Can Foreigners with Conditional Refugee Status Get Work Permit in Turkey?

First of all, we would like to remind that, foreigners cannot obtain work permits on their own. Authority to receive, examine and evaluate applications for work permits belongs to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. As a rule, according to the relevant provisions of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, the legal way for foreigners with conditional refugee status to apply for a work permit is opened six months after the application date, just like foreigners applying for international protection.

If the evaluation of the foreigner’s international protection application by the General Directorate of Migration Management is completed within 6 months, the foreigner will have to wait for this six months period in order to apply for a work permit. It is not legally possible for foreigners with conditional refugee status to apply for a work permit directly, just like other foreigners. For this reason, foreigners who want to work legally and insured in Turkey must first make an agreement with an employer. As a result of the agreement, employers on behalf of foreigners, if they meet the necessary conditions, can legally gain the right to employ the foreigner by applying for a work permit.

If you have questions about obtaining a work permit in Turkey for foreigners with conditional refugee status, you can send them to us in the comments section.