Travelling to Turkey for treatment
How do I get there?
Istanbul has Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Confirm which one the clinic's transfer arrangement uses.
For Antalya, use Antalya Airport. Ask for the actual hospital or clinic address: a consultation office and the operating hospital may be different locations.
For Ankara use Esenboğa Airport; for İzmir use Adnan Menderes Airport.
Do I need a visa?
The Turkish Foreign Ministry's nationality list sets out ordinary-passport visitor exemptions:
- Canada: visa-exempt for up to 90 days in any 180 days.
- United States: visa-exempt for the same period.
- United Kingdom: British citizens are exempt for tourist visits of up to 90 days in any 180 days.
- European Union: check the individual nationality entry; most EU passports are exempt for short visits, but Republic of Cyprus passport holders require a visa; the ministry says border-issued visas for them ended on 2 January 2026.
Do not assume tourist eligibility covers every medical visit. The Foreign Ministry's visa guidance lists medical treatment as a visa purpose, while the UK entry advice tells patients to check the appropriate application route. Give the consulate your nationality, procedure and planned stay before paying a deposit.
Before departure, read Canada's travel advice for Turkey, US travel advice for Turkey, UK travel advice for Turkey and the European Commission's gateway to EU national travel advice.
How do clinics usually take payment?
ASMED publishes a euro-per-graft figure; Asli Tarcan Clinic describes a female hair-transplant package with a dollar price. Ask each provider for the currency and terms of your actual quotation.
Get written confirmation of accepted payment methods, any booking deposit, the balance deadline, refund rules and whether tax is included. Do not treat a package description as confirmation that every test or additional hospital night is covered.
What language and documents do I need?
Acıbadem's international-patient information is available in English and describes language support. Ask which interpreting arrangements apply to consultations, consent and discharge, and whether they carry an extra charge.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises patients to bring relevant medical records, test results, prescriptions and a medication list, and to tell the receiving team about allergies. It also advises obtaining complete records before returning home and arranging any necessary English translation.
Ask for a medical or dental report, an itemised invoice, prescriptions and a follow-up contact. If an implant or other device is used, request its identifying details and the operative record so your clinician at home knows what was placed.
Who can I complain to?
The Ministry of Health's International Patient Assistance call centre provides a contact route at +90 850 288 38 38. Its published language information includes English. Ask it to direct a complaint to the competent health authority and explain the written submission process; a telephone enquiry is not an award of compensation.
How to check a doctor's licence in Turkey: our guide.
How long do people stay?
Asli Tarcan Clinic's female hair-transplant page describes a package with a four-day stay. This is that provider's itinerary for that procedure, not a recovery rule for other surgery.
The CDC's medical-travel guidance says flying after surgery can increase clot risk and discusses delaying air travel 10–14 days after major surgery, especially chest procedures. This is general official guidance; ask the treating team and airline about your own return journey.
What should I know about the place?
The national tourism organisation's GoTürkiye health pages describe hospital, dental and specialist-clinic services for international patients. They are destination information, not evidence of a particular treatment's outcome.
Checked on 24 October 2026.