Work Permits for Foreigners in Türkiye

The granting of work permits to foreigners in Türkiye is subject to a multi-layered system of evaluation criteria determined by the Directorate General of International Labour Force. The system consists of general evaluation criteria, sector-specific regulations, special conditions concerning foreign company partners, and exemptions granted to certain groups of persons. The criteria are updated from time to time, and the latest amendments entered into force on 11 March 2026 and 3 August 2026; therefore, it is of great importance for employers and foreign employees to be aware of the criteria currently in force.

Table of contents

• What system governs the granting of work permits to foreigners in Türkiye?
• What does the employment criterion mean?
• What are the financial eligibility criteria?
• How is the wage criterion determined?
• Are there exceptions to the employment and financial eligibility criteria?
• Which sector-specific criteria apply?
• Which special criteria apply to foreign company partners?
• Which groups of persons are exempt from the general evaluation criteria?
• What other provisions should be taken into account?
• What should be taken into account in practice?
• Which special statutory rules apply to key personnel in foreign direct investments and to liaison offices?
• Conclusion

What system governs the granting of work permits to foreigners in Türkiye?

The Directorate General of International Labour Force assesses work permit applications according to a system of criteria consisting of four levels:

• General evaluation criteria consisting of the employment, financial eligibility and wage criteria
• Special criteria specific to certain sectors, professions or jobs that replace all or part of the general evaluation criteria
• Special criteria concerning foreign company partners
• Exemption from the employment, financial eligibility and wage criteria for certain groups of persons

What does the employment criterion mean?

As a rule, in workplaces subject to the balance-sheet basis, at least five Turkish citizens must be employed at the same workplace for each foreigner for whom a work permit application is made. However, workplaces with net sales of at least TRY 50,000,000 in the previous year may employ up to five foreigners without meeting this requirement.

What are the financial eligibility criteria?

The financial status of the workplace is subject to different thresholds depending on its type:

How is the wage criterion determined?

The wage to be paid to the foreigner must be determined on the basis of the gross minimum wage in force on the date of the work permit application:

Are there exceptions to the employment and financial eligibility criteria?

• New as of 3 August 2026: for work permit applications filed from within Türkiye, the employment and financial eligibility criteria generally do not apply where the foreigner has, as of the date of application, legally resided in Türkiye for at least one year within the preceding three years (on the basis of a work permit, residence permit, or international protection). This exception is limited to a maximum of three foreigners at the same workplace.
• At establishments benefiting from this exception, the number of foreigners working under work permits should, as a rule, not exceed the number of Turkish citizens employed at the same establishment.
• If more than three foreigners meeting the above lawful-stay condition will work at the same establishment, applications for the fourth and subsequent foreigners are, as a rule, assessed subject to the employment of five Turkish citizens for each foreigner working at the establishment and satisfaction of the financial eligibility criterion, without prejudice to the legislation concerning foreigners under international protection.

Which sector-specific criteria apply?

Special criteria differing from the general evaluation criteria have been prescribed for numerous sectors, professions and jobs:

• IT sector: The employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied to applications for positions requiring expertise in IT companies (such as software development specialist, database specialist, mobile software specialist, system network and security specialist and enterprise architecture specialist). For companies outside the IT industry, the same exemption applies to comparable specialist positions, limited to a maximum of two foreigners.
• Education: Foreigners who will work in positions requiring professional qualifications at educational institutions must obtain prior permission from the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). The general evaluation criteria are not applied to work permit applications of foreign academic staff who have been granted prior permission by YÖK. For foreigners who will work in positions requiring prior permission under Article 29 of the Ministry of National Education Regulation on Private Educational Institutions at educational institutions and international schools, the employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied.
• Domestic services (care of children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities and patients): The persons who may submit an application are exhaustively specified according to the person requiring care and the relevant family or guardianship relationship. The assessment takes into account, among other matters, the health condition and age of the person to be cared for; the caregiver's education, experience, Turkish-language proficiency, previous residence or employment history in Türkiye, marital status and age; and the employer's socio-economic circumstances, assets and continuous and regular income, which must be evidenced by appropriate documents. Applications filed from within Türkiye to work for another employer within six months from the start date of a permit issued following an application from abroad are assessed negatively, except in cases of force majeure.
• Aviation: The employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied in the assessment of work permit applications made on behalf of foreigners who will work as senior executives or in jobs requiring expertise at the Türkiye representative offices of foreign countries' flag-carrier airlines.
• Advanced technology: For qualified investments expected to make a significant contribution to the national economy or generating high levels of employment, or where qualified labour is required for advanced-technology work or cannot be met by the Turkish labour force due to the nature of the work, the general evaluation criteria may, subject to the approval of the Directorate General of International Labour Force, be partially or entirely waived. The employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied to foreign R&D, innovation, and design personnel working in certified R&D/ design centres under Law No. 5746 and to foreigners working in technology development zones under Law No. 4691, subject to a favourable opinion from the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
• Public projects: Foreign nationals are exempt from standard employment and financial eligibility criteria where bilateral or multilateral agreements to which Türkiye is a party so provide, or where they work on projects under such agreements or on public procurement of goods and services under contracts or tenders, including through subcontractors.
• Healthcare: Prior permission from the Ministry of Health is required for qualified healthcare professions. None of the employment, wage and financial eligibility criteria are applied to specialist personnel at public healthcare institutions.
• Tourism: Comprehensive special rules apply:
  • The employment criterion is not applied, provided that at least ten Turkish citizens are employed, to certified tourism establishments and to contracted restaurants, tourism/animation companies, hammams/saunas and thermal hotels that satisfy the contractual, location, certification or operating-permit conditions prescribed by the criteria, in respect of jobs requiring expertise and skilled craftsmanship.
  • For foreigners who will work as masseurs, masseuses, SPA therapists or in similar occupations requiring expertise and skilled craftsmanship, the workplace must fall within one of the categories specifically listed in the criteria: a qualifying certified tourism establishment with a massage parlour or an authorised thermal hotel; a contracted massage parlour operating at the same address as a qualifying certified tourism establishment; a hammam or sauna having the required agreement with a certified travel agency; or an authorised sports centre employing at least twenty Turkish citizens. Applications for such positions at workplaces outside these categories are assessed negatively.
  • Apart from this, the maximum number of foreigners who may be employed is determined according to the financial and physical capacity of the establishment.
  • At contracted establishments operating within qualifying certified tourism establishments, such as hairdressers, jewellers and leather/carpet/textile shops, the employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied for a maximum of two foreigners.
  • In health tourism, for domestic applications at intermediary organisations that meet the relevant Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Health authorisation requirements, the employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied for a maximum of five foreigners.
  • Applications for positions in the accommodation sector that do not require expertise or skilled craftsmanship are assessed according to the general employment criterion, calculated on an enterprise-wide basis throughout Türkiye; as of 11 March 2026, where additional foreign employment is needed, one additional foreign employee for every five Turkish citizens employed at the relevant workplace, calculated on a branch basis, may be exempted from this criterion.
• Foreign students: Foreign students enrolled in formal associate-degree and undergraduate programmes at a higher education institution in Türkiye may, subject to obtaining a work permit, work part-time after completing the first year of their studies. This limitation does not apply to postgraduate students enrolled in formal education programmes. Student status is verified through the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) records. Applications for jobs in the entertainment sector that are not suitable for the student's status, or for work in the domestic services sector, are assessed negatively. For recipients of Türkiye Scholarships or the YÖK Scholarship Programme, the opinion of the relevant institutions is obtained.
• Livestock farming: The minimum herd sizes for shepherds/animal caretakers at establishments registered in the Animal Information System are 200 small ruminants, 100 beef cattle, 50 dairy cattle and 75 animals in mixed cattle farming. The employment criterion is not applied for up to three foreigners at the same enterprise, with one shepherd/animal caretaker for each of these animal numbers. The opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is obtained. As of 11 March 2026, the financial eligibility criteria are also not applied to enterprises meeting these minimum livestock requirements. Domestic applications to work for another employer within six months from the start date of a permit issued following an application from abroad are assessed negatively, except in cases of force majeure.
• Manufacturing sector (new as of 3 August 2026): Applications are first assessed according to the general employment criterion, taking into account the enterprise's employment of Turkish citizens throughout Türkiye. If there is a need for additional foreign employment, until 31 December 2027 one additional foreigner for every five Turkish citizens working at the workplace/branch is exempt from the employment criterion.
• Poultry farming (new as of 3 August 2026): The same 5:1 ratio for additional foreign employment applies until 31 December 2027 to positions such as animal caretaker and poultry-house maintenance worker. In addition, workplaces employing fewer than five Turkish citizens are exempt from the employment and financial eligibility criteria for a maximum of two foreigners in domestic applications; however, the number of foreign employees covered by this exception may not exceed the number of employees who are Turkish citizens.
• Recycling (new as of 3 August 2026): For positions such as waste collector and recycling worker, the general employment criterion and the 5:1 ratio for additional foreign employment, valid until 31 December 2027, are applied similarly to the poultry farming sector. At workplaces employing fewer than five Turkish citizens, the employment and financial eligibility criteria are not applied for a maximum of two foreigners in domestic applications, provided that the number of foreigners covered by this exception does not exceed the number of Turkish employees.

If there is no special regulation for a particular sector, profession or job, the general evaluation criteria apply. In addition, if a foreigner benefiting from sector-, profession- or job-specific exceptions applies from within Türkiye for a work permit within six months from the start date of the work permit in order to work for another employer and in a sector, profession or job outside the scope of the exception, the application is assessed negatively except in cases of force majeure.

Which special criteria apply to foreign company partners?

At workplaces operating on a balance-sheet basis, the following rules apply if a foreigner establishes a new workplace or becomes a partner in an existing business:

• The foreigner's capital share must be at least TRY 500,000, the enterprise's total paid-in capital must also be at least TRY 500,000, and the foreigner's ownership share must be at least 20%.
• At least five Turkish citizens must be employed at the enterprise; this is included as a condition in the first work permit and must be satisfied every month from the beginning of the seventh month of the first work permit period.
• Exception: If the foreigner's capital share is at least USD 100,000, neither the capital/ownership share criterion nor the employment criterion applies.

Which groups of persons are exempt from the general evaluation criteria?

As a rule, none of the employment, financial eligibility and wage criteria apply to the following foreigners. This status must be proven by official documents; however, belonging to one of these groups does not provide an automatic right to be granted a work permit:

• Foreigners whose mother, father or child is a Turkish citizen
• Holders of humanitarian residence permits
• Holders of residence permits for victims of human trafficking or persons participating in the relevant victim support programmes
• Holders of Stateless Person Identity Documents
• Holders of long-term residence permits
• Foreigners who have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years
• Foreigners who have been in Türkiye for at least eight years with a work permit, short-term residence permit, family residence permit, student residence permit, long-term residence permit, humanitarian residence permit or residence permit for victims of human trafficking (as of 3 August 2026)
• Foreigners of Turkish descent who will work outside professions and jobs reserved for Turkish citizens and whose Turkish descent has been confirmed by the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or who are deemed appropriate by the Directorate General within the scope of international labour force policy
• Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)

What other provisions should be taken into account?

• Voluntary activities: Work permit applications made for the purpose of carrying out activities that do not have the nature of work and are based solely on volunteering are assessed negatively.
• Transitional provision: For extension applications concerning work permits issued before the current criteria entered into force, the Directorate General may decide otherwise; as a rule, however, with respect to the financial eligibility criteria, the criteria in force on the date of the initial application apply.
• The current evaluation criteria provide for different thresholds with respect to the financial eligibility of workplaces, the capital shares of foreign company partners and sectoral exceptions. Therefore, the current criteria applicable to the specific case must be checked for each application.

What should be taken into account in practice?

The criteria are updated from time to time by the Directorate General of International Labour Force. Therefore, in advice concerning specific cases, it is always recommended to check the current text on the official website of the Directorate General of International Labour Force. In particular, time-limited special regulations and sector-specific thresholds may change within a short period of time.

Which special statutory rules apply to key personnel in foreign direct investments and to liaison offices?

In addition to the evaluation criteria of the Directorate General of International Labour Force, work permits for certain foreign personnel are governed by a separate legal basis: Article 3 (g) of the Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875 and the Regulation on the Employment of Foreign National Personnel in Foreign Direct Investments. These rules apply in two cases:

• Key personnel in qualifying foreign direct investments (Articles 4 and 5 of the Regulation): The following two basic conditions must both be met for this special regime to apply:

  The company or branch falls under Law No. 4875 and qualifies as a “qualifying foreign direct investment” by meeting at least one of these requirements:

  • the total capital share of the foreign partners is at least TRY 21,946,007 and, in addition, the company or branch reached a turnover of at least TRY 1,648,938,600, exports of at least USD 1 million or at least 250 employees registered with the Social Security Institution in the previous year;
  • a planned investment reaches a minimum fixed investment amount of TRY 522,163,890;
  • the parent company has a direct investment in at least one country other than its home country.
  • holds a position such as partner, chairperson or member of the board of directors, general manager, deputy general manager or company manager, with duties or authority in at least one of the following areas: senior management or executive functions, management of all or part of the company, supervision of staff, or recruitment, dismissal or proposals concerning recruitment or dismissal; or
  • has knowledge that is essential to the company’s services, research equipment, techniques or management.

  The amounts stated above are the values applicable for 2026. Pursuant to Article 17 of the Regulation, the TRY amounts are adjusted annually in line with the revaluation rate.

  The foreigner qualifies as key personnel, i.e. either

• Liaison offices (Articles 4 (c) and 6 of the Regulation): Under this special regime, a work permit is granted to a maximum of one person authorised by the foreign parent company, provided that at least USD 200,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency has been transferred from abroad for the office’s activities in the previous year. The office must hold an activity permit from the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and the work permit is limited to the duration of that activity permit.

All other foreign employees of such companies and liaison offices are subject to the general work permit rules and evaluation criteria (Article 2 of the Regulation).

Conclusion

The granting of work permits to foreigners in Türkiye is subject to a layered system consisting of general evaluation criteria, sector-specific regulations, special conditions concerning foreign company partners and exemptions granted to certain groups of persons, supplemented by separate statutory rules for key personnel in foreign direct investments and liaison offices. Changes to the criteria, sometimes within short periods of time, are a significant source of uncertainty for employers and foreign employees.

What is decisive is the correct application of the relevant group of criteria to the specific case, the continuous monitoring of the criteria currently in force and, in particular, the timely assessment of time-limited exceptions. It is recommended to check the current criteria before each work permit application.

GEMS Schindhelm advises companies and foreign employees on the preparation of work permit applications in Türkiye, the identification of the correct group of criteria and compliance with the current regulatory framework. For individual legal advice on this matter, please feel free to contact our law firm directly.