Can I be covered by UHI?
If it is possible to benefit from a Turkish spouse's access to health insurance in Turkey, it is a good idea to do so.
Q: Hello Mr. Orhan,
I am a Danish woman that was married in Turkey at the city hall in Alanya to a Turkish citizen.
I have read online that there is such a thing called Universal Health Insurance, or UHI, and I have some questions. I will move to Turkey this summer and I will buy a residence permit three months later since I can stay here three month on my Danish passport. My husband is not insured but will begin normal Turkish insurance next month.
1- Will I be covered under his insurance when I move to Turkey?
2- What does his insurance cover for me?
3- Would it still be a good idea to get UHI?
4- What is the difference between private insurance and Public (UHI) insurance?
Best regards, Rebecca.
A: Dear Rebecca, your husband’s UHI will cover you in Turkey. You can obtain all health services from Turkish private and public hospitals and pharmacies with your husband’s insurance. It is good idea, actually. In Turkey, private health insurance, especially for elderly people, is more expensive than public insurance.
Can I work in Turkey?
Q: Dear sir,
I would like to ask; I am a foreign doctor. Can work in Turkey with a work permit? I am a member of Royal College of Surgeons of England. Best regards, Ahmad.
A: Dear Ahmad, for foreign doctors, obtaining the work permit is not enough to work. There are very important arrangements in Law Number 1219. According to this arrangement, non-Turkish citizens cannot work as a doctor in Turkey.
On the other hand, in very exceptional cases, some doctors can work without being Turkish citizens. But in these cases, a diploma equivalency and an interview with a professors’ jury are necessary. As a result, working in Turkey as a foreign doctor (dentist) is very difficult, if not impossible.
If I die in Turkey…
Q: Dear Sir,
I am taking the liberty of writing to you after reading your article in the HDN regarding residency permits for foreigners in Turkey. My wife and I come to Adana every winter for exactly 90 days, she is a Turkish citizen and I am from the USA. We have been married for nearly 43 years. My wife keeps asking me to obtain a residency permit so that we may stay beyond 90 days if we so desire.
Your article has been most helpful toward that goal and I appreciate your article very much. Just yesterday I told my wife that if I died in Turkey she should just bury me here rather than sending my body back to the USA for burial. With that in mind I have the follow question:
1- Is it permissible for foreigners to be buried in Turkey, either with or without a Residency Permit?
2- Any assistance you may be able to provide on this subject will be greatly appreciated.
3-I also wish to thank you again for your very thoughtful article.
4- My main media source is the HDN, I absolutely love the HDN and have become a great fan. My special thanks to the entire staff of the HDN, your work is much appreciated.
Sincerely, Mark J. O'Hara.
A: Dear Mark, indeed, your questions are very interesting. However, I will give a response to them in my next article.
Hurriyet Daily News/18.02.2011
Q: Hello Mr. Orhan,
I am a Danish woman that was married in Turkey at the city hall in Alanya to a Turkish citizen.
I have read online that there is such a thing called Universal Health Insurance, or UHI, and I have some questions. I will move to Turkey this summer and I will buy a residence permit three months later since I can stay here three month on my Danish passport. My husband is not insured but will begin normal Turkish insurance next month.
1- Will I be covered under his insurance when I move to Turkey?
2- What does his insurance cover for me?
3- Would it still be a good idea to get UHI?
4- What is the difference between private insurance and Public (UHI) insurance?
Best regards, Rebecca.
A: Dear Rebecca, your husband’s UHI will cover you in Turkey. You can obtain all health services from Turkish private and public hospitals and pharmacies with your husband’s insurance. It is good idea, actually. In Turkey, private health insurance, especially for elderly people, is more expensive than public insurance.
Can I work in Turkey?
Q: Dear sir,
I would like to ask; I am a foreign doctor. Can work in Turkey with a work permit? I am a member of Royal College of Surgeons of England. Best regards, Ahmad.
A: Dear Ahmad, for foreign doctors, obtaining the work permit is not enough to work. There are very important arrangements in Law Number 1219. According to this arrangement, non-Turkish citizens cannot work as a doctor in Turkey.
On the other hand, in very exceptional cases, some doctors can work without being Turkish citizens. But in these cases, a diploma equivalency and an interview with a professors’ jury are necessary. As a result, working in Turkey as a foreign doctor (dentist) is very difficult, if not impossible.
If I die in Turkey…
Q: Dear Sir,
I am taking the liberty of writing to you after reading your article in the HDN regarding residency permits for foreigners in Turkey. My wife and I come to Adana every winter for exactly 90 days, she is a Turkish citizen and I am from the USA. We have been married for nearly 43 years. My wife keeps asking me to obtain a residency permit so that we may stay beyond 90 days if we so desire.
Your article has been most helpful toward that goal and I appreciate your article very much. Just yesterday I told my wife that if I died in Turkey she should just bury me here rather than sending my body back to the USA for burial. With that in mind I have the follow question:
1- Is it permissible for foreigners to be buried in Turkey, either with or without a Residency Permit?
2- Any assistance you may be able to provide on this subject will be greatly appreciated.
3-I also wish to thank you again for your very thoughtful article.
4- My main media source is the HDN, I absolutely love the HDN and have become a great fan. My special thanks to the entire staff of the HDN, your work is much appreciated.
Sincerely, Mark J. O'Hara.
A: Dear Mark, indeed, your questions are very interesting. However, I will give a response to them in my next article.
Hurriyet Daily News/18.02.2011