A Turkish doctor sees your history only in the form it is given to them. If the discharge summary was translated vaguely or a test unit was changed, the doctor makes decisions based on incomplete or wrong data - and that is no longer a matter of bureaucracy but of treatment.
This article answers three questions: which documents are translated, Turkish or English, and whether an apostille is needed. And finally the part that is rarely discussed - what you will need after you come back.
Which documents must be translated
The international departments of Turkish clinics usually ask for a full package, not a single document. The reason is practical: they need the full picture to assess the case remotely, before you arrive.
The basic package
- Form 100 - an extract with the medical history
- Discharge summary - previous treatment and operations
- Current prescriptions and a list of medicines
- A list of allergies
Examinations
- Written MRI, CT and X-ray reports
- Ultrasound reports
- General and specific blood tests
- Histology and biopsy results
Administrative
- Passport
- Insurance policy, if you have one
- Employment letter, if a visa or funding is needed
- For a minor - the parent's consent
In oncology cases the biopsy and histology results are the most critical documents. Every term there carries a specific medical meaning, and one inaccurate word gives a completely different diagnosis. With us such documents go only to a medical-profile translator, and the editing stage is mandatory.
Turkish or English
This is the most common practical question, and the answer depends on the clinic.
At the large international clinics in Turkey most doctors speak English, and an English translation is perfectly acceptable. International departments work in English.
But practice shows that a document translated into Turkish speeds up internal processes: reception, nursing staff, the laboratory and administration work in Turkish every day. If a document is only in English, every internal handover adds an extra step.
Our practical recommendation: the main medical history in Turkish, administrative documents in English. Or, if the budget allows, both - especially when the clinic has not been chosen yet and you are sending the file to several for assessment.
If you have already chosen the clinic, simply ask its international department - they will tell you directly which language they prefer.
Does a medical document need an apostille
This question confuses many patients, and the answer depends on who the document is for.
For a consultation with a doctor - an apostille is usually not needed. The clinic needs accurate medical information, not state confirmation of the document's authenticity. A translation with the bureau's stamp or a notarized translation is enough. For a state body, an insurance company or to receive assistance - here an apostille is almost always needed. If a medical document has financial or legal consequences - an insurance payout, social assistance, a court case - formal confirmation is required.Both Turkey and Georgia are members of the Hague Convention, so the apostille works in both directions and consular legalization is not needed. Full explanation: notarized translation or apostille.
Practical tip: if in doubt, ask the insurance company before you leave. The apostille is issued in Georgia, and sorting it out from Turkey is much harder.
After you return - the opposite direction
This part is often completely ignored when planning, yet it is just as important.
You come back from Turkey with a Turkish discharge summary, discharge papers, prescriptions and invoices. You will need these documents in three places: with the Georgian doctor who continues the treatment; at the insurance company, if you are claiming reimbursement; and sometimes in a state programme, if you have applied for funding.
For the Georgian doctor, what matters is the accuracy of prescriptions, doses and follow-up dates - exactly what determines the treatment. For the insurer, the amounts, procedure names and dates are critical, because reimbursement is calculated on them.
Often these two purposes need different forms: a discharge summary translated with the bureau's stamp is enough for the doctor, while the insurer asks for a notarized one. Tell us both purposes and we will prepare the package so you do not pay twice.
Numbers in a medical document - where we are strictest
In medical translation the most dangerous error is not a word - it is a number. A text can read flawlessly and still contain wrong information if one unit or one decimal came over incorrectly.
Doses and units. Milligram and microgram differ by one letter, but the difference is a thousandfold. In some Georgian documents the unit is abbreviated or left out altogether, relying on context - we mark such places and clarify them, never fill them in at will. Laboratory reference ranges. A test result is meaningful only if the reference range comes over with it. Often it is exactly this column that gets lost when a table turns into text - and the doctor sees a figure they cannot assess. Dates. In a medical history dates build the chronology: when it started, when it got worse, when the operation was done. Mixing up the date format destroys the chronology.That is why with us the editing stage for a medical document is not optional. It is always done and focuses precisely on the numbers: every dose, unit, reference range and date is compared with the original one by one. Details: quality control.
How to prepare
Gather the full history
Not just the latest report, but earlier treatment too. A Turkish clinic asks for the full picture, and partial information often leads to extra tests on site.
Ask the clinic about language and form
The international department will tell you directly whether they prefer Turkish or English and whether they need any certification.
An apostille only where needed
Usually not for a consultation. For an insurer or state body - yes. Ask the insurer before you leave, not after you return.
Plan the return translation too
You will need the Turkish discharge summary in Georgian for your doctor and insurer. It is done after you return, but put it in the budget now.
Price and deadline
Translating a medical text takes more time and attention than usual, because it always goes through the editing stage, where every dose, unit and figure is compared with the original. The price is set by agreement and fixed before the order starts.
A guide to timing: test results - the same or the next day; Form 100 and discharge summary - one or two working days; a long medical history - depending on volume. Notarization adds half a day, and the apostille follows the Public Service Hall's schedule.
Turkish and English are both large directions for us, so you do not have to wait for a rare-language specialist in either. Current guide figures: translation prices.
Planning treatment in Turkey? Send us photos of your medical documents and tell us which clinic - we will tell you which language and form work best.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Should I translate into Turkish or English?
At large international clinics English is fully acceptable, because the doctors speak it. Turkish, however, speeds up internal processes - reception, the laboratory, nursing staff. If you have chosen the clinic, just ask its international department. If not yet, and you are sending the file to several for assessment, start with English.
Does a medical document need an apostille?
Usually not for a consultation with a doctor - the clinic needs medical information, not state confirmation. For an insurance company, a state body or to receive assistance - almost always yes. Ask the insurer before you leave: the apostille is issued in Georgia, and sorting it out from Turkey is much harder.
Should I translate the radiology images?
Not the images themselves - they are in an international format and the doctor reads them directly. What is translated is the written report in which the radiologist describes what they see. Be sure to take the disc or file with the images - many clinics ask not only for the report but for the images themselves.
After returning I need the Turkish discharge summary in Georgian. Do you do that?
Yes, it is our everyday work. The Turkish discharge summary, discharge papers, prescriptions and invoices are translated into Georgian for your doctor and insurer. Tell us whether you need it for both or one - the form depends on that, and one package can often cover both.
I need it urgently, I leave tomorrow.
Call us on 501 113 200. Test results and short reports received during working hours are often ready the same day. A long discharge summary needs at least a day, because we do not skip the editing stage - in a medical document, sacrificing accuracy for speed is not acceptable.
Is my diagnosis kept confidential?
Yes. Access to a medical document is limited to the people working on that specific order - the manager, the medical-profile translator and the editor. Every translator is bound by a confidentiality obligation. We do not send the document's content to artificial intelligence systems. Full rules: confidentiality policy.