Turkey opens borders on May 20 for health tourism

Only COVID-19 negative foreigners are allowed to enter the country as of May 20. The borders are open for patients coming to Turkey for health tourism.

The country accepts the patients of orthopedics and traumatology, general and pediatric surgery, eyes diseases, oncology, urology, cardiology, brain and nerve surgery, assisted-reproduction treatment, intensive care, hematology.

Residents from 31 countries are allowed to come. The list of countries includes the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Djibouti, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Moldova.

This loosening of travel restrictions allows the Turkish authorities to test the post Covid-19 protocols and the arrival procedure. Turkey will try the new rules of entry to the country.

The healthcare tourists will be accepted by the two airports, in Istanbul and Ankara. A patient with at most two attendants must go through Covid-19 PCR test when entering Turkey from the airports or take the test within 48 hours prior to their travel in their home country and bring the negative Covid-19 PCR test result paper along with them. Patients and their attendants are required to wear facemasks during the travel and when going through the customs control.

After entering the country, patients and attendants will be taken directly to the hospital where they have an appointment and they will be accommodated there as well. Hospitals will allocate one floor or corridor for the patients coming from abroad.