The short version
- An ENT examination and a hearing test at a hospital
- If a device is indicated: a medical board report and a prescription
- A hearing aid centre applies and programmes the device
- Verification, then adjustment over the following weeks
Steps 1 and 2 happen at a hospital, not here. Steps 3 and 4 are what we do.
Step 1 — Examination and testing
Go to the ENT (KBB in Turkish, Kulak Burun Boğaz) department of a state hospital, a university hospital or a private hospital. The physician will examine you and send you for audiometry. This is a diagnostic test and by law it is performed at health institutions, not at hearing aid centres.
Bring your identity document or passport, and your residence permit if you have one.
Step 2 — Report and prescription
If the results indicate a hearing aid, the hospital issues a medical board report and a prescription. Prescriptions in Turkey are electronic, so you will be given a code rather than a paper slip.
Report and prescription validity periods are set by regulation and change from time to time. Ask the hospital how long yours is valid, and plan the next step within that window.
Step 3 — Payment: SGK or private
| Your situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| You have Turkish social security (SGK) cover | SGK contributes a fixed amount towards the device; you pay the difference. The amount depends on age and employment status and is revised periodically. |
| You are a foreign resident without SGK cover | The purchase is private. The hospital report is still useful because it documents the type and degree of hearing loss. |
| You are visiting Turkey short term | Private purchase. Consider that fitting is not a single appointment — adjustment usually needs one or two follow-up visits. |
Under Turkish medical device regulation, device prices are not published online. They are given to you in writing at the appointment.
Step 4 — Application and verification
At the centre we programme the device to your hearing loss and then verify it with real-ear measurement, using an Interacoustics Callisto unit. Real-ear measurement matters because two ears with the same audiogram do not respond identically — the shape of your ear canal changes what actually reaches the eardrum.
For adults we use the NAL-NL2 target formula; in paediatric fittings, DSL v5.
Step 5 — The first weeks
A new hearing aid rarely feels right on day one. Your brain has been filtering a reduced signal for years and needs time to readjust. Expect your own voice to sound unusual at first and everyday sounds — paper, cutlery, traffic — to seem intrusive. This settles.
Plan on returning for adjustment. A device that is never adjusted after the first day is a device that ends up in a drawer.
Fitting is by appointment. Please book in advance and tell us which language you would like to be seen in. English, Arabic or Russian cannot be promised to someone arriving unannounced.
Once you have your hospital report
Call or message to arrange the fitting appointment. Tell us your preferred language and roughly when suits you, and bring the report and prescription code with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the hospital and come straight to you?
You can come to discuss devices, but a hearing aid application should follow an ENT examination. Without a diagnosis nobody can know whether a hearing aid is the right answer, and SGK contribution requires the report in any case.
How long does the whole process take?
The hospital stage depends on appointment availability. Once you have the report and prescription, the fitting appointment itself takes about an hour, followed by one or two adjustment visits over the next few weeks.
Does SGK cover foreigners?
SGK contribution requires Turkish social security cover. Foreign nationals who hold it under a residence or work arrangement are treated the same as anyone else; those without it purchase privately.
Do I need to bring anything to the fitting appointment?
Your hospital report, the prescription code, your identity document, and the device if you already own one. If a family member usually helps you with communication, bring them too.