Work Permit

How to Get Work Permit for Foreigners in Turkey?

The question of how to get a work permit for foreigners in Turkey has different answers depending on the nature of the foreigner, the type of workplace and the cyclical situation in Turkey. This page has been prepared in the light of the most up-to-date information to answer your question about how to get a foreign work permit in Turkey.

Update 15.02.2021 : The Ministry of Labor does not give work permits to foreigners who can be Turkish citizens instead, in order to stop the increasing unemployment in Turkey.

How to Get a Work Permit?

Foreigners cannot obtain a work permit on their own behalf, if you intend to employ foreign nationals, you can apply for a work permit through you as the employer or through the consultancy firm you authorize.

Depending on the residence of foreign workers in Turkey, there are two different ways to obtain a work permit;

  • For foreigners who have a residence permit valid for at least 6 months, excluding first-year undergraduate students, an online application is made directly to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security via e-Government.
  • In cases where the foreigner does not have a valid residence permit, an application must be made through the Turkish Embassy or Consulate of the country of residence or of another country where he/she has a legal residence. Applications are made online.

Work Permit Application from Turkey

  • Work permit applications made for foreigners who have a residence permit of at least 6 months, excluding the residence permit for educational purposes for 1st year undergraduate students, are called domestic work permit applications.
  • Residence permit can be obtained from MIGRATION AUTHORITIES. An online appointment is made and the documents required for the appointment are submitted. After the residence permit is issued, the necessary documents to obtain a work permit must be submitted and the procedure described below must be followed.
  • Foreign employees and employers in Turkey will apply online to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security with the necessary documents. (Listed under the relevant title and explained in detail on our page.) Documents to be uploaded by employees and employers are different.
  • The Ministry of Labor and Social Security examines the documents and the application within the framework of the International Labor Law No. 6735, the effective regulation and other relevant legislation. Reports the result of the application online.

How to Get a Work Permit – Video Lecture

Application for a Work Permit from Outside of Turkey

  • For foreign nationals who do not hold a valid residence permit, a work permit application can be made from their country of residence or citizenship. However, this application is made in the country where the foreigner resides. Consulate or country of citizenship (with passport, work visa application, 1 photo, 1 copy of the employment contract).
  • The employer must submit an online application to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security within 10 days of the foreigner’s application to the Consulate General. (All documents prepared for foreign individuals and employers are detailed on our page.) If all submitted documents are correct and complete, the publication process of the result will take approximately 30 days. The applicant is notified via e-mail after the application is approved. After the work permit is given and the work visa application is approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the consular visa fee is paid. Consular visa fees vary from country to country.

How to get a work permit – Application from abroad – Video lecture

Please note that the Ministry of Labor may reject the application for any subjective reason specified in article 14/a of the International Labor Law No. 6735.

The restrictions and requirements of foreign workers are as follows;

At least five people who are citizens of the Republic of Turkey must be employed in the workplace where the application is requested. If the foreigner requesting the work permit is the common partner of the company, the above-mentioned condition regarding the employment of five Turkish citizens is required for the last six months of the one-year work permit given by the Ministry. If an application is requested for more than one foreigner at the same workplace, the employment condition of five Turkish citizens will be requested separately for each foreigner following the first foreigner who is granted a work permit.

The paid-in capital of the workplace must be at least 100,000 TL. – The lowest figure for the gross sales amount should be 800.000 TL. Otherwise, the export amount in the last year should be at least 250,000 USD.

Work Permit for Foreigners to Work in Foreign Foundations and Associations

How to Get a Work Permit for Foreigners to Work in Foreign Foundations and Associations?

In addition to the evaluations regarding work permit requests for foreigners to be employed by associations and foundations, article 2 above and work permit applications for foreigners to be employed in representative agencies of foreign airlines in Turkey, the education sector and home services sector, articles 1 and 2 above will not be applied. Foundations and associations that employ Syrian foreigners with temporary protection card and residence permit cannot show the relevant foreigners a salary below the minimum wage, the base is the gross minimum wage. The base gross minimum wage for 2024 is 20.002,50 TL.

Work Permi

How to Obtain a Work Permit for Foreign Company Partners?

At least 20% of the shares must be held in the foreign company, which is a partner of the company and requesting a work permit, and this ratio must correspond to at least 40,000 TL. For More Detailed Information: Work permit of foreigners who are partners of the company

How to Get a Work Permit for Foreigners to Work in Tourism Enterprises?

How to Get a Work Permit for Foreigners to Work in Tourism Enterprises?

Requesting people to be masseurs, masseuses and SPA therapists, professions that require expertise and professions by at least four-star tourism businesses licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, proving that there is a licensed massage parlor in their facilities, licensed holiday villages will also be evaluated and workplaces will be evaluated. Requests that do not meet the criteria will not be considered eligible.

For foreigners employed by companies operating in the entertainment sector and for tourism-animation organization companies for professions that require expertise and competence, a separate quota application will not be made, provided that there are at least 10 citizens of the Republic of Turkey. For More Detailed Information: Criteria for Employing Foreign Personnel for the Tourism Sector

Non-Governmental Organizations

How to get a work permit for foreigners to work in Non-Governmental Organizations?

  • If the key personnel of foreign NGOs are Turkish, 3 foreign personnel are exempted from the quota regardless of their nationality.
  • The duration of the permit to be given to foreigners is given in a way that does not exceed the activity period of the NGO.
  • There is no employment quota for Syrian refugees with AFAD card (temporary protection) and NGOs that want to employ Syrian refugees with a residence permit.
Domestic Services

How to get a work permit Foreigners to Work in Domestic Services?

  • Must be older than 15 years or older than 65 to be cared for at home.
  • In order to employ a foreigner in the care of persons older than ten and younger than 65, the health report of the person to be cared for is required.
  • For severely bedridden patients, work permits can also be obtained for male personnel.
  • Only a foreigner can work at home.
  • You cannot employ foreign servants in domestic services.
  • For More Detailed Information: Employing Foreign Caregivers in Home Services

Minimum Wages for Foreigners 2024

The amount of salary declared by the employer for the payment of the foreigner should be at a level appropriate to the position and qualification of the foreigner. Accordingly, taking into account the minimum wage amount applicable from the date of application, the wage payable to a foreigner must be at least equal to:

  • 6.5 times the minimum wage for senior managers, pilots, engineers and architects requesting preliminary permission
  • 4 times the minimum wage for unit or branch manager, engineers and architects
  • 3 times the minimum wage of teachers as well as those who will work in jobs that require expertise and competence
  • 1.5 times the minimum wage for people to be employed for other professions
  • Minimum wage level for foreigners who will work in domestic services

For detailed information: Minimum Wages to be Paid to Foreigners (2024)

How to Obtain a Work Permit for Extension Applications?

  • You must have no tax liability. (For companies)
  • You must not have any social security debt. (For companies)
  • Your SSI Premium payments must be paid in full. (Home Services)

For detailed information: Foreign Work Permit Extension Conditions

If you can’t find an answer to your question on how to get a foreign work permit, you can ask us by commenting below, we will try to answer as quickly and accurately as we can.

Also you can read our other articles about Work Permit in this link : Work Permit Articles

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Ata Kurumsal

Ata Institutional Consulting is a leading consultancy company in its field, with expert personnel, with 12 years of experience, providing residence permit, work permit, Turkish citizenship consultancy and corporate consultancy services to foreigners. Ata Instiutional Consultancy

One Comment

  1. Hi good day
    My family got Turkish citizenship by investment last year and we moved to Turkey Istanbul.
    My son who could not get Turkish citizenship because he was over 18 years age also came to Turkey Istanbul on three years student visa and is studying MSc finance in Istanbul university.
    İn your profile it is mentioned that children of Turkish citizens are entitled to unconditional work permit.
    Can you kindly guide me about the process and procedure.
    İf your firm performs such services then what will be your service charges end to end please. Thanks and best wishes.

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