What is Voluntary Insurance? What are the Conditions for Voluntary Insurance?

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What is Voluntary Insurance?

Voluntary insurance is a mechanism that covers long-term insurance branches and general health insurance, allowing individuals to benefit from social security rights by voluntarily paying premiums. Individuals, upon meeting certain conditions and throughout the period they pay premiums, can benefit from all the services provided by the compulsory social insurance's long-term branches; in the event of their death, their beneficiaries also have access to these benefits.

What are the Conditions for Voluntary Insurance?

In Türkiye, Turkish citizens residing in Türkiye or in countries that do not have a social security agreement with Turkey qualify for voluntary insurance if they:

• Are at least 18 years old,
• Are not employed in a manner that requires coverage under the compulsory insurance stipulated by Law No. 5510,
• Are employed as insured workers but work less than thirty days per month or do not work full-time,
• Do not receive disability or old-age pensions in Turkey due to their own insurance,
• Have applied to the Institution with a petition requesting voluntary insurance.

Individuals meeting these criteria are eligible for voluntary insurance.

Despite being in circumstances not covered by the anticipated conditions, those who are voluntarily insured under provisions not specified in this clause are subject to the provisions of this clause. Individuals who paid voluntary insurance premiums under laws repealed before the effective date of this law and who are insured under the scope of this law will continue their voluntary insurance according to the provisions of the law without any additional procedures.

To be eligible for voluntary insurance, Turkish citizenship is not required; only residency in Turkey is necessary. Additionally, voluntary insurance is also available for those subject to clauses (a), (b), and (e) of Article 5 of Law No. 5510.

Additionally, under clause (g) of the first paragraph of Article 5 of the Law, an exception is provided for Turkish workers who are employed at overseas workplaces of employers undertaking projects in countries without a social security agreement with our country. For these workers, the requirement to reside in Turkey does not apply if they request voluntary insurance, allowing them to become voluntarily insured without needing to live in Turkey.

According to bilateral social security agreements signed with our country, individuals in France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as those insured in these countries, can pay premiums for voluntary insurance in our country without the need to reside in Turkey, provided they meet the conditions for voluntary insurance.

How is Voluntary Insurance Applied?

Individuals who meet all specified conditions can apply for voluntary insurance. Those who want to become voluntarily insured for the first time need to apply at the Social Security Centers located in their place of residence with the "Voluntary Insurance Entry Declaration" found in the annex of the Social Insurance Transactions Regulation (In Turkish). However, those who wish to apply through the e-Government portal can do so from the section for the initial registration of voluntary insurance (In Turkish).

For those wishing to reapply for voluntary insurance, a simple application with a request letter will suffice.

How Much is the Voluntary Insurance Premium?

For the year 2024, the lower and upper limits for insurance premiums based on earnings are as follows:

You can review the voluntary insurance premiums for 2024 from the table below:

Voluntary Insurance Start and End Dates

Voluntary insurance begins the day after the individual's application is recorded in the Institution's records, in accordance with Article 51 of the Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law. The same article also defines the termination of voluntary insurance as follows:

"Voluntary insurance ends;

1. For those who request to terminate their voluntary insurance, from the day following the last day for which premiums have been paid,
2. For those who apply for a pension, from the date of the request, provided they are eligible for the pension,
3. For an insured who has died, from the date of death.

These conditions ensure that the insurance coverage aligns with the insured's needs and changes in their life circumstances."

Voluntary Insurance Status

Periods for which voluntary insurance premiums have been paid are considered in the application of disability, old-age, and death insurances, as well as general health insurance provisions. These periods are recognized as insurance periods under clause (b) of the first paragraph of Article 4, subject to the provision of the third paragraph of this article (premiums paid for voluntary insurance by those who work less than 30 days in a month are evaluated under the scope of 4/1-a).

Voluntary Insurance Retirement Conditions

Retirement under voluntary insurance varies based on the start date of the insurance, the number of premium payment days, the duration of premium payments, and age criteria.

For normal retirement under voluntary BAĞ-KUR (4B), a condition of 9000 days of premium payments is required.

Should you have any queries or need further details, please contact us.