Frequently Asked Questions

All clinics we facilitate treatment with have the latest technology and equipment to support your needs for elective procedures. In some clinics or hospitals more urgent or emergency procedures such as brain or cardiovascular surgery which require advanced medical equipment are also performed.

Most of the nurses and client care staff at the independent clinics speak English. Some staff members working during the night shift get help from visual aids in the form of client cards that have pictures and basic needs to help communication. In an emergency while you are in Turkey, call 112. Before your procedure, ask your clinician’s team for the number to call if you need them urgently. Once you are home in the UK, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E in an emergency, or call NHS 111 for urgent advice.

Yes, your clinic may provide you with a medical report in English upon your request.

All the independent clinics Longevita arranges treatment with are certified by the Ministry of Health in Turkey, representing high standards in quality and hygiene. Some are also accredited by the Joint International Commission (JCI), Technischer Überwachungsverein (TUV), and The International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Absolutely, we have a large database of clients treated through our independent service providers, from over 100 countries. Please ask us to provide you with a list of previous clients from your country who have given us their consent to be contacted by a prospective client.

Prices are set by the independent clinicians. They are lower mainly because of lower living and running costs in Turkey and the exchange rate.

Longevita does not guarantee the result of any procedure: no procedure has a guaranteed result, and complications can occur even where care is properly delivered. Your clinical care, including any follow-up or revision, is the independent clinician’s, under the clinician’s own Treatment Terms. Any guarantee on a product used in your procedure, such as a dental or breast implant, comes from the clinician or the manufacturer, and you can ask about it during your consultation with the independent clinician. The independent clinicians in Turkey are licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health, and Turkish law requires them to hold medical malpractice insurance.

What Longevita does guarantee is the Treatment Price: once the independent clinician has confirmed your Medical Suitability and the Treatment Price, that price is held for 12 months from the date you sign Longevita’s terms.

Longevita’s registered office is at 239-241 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QU. We facilitate access to medical procedures performed by independent service providers in Istanbul, Turkey and London, UK. Non-surgical treatments and consultations are available at Dr Giz Aesthetics, an independent medical aesthetics clinic in London. We can also arrange a dental X-ray appointment for you at a CT Dent imaging centre, with locations across the UK. There is a £50 appointment fee, which is Longevita’s fee for arranging it. If you go ahead with treatment, the £50 is taken off what you pay for your treatment; if you don’t, it is not refunded.

Our company is registered with Companies House in the UK. The independent clinicians are qualified by the top medical schools and the clinics are are approved by the Ministry of Health in Turkey. The clinicians are also members of international medical associations and some of the independent clinics are certified by international accreditation bodies such as Joint International Commission (JCI), Technischer Überwachungsverein (TUV) or The International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

It is customary to tip about 10% of the bill at restaurants, cafes and bars in Istanbul.

Absolutely. Alcohol is available in Istanbul. You may find different varieties of beer and wine; you may also try RAKI that is regarded as the national drink. Istanbul is also famous for its nightlife with classy bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

Many people visit Istanbul for shopping. While Turkish carpets are very popular, Turkey’s high quality ceramics, tiles, antiques and handicrafts are also famous and may be purchased at one of the city’s historic old bazaars, backstreet markets or boutique stores. Istanbul has a lot of modern shopping malls as well.

You may check taksiyle.com to get an estimate on your journey in Istanbul.

Despite its huge size, Istanbul is reasonably easy to get around. There are many public transport options such as bus, minibus, dolmus, tram, metro, metrobus and ferry. You should keep in mind that there may be a traffic jam between 7.00-9.30AM and 5:30–7:30PM so plan your journey accordingly.

Depending on the type of the medical procedure, you may save up to 80% in Turkey compared to the UK.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than two thirds of the cost of a medical procedure is labor related. The salary of a surgeon abroad which constitute the majority of the cost of a medical procedure is a fraction of what it would be in Western countries. In addition, other cost factors such as the rent of an operating theatre and the medical insurance premium are lower abroad.

95% of the complications after a medical procedure typically arise during the first week after surgery. You will be staying in the destination of your treatment during this time when you’ll be having check-up appointments with your independent surgical team at their clinics. You will be advised to schedule your return flights after your recuperation at the destination. After plastic surgery or a hair transplant, your independent clinician follows up with you for 12 months under their own terms, and will tell you what to expect after you return home.

This is the first and probably the most important question that comes to mind when talking about medical tourism. Any medical procedure, no matter where it’s carried out, entails some risk. In order to reduce this risk, the following are some of the important things that should be considered to check:

• Qualifications of the medical team
• Certifications and accreditations of the clinic
• Patient reviews
• Credentials of the facilitator

Medical tourism describes the rapidly growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care. Services typically sought by travellers include elective procedures such as hair transplant, plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, eye surgery, bariatric surgery, orthopaedics and infertility treatments.

Patients travel to other destinations generally for higher quality of healthcare, affordability, access of care and availability.

Primarily, medical tourists seek elective procedures such as hair transplant, plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, eye surgery, bariatric surgery, orthopaedics and infertility treatments; any procedure that is usually not covered by their private health insurance schemes or has a long waiting time in their home countries.

A medical tourism facilitator is an independent company that introduces people to clinicians abroad and handles the administration of their booking, without being involved in the clinical care itself.

Your independent clinician and their clinical team. They give you your recovery instructions, see you for any check-ups and are your contact for questions or concerns about your recovery, including after you return home. In an emergency while you are in Turkey, call 112. Once you are home in the UK, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E in an emergency, or call NHS 111 for urgent advice.

Your representative remains your contact for your treatment date, a change of clinician and the Treatment Price.

Read more about who looks after you after returning to the UK.

Longevita charges two fees for its own services: the Medical Suitability Fee, which Longevita charges for obtaining the medical suitability decision from your clinician, and the Booking Fee, which confirms your date. They are not deposits and don’t count towards your treatment. The Treatment Price is your clinician’s own price.

Once your clinician has decided you are suitable, we hold a date in your clinician’s calendar for 7 days. It is confirmed when you pay the Booking Fee, and we then send your Appointment Schedule on your clinician’s behalf.

The Treatment Price is your clinician’s price, which Longevita collects as the clinician’s agent. You pay it by bank transfer, in the currency of your quote, after you receive your Appointment Schedule and no later than the day before admission. See Prices for details.

The Treatment Price is paid in the currency of your quote.

The Treatment Price is paid by bank transfer. When a payment is due, we will send you the details you need to complete it.

For 12 months from when you sign Longevita’s terms.

You may browse the before and after gallery on our website. If you require more pictures, please ask us to send them to you by email.

Most of the independent surgeons speak fluent English as they are trained in the USA, UK or Europe. Where a surgeon isn’t fluent, an English-speaking interpreter arranged by the clinician’s team will be with you at your appointments.

The independent clinicians accessible through Longevita are qualified from accredited medical schools in Turkey and hold memberships with relevant local and international medical associations in their specialities. They carry professional indemnity and malpractice insurance, which provides protection in the event of a claim relating to the standard of care received.

Based on client feedback collected over the past five years, over 95% of clients who have travelled through Longevita reported being very satisfied with their overall experience. A small number of clients felt their results did not fully meet their personal expectations, though they reported no concerns about the clinical standard of care received from their independent clinician.

All clinical outcomes are the responsibility of the independent clinician who performed the procedure. Clients are encouraged to discuss realistic expectations directly with their clinician during consultation.

Absolutely, we’d be happy to arrange a free no obligation online consultation with the independent clinician prior to your trip to Turkey. You may also watch the independent clinician’s video profile on our YouTube Channel.

The voltage for electricity is 220V and 50Hz. Central European type wall sockets (two-pin plugs) are standard in Turkey.

Vehicles in Turkey are left hand drive as driving is on the right-hand side of the road. You may drive with an international driving licence. You should have your driving licence, your passport and insurance documents of the vehicle with you all the time while driving. Major international car rental companies have offices at airports and all major city centres.

International credit and debit cards are widely accepted in shops and restaurants throughout Turkey. However we advise you to have cash with you for the smaller shops and cafes.

Cash machines (ATMs) are available throughout Turkey, accepting major European credit and debit cards. You may use most of the ATM’s in English as well. You may withdraw cash in USD, EUR and TRY (Turkish Lira).

We recommend you to inform your bank in advance that you will be travelling to Turkey as some banks may automatically block your card after the first use in an attempt to combat fraud.

The local currency in Turkey is the New Turkish Lira (TRY) available in the following denominations: Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 & 200 TRY; Coins: 5, 10, 25, 50 Kurus and 1 TRY.

English is Turkey’s second most spoken language. You may easily find English speakers in major cities. Restaurant menus and other information for tourists are usually available in English.

Turkey is on UTC+3, three hours ahead of the UK and two hours ahead of Central Europe in winters, two hours ahead of the UK and one hour ahead of Central Europe in summers.

Visa requirements change based on nationality and therefore the type of passport you hold.

Please check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website on https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa and https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ for your exact requirements.

You may also contact the Turkish Consulate in your country for the latest visa updates.