Surgery packages in Türkiye: what is included – and what costs extra?

You have a quote in front of you: the operation, a few nights in hospital, a hotel, transfers – one price. The question UK patients ask most at this stage is simple: what exactly am I paying for, and what could cost more once I am there? This guide explains what a surgery package in Türkiye usually covers, what typically does not, and which prices you should get in writing before you travel.

The short version: a package covers one defined treatment, carried out as planned. If more is needed, that is usually extra. This is normal practice, not a trick – but you should know about it beforehand.

What is typically included in a package?

Most packages cover the planned operation and the things directly needed for it. The exact list differs from clinic to clinic, so treat the table as a guide to what to look for in your own quote, not as a promise.

Item	What is usually included	What to check
Operation	The agreed procedure(s) only	Is every procedure you discussed named?
Surgeon and anaesthetist	Fees for the planned operation	Who is the operating surgeon, by name?
Pre-operative tests	Standard blood tests and checks	Are extra tests (e.g. heart checks) included?
Hospital stay	A fixed number of nights	How many nights exactly, and in what kind of room?
Hotel	A fixed number of nights	Is your companion’s stay included?
Transfers	Airport – hotel – hospital	Are transfers for check-ups included?
Medication	Standard medication during your stay	Are medicines to take home included?
Garments	A first compression garment, if relevant	Is a second one included?
Check-ups	Check-ups and dressing changes during your stay	What happens after you fly home?
Interpreter / coordinator	Support during your stay	Is someone reachable at night?

Flights are often not part of the package. If they are, read what happens when you need to fly later than planned.

What is usually not included?

Anything that goes beyond the planned, routine course of treatment is usually charged separately. None of these items is unusual – each can become medically necessary for some patients.

Item	Why it may be needed	What to ask
Extra hospital nights	Slower recovery, pain control, monitoring	Price per extra night?
Intensive care	Close monitoring after a longer operation or a problem	Price per day? Is it in the same hospital?
Additional doctor reviews	Opinion from another specialist, e.g. cardiology	Fee per review?
Additional tests or scans	Unclear results, symptoms after surgery	Which tests are included, which are extra?
Blood products	Blood loss during or after surgery	How is this charged?
Drain or catheter	Your surgeon decides during or after the operation	Is this always included, or only sometimes?
Extra medication	Antibiotics, blood thinners, stronger pain relief	Are take-home medicines included?
Second operation	Bleeding, wound problems, a revision	Who pays, and in which cases?
Extra hotel nights	Your surgeon wants you to stay longer before flying	Price per night, also for your companion?
Later or changed flight	You are not fit to fly on the planned date	Who pays the change fee?
Companion costs	Travel, meals, longer stay	Which costs are covered for your companion?

If you are travelling with someone, read Travelling with a companion for surgery in Türkiye.

Is it normal that intensive care, extra nights or drains cost extra?

Yes. A package price is calculated for the planned treatment and the usual recovery. If you need more – more nights, more staff, more materials – the hospital’s costs rise, and so does your bill. You would find a similar principle in many private hospitals in the UK.

What is not normal is surprise. A reputable provider can tell you in advance which items are outside the package and roughly how they are charged. BAPRAS warns that surgery abroad is often sold as a holiday package and that there can be hidden costs in the fine print. Your job is to bring those costs out of the fine print before you pay.

Tip: Ask the question in a simple form: “If I need to stay two extra nights in hospital and three extra nights in the hotel, what would I pay?” A clear answer tells you a lot about the provider.

Why can’t the clinic tell me exactly in advance?

Because nobody can predict exactly how your body will react. Your surgeon may decide during the operation that a drain is needed, or after it that you should stay in hospital a little longer. Most patients recover as planned; some do not, and it is rarely possible to say beforehand who will be in which group.

What the clinic can do is:

• give you a fixed price for the planned treatment;
• give you a written price list for the common extras (per night, per day, per test);
• explain who decides that an extra is needed – usually your surgeon, on medical grounds;
• tell you how you will be informed before costs are added, where the situation allows it.

Under the 2025 International Health Tourism and Tourist Health Regulation, fees for health tourism services follow a price tariff set by the Turkish Ministry of Health. That does not mean the ministry fixes your package price, but it does mean extras should be charged on a documented basis rather than invented on the spot.

Which prices should I ask for in writing?

Ask for these before you pay a deposit – ideally as part of your quote or treatment contract:

• Price per extra hospital night
• Price per day in intensive care, and where it would take place
• Fees for additional specialist reviews and common extra tests
• How blood products, drains and catheters are charged
• Which medication is included, including medicines to take home
• Who pays for a second operation if one is needed – and in which cases
• Price per extra hotel night, for you and your companion
• Who pays if your flight has to be changed for medical reasons
• Whether a return visit or revision is included, and on what conditions
• What the complication insurance covers (see below)

A short written request is enough. For example:

“Before I confirm my booking, please send me in writing: (1) a full list of what is included in my package, (2) a list of items that are not included, and (3) the prices for extra hospital nights, intensive care per day, extra hotel nights, additional tests and medication, and a second operation if needed. Please also send me the complication insurance policy or its terms.”

Keep the answer. If something goes wrong later, a written price list is far more useful than a WhatsApp message saying “don’t worry”.

What happens with a complication – who pays?

That depends on three things: your contract, the clinic’s complication insurance and the cause of the problem.

Complication insurance. Under the 2025 regulation, health facilities serving international patients must take out complication insurance for surgical and interventional procedures carried out in an operating theatre. According to Turkish trade press, such policies generally cover things like re-intervention, additional treatment costs, accommodation, transport and companion expenses. But every policy has limits and conditions, and the same trade press has warned that the limits may not be enough for serious complications.

So do not accept “you are insured” as an answer. Ask for:

• the policy document or its terms, in a language you understand;
• the maximum amount covered;
• how long after surgery cover applies;
• whether it covers treatment after you return to the UK, or only in Türkiye;
• whether it covers a return trip to Türkiye, including flights and hotel;
• the exclusions – for example, problems caused by not following aftercare instructions.

Travel insurance. The NHS points out that standard travel insurance does not normally cover things going wrong in surgery. Check whether you need specific cover, and read the exclusions.

Back home. BAPRAS notes that the NHS will treat life-threatening complications, but other problems may be your responsibility, and going back to your surgeon can add hundreds of pounds and time off work. Read more in Complication or revision – what is the difference?.

How do I pay for extras?

Pay only against a proper document. Under the 2025 regulation, the health facility must issue an invoice or receipt, with an attached document showing the detailed breakdown of services and their unit prices. On request, it must also give you – free of charge – a list of the medicines and medical supplies used and charged, plus your test and imaging results. If you booked through a facilitator, the facilitator must give you a detailed breakdown of its own fees, such as accommodation, transport, transfers, interpreting and consultancy.

In practice:

• ask for an itemised invoice for every extra, not a single total;
• pay by card or bank transfer where possible, so there is a record;
• if you pay cash, get a signed receipt with the date, the amount and what it was for;
• keep copies of all invoices together with your medical records.

Tip: Put a little money aside for extras and do not book a non-changeable flight too tightly. Your surgeon decides when you are fit to fly – see Flying after cosmetic surgery.

Red flags: “all-inclusive” with no detail

“All-inclusive” sounds reassuring, but on its own it means nothing. Be careful if:

• the package says “all-inclusive” but there is no written list of what is included;
• nobody can tell you what is not included;
• you get no prices for extras, only “it will be fine”;
• the price was fixed on WhatsApp after two photos, without a consultation with the surgeon;
• the operating surgeon is not named;
• you are told there is complication insurance, but nobody will show you the policy;
• you are pushed to pay the full amount upfront with unclear refund terms – see Deposits, refunds and cancellation.

A lower price is not automatically a worse deal, but a package that leaves out important items can end up costing more. Our guide Why is treatment in Türkiye cheaper? explains how to compare quotes properly. Once you have booked, use Preparing for surgery in Türkiye and the packing list to get ready.

Read more

• How to choose a reputable clinic in Türkiye
• Your treatment contract with a Turkish clinic
• Agencies and facilitators: who is liable?