How to check a Turkish dental clinic’s licence

Why this check comes first

Clinics in Turkey that treat international patients need an international health tourism authorisation from the Ministry of Health. The Ministry publishes the clinics that hold one on HealthTürkiye, its portal for patients from abroad. GOV.UK’s travel advice for Turkey mentions the same list, and adds that the UK government does not endorse any provider on it. So a listing is a minimum, not a recommendation.

On 22 October 2026 the HealthTürkiye search returned 1,117 private oral and dental health clinics across Turkey. Every clinic in our register is one of them.

Step by step

1. Open the list. Go to healthturkiye.gov.tr/hospitals-list. The site is in English.
2. Filter. Choose the city, then the facility type “Private Oral and Dental Health Clinic”. Large groups sometimes appear as “Private Oral and Dental Health Center” instead.
3. Search the name. Clinics often use a short brand (“Smile Studio”) while the register uses the legal name (“Özel … Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı Polikliniği”). Try both. The legal name is usually in the website footer or on the invoice.
4. Open the entry. Write down the authorisation number, the address, the year founded and the number of health professionals.
5. Compare. Does the address match where your transfer will take you? Does the branch match? If not, ask.

What the entry tells you

• Authorisation number: proof the clinic is on the Ministry list. Ours, for example, is ST-4647.
• Year founded: how long the clinic has existed in its registered form. A clinic that changed its legal entity may show a recent year even if the team is older.
• Health professionals and staff: a rough idea of size.
• Devices and treatments: what the clinic declared, such as a CBCT scanner. These are declarations, not inspections.

When the check fails

Not finding a clinic does not always mean something is wrong. The search can be fussy about Turkish characters, so try “Ozel” as well as “Özel”, and search part of the name. But if, after that, the clinic cannot point you to its own entry, do not pay a deposit. A clinic that treats foreign patients every day knows exactly where its entry is.

Be careful with agents and booking websites. An agency is not a clinic and will not be on this list. Ask the agency which clinic will treat you, then check that clinic. See agents or booking direct.

After the licence: the dentist

The register lists clinics, not the person who will treat you. Ask the clinic for the dentist’s full name and look them up too. Our sister site bestdentiststurkey.com explains how to check a Turkish dentist.

Common questions

What if a clinic is not on HealthTürkiye?

Ask the clinic which name it is registered under. Some trade under a brand that differs from the legal name. If it cannot show you an entry, treat that as a reason not to book: GOV.UK points British travellers to this list.

The clinic has several branches. Which one is listed?

Each branch has its own entry and often its own authorisation number. Check the branch where you will actually be treated.

Does a listing mean the clinic is good?

No. It means the Ministry has authorised it to serve international patients. It says nothing about a particular dentist’s skill. Use it as the first check, not the only one.

Why are some authorisation numbers long?

Older certificates use a short format such as ST-0955. Newer entries on the register show a long number instead. Both are what the Ministry shows on the clinic’s page.

Sources

1. HealthTürkiye: health facility list
2. GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice, health
3. Oral Health Foundation: going abroad for dental treatment

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.