It is a legal obligation for health institutions or companies that will operate in the field of health tourism to obtain a health tourism authorisation certificate. In parallel with the increase in health tourism activities in our country, applications for health tourism authorisation certificate are increasing day by day and the number of health institutions and companies operating in this field is increasing. How to obtain a health tourism authorisation certificate, what are the criteria, what are the conditions, you can review our website and contact us for more detailed information.
What is Health Tourism?
Health tourism is a tourism activity in which a person travels to another country to receive medical services. The main purpose of health tourism is to receive medical services from a foreign country. Turkey is among the world’s leading countries in the field of health tourism. Many citizens of many countries travel to our country to receive medical services and receive medical services from medical institutions and organisations in our country.
Since health tourism is among the activities that bring foreign currency to the country, it is encouraged by the state and many incentive programmes are announced in this regard. In addition, individuals and organisations operating in the medical field also look favourably on health tourism due to its foreign currency-generating aspect, and the number of health facilities and companies oriented towards this field is increasing day by day.
What is Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate?
Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate is an activity authorisation certificate issued by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey to health institutions and companies that will operate in the field of health tourism that they meet the requirements in the legislation for health tourism activities. The reason why we divide it into two as health institution and company is that there are two different types of health tourism authorisation certificate.
The Ministry of Health issues health tourism authorisation certificates both to health facilities that will carry out medical activities in this field and to intermediary organisations that will bring health tourists to the country for this medical activity. These two should not be confused with each other.
Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate for Health Facility
In order for a health facility (medical practice, medical centre, hospital, rehabilitation centre) licensed in Turkey to accept patients from abroad, it must obtain an international health tourism health facility authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Health. Otherwise, it cannot accept patients from abroad.
The conditions, criteria and necessary documents for the Health Facility to obtain a health tourism authorisation certificate are regulated by the Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health.
Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate for Intermediary Organisation
Private companies other than health facilities can also be authorised by the Ministry of Health to operate in the field of health tourism with a health tourism intermediary institution authorisation certificate, provided that they meet the necessary conditions. The role of private companies in the field of health tourism is to bring patients from abroad to Turkey, to provide consultancy, to organise transportation and accommodation, to act as interpreters, and to carry out airport, hotel and health facility transfers.
At the same time, these companies, which must have TURSAB A group travel agency authorisation certificate, must also obtain a health tourism authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Health in order to operate in the field of health tourism.
We recommend you to read the information about the establishment of a health tourism agency in our article How to Establish a Health Tourism Agency.
Intermediary organisations authorised to operate in the field of health tourism may start marketing and advertising activities abroad after obtaining a health tourism certificate, promote the health tourism health facilities they have contracted in Turkey, and bring patients and health tourists to the country. Moreover, they can receive incentives from the state for their advertising and marketing activities. You can contact us for detailed information on the subject.
Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate Criteria
In the Regulation, the criteria for the health tourism authorisation certificate for both the intermediary institution and the health facility are listed separately. The documents required for the Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate and the conditions for obtaining the authorisation certificate can be listed as follows:
Documents Required for Intermediary Organisation Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate
- To have a Group A travel agency business certificate obtained in accordance with the Law on Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies Union dated 14/9/1972 and numbered 1618.
- To document that it has signed a protocol with at least 3 health facilities with international health tourism authorisation certificate. This protocol will enter into force after the intermediary organisation obtains the international health tourism authorisation certificate.
- To have an infrastructure that can provide 24/7 service in at least 2 languages in order to answer calls (One of the foreign languages must be English).
- In addition to the personnel who will answer the calls, to employ at least 2 more personnel who speak a foreign language. (One of the foreign languages must be English.)
- To have at least one of the following documents for foreign language proficiency;
- To have at least sixty-five points out of one hundred in the Foreign Language Knowledge Level Assessment Exam conducted by ÖSYM in English or the language of the international health tourist to be served, or to have an internationally recognised document accepted by ÖSYM as equivalent to this score,
- To have a document showing B2 language level in the European Language Portfolio in English or in the language of the international health tourist to be served.
- Those who have dual citizenship identity must have a document showing the B2 language level in the European Language Portfolio in Turkish language.
- To have a certificate of graduation from the Department of Translation and Interpreting at undergraduate level.
- The intermediary institution should undertake in writing to fulfil the following matters. The fulfilment of these commitments will be taken into account in all audits to be conducted.
- To have a website that supports at least 3 languages, Turkish and English being compulsory, to have the necessary explanations about the issues that international health tourists may want to get information on this website, to provide detailed information about these health facilities by publishing the contracted health facilities.
- To provide travel insurance to the international health tourist to cover the entire trip.
- To investigate the health facilities that are suitable for the health service that the international health tourist wants to receive, by forwarding the medical information and / or documents of the health tourist to the health facility in advance,
- Providing detailed information to international health tourists about health facilities that can offer the health service they want to receive.
- To inform the international health tourist about the approximate service fee and payment terms by obtaining information from the health facility about the health service fee to be received by the international health tourist.
- To provide information to international health tourists on issues such as travel, passport, urban transport, communication, consular procedures in our country.
- To ensure the arrival of international health tourists and their accompanying tourists to our country, their accommodation in our country and their return to their countries.
- To transfer the international health tourist to the international health tourism health facility where he/she will receive service, to deliver the tourist to this unit by contacting the international health tourism unit in the facility, to pick up the tourist from the facility after discharge.
- To act in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Personal Data dated 24/3/2016 and numbered 6698 on all kinds of information obtained by international health tourists during their activities.
- To keep all documents related to its activities for the periods specified in the relevant legislation.
- Providing detailed information about the services to be provided to international health tourists and accompanying persons and obtaining their informed consent. (Information can also be provided electronically.)
Conditions for Health Facility Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate
- The health facility must have received a minimum score of 85 points from the last health quality standards assessment conducted prior to the application date / audit.
- (Healthcare organisations that have not published quality standards and quality indicators in health are exempt from this criterion. These health institutions must meet this criterion within six (6) months from the date of publication of the relevant standard set and guidelines).
- An international health tourism unit that fulfils the requirements of Article 6 of the Regulation must be established.
- The health facility must have an infrastructure where the international health tourist can obtain information about the professional background / backgrounds of the doctor / doctors to be treated from the website of the health facility.
- The health facility should have a communication and information transfer system where the international health tourist can get extensive information about his/her disease and learn the treatment plan from the doctor(s) where he/she will be treated before coming to the health facility.
- There should be an infrastructure where the international health tourist can deposit his/her payments into the hospital’s account as a deposit before reaching the health facility.
- The health facility automation system must have the necessary infrastructure to perform all transactions to be performed within the scope of health services to be provided within the scope of international health tourism and tourist health through the foreign patient module.
- The health facility must undertake in writing to fulfil the following points with the application. The fulfilment of these commitments will be taken into account in all audits to be carried out
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Our Law Firm’s Services in the Field of Health Tourism
You can contact our law firm for more detailed information about the health tourism authorisation certificate. As a law firm, we provide consultancy services to many health facilities and companies in the field of health tourism. Through our lawyers specialised in this field
- realisation of the establishment procedures,
- preparation of contracts and clarification texts,
- taking measures to prevent disputes,
- elimination of contradictions to legislation,
- follow-up services for administrative and judicial processes in case of disputes
is provided by our law firm.
You can contact us for your questions and detailed information on the following topics:
- What are the documents required for health tourism authorisation certificate?
- What are the criteria for health tourism authorisation certificate?
- How to obtain a health tourism authorisation certificate?
- Are the conditions for obtaining a health tourism authorisation certificate met by your company?
- Sample application form for international health tourism authorisation certificate
- What is the fee for health tourism authorisation certificate?
You can contact our law firm for counselling on these and similar questions and issues.
This content has been automatically translated into English from the Turkish original.
Av. Arb. Bahadırhan Tabak
He completed their bachelor's degree at Istanbul University Faculty of Law and their master's degree in Public Law at Çankaya University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Law at Medeniyet Üniversitesi. Starting his career as a judge, TABAK served in Elazığ and Ankara for a period of time. Most recently, while serving as a judge at the 15th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation, which acts as a higher court reviewing legal disputes arising from aesthetic operations, he resigned from the judiciary and transitioned to private practice. Currently, he is registered with the Istanbul Bar Association as an attorney and mediator, focusing primarily on Health Law in his legal practice. Click Here For Detailed Information