Türkiye work permit for foreign employees

Domestic applications are for foreigners already in Türkiye with a residence permit valid for at least six months; they have a foreign identity number starting with 99. Foreigners without a residence permit apply for a work visa at the Turkish mission in their country of nationality or legal residence and receive a 16-digit reference number; the employer then completes the file online. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks employers to submit their part within ten working days of the mission application.

The Ministry expects at least five Turkish citizens on the payroll of the workplace for each foreigner. Workplaces with net sales of TRY 50,000,000 or more in the last year are exempt for up to five foreigners. New companies need paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000; existing ones need that capital, or net sales of TRY 8,000,000, or exports of USD 150,000.

From 3 August 2026, applications for foreigners who have lived legally in Türkiye for at least one year in the last three are exempt from the staffing and financial tests for up to three foreigners per workplace. Software, database, mobile, network security and enterprise architecture specialists in IT companies are also exempt.

The salary offered is measured against the gross minimum wage on the application date: at least five times for senior managers and pilots, four times for engineers and architects, three times for other managers, twice for skilled and specialist jobs, and at least the minimum wage for domestic and other work. Health and education professionals need prior approval from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education.

Fees are set each year in the Official Gazette. For 2026 the work permit fee is TRY 12,574.90 for up to one year, TRY 25,149.80 for up to two years, TRY 37,724.70 for up to three years, TRY 50,299.60 for four and TRY 62,874.50 for five years. Indefinite and independent work permits cost TRY 125,802.20. The card fee is TRY 964. Payment is made online through the Digital Tax Office or at Ziraat, Halkbank or Vakıfbank using the reference number e-mailed after approval.

A foreigner whose permit was granted on an application from abroad must enter Türkiye within six months of the permit start date, otherwise it is cancelled. On arrival the work permit counts as a residence permit, and the holder must register at the address registration system within 20 working days.

Extensions are filed online from 60 days before expiry and always before the permit ends; late requests are treated as new applications. With the same employer the first extension can last up to two years and later ones up to three. A change of employer means a new first application. After eight years of legal work or with a long-term residence permit, a foreigner can apply for an indefinite work permit, which is not granted automatically.