As is known, in accordance with the provision of Article 2 of Annex to the Decree Law No. 663 on Certain Regulations in the Field of Health, USHAŞ has been assigned to issue authorization certificates to institutions that operate as intermediaries in the field of international health services.

Within the framework of the said legal regulation, the work and procedures for authorizing intermediary institutions that will operate in the field of international health services carried out by the General Directorate of Health Services of the Ministry of Health have been transferred to USHAŞ as of 13.05.2024.

Within this framework, the authorization applications made before the specified date will be finalized by the General Directorate of Health Services of the Ministry of Health; applications will be made to USHAŞ as of 13.05.2024. Preliminary applications will be received online through the USHAŞ website, and the process and progress regarding the process can be followed on the web page.

According to the Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health published in the Official Gazette dated 13/07/2017 and numbered 30123, the authorization documents of intermediaries with the “International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate” remain valid and their follow-up will be carried out by USHAŞ in the following process.

https://www.ushas.com.tr You can access USHAŞ’s website from the relevant link.

New Regulation on Advertising and Promotion Support in Health Tourism

Significant changes have been made to the advertising and promotion support provided by the Ministry of Trade for organizations operating in the field of health tourism in Turkey. These changes entered into force with the circular published on 15.04.2024 and include innovations especially in areas such as promotional film production and social media advertising management.

Old Circular:
According to the old regulation, promotional film production was not subject to any preliminary approval process. In addition, support was provided at a rate of 60% and up to a maximum of 10,000 TL on the invoices issued by agencies for social media advertising management. In addition, "coffee-break" service was also among the supported items in individual events held abroad.

New Circular:
A new requirement was introduced for promotional film production with the circular dated 15 April 2024. Now, preliminary approval must be obtained from the Ministry of Trade before making a promotional film. Grant support applications can be made after this approval is received. This is an important change for the health tourism sector, because previously, direct promotional activities could be carried out; Now the process is becoming more bureaucratic.

There are also certain changes in social media advertising management. The new regulation has kept the amount of this support constant: 60% and a maximum of 10,000 TL. However, the important point here is the reconfirmation and fixation of this support item. This may allow businesses to make clearer planning in advertising management.

Finally, another notable change in the new circular is the removal of the support for "coffee-break" service in individual events abroad. This item, which was supported in the old circular, is no longer supported with the new regulation. This will require organizations to budget more carefully in events organized abroad.

Evaluation:
A more controlled and supervised advertising process is aimed in the health tourism sector with the new circular. In particular, the introduction of a pre-approval process will allow the ministry to monitor promotional activities more closely. However, these changes may also mean more bureaucratic processes for industry players. The removal of "coffee-break" support in events abroad may cause costs to increase, especially in small-scale events.
Ultimately, these changes will make the health tourism sector more transparent and auditable, while requiring businesses to pay more attention to their planning and budgeting processes.

New Regulations in Health Tourism Personnel Employment Incentives:

Comparative Analysis; With the circular dated 15.04.2024, significant changes were made to personnel employment incentives within the scope of health tourism. These changes bring significant innovations to both the incentive processes of existing personnel and the employment conditions of newly hired personnel. Here is a comparative and explanatory analysis of the differences between the old circular and the new regulation:

Old Circular:

• Currently Working Personnel: According to the old circular, suitable existing personnel (including part-time) were within the scope of employment incentive. In this context, employees were required to obtain at least a B2 level document from the TÖMER Health Tourism Language Proficiency Exam or at least a D level language document from the YDS.

Ministry Approval: Approval could be obtained from the ministry for existing personnel for employment support.

Turkish Language Proficiency: If the personnel to be employed were not Turkish citizens, it was mandatory to obtain a TÖMER language proficiency certificate. In addition, language requirements were applied for interpreter personnel within this scope.
• Gross Wage Calculation: When determining employment support, the gross wage amount and tax and social security deductions made on the salary paid to the personnel were taken into account.

New Circular (15.04.2024):

• New Personnel and Full-Time Employees: The new circular states that not only existing employees but also new full-time personnel can benefit from the employment incentive. Part-time employees are no longer included in this scope.

• Language Certificate: TÖMER language certificate is no longer accepted. Instead, a language certificate of at least C1 level from YDS or an equivalent language certificate determined by ÖSYM must be obtained. In addition, for employees currently receiving support, a new language certificate must be obtained within 6 months at the latest (by October 15, 2024).

• Ministry Approval Requirement: It is not possible for personnel wishing to receive employment support to start their employment procedures without receiving ministry approval. This brings a stricter control and monitoring mechanism.
• Turkish Language Proficiency: Instead of the TÖMER language certificate, a minimum C1 language level requirement has been introduced for foreign personnel who will work as translators. This requires the translators to be employed to have a higher language proficiency.

• Gross Salary Calculation: In addition to the earnings (gross wage) of the personnel benefiting from the employment support, social security declarations and deductions made regarding the employee are still taken into account, but the gross earnings amount to benefit from the incentive is now evaluated in more detail.

Evaluation:

While the old circular offered more flexible employment incentives, the new circular aims to increase the quality of the personnel to be employed in the health tourism sector by introducing additional conditions such as higher language proficiency and ministry approval. In addition, the increase in incentives for full-time employees with the new regulation aims to create a more permanent workforce in the sector. However, the non-acceptance of the TÖMER language certificate and the requirement of a minimum C1 level document from the YDS may make personnel recruitment processes difficult. In particular, the increase in language proficiency requirements can be evaluated as a move made for Turkey to become a stronger player in the international arena in health tourism.

As a result, while the new regulations aim to increase quality in the health tourism sector, they will require businesses to plan their personnel more carefully.

With the decision of the Board of Directors of the International Health Services Corporation (USHAŞ) dated 21.08.2024 and numbered 2024/9 - 9/1, the list showing the health facilities and intermediary organizations that have received international health tourism authorization certificate has been updated.

You can access the current list of hospitals that have received international health tourism authorization certificates from the link below:

You can access the current list of clinics that have received international health tourism authorization certificates from the link below:

You can access the current list of medical centers that have received international health tourism authorization certificates from the link below:

You can access the current list of other health facilities that have received international health tourism authorization certificates from the link below:

You can access the current list of intermediary institutions that have received international health tourism authorization certificates from the link below: