Can Foreigners Work in Another Business with the Work Permit Given in Turkey?

Firstly, you should know that work permit applications for foreigners are made for the period and occupational groups determined by the employers in Turkey. Thus, foreigners cannot apply for a valid work permit on their own behalf and cannot use their previous work permits to work in another company, even if their terms are still valid. Work permit applications are valid only for the applicant company and the job position, and they lose their legal validity in case of working in a company or profession other than this. According to the legislation in force in Turkey, the foreigner leaves the workplace from which you have obtained the work permit, since the permit is granted within the framework of the specified conditions, the work permit will lose its validity even if it has not expired. Likewise, it is not possible to work in more than one business with a single work permit.

If the foreigner leaves his current workplace and starts working in a new workplace, the new employer must apply for a new work permit. If the new work permit application has not been approved yet, it does not automatically cancel the old permit. However, if the new application is positive, the foreigner’s old work permit is cancelled. The foreigner must return the canceled old work permit to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security within one week following the legal notification. In addition, foreigners are prohibited by law from performing all professions in Turkey, and you can learn about these professions in our related article.

If you have questions about the ability of foreigners to work in another workplace with a work permit, you can send them to us in the comments section.