Question
Can I study in Turkey?
17 January 2022. Related: All topics, Disclosure, Travel.
Can an HIV positive individual study in Turkey? Are there any people living with HIV studying in Turkey? Can HIV positive international students get a visa to study in Turkey? I checked their home affair website and read some travel and residency restrictions. It says ‘foreigners may not be granted student visa if they have an infectious disease which might be considered as a public health threat’. What I really wanted to know is does this mean HIV? I mailed to the local Embassy and they haven’t even replied. Please help me. Thank you.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Turkey has no restrictions for people living with HIV. You can check this here: https://www.hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&CountryId=183
As there is no restriction, being HIV positive will not be a barrier to you getting a student visa. There will be people who are HIV positive that are studying in Turkey.
HIV is not listed as a disease with a ‘potential public health threat’.
Josh.
Hi Michel, thanks for adding to this discussion. Contacting a local HIV organisation can also be a good idea.
I do not think that it is an obstacle in Turkey (at least not for your visa). You should check the University website to which you are applying to.
The major challenge would be the private health insurance as they will not cover pre-existing medical condition.
If you work part-time somewhere, you can get a state SGK insurance. It will cover all your treatments and medications etc. for free (state insurance). If you can not get covered by any health insurance, you will need to cover out of pocket. Your monthly medication may cost around 600 USD per month but depending on medication you use, this may be as low as 300 USD per month. You also need to pay your viral load testing every 3-4 months which is very affordable and less than 150 USD as I know. I recommend you to check potential out of pocket medication costs per year. If the medication is cheaper in your home country, you can bring your 1 year supply with you…then no need to worry about medication expenses. Hospitals are very good in general with good quality medical care and affordable.