Emergency Care for Foreign Patients in Türkiye 2026

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Emergency Care and Medical Complications for Foreign Patients in Türkiye​

1️⃣ 📌 The essential rule​

A foreign patient who needs emergency treatment must be accepted and given the necessary immediate care. Treatment must not be delayed for any of the following reasons:
❌ They have no insurance.
❌ They do not have their passport with them.
❌ They have no money or payment card available.
❌ It is unclear who will pay.
❌ The insurer has not yet approved treatment.

Under the rules on international health tourism and tourist health, payment arrangements follow the necessary emergency intervention and care. This does not make all ambulance and emergency services free for every foreign national: charges depend on the patient's status, insurance, the incident and the services provided.

2️⃣ ☎️ Important emergency numbers​

112 — the unified emergency number
Use it when you need:
🔹 An ambulance.
🔹 Police or gendarmerie.
🔹 The fire service.
🔹 Rescue or disaster assistance.
🔹 Help after a road accident.
🔹 Help with a threat to life or personal safety.

Calls to 112 from landlines and mobile phones are free. Some phones can make emergency calls without an active SIM, provided a suitable network can carry the call. Language assistance is available through the 112 system, including Arabic, English, German and Russian; request the language you need.

114 — UZEM, the National Poison Information Centre
The centre provides advice around the clock on suspected:
🔹 Medicine poisoning or overdose.
🔹 Food poisoning.
🔹 Ingestion of chemicals.
🔹 Mushroom poisoning.
🔹 Exposure to poisonous gases or other toxic substances.

If the person is unconscious, struggling to breathe or having seizures, call 112 first. Someone else can seek advice from 114 at the same time.

+90 850 288 38 38 — international patient support
The international patient support centre provides interpreting, guidance and assistance with requests and complaints around the clock in Arabic, English, French, Farsi, German and Russian. This is a support and interpreting service; an emergency still requires a call to 112.

3️⃣ 💡 A free call can lead to chargeable medical services​

Distinguish between:
The call to 112: the call itself is free.
The ambulance and treatment: tourist-health rules allow charges for emergency care and emergency transport.

Payment may come from:
✅ The patient.
✅ Travel insurance.
✅ Private health insurance.
✅ SGK, where the patient and treatment qualify.
✅ An official body under an international agreement.
✅ The applicable arrangements for a road accident, including relevant insurance.

Do not assume that the ambulance or treatment is free because the call is free. Equally, necessary emergency intervention must not wait for payment or insurance approval.

4️⃣ 🚨 When should you call 112?​

Call immediately for signs such as:
❌ Severe chest pain or pressure.
❌ Severe or sudden difficulty breathing.
❌ Loss of consciousness or failure to respond.
❌ Stopped breathing or suspected cardiac arrest.
❌ Heavy bleeding that does not stop.
❌ Sudden facial or arm weakness, or difficulty speaking.
❌ Severe or repeated seizures.
❌ A severe allergic reaction with swelling of the face or throat.
❌ Severe or extensive burns.
❌ A fall from a height.
❌ Serious injury or a road accident.
❌ Suspected serious poisoning.
❌ Choking or drowning.
❌ Heavy bleeding during pregnancy.
❌ Rapid, unusual deterioration after surgery or another procedure.

These are examples, not a complete diagnostic checklist. If delay may threaten life or cause serious harm, call 112 and follow the operator's instructions.

5️⃣ 🚦 Why might someone who arrived later be seen first?​

Emergency departments use clinical triage, Triyaj, rather than arrival time alone.

🔴 Kırmızı Alan — red area
Life-threatening conditions needing immediate intervention, such as stopped breathing, major bleeding, a heart attack or severe injuries.

🟡 Sarı Alan — yellow area
Conditions needing prompt assessment and treatment, with greater stability than red-area cases.

🟢 Yeşil Alan — green area
Minor symptoms or injuries that do not need immediate intervention. Patients may wait longer or be directed to an ordinary outpatient clinic. A green-area visit may not qualify financially as a genuine emergency; consultation and test charges depend on the patient's status and the applicable tariff.

6️⃣ 📞 What to tell the 112 operator​

Stay as calm as possible and give:
1️⃣ Your location and full address.
2️⃣ The hotel or building name.
3️⃣ A nearby landmark.
4️⃣ The room number or floor.
5️⃣ The number of patients or injured people.
6️⃣ The patient's approximate age.
7️⃣ Whether the patient is conscious.
8️⃣ Whether they are breathing normally.
9️⃣ Whether there is bleeding or chest pain.
🔟 How the injury happened.

Do not end the call until the operator tells you to. Keep the phone available in case they call back.

Code: 
Acil durum var. Ambulans istiyorum.
There is an emergency. I need an ambulance.

To request Arabic:
Code: 
Arapça konuşan bir görevli veya tercüman istiyorum.
I would like an Arabic-speaking staff member or interpreter.

Other useful phrases:
Code: 
Hasta nefes alamıyor.
Hasta bilinçsiz.
Şiddetli kanama var.
Göğüs ağrısı var.
Adresimiz...
🔹 The patient cannot breathe.
🔹 The patient is unconscious.
🔹 There is heavy bleeding.
🔹 There is chest pain.
🔹 Our address is...

NumberUseImportant limit
112Emergency, ambulance and rescueFree call does not guarantee all treatment is free
114 UZEMPoison adviceDo not delay 112 for immediate danger
+90 850 288 38 38International-patient interpreting and supportNot a replacement for emergency dispatch
184 SABİMHealth requests and complaintsAfter urgent care is secured

pexels-photo-4266942.jpeg

Discussing care during a medical consultation​

7️⃣ 🏥 Can a private hospital refuse an emergency patient?​

A private hospital must accept an emergency patient and provide the necessary emergency intervention without first making it conditional on:
🔹 Insurance.
🔹 Ability to pay.
🔹 Nationality.
🔹 Prior financial approval.

After emergency care, the hospital can:
✅ Check identity.
✅ Contact the insurer.
✅ Request a financial guarantee for subsequent care.
✅ Prepare a bill.
✅ Arrange transfer to an appropriate facility when clinically safe.

If treatment is being delayed pending payment, you can say:
Code: 
Önce gerekli acil tıbbi müdahalenin yapılmasını talep ediyorum.
I request that the necessary emergency medical intervention be provided first.

This does not remove lawful charges for a non-emergency visit or for care after stabilisation.

8️⃣ 💰 Who pays for emergency care?​

This depends on the patient's circumstances.

Uninsured tourist: may have to pay for the ambulance, emergency care, tests, medicines and admission.
Insured tourist: the insurer may pay directly, or the patient may pay and claim reimbursement, according to the policy.
Foreign national covered by SGK: SGK entitlement and charging rules apply; the foreign identity number and evidence of cover may be requested.
Person covered by an international social-security agreement: must provide the appropriate entitlement document.
Road accident: a different statutory billing route applies from an ordinary tourist-health visit.
Special legal status: separate rules apply to some groups, including people under international or temporary protection, stateless people and holders of certain residence statuses.

Saying that you are a foreign national is insufficient to establish the charge. The hospital needs to record the correct legal and insurance category.

9️⃣ 🛡️ Dealing with the insurer​

Once the patient is stable:
1️⃣ Call the emergency assistance number on the policy.
2️⃣ Give the hospital name and preliminary diagnosis.
3️⃣ Request a case or claim number.
4️⃣ Ask whether payment is direct or by reimbursement.
5️⃣ Ask for the required authorisation or payment guarantee, Provizyon, to be sent to the hospital.
6️⃣ Record the staff member's name and call time.
7️⃣ Before agreeing to a non-urgent transfer, check its effect on cover.
8️⃣ Keep reports, invoices and prescriptions.

In a life-threatening situation, do not wait for insurer approval before calling 112 or seeking emergency care.

1️⃣0️⃣ 🩺 Could symptoms be a complication after treatment?​

Warning signs after a procedure can include:
❌ Heavy bleeding.
❌ Breathlessness.
❌ Sudden chest pain.
❌ Loss of consciousness.
❌ Rapid or sudden swelling.
❌ High or persistent fever.
❌ Wound discharge or marked redness.
❌ Pain worsening unusually.
❌ Repeated vomiting or inability to drink fluids.
❌ Sudden weakness, movement difficulties or speech changes.

For serious symptoms:
1️⃣ Call 112 or seek the nearest emergency department.
2️⃣ Do not wait for the coordinator or original hospital to reply.
3️⃣ Tell the emergency clinician what procedure you had and when.
4️⃣ Show the operation report and medicine list if available.
5️⃣ Notify the original provider and insurer once the patient is stable.

Code: 
Bu durum ameliyat sonrası bir komplikasyon olabilir.
This may be a complication after surgery.

1️⃣1️⃣ ⚖️ Does every complication prove medical negligence?​

No. A medical complication can be a recognised risk even when treatment is properly performed. Assessing medical negligence or malpractice requires examination of the records, procedure, care and professional standards. A complication does not automatically prove fault; signing a consent form does not automatically absolve a provider of negligence.

Keep:
✅ The operation report.
✅ Consent forms.
✅ The discharge summary.
✅ Photographs of the wound and changes in symptoms.
✅ Laboratory and imaging results.
✅ A description and timeline of the complication.
✅ Correspondence with the doctor and coordinator.
✅ All invoices and receipts.

1️⃣2️⃣ 📄 Complications insurance for medical tourism​

The regulation published on 26 April 2025 introduced a requirement for facilities to arrange complications insurance for surgical and interventional procedures performed in an operating theatre within international health tourism. Its original transitional deadline was 31 December 2025. Do not infer from that deadline alone that a policy is currently in force for your procedure: ask the facility to confirm the current legal position and give you the actual policy.

Insurance does not automatically cover every later expense. Ask for:
🔹 The policy number and insurer.
🔹 Start and end dates.
🔹 The covered procedure.
🔹 The period of complications cover.
🔹 Benefit limits.
🔹 Exclusions.
🔹 How to report a claim.
🔹 Cover for repeat surgery and intensive care.
🔹 Cover for treatment outside Türkiye.
🔹 Claims and emergency contact numbers.

Emergency treatment comes first; financial claims follow once the patient is stable.

Patient statusCost route
SGK/GSSEntitlement and genuine-emergency rules
Travel/private insurancePolicy limits and claim arrangements after stabilisation
Tourist without coverMay be responsible under the category and tariff
Road traffic accidentAccident documentation and specific billing route

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A healthcare waiting area​

1️⃣3️⃣ 🚗 After a road accident​

If anyone is injured:
1️⃣ Call 112.
2️⃣ Give the location and number of casualties.
3️⃣ Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger; follow 112 instructions.
4️⃣ Ask for the case to be recorded as Trafik kazası — a road traffic accident.
5️⃣ Obtain the incident or accident-report number.
6️⃣ Keep vehicle and insurance details.
7️⃣ Notify travel and motor insurers.

Road-accident treatment has a specific statutory payment route. It should not be incorrectly recorded as an ordinary tourist consultation.

1️⃣4️⃣ 🧾 Documents to request after emergency care​

Request copies of:
✅ The emergency admission report.
✅ Triage findings.
✅ Initial and final diagnoses.
✅ The ambulance report.
✅ Laboratory results.
✅ Imaging reports and images.
✅ Operation or procedure reports.
✅ The discharge summary, Epikriz.
✅ Prescriptions, with generic medicine names.
✅ The final invoice.
✅ An itemised breakdown of services and prices.
✅ Confirmation of what the insurer paid.
✅ Confirmation of what the patient paid.

Code: 
Ayrıntılı fatura ve yapılan işlemlerin dökümünü istiyorum.
I would like an itemised invoice and a breakdown of the procedures performed.

Do not pay a large sum to a personal account or without an invoice identifying the facility.

1️⃣5️⃣ 🚩 When to query a charge or complain​

Reasons include:
❌ Refusal to accept an emergency patient.
❌ Delaying necessary emergency intervention for payment.
❌ Demanding a transfer to a personal account.
❌ Refusing an itemised invoice.
❌ Recording the wrong billing category.
❌ Charging for services not provided.
❌ Withholding medical reports.
❌ Refusing to explain matters to a foreign patient.

Start with the hospital's:
1️⃣ Emergency department management.
2️⃣ International patient unit.
3️⃣ Billing department.
4️⃣ Patient rights unit.

If unresolved, contact the provincial health directorate or SABİM 184. SGK patients can also raise relevant billing disputes with the provincial social-security directorate. Patients outside SGK can complain to the responsible health directorate.

1️⃣6️⃣ 📂 Prepare a small emergency file before travelling​

Keep phone and paper copies of:
✅ Passport identification.
✅ Insurance policy and emergency number.
✅ Chronic conditions.
✅ Medicines and doses.
✅ Medicine allergies.
✅ Blood group, if officially known.
✅ Operation report, if travelling after treatment.
✅ Complications insurance policy.
✅ Emergency contact details.
✅ Hotel or home address in Turkish.

Missing documents do not justify delaying necessary emergency care, but having them helps assessment, insurance and billing.

1️⃣7️⃣ ⚠️ Mistakes to avoid​

❌ Waiting for a coordinator when life is at risk.
❌ Travelling a long way to the original provider when emergency care is nearby.
❌ Assuming all emergency care is free for foreign patients.
❌ Equating a free 112 call with a free ambulance.
❌ Concealing an operation, medicine or allergy from emergency staff.
❌ Paying without an invoice.
❌ Leaving without a medical report.
❌ Delaying notification to the insurer.
❌ Signing documents you do not understand.
❌ Publishing an entire medical file on social media when complaining.

1️⃣8️⃣ 📋 Before leaving after emergency care​

Check that:
✅ The clinician considers the patient stable.
✅ You understand the diagnosis and instructions.
✅ The prescription is clear.
✅ You know which warning signs require a return.
✅ Follow-up is arranged where needed.
✅ You have reports and test results.
✅ You have the invoice and itemised charges.
✅ An insurance claim has been opened where applicable.
✅ You have the hospital and doctor's details.
✅ You have retained request and complaint reference numbers.

1️⃣9️⃣ ✅ Key points​

Call 112 immediately for a threat to life or serious harm. Necessary emergency intervention must precede payment and insurance arrangements, but ambulance and emergency services are not automatically free for every tourist or foreign patient. Keep insurance details, reports and invoices; request language support when needed. Serious complications need urgent medical assessment before financial disputes or complaints are addressed.

pexels-photo-5327584.jpeg

A routine medical examination​

🔗 Related topics​

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