Cancer treatment in Istanbul for patients from Syria
With domestic oncology capacity severely disrupted, many patients from Syria look to Istanbul for treatment that is no longer reliably available at home. Istanbul is reachable by resumed direct flights and, for those already in Turkey, by land — and a very large Syrian community is already resident here. Reports in Arabic can be sent in and medical translation is part of the free service, so your case isn't held up waiting on a translation. You receive an itemized, comparable treatment plan before committing to anything.
Getting from Syria to Istanbul
Direct flights have resumed between Istanbul and Damascus and Aleppo, typically around 2–2.5 hours, and Turkey shares a land border with Syria — check current routing and schedules directly with the airlines when you book, as service on these routes has changed frequently.
Syrian ordinary passport holders require a visa to enter Turkey — there is no visa-free entry and the e-visa system is not open to Syrian ordinary passports, so a visa must be obtained in advance from a Turkish embassy, consulate or visa center (verified against mfa.gov.tr, 22 Jul 2026). If you are already resident in Turkey under temporary or international protection, your status and any travel-permit requirements are set by your protection registration, not by ordinary visa rules — confirm your own situation before you travel. Check your case against the visa & length-of-stay guide, and if a visa application needs a hospital invitation letter, request it directly from the hospital you choose.
Consultation is handled in English and your Arabic-language reports are translated as part of the free service — you don't need to translate anything yourself first. The site is also available in Arabic.
Paying for treatment: private, or a diaspora, charity or referral channel
Historically, much treatment for patients from Syria has been funded through family in the diaspora, charitable and humanitarian channels, or cross-border medical programs rather than by the patient paying directly — and those routes each set their own eligibility and paperwork. If you intend to seek charity funding, a humanitarian referral, or support from a relief organization, confirm the current requirements and any pre-approval or referral-letter steps with that body directly before you travel, as we cannot determine, influence or guarantee any of it for you.
Some patients travel privately and pay the hospital directly, and following the 2025 easing of sanctions certain payment routes have reopened, though transfers can still be complicated — arrange and confirm how you will pay, in writing, before booking. If you hold any private or employer insurance, confirm what applies with the insurer before booking, including pre-authorization, approved hospitals and documentation; we could not find a general provision that automatically reimburses elective treatment in Turkey, so please verify your own arrangement.
We don't process claims, handle referrals, or guarantee any funding. We can provide itemized invoices and medical documentation from the treating hospital for you, your family or a sponsor to submit. This is general information, not financial or insurance advice.
Where to go next
Itemized ranges by procedure, updated quarterly — no numbers repeated here, so this page never goes stale.
Your records organized into a plain-language case file plus itemized price ranges you can compare, with no obligation; a hospital tumor board answers once a partner hospital is confirmed for your case.
Full index of every physician who reviews cases, by specialty and language.
Treatment overviews organized by cancer type.
Official visa-free durations by passport, and the residence-permit path if multi-cycle treatment runs longer.
Including critical feedback — we publish the 3-star reviews too.
How the process works from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.