Health Insurance for Students in Turkey: GSS or a Private Policy

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

International students in Turkey must be insured for as long as they hold a student residence permit. There are two ways to be insured: the state general health insurance, called GSS, or a private policy that meets the rules of the migration office. The choice matters, because a policy that is fine for a hospital may still be refused when you apply for the permit. This guide follows the migration administration, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the social insurance law and two universities, as read in October 2026.

Two options

According to YÖK's Study in Türkiye portal, students who come to Turkey must have health insurance during their official residence.

A private policy. You can buy a policy for foreigners from a private insurer. YÖK warns that the cover of such policies is limited and usually valid only in hospitals that have a contract with the insurer.
GSS. General health insurance is run by the Social Security Institution (SGK). It gives the right to treatment in all state hospitals free of charge, and medicines at a low contribution.

GSS: the three-month deadline

For GSS the deadline is the important point. Both YÖK and the migration administration say that you must ask for it within three months of registering at your university. The migration administration adds that if you ask in time, you do not need another insurance for your residence permit, but if you lose the right by not asking in time, you must have private health insurance. The social insurance law (No. 5510, article 60) says that foreign students studying in Turkey are treated as GSS insured if they apply within three months of the start of the academic year.

The law is also where the cost is set, and here it changed. A sentence that set the student premium at one third of the lower earnings limit was removed from the law in January 2025 (Law 7538). Ask the social security office or your university's international office for the current amount before you budget. For a rough idea, the International Students Office of Middle East Technical University (METU) lists GSS at 15,000 to 20,000 lira a year (about €270 to €360 at the ECB rate of 19 October 2026), and private insurance at 5,000 to 40,000 lira a year, in a page updated on 22 June 2026.

If you have a Türkiye Scholarship, the law makes scholarship holders GSS insured for as long as the scholarship lasts. See scholarships and student jobs in Turkey.

What the residence permit accepts

TED University tells its students that the following are the only types of health insurance valid for a residence permit application. Any other insurance can still be used for care in Turkey, but it will not be valid for the permit.

A private policy that states it covers the minimum cover required by circular no. 9 of 6 June 2014 on private health insurance for residence permit applications. Bring the signed and stamped original.
A policy obtained abroad counts only if it is issued by the branches or agents of that insurer inside Turkey. If your insurer has no branch in Turkey, buy a different private policy in Turkey.
A document from the social security office that you receive health care under a bilateral social security agreement. The signed approval of the office in Turkey is needed.
A provision document from the SGK after your GSS registration.

Requirements can differ in detail between provinces and universities, so ask your university's international office which document it needs.

Care once you are there

All Turkish universities have their own health centres, usually called MEDİKO, where students can have basic checks and examinations. Pharmacies are open until 19:00 except on Sundays, and a number of on-duty pharmacies work in each city after 19:00 and on Sundays. Hospital emergency units and university health centres serve emergencies around the clock, and the free national emergency number for an ambulance is 112.

Practical steps

Check what your university and migration office accept before you buy a policy abroad.
Within three months of registering, decide between GSS and a private policy, and apply for GSS in time if you want it.
Keep the signed original of the policy or the SGK document for the residence permit appointment; see student visa and residence permit for Turkey.
Renew the insurance every year, as YÖK advises.

For a Europe-wide comparison see health insurance for students in Europe.

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.