Is SGK or Turkish private insurance better for expats?

For a first permit, most people use Turkish private insurance, because SGK cover comes through Turkish employment, a family link, a social-security agreement with your country, or voluntary enrolment after a year of legal residence. Once voluntary GSS opens to you, some people keep a private plan for private hospitals and use SGK for the rest; compare your own situation.

How much does expat health insurance cost in Turkey?

Private policies, Turkish or international, are priced by age, cover and health history, so get quotes from two or three insurers rather than trusting a range. Two figures are fixed: voluntary GSS costs 7,927.20 TL a month in 2026, once you have lived here for more than a year, and a permit policy must carry at least 15,000 TL outpatient, 150,000 TL inpatient at a non-contracted hospital and 250,000 TL for public-hospital Ek-1 treatment (SEDDK Genelge 2024/34).

What if I have a pre-existing condition?

Disclose it on all applications. Turkish private insurers will sometimes cover pre-existing conditions (depending on type and severity) for a higher premium. If you have serious conditions, international insurance may be better. Do not hide pre-existing conditions — if discovered, your policy can be voided.

Do I need international insurance if I buy Turkish private insurance?

Not necessarily. Turkish private insurance covers you well in Turkey. Buy international insurance only if you travel frequently between countries, have pre-existing conditions, or want emergency coverage outside Turkey. If you apply for the permit from inside Türkiye, you still need a policy made in Türkiye (or SGK cover) for the file, whichever you use for real cover.

Is AXA or Allianz better for expat health insurance in Turkey?

Neither is better in general: both sell the permit policy and full private plans, and the difference for you is in the hospital network, the co-payment and the premium for your age. Quote both, add Mapfre or Anadolu for a third number, and check that your nearest private hospital is in network before you choose.

Does IMG Global or Cigna cover Turkey, and is it accepted for the residence permit?

IMG Global and Cigna Global both cover Turkey as a destination and suit frequent cross-border travelers or people with serious pre-existing conditions. But they are international policies — the residence-permit office will NOT accept them as your mandatory insurance. You still need a cheap Turkish ikamet-compliant policy (Allianz, AXA, Mapfre or Anadolu) alongside for the permit itself.

Which insurance companies issue residence-permit-compliant policies in Turkey?

For the ikamet requirement you need a Turkish insurer's policy written to the Göç İdaresi standard (minimum 15,000 TL outpatient / 150,000 TL inpatient per year, per the April 2025 circular). The names foreigners use most are Allianz Sigorta, AXA Sigorta, Mapfre Sigorta, Anadolu Sigorta, and Bupa Acıbadem. The policy must explicitly state it's valid for residence-permit applications and its dates must cover your entire requested permit period — get both in writing before you pay.

AXA, Allianz or Mapfre? Expat Health Insurance in Türkiye 2026

Q: Can I get a Turkish residence permit without health insurance?

Only if you are under 18 or over 65 on a short-term or student permit. Everyone else needs cover for the whole period they ask for, and a family permit needs it for every family member. The proof goes in the file you take to the provincial migration office (İl Göç İdaresi): a private policy made in Türkiye if you apply from inside Türkiye, or SGK cover, which includes a social-security agreement document from your home country.

Disclaimer

I am not an insurance broker or licensed advisor. This article is general orientation only. Policies, prices and terms change often. For your own situation, and especially for any pre-existing condition, get quotes from at least three insurers and read the policy before you sign anything.

If you are applying for a residence permit, the insurance requirement shows up early. Here is what the rule actually asks for, your three real options, and how to choose without overpaying or leaving yourself uncovered.

Want the number for your own case? Add the fees up here

Who needs health insurance for the permit

Most applicants do. The exceptions and the details:

Short-term and student permits: no insurance is needed if you are under 18 or over 65.
Family permits: every family member on the application needs cover.
Applying from inside Türkiye: the policy must be one made in Türkiye. A travel policy or a policy from your home country does not count, however good it is.
SGK cover also counts: an SGK provizyon document, a document under a bilateral social-security agreement between your country and Türkiye, or proof of a GSS application.
The dates: the policy must cover the whole period you ask for. Cover that stops short of it is one of the tidiest refusal reasons there is.

The proof goes in the file you take to the provincial migration office (İl Göç İdaresi) at your appointment. The rule comes from Göç İdaresi's published document lists and the Implementing Regulation to Law 6458.

Your three options at a glance

Option	Who provides it	What it costs	Best for
SGK / GSS (public)	The state	Through payroll if you are employed; voluntary GSS is 7,927.20 TL a month in 2026	Employees, family members of insured people, residents of more than a year
Turkish private insurance	Allianz, AXA, Mapfre, Anadolu, Aksigorta, Neova, Bupa Acıbadem and others	Priced by age and cover: get quotes	Most first-time applicants
International private insurance	Cigna Global, Allianz Care, BUPA, IMG and others	Priced by age and health history: get quotes	Frequent cross-border travel, serious pre-existing conditions

SGK / GSS — the public option

SGK is Türkiye's social security institution; GSS (Genel Sağlık Sigortası) is its health cover.

How a foreigner gets it:

Employed in Türkiye with a work permit: your employer registers you and the premiums come out of payroll.
As a family member: through the SGK cover of an insured spouse or parent.
Voluntarily: open to a foreigner only after more than a year of residence, and only if no other country's scheme insures you (Law 5510, art. 60). The 2026 premium is 7,927.20 TL a month, 24% of the gross minimum wage.

The honest take: public hospitals are the cheapest place to be treated, but expect waits, and English is not guaranteed. For a newcomer the real limit is the year: voluntary GSS is usually not available for a first application, which is why most first-time applicants buy a private policy.

Turkish private health insurance — what most first-time applicants buy

Turkish private health insurance (özel sağlık sigortası) comes in two quite different forms, and the difference matters more than the brand.

The permit policy (yabancı sağlık sigortası). Written to clear the official minimums and little more: 15,000 TL of outpatient cover, 150,000 TL inpatient at a non-contracted hospital, 250,000 TL for public-hospital Ek-1 treatment (SEDDK Genelge 2024/34, in force since 1 April 2025). That is why these policies are cheap, and why an MRI and a few specialist visits can use up the outpatient limit. It gets you the permit; it is not real health cover.

A full private plan. A proper policy with a hospital network and outpatient cover worth having, priced by your age, the cover you choose and your health history. It can satisfy the permit too, if its dates and wording fit.

Why most first-time applicants buy one: the permit accepts SGK cover only through the documents on the published list — an SGK provizyon document, a bilateral social-security agreement document, or a GSS application, and voluntary GSS opens to a foreigner only after more than a year of residence. A newcomer usually has none of those, so a private policy made in Türkiye is the practical route.

What to compare, besides the premium:

Hospital network: check that your nearest private hospital, and the ones you would actually use, are in it.
Co-payment: ask what share of each bill you pay; a low premium can hide a high co-payment.
Pre-existing conditions: disclose everything. A condition the insurer finds at claim time can void the claim.
Renewal: premiums are repriced every year, so compare quotes again before you renew.
Permit wording and dates: get it in writing that the policy is valid for a residence-permit application and covers your whole requested period.

The insurers people ask about

None of this is a ranking. I have not compared their claims handling, and I would be wary of anyone who says they have compared all of them.

AXA Sigorta and Allianz Sigorta: the two names people search for when they land on this page. Both sell permit policies and full private plans. Quote both first.
Mapfre Sigorta and Anadolu Sigorta: both also sell permit policies. Worth a third quote.
Aksigorta and Neova: Turkish insurers that also sell private health cover; include one if a broker site shows it.
Bupa Acıbadem: shares its name with the Acıbadem hospital group; look at it if Acıbadem hospitals are the ones you want in network.

International health insurance — when it is worth it

International policies (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, BUPA, IMG and others) follow you across borders. They make sense if you travel between countries a lot, have a serious pre-existing condition, or want cover that does not depend on where you live next year.

What they do not do is satisfy the permit on their own when you apply from inside Türkiye. If you choose one, you still need a permit policy made in Türkiye (or SGK cover) for the file, so budget for both. They are priced by age and health history; get a quote before you rule one in or out.

How to buy, step by step

Turkish private insurance:

Use a broker site such as sigortam.net or koalay.com, or ask two or three insurers directly.
Give your age, health history and the cover you want.
Compare the hospital network and co-payments, not just the premium.
Before you pay, get it in writing that the policy is valid for a residence-permit application and covers your whole requested period.
Put the policy in your permit file.

International insurance: quote on the insurer's own site; a pre-existing condition may need medical records. Then buy the permit policy separately.

Voluntary GSS, once you qualify: after more than a year of residence, apply at an SGK office (sgk.gov.tr lists them) with your residence permit.

When to buy the permit policy: once you know the permit length you will ask for, and before your appointment. It has to be active when you submit and last the whole requested period.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Treating the permit policy as health cover. It is written to the minimums. Decide separately how you actually want to be covered.

2. Buying a policy shorter than the permit you ask for. The dates must cover the whole requested period.

3. Relying on a travel or home-country policy for an in-country application. It does not count for the file.

4. Not checking the hospital network. Find out before you sign whether your nearest private hospital is in it.

5. Not disclosing a pre-existing condition. It can void the very claim you bought the policy for.

6. Renewing on autopilot. Premiums are repriced every year; compare before you renew.

A simple way to decide

First permit, healthy, staying a few years: a permit policy to clear the requirement, then decide whether you want a full Turkish plan for real cover.
Family: cover for every family member on the application.
Serious pre-existing condition or frequent travel: an international policy for real cover, plus the permit policy for the file.
Employed in Türkiye: your cover comes through SGK and payroll; add private cover only if you want private hospitals.
Over 65 on a short-term permit: the permit does not require insurance, but that is exactly the age at which being uninsured costs the most.
After a year of residence: voluntary GSS becomes an option, at 7,927.20 TL a month in 2026.

The bottom line

The permit asks for a document; your health needs a plan. Most people solve the first with a Turkish permit policy and then take their time over the second.

For more on settling in: read the residence permit guide, the Turkey healthcare overview, and our expat tax guide.

I am not an insurance broker or licensed advisor. Get quotes from at least three insurers and read the policy before signing anything.

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