Working as a Health Professional in Türkiye

Health professionals trained abroad, whether foreign nationals or Turkish citizens, need their qualifications recognised and registered before they can practise in Türkiye. For foreign health professionals working in private health facilities, a Ministry of Health regulation sets the procedure.

Recognition and registration

A foreign health professional must have a diploma or specialist certificate whose equivalence has been approved and which the Ministry has registered. The regulation covers all foreign health professionals working in private health facilities, except dentists, pharmacists and care assistants. Within the Ministry's General Directorate of Health Services, a registration and equivalence unit handles the diploma registration of Turkish citizens who graduated abroad and of foreign medical, dental, pharmacy and allied health staff whose equivalence has been approved, and a separate unit deals with the equivalence of specialist training completed abroad.

Working in a private facility

The application is made to the private health facility where the person wants to work. Its responsible manager forwards it to the provincial health directorate with the documents listed in the regulation's annex, which include a document showing that the competent authority has accepted the equivalence of the diploma or specialist certificate, and a certificate of Turkish at level B or above under the European Language Portfolio from a university Turkish teaching centre. Those practising in Türkiye for the first time also submit a document from the competent authorities of their country showing that nothing legally prevents them from practising.

If the application is approved, the diploma is registered and the Ministry issues a document confirming that the person may practise. The staff work certificate is then requested from the directorate together with work and residence permits.

The regulation's text does not describe translation or apostille requirements; ask the directorate. We translate diplomas and certificates into Turkish in Ankara through translators sworn before a Turkish notary.