma and language requirements, and an accessible website are among the core conditions. Check official sources for the current list.
What does becoming a facilitator require?
Protocols with at least three healthcare institutions in Türkiye, a coordinator and call-centre staff, and round-the-clock call-centre service in foreign languages are among the core conditions. Because the 26 April 2025 regulation changed these, confirm the current list with USHAŞ.
Which treatments lead in Türkiye?
Aesthetic and plastic surgery, hair transplant, dental treatment, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and traumatology, cardiology and oncology are among the leading fields.
How does the advertising ban affect medical tourism?
Directive advertising is restricted while informative content, process narrative and institutional transparency come forward, raising the importance of search and answer-engine visibility.
How soon do results appear?
Infrastructure preparation takes about a month, the first measurable signals about three months, and a meaningful trend generally six to twelve. The exact period depends on your starting point.
Which languages should we start with?
English is the base; the second language follows the target market — German or Arabic most often. The decision depends on your capacity to answer in it.
Can we work without facilitators?
Yes, but it takes time. For most institutions the realistic route is maintaining facilitator relationships while building a direct channel in parallel.
Next step
Let us build a realistic starting plan for your institution
Share your current position and we will identify the step to begin with.