Medical tourism in Türkiye — what it actually involves, and what to ask before you book
More than 2.5 million international patients travel to Türkiye for medical treatment each year. The draw is not a single thing — it is the combination of a government-regulated authorisation system, hospitals that operate at scale, and surgeons trained in centres recognised across Europe and North America. This guide explains how medical tourism in Türkiye is regulated, what a treatment trip to Istanbul involves, and the questions worth asking before you commit to a clinic anywhere.
A regulated system, not an open market
Medical tourism in Türkiye is not informal. Since 2017, any clinic or operator that treats international patients is required to hold an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate (Sağlık Turizmi Yetki Belgesi) issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health. The certificate is renewed periodically and lists which procedures the clinic is authorised to perform on international patients. If a provider cannot show you the certificate number, they are not operating within the regulated framework.
Above that authorisation sits HealthTürkiye, a government-backed programme run by the Ministry of Health that audits and lists approved clinics, runs international promotion, and provides a route of recourse if something goes wrong. Eyeglow Health is listed within this programme.
Alongside government regulation, most reputable clinics also hold quality-management certifications such as ISO 9001, and partner with hospitals accredited to international standards. Eyeglow Health operates within BHT Clinic İstanbul Tema Hastanesi, an accredited partner facility, and carries TÜRSAB licensing for travel-related services.
Why treatment costs less — and what a package covers
The cost difference is real, but it is not a discount on quality. Lower hospital overheads in Türkiye, a favourable purchasing-power exchange rate, and a high concentration of surgeons relative to patient demand mean that international fees for the same accredited procedure are a fraction of UK, US or German private-market rates. The figure that matters is your own written quote — itemised to your case, in writing, before you book a flight.
A treatment package with Eyeglow Health bundles the parts that are easy to under-estimate when you plan a trip alone. A typical written quote includes hospital and surgeon fees, medication, accommodation, VIP airport and clinic transfers, an interpreter where needed, and structured aftercare once you are home — combined into a single figure with no surprises on arrival.
We do not publish blanket price lists, because an honest quote depends on your diagnosis. Where a procedure has a clear entry point, the indicative price is shown on that treatment's own page; anything else is quoted to your case after a free consultation.
Reaching Istanbul is genuinely simple
Istanbul has two major international airports — Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. Direct flights operate from most European, Middle Eastern and North American hub cities, with an average flight time of around four hours from Europe. Turkish Airlines codeshares with major Skyteam, Star Alliance and Oneworld carriers, so changes en route are minimal.
For most European Union passports, and for citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, Türkiye is either visa-exempt for short stays or operates an electronic visa (e-Visa) that can be applied for online and approved within minutes. Patients from countries that require a Medical Treatment Visa can request an official invitation letter from us referencing the HealthTürkiye programme — we issue these as part of the booking package.
Most eye procedures require a stay of three to four nights; cataract and refractive-surgery patients are typically flying home within 96 hours. Companion travel is encouraged and included in the standard package.
Six questions worth asking before you book anywhere
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Is the operator authorised under the Sağlık Turizmi Yetki Belgesi?
Ask for the certificate number and which procedures it covers. Authorisation is procedure-specific — a clinic licensed for hair transplant is not automatically licensed for ophthalmic surgery.
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Who actually performs the operation?
Ask whether the surgeon who runs your video consultation is the surgeon who performs the procedure. In some clinics "lead surgeons" are name-only and operations are run by rotating teams.
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What does the written quote include — and exclude?
Reputable clinics provide an itemised quote in writing before you book a flight. Look for hospital fees, surgeon fees, accommodation, transfers, medication and aftercare. Ask explicitly what is not included.
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Is there a complication insurance policy?
Türkiye permits operators to provide medical complication insurance for international patients. Ask to see the policy document with your quote. If the operator cannot provide one, treat that as a meaningful signal.
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How is aftercare structured once you are home?
The clinics that take this seriously schedule defined check-ins at one, three, six and twelve months — not just "call us if there is a problem". For refractive and lens surgery in particular, follow-up beyond the first weeks matters.
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Where will your data be stored, and under what law?
Treatment in Türkiye is covered by KVKK (Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu), the Turkish equivalent of GDPR. Your consent form should specify what is stored, where, for how long and who has access. We publish our notice in writing before any treatment begins.
Density of subspecialty care, not just volume
Istanbul concentrates a very large share of Türkiye's subspecialty ophthalmic capacity. The city hosts the country's largest training hospitals for ophthalmology, a high density of surgeons with international fellowship training, and the infrastructure to run complex cases — vitreoretinal reconstruction, ocular oncology, pediatric ophthalmology — that smaller cities outside the major metros are not equipped for.
Beyond the medical case, Istanbul is a city patients want to recover in. Recovery time matters for outcome: walking, eating well, sleeping in a room with good blackout and air filtration, and staying mentally engaged through a recovery period are not luxuries — they shorten the recovery curve. Our packages place patients in 5-star hotels in the Şişli–Levent corridor, within fifteen minutes of our partner hospital and within walking distance of the city's main cultural sites.
The treatments people come to Istanbul for
Eyeglow Health is an eye-led group, and ophthalmic surgery is where our clinical roots run deepest. Around that core we coordinate a wider accredited network so a patient — or a travelling family — can be looked after across more than one need on a single trip.
Plan your treatment with a single point of contact
Tell us what you need. A coordinator who speaks your language will reply within two working hours with the next step — typically a free written care plan and an itemised quote.