Foreigners Who Want to Work in Turkey and the Companies That Will Employ Them Must Meet Certain Criteria and Fulfil Certain Obligations.
If the criteria are met, work permit applications can be submitted from two different locations:
Application from abroad
Application from within Turkey
1. Application from Abroad:
This type of application is initiated through the Turkish Representation (Embassy/Consulate) in the country where the foreign national is either a citizen or legally resides with a residence or work permit.
Foreigners who do not have a residence permit in Turkey must apply for a work visa at the Turkish Consulate in their respective country. After submitting the application documents, the Turkish Consulate will provide the applicant with a reference number. Using this number and the required documents, the application will be completed online through the system.
(If the application is approved, the applicant must return to the Turkish Consulate to have the work visa stamped into their passport.)
Documents to be Submitted by the Applicant to the Turkish Consulate:
Application form (Signed by both the employer and the employee; a printed copy of the online application form – prepared by us.)
Employment contract (Between the employee and the company – prepared by us.)
Copy of passport (If the passport is not in Latin script, an official translation must be attached.)
Company’s Trade Registry Gazette (Showing the current partnership and capital structure of the company)
Notarised sworn translation of diploma or temporary graduation certificate
Company’s activity certificate
Applicant’s criminal record certificate
Applicant’s photograph
Company’s signature circular
Tax registration certificate (may be requested)
Address registration documents (may be requested)
Note: The list of required documents may vary. The updated list will be created after the file is reviewed.
2. Application from Within Turkey:
If the applicant holds a valid residence permit in Turkey for at least 6 months, a work permit application can be submitted directly to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey.
(The applicant does not need to leave the country.)
Important Note: The work permit approval process can take 4–6 weeks, depending on the Ministry’s workload. Until the procedure is complete, the foreigner does not have the legal right to work.
Requirements to Be Fulfilled by the Employer and the Foreign Worker:
The employer must employ at least five (5) Turkish employees at the workplace. (Five Turkish employees are required per foreign employee.)
Exception to Employment and Financial Capacity Criteria:
For domestic work permit applications made on behalf of foreigners who, as of the application date, have legally resided in Turkey for at least three years within the past five years (excluding student residence permits), employment and financial capacity criteria do not apply, limited to a maximum of three foreigners.
In workplaces falling under this scope, the number of foreign workers employed with work permits must not exceed the number of Turkish citizens working at the same workplace.
Without prejudice to the relevant legislation regarding foreigners under international protection, if more than three foreigners who meet the above conditions are to be employed in the same workplace, the employer must employ five Turkish citizens per additional foreigner, and meet the financial capacity criteria for each one.
Company Requirements to Employ Foreign Personnel:
The company must have a paid-in capital of at least 500,000 TRY.
(If this is not met, the company must have gross sales of at least 8,000,000 TRY or at least USD 150,000 in export sales.)If the applicant is a partner in the company, their share must be at least 20%.
The salary paid to the applicant must be appropriate to their professional qualifications.
Minimum Salary Thresholds Based on Position:
a) For senior executives and pilots: Not less than 5 times the minimum wage
b) For engineers and architects: Not less than 4 times the minimum wage
c) For other managers: Not less than 3 times the minimum wage
ç) For jobs requiring expertise or craftsmanship: Not less than 2 times the minimum wage
d) For foreigners working in domestic services and other professions: Not less than the minimum wage.
Some work permit applications may be finalised without taking standard assessment criteria into account.
It is advisable to contact our company for up-to-date information on current procedures.
Other Important Information:
The first work permit is issued for a maximum of one year.
It can then be extended for two years, and then three years.
The extension process must begin two months before the expiry date of the valid work permit.
Penalties for Employing Illegal Foreign Workers (2025):
For a foreigner working without a work permit (as an employee): 32,654 TRY
For a self-employed foreigner working without a work permit: 65,352 TRY
For employers employing foreigners without a work permit: 81,683 TRY per foreign worker
For foreigners who fail to report in time (paid by the company): 5,423 TRY
If these offences are repeated, administrative fines are doubled.
