Ambulance Licensing in Turkey: Service Certificate and Qualification Process
How do ambulance services get licensed in Turkey? Learn about the ambulance service certificate, vehicle qualification certificate, and minimum fleet requirements under the 2025 Ambulance Regulation.
💡Key Takeaways
- An ambulance service must obtain a service certificate before operating and a qualification certificate for each vehicle (Articles 10–12).
- Istanbul (İ1 group province) requires a minimum of 5 ambulances to open a service (Article 10).
- All vehicles must pass TSE inspection and receive a Provincial Health Directorate qualification certificate (Article 9).
Operating a private ambulance service in Turkey requires passing through a structured licensing process defined by the 2025 Ambulance Regulation. Two key documents govern legal operation: the ambulance service certificate (ambulans servisi uygunluk belgesi) and, for each vehicle, the qualification certificate (yeterlilik belgesi). [1]
Ambulance Service Certificate (Article 10–12)
Before any ambulance is deployed, the service operator must apply to the Provincial Health Directorate with a complete documentation package (Annex 9). A three-person inspection team — including at least one health professional — conducts an on-site review against the physical requirements in Annex 14.
Minimum fleet size varies by province group. Istanbul, as an İ1-group province, requires at least 5 ambulances, with at least one being an Emergency Ambulance. Smaller provinces in İ6–İ9 groups require a minimum of 2. [1]