Work permits in Türkiye: what employers and foreign professionals need to know

In Türkiye a work permit is not something a foreign professional obtains alone: with narrow exceptions, the employer applies. That single fact reshapes most plans — and explains why so many people discover the rules only after they have already accepted a job or set up a company.

Who applies, and how

• From inside Türkiye: if the foreign national holds a valid residence permit of at least six months, the employer applies directly to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
• From abroad: the employee applies for a work visa at a Turkish consulate, and the employer files the matching application in Türkiye within the prescribed period.
• A granted work permit also serves as a residence permit for its duration.

The requirements that decide the outcome

• Employment ratio: as a rule the workplace must employ a set number of Turkish citizens for each foreign employee — commonly five. Newly formed companies must plan for this from the start.
• Capital and turnover criteria apply to the employing company; a shell company with no substance rarely succeeds.
• Salary adequacy: the declared salary must be appropriate to the position and above defined minimums — a common ground for refusal.
• Qualifications: diplomas and professional documents, translated and apostilled, for regulated professions.

The most frequent misunderstanding among foreign founders: "I own the company, so I can work in it." Ownership is not a work permit. Directors and shareholders who will actually work in the business need a permit like anyone else.

Exemptions and special routes

• Turquoise Card for highly qualified professionals — indefinite work rights after a transition period, with rights extended to the family.
• Investor-linked routes and permits tied to specific projects or institutions.
• Exempt categories defined by law: certain short-term assignments, academics, some artists and sportspeople, and specific treaty-based cases.
• Holders of a Mavi Kart (former Turkish citizens released with permission) do not need a work permit at all.

Timeline and validity

Complete applications are typically evaluated within weeks. First permits are usually issued for one year tied to a specific employer and workplace; extensions run longer, and after a qualifying period an indefinite work permit becomes possible. Changing employer means a new application — the permit does not travel with the employee.

Compliance after approval

The employer must register the employee with social security, pay at the declared level, and notify the ministry of terminations. Employing a foreign national without a permit exposes the company to significant administrative fines per employee — and, for the employee, to deportation and entry bans.

How we help

We assess eligibility before anyone signs a contract, structure the company side so the ratio and capital criteria are met, prepare and file the application, and manage renewals and employer changes. For companies hiring several foreign nationals, we set up a compliance calendar so no permit lapses unnoticed.