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Work permits for foreigners: criteria, salaries, application

Turkish employee requirement, capital and sales criteria, minimum salary multiples by job, foreign shareholders, exemptions and e-Permit application steps.

Last updated: 21 October 2026

A foreigner must obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before starting work in Türkiye. The employer applies; the permit is issued for a specific employer and workplace. Employing a foreigner without a permit is fined for both employer and employee and may lead to deportation.

1. General criteria

Turkish employees

At least 5 Turkish citizens must be employed for each foreigner. Businesses with net sales of TRY 50,000,000 or more may employ up to 5 foreigners regardless.

Financial criteria

Business Requirement
Founded this year Paid-in capital at least TRY 500,000
Existing business Paid-in capital at least TRY 500,000, or net sales at least TRY 8,000,000, or exports at least USD 150,000
Joint venture One partner meeting the criterion is enough

Salary requirement

The salary must be at least the following multiple of the gross minimum wage at the application date:

Position Multiple 2026 gross minimum
Senior executive, pilot 5 TRY 165,150
Engineer, architect 4 TRY 132,120
Unit or business manager, other managers 3 TRY 99,090
Jobs requiring expertise or mastery 2 TRY 66,060
Domestic services and other jobs 1 TRY 33,030

These are gross salaries on the payroll; SGK notifications must use the same salary. Reporting a lower salary after the permit is a ground for refusing the extension. See the employer cost in the salary calculator; tax and social security are the same as for Turkish citizens.

New exemption (from 03.08.2026)

For foreigners who have been in Türkiye for at least one year in the last three with a legal work permit, residence permit or international protection status, the employment and financial criteria do not apply for up to 3 persons per workplace. Their number cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees.

2. Foreign shareholders

  • Company's paid-in capital at least TRY 500,000,
  • Foreigner's capital share at least TRY 500,000 and shareholding at least 20%,
  • At least 5 Turkish citizens employed (the first permit is annotated; required monthly from the 7th month).

Shareholders with capital of at least USD 100,000 are exempt from these two conditions. Company formation with foreign shareholders: Foreign investors.

3. Sector-specific facilities (summary)

  • IT: specialist IT positions such as software development, databases and cybersecurity are exempt from employment and financial criteria.
  • R&D and design centres, technoparks: exempt with a positive opinion of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
  • Tourism: licensed tourism businesses employing at least 10 Turkish citizens are exempt from the employment criterion for expert and master positions; additional quotas for accommodation facilities.
  • Manufacturing, poultry and recycling: 1 foreigner per 5 Turkish employees per branch (until 31.12.2027).
  • Health and education: prior approval from the Ministry of Health / Ministry of Education / Council of Higher Education.
  • Domestic services: childcare, elderly and patient care; the employer's income adequacy is assessed.

4. Exempt from all criteria

Parents or children of Turkish citizens, those married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years, holders of long-term or humanitarian residence permits, foreigners of Turkish descent, TRNC citizens and, from 03.08.2026, those who have stayed in Türkiye at least 8 years with certain permits. Exemption does not guarantee a permit; it must be documented.

5. Application steps

  1. The employer registers on e-Permit (ecalismaizni.csgb.gov.tr) via e-Government and creates the application.
  2. Foreigner abroad: applies to the Turkish consulate for a work visa; the employer completes the documents on e-Permit within 10 business days. The visa is issued after approval.
  3. Foreigner in Türkiye: with a valid residence permit of at least 6 months (other than a student permit), the employer applies from within Türkiye.
  4. The application is free; the work permit fee and document fee are paid after approval.
  5. After approval, the foreigner's SGK start notification must be filed before work begins, as for Turkish employees. Application process: Work permit application.

Documents (typical)

  • Passport (valid at least 60 days), biometric photo
  • Employment contract or a draft signed by the employer
  • Diploma and professional certificates (recognition for regulated professions such as health and engineering)
  • Employer's last balance sheet and income statement (certified by the tax office), Trade Registry Gazette
  • For shareholders, documents showing the shareholding

Duration

The first permit is usually for up to 1 year, extensions for 2 years and then up to 3 years. Extensions must be filed within 60 days before expiry and at the latest before the expiry date. Foreigners with 8 years of uninterrupted legal work permits can apply for an indefinite permit.

Sources