How Can Foreigners Get a Hospital Appointment?
Foreign visitors have three options for making appointments at state hospitals.
- Go to any health care facility and make an appointment,
- Making an appointment by phone,
- Making an appointment online,
It is possible to make a hospital appointment using any of these three options. People who are refugees in Turkey must have a TC ID number starting with 98. Foreigners who do not have a temporary citizenship number can make an appointment by going to any medical institution in person.
Now let's elaborate on your appointment methods. But first, let's go over how to get the HES code, which is used to detect positive or contact people as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic that has wracked the whole world.
How Can Foreigners Get HES Code?
Before the disease spreads further, the HES code was developed to detect and quarantine contact and positive individuals, as well as to understand who was in contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19. It is required to enter anywhere in Turkey; including shopping malls, post offices, and government organizations. As a result, international citizens must be acquainted with the HES codes and be able to provide them when requested by officials.
To get the HES code, it is necessary to send a text message to the 2023 number by entering the following information:
HES code can be acquired by typing; nationality, passport number, date of birth (in the form of the year), and surname. For example, an Iranian citizen named Ahmad Kiarostami, born in 1983 should receive the HES code as follows:
“HES IRA 4590430368049 1983 KIAROSTAMI”
Foreign nationals who have obtained a residence permit in Turkey and foreign nationals who have a TC identification number can also receive a HES code by a similar method. In order to do this, you must send a text message to the number 2023 by typing the TC ID number starting with 97, 98, or 99 + the serial number of the ID document's last four digits, and the number of days you want the code to be valid.
You can also download the "Hayat Eve Sigar" (HES) application free of charge from Google Play and AppStore stores. It is possible to receive a code in the form of a QR code as well as the HES code via this application. So, for example, when you go to a shopping mall, you can simply enter by showing the QR code instead of reading the code.
After explaining this important and essential issue, we can move on to getting an appointment and general health insurance topics.
Making an Appointment by Going to a Health Care Facility
The health care facility in question here must be a state hospital. In other words, it may not be possible to get an appointment from a public hospital by going to a private hospital.
International nationals must have a temporary TC ID number in order to make an appointment at any medical facility. People who do not have an official record in Turkey can also make an appointment at one of the country's state hospitals.
It is better to choose early morning hours to make an appointment at a public hospital because the number of patients a doctor can take care of daily is limited. If there are a large number of people who have made an appointment before you, you are unlikely to be examined by a doctor on the day you apply, and you will have to make an appointment for the next day. So if you live in a densely populated province, we recommend getting up early in the morning to make an appointment.
Making an Appointment by Phone
T.C. foreign nationals with a temporary T.C. identification number can make an appointment at the hospital by dialing 182. When scheduling an appointment over the phone, the earliest appointment available is on the next day.
Making an Appointment Over The Internet (Online)
It is also possible to make an appointment online through the Central Doctor Appointment System (MHRS). You can make an appointment via the MHRS mobile app suitable for all smartphone operating systems or at https://www.mhrs.gov.tr link.
You can also create an appointment online by creating membership in the MHRS system in a matter of minutes. Then, by choosing the most suitable time for you, you can arrange an appointment at any health center anywhere. The best part about booking an appointment online is that you get to choose from a variety of doctors. To put it another way, you can arrange an appointment with that doctor by researching doctors in the field and finding the one who best fits your needs.
How to Make an Appointment from Private Hospitals?
To schedule an appointment with private healthcare providers, go to their website. The demand for appointments in private hospitals is lower than in public hospitals because examinations and treatments are fully or partially charged. As a result, you will be able to undergo the examination on the same day that you receive the appointment. In conclusion, you can schedule an appointment right away by going to the website of your preferred private hospital. You may also make an appointment with a doctor by using the internet or telephone, who performs a private examination in his/her clinic and works independently.
How to Apply for General Health Insurance?
Foreign citizens who have a residence permit in Turkey must apply for general health insurance in order to benefit from state hospitals free of charge.
General health insurance services are available to foreign residents who have acquired a residency permit in Turkey and foreign visitors who do not have insurance in an another country.
Foreign residents need to have access to general health insurance to be examined and treated in a state hospital. Therefore, people with a residency permit in Turkey can apply in person to the nearest Social Security Center and begin to benefit from general health insurance.
The documents you need to submit when applying for general health insurance are as follows:
- Residence permit document,
- Commitment form,
- A document or photocopy showing the social security status that the foreigner in question will receive from the Social Security Institution of the country in which he is a citizen,
For example, in a core family of 4, when the father applies for general health insurance:
- Wife (spouse),
- Children under the age of 18,
- Unmarried children under the age of 20 who study in high schools and equivalent educational institutions,
- Children under the age of 25 and unmarried in case of university studies,
- Elder parents in need of care, if any,
Are all automatically included in the coverage of general health insurance.
