Requirement and Registration Procedure with the Turkey Medical Council by Foreign Doctors

Before the year of 2011, foreigners could not work in medical professions, whereas amendments introduced by the Statutory Decree numbered 663 dated October 11, 2011 have paved the way for their employment by private medical organizations. On condition that the below criteria are fulfilled, foreigners may be employed as medical doctors.

1. REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALIFICATION OF FOREIGNERS AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR

The Law on Methods and Performance of Medicine and Medical Sciences sets forth the requirements for carrying on medicine business with the title of medical doctor; the first requirement thereof is graduation from a school of medicine. In this regard, this can be either a medical school in Turkey, or outside of its boundaries. However, it is compulsory for foreigners to obtain an equivalency for their profession in Turkey. As per Article 5 of the Regulation on Principles and Procedures of Foreign Medical Professionals’ Working at Private Medical Organizations in Turkey, a medical professional is expected to meet the below criteria:

1. Having acquired equivalency of diploma and/or proficiency certificates in the relevant medicine branch and registrations provided by the Ministry of Health,
2. Non-existence of any legal impediment for medical profession,
3. Competency in Turkish language,
4. Having obtained residence and work permit in accordance with the applicable legislations,
5. For medicine doctors, having a professional liability insurance.

Pursuant to Provisional Article 1 of this Regulation, nationals of Syria are exempted from the criteria stipulated in the section (a) and (b) above in order to enable them to serve foreigners under temporary protection, provided that they shall work at asylum centers established by the Presidency of Management of Disasters and State of Emergency and immigrant health centers coordinated by the Ministry of Health and approved by this Presidency.

2. APPLICATION

In accordance with the Regulation on Principles and Procedures of Foreign Medical Professionals’ Working at Private Medical Organizations in Turkey, the professional shall apply before the establishment where he is willing to work, whereas his application shall further be conveyed to the competent provincial directorate of health by responsible manager of the establishment concerned with the following documents:

1. A document proving equivalency of diploma and/or proficiency certificates,
2. A certificate demonstrating success at least B level or above in the Turkish proficiency exam held by Turkish Teaching Application and Research Centers of universities; as this certificate can be submitted until the end of one year following the date of application, and is not requested from the persons graduated from educational institutions offering education in Turkish;
3. A document obtained from the country of nationality evidencing non-existence of any legal impediment for medicine profession which is not demanded from those graduated from educational institutions in Turkey, providing documentation of their residency in Turkey exceeding 5 years in a row, having taken refuge in Turkey due to the state of emergency in their country;
4. A labor agreement between the foreigner and employing private medical organization stating the monthly salary of the professional.

After provision of the above, the Ministry of Health evaluates suitability of the application, and provides an approval of employment of the relevant foreigner.

3. REGISTRATION WITH THE CHAMBER OF MEDICAL DOCTORS

The medical doctors that do not work for public institutions and organizations are obliged to be registered with the chamber of medical doctors as per the Law on the Turkish Medical Association, while this registration must be completed within one month as of their beginning to work. Such obligation also applies to foreigners who has first acquired the equivalency. For those being employed by the public institutions and organizations, such registration is voluntary. The chambers of medical doctors necessitate submission of the equivalency certificate, approval by the Ministry mentioned above, residency certificate and work permit for such registration.