Work Permit for Foreign Employees in Türkiye: A Practical Legal Guide

If you are a foreign national, you generally cannot legally work in Türkiye without a work permit (çalışma izni), and your Turkish employer is the one who applies for it on your behalf. The work permit is granted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı) under the International Labour Force Law No. 6735, and once issued it also serves as your residence permit. This guide explains who needs a permit, how employer sponsorship works, the main permit types, the criteria the Ministry weighs, and what happens if you work without authorisation. Because specific figures and thresholds change by regulation and by year, we flag them below for confirmation rather than treating them as fixed.

Who needs a work permit in Türkiye?

As a rule, any foreign national who wants to work in Türkiye — whether as an employee, a company manager, or a self-employed professional — must hold a valid work permit before starting work. This requirement comes from the International Labour Force Law No. 6735 (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu), which is the main statute governing foreign labour, and it works alongside the Labour Law No. 4857 (İş Kanunu) that governs the employment relationship itself.

A few points worth understanding early:

• A tourist or business visa is not a work authorisation. Entering Türkiye visa-free or on a short-stay visa does not let you take up employment.
• A residence permit alone is not enough. Holding a residence permit for family, study, or other reasons does not by itself give you the right to work.
• The permit is usually employer-specific. A standard work permit ties you to one employer and one workplace; changing jobs normally means a new application.

There are limited exemptions and special regimes (for example, certain short assignments, specific professions, or people under international protection). Whether an exemption applies to your situation is a question your lawyer should confirm against the current regulation, because the categories are narrow and change over time.

Employer-sponsored applications: how the process works

In the most common scenario, a Turkish company wants to hire a foreign national, and that company files the work permit application as the sponsoring employer. The foreign worker does not apply alone for an employment-based permit; the employer drives the process through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's electronic system.

Two routes: applying from inside or outside Türkiye

The route depends on where the foreign national is at the time of the application:

• From abroad: The worker first applies to a Turkish consulate in their country of residence for a work visa, receives a reference number, and the employer then completes the application electronically in Türkiye within a set period after that consular step.
• From inside Türkiye: If the foreign national already holds a valid residence permit of a qualifying type and duration, the employer may be able to apply domestically without the consular step.

What the employer typically provides

The employer generally submits company documents (trade registry and tax records, financial statements), the employment offer and proposed salary, and information about the foreign national's role, qualifications, and identity. The exact document set and the application deadlines are defined by the implementing regulation, so treat any specific number of days as something to verify before you rely on it.

Throughout, the relationship between the worker and the company is still an ordinary employment contract governed by the Labour Law No. 4857 and the Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 (Türk Borçlar Kanunu), and the employer must register the worker for social security with the SGK (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu) once the permit is granted.

Types of work permit under Law No. 6735

Law No. 6735 sets out several categories. Choosing the right one matters because each has different conditions and renewal rules.

Definite-term (süreli) work permit

This is the standard starting point. It is granted for a defined period, for a specific employer and workplace, and for a specific role. It is typically issued for a limited initial term and can be extended on application, with later extensions often allowing longer periods. The exact initial and extension durations are set by the law and regulation and should be confirmed for your case.

Indefinite-term (süresiz) work permit

A foreign national who has lawfully resided and worked in Türkiye for a long, continuous period may become eligible for an indefinite-term permit, which is not tied to a single employer in the same way and gives broader rights closer to those of Turkish workers (though some restricted professions remain off-limits). The required residence period is a specific figure you should confirm, as it has changed under successive rules.

Independent (bağımsız) work permit

This is for foreign nationals who want to work on their own account — for example, professionals or business owners — rather than as an employee of a Turkish company. It is generally available to those who meet qualifying conditions and a minimum lawful-residence requirement, and it is assessed against the person's potential contribution to the economy.

The Turquoise Card (Turkuaz Kart)

The Turquoise Card is a special permit created by Law No. 6735 for foreign nationals whose qualifications or investment are considered especially valuable to Türkiye — for instance, highly qualified professionals, scientists, investors, or people in strategically important fields. It grants indefinite work authorisation (after an initial transition period) and extends certain rights to the holder's spouse and dependent children. Eligibility is assessed against criteria set by the Ministry and the relevant evaluation board, so whether you qualify is a fact-specific question.

How the Ministry evaluates an application

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security does not approve permits automatically. It applies an evaluation that looks at both the employer and the foreign worker. While the precise scoring criteria are set out in regulation and updated periodically, the typical factors include the following.

Employer requirements

• Workforce ratio: A widely cited rule of thumb is that a workplace should employ a certain number of Turkish citizens for each foreign worker it sponsors — often described as a 5-to-1 ratio. Treat the exact number as something to confirm, because it is set by regulation and there are exceptions for company partners, certain sectors, and special zones.
• Paid-in capital or turnover: The company is usually expected to meet a minimum paid-in capital, gross sales, or export threshold. These are specific monetary figures that change and must be verified.
• Salary level: The foreign worker's salary is generally expected to be appropriate to the role and to meet a minimum tied to a multiple of the minimum wage, depending on the position.

Worker and role factors

• The foreign national's education, qualifications, and experience relative to the role.
• Whether the role genuinely requires a foreign national or could be filled locally.
• The strategic or economic value the worker adds, particularly for higher categories and the Turquoise Card.

Important: every numerical threshold above — the workforce ratio, capital figures, and salary multiples — is set by current regulation and changes. We have flagged these for confirmation; do not treat any single figure as final without checking it against the rules in force when you apply.

Processing, validity, and the residence-permit effect

Once a complete application is filed, the Ministry reviews it and either grants or refuses the permit. Processing times vary with the completeness of the file and the category, and the law sets a target review period that you should confirm rather than assume.

Work permit as a residence permit

One of the most practical features of Law No. 6735 is that a valid work permit also functions as a residence permit. This means that while your work permit is valid, you generally do not need to obtain a separate residence permit to live in Türkiye lawfully. If your work permit ends or is cancelled, that residence effect ends with it, so you must address your status promptly to avoid becoming unlawfully present.

Renewals and changes

Extensions must be applied for before the current permit expires, and the timing window for extension applications is set by regulation. Because a standard permit is tied to one employer and workplace, changing jobs, employers, or job title usually requires a fresh application rather than a simple amendment. Family members' permits and dependants' residence are handled under separate but related rules.

Working without a permit: the consequences

Working in Türkiye without the required permit carries real consequences for both sides of the relationship, set out in Law No. 6735.

• For the foreign worker: administrative fines, and potential measures affecting immigration status, including deportation and restrictions on re-entry. Working illegally can also undermine a later, properly filed application.
• For the employer: administrative fines imposed per illegally employed foreign worker, which increase for repeat findings, plus liability for the worker's unpaid social security and certain return costs.
• For unregistered work generally: failing to register a worker with the SGK and pay contributions creates separate liabilities under social security rules, independent of the immigration breach.

The fine amounts and re-entry consequences are specific figures and outcomes set by the law and updated each year; we have flagged them for confirmation. Even where work was performed without a permit, the worker may still have certain claims arising from the work itself — for example, in relation to severance pay (kıdem tazminatı) under the framework of the former Labour Law No. 1475, Article 14, and unpaid wages — but these are fact-specific and best assessed individually. The safe course is always to secure the permit before any work begins.

If you are an employer planning to hire abroad, or a professional weighing a move to Türkiye, a short review of your eligibility and the current thresholds before you file can prevent costly delays and refusals. Our team can assess your situation and guide the application end to end.

Frequently asked questions