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How to choose a surgeon in Turkey: a verification checklist

Five checks you can do yourself before you pay anything - with the official lists to check them in. They work for any treatment, and for any provider, on &NewMe or not.

By &NewMe editorial team · Updated 6 October 2026

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The verification checklist

Each check says why it matters, how to check it yourself, and the official source.

The 5 checks
  1. 1. The agency or facilitator holds a Ministry of Health health tourism authorisation
  2. 2. The hospital is licensed and accredited
  3. 3. The surgeon is a specialist in your treatment
  4. 4. Your written quote names the surgeon and the hospital
  5. 5. Reviews are real and checkable

1. The agency or facilitator holds a Ministry of Health health tourism authorisation

Why it matters. Turkey’s International Health Tourism and Tourist Health Regulation (Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik, 2025, which replaced the 2017 regulation of the same name) says that hospitals, clinics and intermediary organisations - the agencies and facilitators that arrange treatment for international patients - must hold an international health tourism authorisation certificate (yetki belgesi). The Ministry of Health issues it to health facilities, and USHAŞ, the state-owned International Health Services company, issues it to intermediaries. Agencies must also arrange hotels, transport and transfers through a licensed travel agency.

How to check it yourself
  • Ask the agency for its certificate number and a copy of the certificate.
  • Search the agency’s name on the HealthTürkiye agency list - the Ministry of Health’s official health tourism portal. The page is in Turkish: type the name in the search box and check that the certificate number matches.
  • Check the travel agency licence number in the TÜRSAB agency search (by name or licence number - it can also verify a website address).
  • Check that the company name on the website matches the name on the certificate - the regulation requires this.

Example: &NewMe is operated by Yeniben Sağlık Turizm Seyahat Acentası (Yeniben Elektronik Hizmetler ve Tic. A.Ş.), authorisation certificate AK-0945, listed on HealthTürkiye, and a TÜRSAB A-group travel agency, licence No. 16021. You can look both up yourself in the two searches above.

Source: Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik (Official Gazette, 26 April 2025); HealthTürkiye agency list; TÜRSAB agency search

2. The hospital is licensed and accredited

Why it matters. Under the same regulation, a hospital or clinic treating international patients needs its own Ministry of Health health tourism authorisation. Hospitals and medical centres must also be accredited by TÜSKA, Türkiye’s health care quality and accreditation institute, and must publish that accreditation on their website. For surgery in an operating theatre, the hospital must take out complication insurance for international patients. Some Turkish hospitals also hold JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation - a voluntary international quality standard, useful to know but not required.

How to check it yourself

Source: Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik (Official Gazette, 26 April 2025); Ministry of Health, Health Tourism Department: authorised facilities and intermediaries; JCI: find accredited international organizations

3. The surgeon is a specialist in your treatment

Why it matters. The right specialty matters more than the brand of the clinic: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery for most body, breast and face surgery; general surgery for weight-loss surgery; ENT or plastic surgery for nose surgery; a dentist for dental work. In Turkey, surgical specialists usually use the title Op. Dr. (operator doctor); Doç. Dr. (associate professor) and Prof. Dr. (professor) are academic titles. The NHS advises asking any surgeon what training and qualifications they have and which organisations they belong to.

How to check it yourself

Source: HealthTürkiye health professionals directory; Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery member list; EBOPRAS fellows list; NHS: cosmetic surgery abroad

4. Your written quote names the surgeon and the hospital

Why it matters. You are choosing a person, not a package. If the quote only says “our expert team” or “a partner hospital”, you cannot check either of them, and they can change after you pay. The NHS also advises meeting the surgeon rather than only sales people, and never paying for a hospital you have not seen or a surgeon you have not met.

How to check it yourself
  • The quote names the surgeon (full name and title) and the hospital (name and city), the exact procedure and the dates.
  • Ask whether the named surgeon performs the whole operation personally.
  • Ask who your contact is after surgery, and who pays if a revision or complication treatment is needed.
  • On &NewMe, the surgeon who operates on you is named in your quote, and the quote says who you are paying - the provider, an agency or &NewMe collecting for the provider.

Source: NHS: cosmetic surgery abroad; NHS: treatment abroad checklist

5. Reviews are real and checkable

Why it matters. Reviews are the best view of how a surgeon and hospital treat patients - when they are real. Fake and paid-for reviews exist: in the UK, publishing fake reviews or hiding incentives has been banned since April 2025, and Google’s policy prohibits fake engagement, but some still get through.

How to check it yourself
  • Read reviews where the clinic cannot edit them - Google Maps and Trustpilot - not only testimonials on its own website.
  • Warning signs: many five-star reviews posted in a short burst, short generic wording repeated across reviews, reviewers with only one review, and no mention of the surgeon or the procedure.
  • Read the negative reviews and how the provider answers them - a calm, specific reply says a lot.
  • Ask to see before-and-after photos of the surgeon’s own patients, for your procedure.

On &NewMe, Google and Trustpilot ratings are shown as published on those platforms - see how we rank providers.

Source: UK Competition and Markets Authority: fake reviews guidance (CMA208); Google Maps content policy; NHS: cosmetic surgery abroad

Red flags

Any one of these is a reason to slow down and ask more questions.

The price is the only selling point
A low headline price says nothing about the surgeon, the hospital or what happens if something goes wrong.
No named surgeon
“Our team” or “a top surgeon” instead of a name you can check.
You only ever talk to sales staff
No consultation with the surgeon before you pay. Medical advice should come from a doctor, not an agent.
Pressure to decide
“Today only” discounts, a deposit to “hold the price”, or reminders that you have already travelled.
No written quote
Only voice notes or chat messages - nothing that lists what is included and what is not.
No aftercare or complication plan
No answer to “who do I call at home?” or “who pays if I need more treatment?”.
Unclear refund and cancellation rules
You should know before you pay what happens if you change your mind or the surgeon says no.

Price, aftercare and home

In this section
  1. A package price is not the surgeon’s fee
  2. After you fly home
  3. What &NewMe checks - and what it does not
  4. Sources

A package price is not the surgeon’s fee

Most prices you see for surgery in Turkey are packages. Two packages with the same headline price can include very different things, so compare written quotes line by line. A good written quote lists:

  • the surgeon’s name and the procedure, including what exactly is done
  • anaesthesia and the anaesthetist
  • nights in hospital, and the hospital’s name
  • implants or materials, with the brand where it matters (for example breast implants or dental implants)
  • pre-op tests and scans
  • hotel nights and transfers, if included
  • medication to take home and compression garments
  • follow-up: check-ups in Turkey and remote follow-up after you go home
  • the plan for revisions and complications, and the complication insurance details
  • deposit, payment schedule, who you are paying, and the refund rules

Turkish rules back this up: the hospital must give you an invoice with an itemised list of the services and their unit prices, and an agency must give you an itemised list of its charges for hotel, transport, transfers and interpreting if you ask.

For typical prices and what affects them, see the cost guides on &NewMe: Gastric sleeve, Rhinoplasty, Hair transplant, Facelift, Breast augmentation, Tummy tuck, Liposuction, BBL, Lipedema surgery, Mommy makeover.

Source: Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik (Official Gazette, 26 April 2025)

After you fly home

Most complications show up in the first days and weeks, and often after you are home. Plan for that before you book.

  • Ask when you can fly. Flying soon after major surgery raises the risk of blood clots. The NHS suggests not flying for 5 to 7 days after procedures such as breast surgery and liposuction, and 7 to 10 days after facial procedures or tummy tucks. Your surgeon decides for your case.
  • Get your discharge summary in English, with the operation details, implants or materials used and your medication.
  • Tell your GP before you go, and book a GP visit for when you are back.
  • Know who to call - your surgeon’s team for questions, and emergency services at home for anything urgent.

UK. The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons says the NHS will always look after you in a life-threatening emergency, but NHS trusts and commissioners usually refuse treatment for less serious complications or bad outcomes after cosmetic surgery (BAPRAS: cosmetic surgery abroad). The NHS adds that overseas clinics may not provide follow-up, and that travel insurance does not normally cover you if things go wrong in surgery (NHS: cosmetic surgery abroad). GOV.UK says the FCDO cannot usually help if you travelled for medical treatment (GOV.UK: medical emergencies, treatment and hospitalisation abroad).

New Zealand. Health NZ does not recommend weight-loss surgery overseas and says you will not be eligible for ACC support for complications from weight-loss surgery done overseas (Health NZ: bariatric (weight loss) surgery). ACC only covers an overseas treatment injury in narrow cases (ACC OIA response GOV-029160) - plan as if you will not be covered. Basic travel insurance rarely covers medical tourism (SafeTravel: medical tourism).

Ireland. The Department of Foreign Affairs advises checking the provider’s credentials and accreditation, having appropriate travel insurance, talking to your own doctor first, asking for a discharge summary in English and a fit-to-fly certificate, and notes that it cannot give financial or legal help if things go wrong (Ireland DFA: medical, dental and cosmetic procedures abroad; see also RCSI: surgery abroad, information for patients).

Insurance. Turkish rules require the hospital to take out complication insurance for surgical procedures on international patients - check what it covers in your quote. It is not travel insurance: also look for travel insurance that covers medical treatment abroad, complications and medical evacuation, and tell the insurer about your procedure (TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC): medical tourism).

What &NewMe checks - and what it does not

&NewMe is a marketplace: it lists independent hospitals, clinics, surgeons and agencies, and you book with the provider you choose. Before a provider is listed, &NewMe checks that the hospital or clinic holds the Ministry of Health licences it needs for international patients and that its doctors are licensed to practise in Türkiye, and checks surgeons’ identity, hospital, credentials and real reviews. &NewMe reviews listings regularly but cannot check every statement a provider makes - so the checks on this page are still worth doing yourself.

Read more in the terms of service (including how we rank providers) and about &NewMe.

Sources

All links checked on 6 October 2026.

Keep reading

Find a surgeon
All surgeons on &NewMe, by specialty
All treatments
Treatment guides, prices and surgeons
Why Turkey
Regulation, accreditation and travel
Gastric sleeve in Turkey
Surgeons, prices and aftercare
Rhinoplasty in Turkey
Surgeons, prices and recovery
Hair transplant in Turkey
Clinics, prices and recovery
Dental implants in Turkey
Clinics, prices and treatment plans
About &NewMe
Licences, team and how we work

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a surgeon in Turkey is qualified?

Check three things. First, the specialty: look the surgeon up in the Ministry of Health’s HealthTürkiye health professionals directory (healthturkiye.gov.tr), which shows title, specialty and hospital. Second, membership of the national specialist society where a public list exists - for plastic surgeons, the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery member list, and the EBOPRAS fellows list for those who passed the European board exam. Third, talk to the surgeon yourself in a consultation before you pay, and ask about training, experience with your procedure and before-and-after photos of their own patients.

Is the cheapest quote safe?

Not necessarily - and not necessarily unsafe either. A low price can mean fewer hospital nights, cheaper materials, no follow-up or no named surgeon. Compare written quotes line by line: the surgeon, the hospital, anaesthesia, hospital nights, implants or materials, tests, hotel and transfers, medication, compression garments, follow-up and the complication plan. Choose on the surgeon and what is included, then on price.

What should a written quote include?

The named surgeon and hospital, the exact procedure and dates, anaesthesia, hospital nights, implants or materials, pre-op tests, hotel and transfers if included, medication and compression garments, follow-up, the revision and complication plan with the complication insurance details, the payment schedule, who you are paying, and the refund rules. Turkish rules require hospitals to give an itemised invoice with unit prices.

How do I verify a clinic’s accreditation?

Check that the hospital appears on the Ministry of Health’s HealthTürkiye health facilities list or the Ministry’s list of authorised health tourism facilities. Hospitals treating international patients must be accredited by TÜSKA and publish this on their website. If a hospital says it is JCI-accredited, check the official JCI list of accredited international organisations.

How do I check an agency or facilitator?

Ask for its health tourism authorisation certificate number and a copy, then search its name on the HealthTürkiye agency list. Check its travel agency licence in the TÜRSAB agency search. &NewMe, for example, holds certificate AK-0945 and TÜRSAB A-group licence No. 16021.

Does &NewMe check surgeons?

Yes. Before a provider is listed, &NewMe checks that the hospital or clinic holds the Ministry of Health licences it needs for international patients and that its doctors are licensed to practise in Türkiye, and checks surgeons’ identity, hospital, credentials and real reviews. &NewMe cannot check every statement a provider makes, so it is still worth doing the checks on this page yourself.

Will the NHS, ACC or HSE treat complications after surgery in Turkey?

Emergency care at home is available, but follow-up and corrective treatment may not be. In the UK, BAPRAS says the NHS will always treat a life-threatening emergency but usually refuses treatment for less serious complications or bad outcomes after cosmetic surgery. In New Zealand, Health NZ says there is no ACC support for complications from weight-loss surgery overseas - plan as if you will not be covered. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs advises travel insurance, talking to your own doctor first and getting a discharge summary in English. Tell your GP before you go and get insurance that covers complications.

Compare written quotes from named surgeons

Tell us your treatment and dates. Licensed providers on &NewMe send written quotes that name the surgeon and the hospital.

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