Patients from the Netherlands: urological surgery in Istanbul
A short flight from Amsterdam and consultations in English. This page covers waiting times, paperwork and follow-up at home.
About 3.5 hours on a direct flight
Direct flights to Istanbul run several times a day from Amsterdam, with services from some regional airports as well. Frequent departures make it practical to buy a changeable ticket and set the return once recovery is clear.
Consultations are held in English and no interpreter is required. Written correspondence before and after your visit is also in English.
Billing is in euros. Tell your bank about the trip so a card payment is not declined by security checks.
Visa
Visa rules vary with the type of passport and are updated from time to time. Because wrong information could leave you stranded at the airport, we do not state the rule here; check your own position with the official source.
Bring your referral letter and your own records
Patients from the Netherlands usually arrive with a well-documented file, which is an advantage: the more complete the record, the fewer investigations need repeating. Bring the referral letter, previous imaging on disc or as digital files, and the list of your current medication with generic names. If you take anticoagulants, mention this in your first message, because the schedule for pausing them shapes the operation date.
Reimbursement must be settled beforehand
Whether treatment abroad is reimbursed depends on your policy and often on prior authorisation. This has to be arranged with your insurer before you travel; we cannot give any undertaking about it. We provide an itemised invoice, the operation report and the pathology report in English, which is normally what insurers ask for. Check the exact list with your insurer in advance.
Follow-up at home
Your own urologist normally takes over follow-up. Reports therefore state plainly what was done, which values to monitor and at what intervals, and which warning signs require immediate local care. We do not ask you to return for a routine check that can be done in the Netherlands.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa?
Rules depend on the type of passport and change over time, so we do not state them here. Check the official Turkish source before booking.
Will my insurance reimburse this?
That depends on your policy and often requires prior authorisation. Settle it with your insurer before travelling; we supply the documentation but cannot promise reimbursement.
Can I get a second opinion before deciding to travel?
Yes. A remote review of your imaging and reports can establish whether travelling is worthwhile at all, and sometimes concludes that the procedure you were considering is not needed.
Let us review your file
If you have test results, imaging or a pathology report, share them in advance and avoid having investigations repeated unnecessarily.
Back to the international patients page: ME Urology Clinic