About General Health Insurance Coverage and Income Test in Türkiye
Refer to the Q&A below for key information on benefiting from the general heath coverage in Türkiye and the scope of the income test.
- What is the Compulsory General Health Insurance?
- Who is considered 'insured' under General Health Insurance regulations?
- Those who are employed under an employment contract,
- Those insured voluntarily,
- Those who have monthly income less than one third of the minimum wage as a result of their household income tests,
- Those who are under the age of 18 (exempt from income assessment and who have no dependants).
Foreign nationals with a valid residence permit: - Those who are not insured within the scope of the regulations of a foreign country,
- Those benefit from short-term work allowance,
- Those earning income or monthly salary in accordance with the Law No.5510, or with the social security laws applicable prior to the Law No.5510;
- Those not being insured in general health insurance within any scope,
- Those not being among the dependants of a person insured in general health insurance,
are deemed as being insured in general health insurance.
- In that case, who is considered as 'uninsured'?
- Those having documented that they are subject to social insurance in a foreign country,
- Among those who work either under the service of a person, or independently on their own behalves, those residing abroad and being subject to the social security regulations of the same country;
- Among those who are not insured within the scope of the regulations of a foreign country, those residing in Türkiye for a period less than one year,
are not deemed as insured in general health insurance, or as a dependent of a person insured in general health insurance.
- What is income test, and who is obliged to take it?
Those being deemed in the same household:
- Spouse;
- Among the unmarried children, those being younger than age of 25;
- Father and mother of the person to be registered as being insured in general health insurance.
- When should the income test be taken?
Premiums of those who are not to appeal for income test within a period of one month are accrued (on the basis of double the amount of the minimum wage), and the payable premium amounts thereof are communicated by the provincial directorate of social security/social security center via registered mail.
- How Much Premium will be Payable as a Result of the Income Test?
GHI Status |
Income Level |
Premium Payable |
60/1(c-1) |
Amounting to lower than one third of the minimum wage |
To be covered by the Treasury |
60/1(g-1) |
Amounting from one third of the minimum wage up to minimum wage |
(Minimum Wage / 3) × 12% |
60/1(g-2) |
Amounting from the minimum wage up to double the amount of the minimum wage |
(Minimum Wage) × 12% |
60/1(g-3) |
Amounting to more than double the amount of the minimum wage |
(Minimum Wage) × 2 × 12% |
- Can one object to taking the income test?
Monthly incomes of those who do not have an income assessment are assumed as being double the amount of minimum wage.
- Is It Possible to object to the Result of the Income Test?
- What are the circumstances under which the income test can be retaken?
Except for the aforementioned circumstances, it is possible to demand a new income test only six months after the date of the income assessment.
- What is the General Health Insurance status of part-time workers?
While being 4 (a) insured,
- How can foreign citizens benefit from the General Health Insurance coverage in Türkiye?
- who are not insured within the scope of the regulations of foreign countries,
- who may not benefit from their insurance within the scope of the regulations of foreign countries
may be insured in general health insurance upon their request, and by way of appealing respectively to Social Security Institution (SSI), and paying their premiums by themselves. Family members of such persons who are dependent to them are also deemed as being insured in general health insurance.
- Under what circumstances does General Health Insurance expire?
- when the compulsory labour is terminated,
- voluntary insurance status of those expire,
- such rights of those earning income/monthly salary expire,
- rights of those to earn monthly salary expire,
- unemployment allowances/short-term work allowances of those are suspended,
- residences of those are transferred to other countries,
- or in cases where such persons die, general health insurance status of such persons expire as of the dates of respective occurrences.
References: www.sgk.gov.tr