Foreign personnel employment conditions, application terms are set out by laws and regulations. Only foreign physicians and nurses can work in private health institutions in Turkey. Namely, foreign midwives, dentists and pharmacists are not allowed to work in Turkey.
In former periods, physicians could not also work in Turkey, but with the laws issued in recent period, foreign physicians and nurses can offer service in private health institutions in Turkey on condition they meet requisite conditions.
Now let us review the legal processes that private health institutions desiring to employ foreign health personnel and foreign physician should carry.
What is Preliminary Permission Certificate for Foreign Physician, Why is it required?
Private health institutions that want to employ foreign physician and nurse should firstly obtain preliminary permission certificate, later take work permit for these persons.
Work permit is granted by Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Turkey. Necessity of receiving “preliminary permission certificate” from provincial directorate of health also exists for physicians and nurses. In fact, this certificate is necessary to check if the physician in question has received an education in line with medical training standards in Turkey. The foreign physicians whose diplomas are not certified by Ministry of Health cannot work in Turkey.
In other words, Ministry of Labour and Social Security takes help from Ministry of Health to review proficiency of foreign physician and gives work permit accordingly.
What Certificates are required for Preliminary Permission Certificate for Foreign Physician ?
Private health institutions which carry on a business in Turkey want to employ foreign physician, at first they should obtain preliminary permission certificate for this physician.
Preliminary permission certificate is taken from health directorate in the province where d-foreign physician resides. Between 7-10 days, this certificate is sent to private health institution which makes application.
Foreign physician should have the following certificates if graduated from a university in Turkey:
- Petition of managing director (the letter showing that preliminary permission certificate is requested)
- Petition of the foreign physician who lodges a work application
- Service contract signed between physician and private health institution (along with annex of the contract) (the contract in which working hours and fees are indicated)
- Original copy and photocopy of diploma of foreigner (expression “same as original” should be present in this certificate)
- Original copy and photocopy of passport
- 2 pcs photographs
- Photocopy of residence permit card
- Residence certificate of foreign physician
If foreign physician is graduated from a university outside Turkey, he/she has to have the following certificates:
- Petition of managing director (the letter showing that preliminary permission certificate is requested)
- Petition of the foreign physician who lodges a work application
- Service contract signed between physician and private health institution (along with annex of the contract) (the contract in which working hours and fees are indicated)
- Original copy and photocopy of diploma of foreigner (expression “same as original” should be present in this certificate)
- Original copy and photocopy of passport
- 2 pcs photographs
- Photocopy of residence permit card
- Residence certificate of foreign physician
In addition to that, foreign physician graduated from a university outside Turkey should submit some certificates as well.
- The certificate showing acceptance of equivalency for specialty certificate and diploma of foreign physician by related institution
- The official certificate about inexistence of any hindrance to perform profession legally for foreign physician by ministry of health or embassy of the country that he/she is citizen.
- Fixed term employment contract between private health institution and foreign physician (In this certificate, wage of physician has to be noted too)
- The certificate indicating that he/she has taken at least grade B in Turkish language examination made by Turkish Teaching Application and Research Centres of the universities in Turkey.)
- These certificates are presented to provincial health directorate by private health institution. Preparation of the certificates by foreign physician and delivering them to private health institution at which he/she wants to be employed are sufficient.
What are the conditions to grant work permit to foreign physician?
According to Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to the foreign physicians who bear the following conditions, work permit in Turkey may be given:
- Equivalency of diploma and/or specialty certificates is approved and their registrations are made by the Ministry,
- Not to have any disqualification to perform profession legally,
- To be successful at level (B) and over according to European Language Portfolio in Turkish Language examination made by Turkish Teaching Application and Research Centres (TÖMER) of universities,
- To obtain work and residence permit in Turkey according to related legislation,
- To take out financial liability insurance mandatory for physicians.
In addition to the physicians who meet these conditions, nurses may also take work permit. But, no work permit is given to midwives, pharmacists and dentists.
What certificates are required for work permit of foreign physician?
- The certificate showing acceptance of equivalency for specialty certificate and diploma of foreign physician by related institution
- Certificate showing success at level (B) and over according to European Language Portfolio in Turkish Language examination made by Turkish Teaching Application and Research Centres (TÖMER) of universities, This certificate
a) should be submitted in one year at the latest from date of application. If no certificate is submitted in this duration, work permit of personnel is cancelled by the Directorate.
b) not requested from those who are graduated from higher educational institution which gives Turkish education.
For those who will perform profession first time, the certificate received from competent authorities of the country they come from and showing inexistence of his/her condition to prevent to do profession. This certificate,
a) from those who have graduated from education institutions in Turkey in former one year from date of application,
b) from those who certificates to have resided in Turkey for five years uninterruptedly as of date of application,
c) from those who have taken refuge in Turkey due to state of emergency,
are not requested.
Service contract in which names and signatures of parties in its each page are found and monthly wage amount to be paid to foreign health personnel are also stated, made between foreign health personnel and private health institution where they are to work.
These certificates are delivered to provincial health directorate by the private health institution that wants to employ foreign physician. Afterwards, in order to take work permit along with preliminary permission certificate, it is applied to ministry of Labour and Social Security.
What are the Conditions for Syrian Health Personnel?
Pursuant to the” Regulation on Working Principles and Procedures in Private Health Institution of Turkey for Foreign Health Profession Members” published in 2012, some exemptions have been recognized to Syrian physicians and nurses. Accordingly,
If Syrian health employees wish for working in immigrant health centres which are found by Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management and coordinated by Ministry of Health and the refuge centre founded by Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management, they shall be exempted from the following conditions:
- Equivalency of diploma and/or specialty certificates is approved and their registrations are made by the Ministry,
- Not to have any disqualification to perform profession legally.
