Eye Treatment in Antalya for International Patients

If you live outside Türkiye, planning eye treatment in Antalya involves more than booking an appointment. Your records need to be reviewed, the length of your stay depends on the treatment, and your care has to continue after you fly home. This guide for international patients explains each step, from the first message to the check-ups after your trip.

The most useful advice comes first: send your records before you book travel. A review of your reports and scans shows whether a visit to Antalya is needed at all, what it would involve and how long it is likely to take.

Before you travel

Records to send first

The more complete your records, the more precise the advice you receive. Useful items include:

• a short summary: symptoms and when they began, which eye, and any diagnosis or treatment so far, with a list of your medicines and general health conditions;
• reports from your eye doctor, including vision and eye-pressure measurements;
• images such as photographs of the eye or retina, ultrasound, OCT and angiography — plus earlier images, because documented change is often decisive;
• MRI or CT scans as original files (DICOM) shared through a cloud link, not only screenshots or reports;
• pathology reports and details of previous treatment, such as dates, drugs and radiation doses;
• for cataract or lens surgery: your glasses prescription and records of any laser eye surgery (such as LASIK), which change how the lens power is calculated;
• for children: photographs showing a white glow in the pupil or a squint, reports of earlier examinations under anesthesia and any genetic test results.

Documents in English or Turkish are easiest to review; for other languages, a translation of the key reports helps. The page on getting a second opinion lists the most useful records for each type of eye tumor.

Questions to ask before you book

• Which tests and treatments would the visit include, and will any part take place at another facility?
• How many days should I plan, and when will it be safe to fly home?
• What follow-up will I need at home, and who can provide it?
• What exactly does the quote include?

Choosing your dates

Wait for the review of your records before buying tickets, and choose tickets that can be changed if possible. The practice is open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. Leave some spare time in case an additional test is advised or recovery takes a little longer than expected. If you are having surgery, or if a child is being treated, travel with a companion. Check that your passport is valid for the whole trip.

Traveling to Antalya

Antalya Airport (AYT) is an international airport with direct flights from many European cities and connections through major hubs. The practice is in the Muratpaşa district of central Antalya, about 20–30 minutes from the airport by car, depending on traffic. You can take a taxi or book a transfer in advance, for example through BergemHealth, the practice's coordination partner for international patients.

Visas and entry requirements

Entry rules for Türkiye depend on your nationality and can change. Before you book, check the requirements for your passport on the official e-Visa website of the Republic of Türkiye, evisa.gov.tr, or with the Turkish embassy or consulate in your country. If you need an e-Visa, apply through the official site rather than through third-party agencies.

Where to stay

Antalya has a wide choice of hotels and apartments. For a medical visit, a few practical points matter more than the view:

• Stay close to the practice. Accommodation in or near Muratpaşa keeps journeys short on examination days and for checks after surgery.
• Think about recovery. After eye surgery you are usually asked to avoid swimming for some weeks and to keep water, soap and dust out of the eye, so a resort built around pools and beaches offers less than it seems.
• Choose comfort. Older patients may prefer a quiet room with lift access, and families need a place where a child can rest after an examination under anesthesia.

BergemHealth can suggest and book accommodation near the practice if you wish.

How long to plan in Antalya

The suggested schedule you receive after your records have been reviewed is the most reliable guide. As a general orientation:

Cataract and lens surgery

For uncomplicated cataract surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology considers flying soon after the operation to carry no particular risk, while UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance for health professionals suggests allowing one week after intraocular procedures. In practice, it is sensible to fly home only after the post-operative check has confirmed that the eye is healing normally. You must not fly while a gas bubble is in the eye, which can happen after combined retinal surgery. The guide to recovery and flying home after cataract surgery explains the timing for one or both eyes.

Eye tumors

Tumor care is planned case by case, and the review of your records matters most here. In plaque brachytherapy, a small radioactive disc is stitched to the outside of the eye and removed several days later, so your stay needs to cover both short operations and the days in between. Children with retinoblastoma are often treated in several sessions spread over weeks or months. If an eye has to be removed (enucleation), the custom artificial eye is usually first fitted about 4–8 weeks after surgery — on a second trip or by an ocularist closer to home.

Where a treatment needs specialized facilities, it is delivered together with the relevant specialist teams, and your plan explains which parts take place where. The eye cancer cost guide explains what drives the cost of treatment.

Language support

Prof. Türkoğlu speaks fluent English, so most international patients talk with her directly. If you or a relative joining the consultation prefer Russian, an interpreter can be arranged in advance through BergemHealth. Mention this in your first message so that the interpreter can be booked for the right day.

Using BergemHealth is optional: you are free to arrange your own flights, transfers and accommodation.

Payment, costs and quotes

At the practice you can pay in cash, by credit card or by bank transfer. Fees are not published on this website because they depend on the tests and treatment you actually need; after reviewing your records, the practice can give you a personalized quote. Before you travel, check that the quote states:

• which consultations, tests and follow-up visits are included;
• for surgery, what is included on the day and which medicines you will need afterwards — and for lens surgery, the type and model of the lens;
• whether any part of your treatment takes place at another facility and is billed separately;
• what happens, and what it costs, if an additional procedure becomes necessary.

The guides to lens replacement costs and eye cancer treatment costs explain what drives the price.

Insurance

• Health insurance. Ask your insurer before you travel whether planned treatment abroad is covered, and get the answer in writing. If you intend to claim reimbursement, ask which documents they need — for example an itemized invoice and a medical report — and mention this when you book.
• Travel insurance. UK government guidance points out that standard travel insurance often does not cover complications of planned treatment abroad. Look for a policy that covers medical treatment in Türkiye and medical evacuation, and read the exclusions.
• European health cards. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) are not valid in Türkiye.

After you return home

Follow-up is easiest to arrange before you leave. Your results and plan are explained so that you can share them with your doctor at home, and follow-up images can be sent for remote review.

• Find a local eye doctor before the trip, especially for children and after tumor treatment, which need long-term follow-up close to home.
• After cataract surgery, new glasses are usually prescribed about 4–6 weeks after the operation, typically by a local optometrist or ophthalmologist. European cataract guidance notes that remote monitoring may replace some early check-ups after uncomplicated surgery, although this approach is still being evaluated.
• After tumor treatment, follow-up may continue for years, with examinations and scans at home shared for review. For uveal melanoma this includes regular liver imaging — see metastasis and follow-up.

Get in touch

Send your records and questions by WhatsApp or e-mail, or call the practice during opening hours.