Compare health insurance for Turkish residence

Why does the law require health insurance for a residence application?

Under Turkish Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, health insurance is one of the basic requirements for most types of residence permits in Turkey. The immigration system does not accept a residence application without a valid health insurance policy.

The essential requirement here is that the insurance policy's coverage period must cover the full duration required for the residence permit. In other words, if a person is applying for a one-year residence permit, the insurance policy must also be valid for a full year — no less.

The authorities accept several categories of health insurance for residence purposes, including: private health insurance, a document proving an application to join the General Health Insurance (GSS) system with the Social Security Institution (SGK), or documents under bilateral social security agreements between Turkey and certain countries. Each category has its own conditions, and the most common among non-student foreigners is private health insurance.

Important points to know

• Not just any insurance policy is accepted for residence purposes; selling health insurance policies valid for residence permits is restricted to insurance companies licensed by the competent official authority SEDDK (the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency), the only government body authorized to grant operating licenses in this field
• A mismatch between the insurance validity dates and the required residence dates, or an insufficient coverage amount relative to the officially approved minimum limits, are among the most common reasons residence files are rejected for health-insurance-related reasons
• The minimum coverage amounts are periodically updated by SEDDK, so a policy that was acceptable at an earlier date may not meet current standards if it hasn't been reviewed
• Health insurance is a requirement separate from the rest of the residence file's documents, and any gap or error in it halts the entire file regardless of how complete the other papers are

Frequently asked questions

Does any health insurance policy satisfy the residence requirement? No. The policy must be issued by an insurance company licensed by SEDDK to sell health insurance policies valid for residence purposes, and it must cover the full required residence period at the officially approved minimum amount.

What happens if the insurance expires while the residence permit is still valid? The law requires insurance coverage to continue for the entire duration of the granted residence permit. A gap in coverage or its premature expiry exposes the residence permit holder to a violation of the legal condition on which the permit was originally based, which can affect their legal status and subsequent transactions.

Does the insurance requirement differ depending on the type of residence permit? Yes, acceptance details differ between different types of residence permits (such as family residence or others), as some types require coverage for additional family members under the same policy.

Last updated: 2026-09-07