Turkey’s health tourism authorisation, explained
Every clinic in our register has one. Here is what the certificate is, what its number tells you, and what it does not.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026The international health tourism authorisation is a certificate from Turkey’s Ministry of Health that allows a health facility to treat patients who travel from abroad for treatment. Authorised facilities are listed on HealthTürkiye with their number. Older certificates use numbers such as ST-0955; newer entries show a longer number. The certificate shows the clinic is approved for international patients; it is not a quality rating.
On a Turkish clinic’s website you may see the phrase “Ministry of Health authorised” next to a certificate with a stamp and a number. It sounds official because it is. But it is often misunderstood, both by patients who think it guarantees quality and by patients who have never heard of it.
What the authorisation is
Turkey regulates health tourism. Hospitals, clinics and practices that want to treat patients who travel to Turkey for treatment must be authorised by the Ministry of Health for that purpose. The certificate is often called the international health tourism authorisation certificate; in Turkish, the “uluslararası sağlık turizmi yetki belgesi”.
Authorised facilities appear on HealthTürkiye, the Ministry’s portal for international patients, with the number of their certificate. GOV.UK’s travel advice for Turkey refers British travellers to this list of approved providers.
What the numbers look like
In our register you will see two formats:
- Short numbers such as ST-0955 or ST-4647. These are the familiar certificate numbers, and most long-established clinics have one.
- Long numbers such as 2026034015610080000516315. Some newer entries on HealthTürkiye show a long reference number instead.
We print exactly what the Ministry page shows. A long number is not a sign of anything wrong; it is simply what the register displays for that entry. If you want to be sure, click the number on the clinic’s entry in our register and you will land on the Ministry’s page.
What it tells you
- The facility is known to the Ministry and approved to receive international patients.
- Its legal name, address and type are on public record.
- It has declared basic details: when it was founded, how many health professionals and staff it has, and what equipment it uses.
What it does not tell you
- The skill of your dentist. The authorisation is for the facility. Check the person separately.
- Whether your plan is right. No certificate can tell you whether you need eight implants or six, crowns or veneers.
- How the clinic handles problems. For that, read the guarantee terms and ask what happens after you fly home.
- Anything about prices. The register does not regulate what clinics charge.
GOV.UK makes the same point from the other side: the UK government does not endorse the competence or suitability of any practitioner or facility. A listing is a floor, not a recommendation.
Branches have their own entries
A group with several branches usually has a separate entry, and often a separate number, for each one. In Istanbul, for example, the Dentakay group has entries for branches in Şişli, Bağcılar and Bahçelievler, and another in Antalya. When you check, check the branch where you will be treated.
Why we made it our entry rule
We could have listed any clinic with a good website. We chose not to. A clinic that is not authorised for international patients should not be marketing to UK patients, and if it is on the list you can verify its basic details without relying on its marketing. So every clinic in our register, including our own, is on HealthTürkiye. See who can be listed.
How to use it in practice
- Ask every clinic for its HealthTürkiye link at the start.
- Check the name, branch and address match your plan.
- Keep a screenshot of the entry with your treatment papers.
- Then move on to the questions that matter more for your mouth: who treats you, which implant, what guarantee.
For a walk-through of the search, see checking a clinic’s licence, step by step.
Common questions
Does every Turkish dental clinic have this authorisation?
No. Many clinics treat only local patients and do not hold it. HealthTürkiye listed 1,117 private dental clinics with it in October 2026.
Is the authorisation the same as a dentist’s licence?
No. It applies to the facility. Each dentist has their own diploma and registration, which you should check separately.
Does the number expire?
Facilities can lose their authorisation, which is why we re-check entries. If a clinic disappears from HealthTürkiye, we remove it from our register.
Why do some clinics show a very long number?
Newer entries on HealthTürkiye show a long numeric reference rather than the short ST- format. We show whatever the Ministry’s page shows.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Ask Precious Dental for a written plan
Send an X-ray or a few photos of your teeth. A dentist will reply with a written plan and an itemised price. No obligation, and you can compare it with any clinic in this register.