Turkey’s 2025 Medical Tourism Regulations: A New Framework for a Growing Industry

On 26 April 2025, the Turkish Ministry of Health introduced a new Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health, published in the Official Gazette (No. 32882). This regulation repealed the 2017 framework and created a more comprehensive set of rules for providers and intermediaries in the health tourism sector. The reform aims to standardise service quality, strengthen patient safety, and integrate providers into a centralised, digital oversight system.¹

Turkey has become one of the most dynamic global destinations for medical tourism. The government estimates that the sector could generate six billion US dollars in 2025, with ambitions to triple this figure by the end of the decade.² Such rapid growth necessitated a regulatory overhaul to ensure consistency, transparency, and international credibility.

From Fragmented Rules to a Modern Framework

The 2017 regulation provided a foundation for regulating medical tourism, but it left gaps and inconsistencies. The 2025 law repeals this earlier framework and establishes a clearer, enforceable system.³ Unlike its predecessor, it emphasises digitalisation, licensing clarity, and transitional safeguards such as insurance and accreditation deadlines.

Licensing and Authorisation

A central requirement of the 2025 regulation is the need for an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate. Both healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics, practices) and intermediary organisations (facilitators arranging care for foreign patients) must obtain authorisation to operate legally.⁴

For intermediaries, applications are now processed through USHAŞ, the state-owned International Health Services company. USHAŞ provides a dedicated portal that simplifies certification and standardises communication with regulators.⁵

Digital Integration

The regulation underscores Turkey’s move towards digital oversight. Authorised providers are listed on government-managed platforms such as HealthTürkiye, where international patients can verify credentials before travelling.⁶ Providers are also expected to engage with digital reporting and standardised processes, improving transparency and compliance.⁷

Key Updates and Clarifications

Several changes in the 2025 regulation are noteworthy:

1. Scope of authorisation: All healthcare facilities treating international patients, and all intermediaries arranging medical travel, must hold an authorisation certificate.⁴
2. Travel-agency rules revised: Under the 2017 framework, intermediaries were required to be registered as A-group travel agencies. This prerequisite has now been removed, lowering the barrier for facilitators who focus solely on medical arrangements.⁸
3. Transitional deadlines: Providers must have complication insurance in place by the end of 2025, and they must meet accreditation and certification standards by 2026.⁹
4. Public verification: The Ministry now publishes and updates lists of authorised healthcare providers and intermediaries, enabling patients and partners to confirm compliance before engaging services.⁶
5. Central role of USHAŞ: Beyond processing applications, USHAŞ now serves as the operational hub for standardising applications, maintaining transparency, and promoting Turkey’s international healthcare brand.⁵

Implications for Providers

For healthcare facilities, compliance involves three key actions: obtaining authorisation, preparing for insurance and accreditation deadlines, and ensuring alignment with digital reporting requirements. For intermediary organisations, the removal of the A-group travel-agency requirement offers greater flexibility, but certification through USHAŞ remains mandatory.

Implications for Patients and International Partners

Patients benefit from the reform through easier verification of providers, improved safeguards, and more consistent service standards. Mandatory complication insurance offers a new safety net, while accreditation deadlines indicate a systematic rise in quality. Transparency through HealthTürkiye means international partners and patients can engage with Turkish providers with greater confidence.

Conclusion

The 2025 regulation is more than a bureaucratic update. It represents a strategic repositioning of Turkey’s health tourism sector, designed to protect patients, increase international credibility, and sustain the country’s position as a global hub for medical care. With clear authorisation rules, staged deadlines for safety measures, and a digital compliance framework, the new law is likely to reshape both how providers operate and how patients perceive medical tourism in Turkey.

Footnotes

1. Official Gazette, No. 32882, Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health, 26 April 2025.
2. Travel and Tour World, “Turkey’s Health Tourism Industry Set to Reach Six Billion USD in 2025.”
3. Ministry of Health, Health Tourism Department announcements on repeal of the 2017 regulation.
4. Ministry of Health, authorised lists of facilities and intermediary organisations, Health Tourism Department.
5. USHAŞ, International Health Services, application processes for intermediary organisations.
6. Ministry of Health, HealthTürkiye portal, provider verification system.
7. Ministry of Health, Health Tourism Department, guidance on digital integration.
8. Sector updates confirming the removal of the A-group travel-agency prerequisite under the 2025 regulation.
9. National reporting on transitional deadlines for complication insurance (end-2025) and accreditation/certification (2026).