Work Permit

A work permit is an official document issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security that gives the foreigner the right to work and reside in Türkiye within the validity period. According to the Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, foreigners within the scope of this Law must obtain a work permit or work permit exemption before starting to work in Türkiye. Foreigners who work without a valid work permit or work permit exemption are subject to criminal and administrative action.

According to Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, a work permit or work permit exemption is considered as a residence permit as per Article 27 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection. However, work permits issued to international protection applicants, conditional refugees and foreigners under temporary protection do not replace residence permits.

All kinds of information and comprehensive application guides required to apply for a work permit are available on the website of our Ministry. You can also call ALO 170, the information and counselling line of our Ministry, for your questions on this subject.

If the application for a work permit is positively evaluated, the foreigner is granted a work permit valid for up to one year at the first application, provided that he/she works in a specific workplace belonging to a real or legal person or public institution or organisation, or in their workplaces in the same line of business, in a specific job and under an employer, provided that it does not exceed the duration of the employment or service contract.

It is a work permit that is issued on behalf of a foreigner without being affiliated to an employer and gives the foreigner the right to work and reside in Turkey indefinitely. Foreigners who have a long-term residence permit or a legal work permit for at least eight years in Turkey may apply for an permanent work permit. However, the foreigner's fulfilment of the application conditions does not provide the foreigner with an absolute right to be granted an permanent work permit. Permanent work permit documents are renewed at the end of every five years as of the start date of the work permit. The application for renewal shall be made within six months before the expiry of the five-year period from the start date of the permanent work permit and in any case before the expiry date.

It is a work permit issued on behalf of the foreigner without being affiliated to an employer and gives the foreigner the right to work on his/her own behalf and account in Türkiye. An independent work permit may be issued in line with the international labour force policy, taking into account the foreigner's level of education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, the impact of his/her activity or investment in Türkiye on the country's economy and employment, his/her capital share if he/she is a foreign company partner and other similar issues. Independent work permit is issued for a period of time.

The documents required for a work permit are available at https://www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/belgeler/.

Work permit applications can be made in two different ways, from abroad and from within the country, through the Foreigners' Work Permits Application System (e-İzin).

Work permit application is made directly to the Ministry in Türkiye. For foreigners who have a residence permit issued in Türkiye for at least six months and still valid as of the date of work permit application, the relevant employers may apply for a work permit through the e-Government portal (https://www.calismaizni.gov.tr). In addition, foreigners who are legally present in Türkiye among the foreigners to be determined by the Directorate General may apply through the system without a valid residence permit.

The work permit application from abroad is completed in two stages. In the first stage, the foreigner applies for a work permit in person at the embassy or consulate general of the Republic of Türkiye in the country where he/she is a citizen or legally resides, and is given a 16-digit reference number by the embassy or consulate general based on this application. In the second stage, the foreigner is required to inform his/her employer in Türkiye about the given reference number, and his/her employer is required to apply for a work permit to our Ministry through the e-Government portal (https://www.calismaizni.gov.tr) using this reference number. 

Work permit applications shall be evaluated according to the work permit evaluation criteria determined by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the international labour force policy. The evaluation of duly completed applications is completed within thirty days, provided that the information and documents are complete. The thirty-day period starts from the date the application is completed through the system or, if additional information and documents are requested, from the date the requested information and documents are uploaded through the system. In the process of evaluating work permit applications, the Ministry shall take the opinions of relevant public institutions and organisations and professional organisations in the nature of public institutions, if deemed necessary.

The decision of the Ministry regarding the foreigners whose work permit application is finalised (positive or negative) is notified to the e-mail address declared during the application. For applications made from abroad, the result is also notified to the relevant foreign representation online. In addition, the result of the application can also be viewed on the e-İzin system.

The relevant persons may appeal against the decisions to be taken by the Ministry regarding the rejection of the request for granting a work permit or extension of the work permit period, cancellation of the work permit or termination of the work permit within thirty days from the date of notification. Objections regarding the rejection of the work permit application are made online through the system, and the petition and documents with an explanation regarding the objection must be uploaded to the Foreigners' Work Permits Application System (e-İzin). In case the objection is rejected by the Ministry, administrative judicial remedy may be applied.

For foreigners whose work permit application has been rejected, it is possible to reapply for a work permit if the deficiency subject to the rejection is eliminated. Rejection of a work permit application shall not prevent a new work permit application.

The tracking number of the completed application can be seen by following the "Application Procedures"-"Completed Applications"-"Applications under Evaluation" tabs in the e-İzin system.

It is obligatory to fulfil the social security obligations of foreigners with a work permit through the procedures and principles regarding the wage and full-time work declared and committed during the work permit application. For domestic applications, the foreigner must start working by fulfilling his/her obligations under the relevant legislation within one month from the start date of the work permit. For applications made from abroad, it is obligatory for the foreigner to start working by fulfilling his/her obligations under the relevant legislation within one month from the date of entry into the country and in any case within six months from the start date of the work permit.

If a work permit is granted, the foreigner is required to go to the foreign representative office where the foreigner applied and pay the work and residence permit fees and visa fee. Applications for which fees and valuable paper fees are not paid within thirty days from the date of notification of payment of work permit fees and valuable paper fees are rejected. After the foreign representative office affixes a visa sticker to the foreigner's passport, the foreigner can enter Türkiye. The work permit card issued by the Ministry is delivered to the employer's address by PTT Cargo. Foreigners who come to Türkiye by obtaining a work visa from the foreign representative office are obliged to register in the address registration system within twenty days at the latest from the date of entry.

Work permit documents for work permits approved by the Ministry are printed and sent to the employer's address by PTT Cargo. Notifications regarding the status of these shipments are sent by PTT to the mobile phone registered in the system, and the status of the shipment can be seen by following the "Application Procedures Menu"-"Finalised Applications"-"Post Permit Transactions"-"Card Tracking" tabs by entering the system via e-Government.

In case the work permit document, which is still valid, is lost/stolen or damaged in such a way that it cannot be used; by logging into the e-İzin system via e-Government and clicking on the "New Card Request" button from the "Application Procedures"-"Finalised Applications"-"Post-Permit Procedures" tab, it can be requested to re-issue the work permit document. If the request is deemed appropriate, the foreigner will be requested by e-mail to pay a fee equal to half of the valuable paper fee and work permit fee. If the specified amounts are paid, a new work permit document will be printed and sent to your workplace address. For work permits that are not registered in the e-İzin system, a written petition can be applied to the Ministry.

Work permit extension application is made through the system as of sixty days before the expiry of the work permit and in any case before the work permit expires.

Foreigners for whom a work permit extension application has been made may continue to work from the date of expiry of the work permit during the evaluation of the application and in any case for a period not exceeding ninety days and provided that the work performed and the workplace does not change. The work during this period shall be considered as legal work and the rights and obligations of the foreigner and the employer arising from the work permit shall continue in the same manner.

If the work permit extension application is evaluated positively, the foreigner is issued a work permit for a maximum of two years in the first extension application and up to three years in subsequent extension applications, depending on the same employer.

Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, Implementing Regulation on International Labour Force Law, Regulation on Turquoise Card, Regulation on the Employment of International Protection Applicants and International Protection Status Holders, Regulation on Work Permits of Foreigners under Temporary Protection, Regulation on Work Permits of Foreigners to Work in Free Zones and Regulation on Employment of Foreign Nationals in Foreign Direct Investments are the legislation in force.

Law No. 6735 covers foreigners who apply for or work in Türkiye to work, foreigners who apply for or receive vocational training with an employer, foreigners who apply for or receive vocational training, foreigners who apply for or receive internship, foreigners who are cross-border service providers in Türkiye for the purpose of temporary service provision, and real and legal persons who employ or apply for the employment of foreigners. In the implementation of the Law, the provisions of bilateral or multilateral agreements and international conventions to which Türkiye is a party are reserved.

Foreigners who are stated in other laws or in bilateral or multilateral agreements or international conventions to which Türkiye is a party that they can work without a work permit can work in Türkiye without a work permit. Foreigners holding a Blue Card (Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901), foreigners with refugee or subsidiary protection status (Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection) and foreigners who are members of diplomatic missions (Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations dated 1961/1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations) can be listed as examples in this context. 

Within the scope of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 dated 29/05/2009 and numbered 5901, those who were Turkish citizens by birth and lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining an exit permit from the Ministry of Interior, and their descendants up to the third degree who have a Blue Card or who certify that they are registered in the Blue Card Registry, may work in Türkiye without obtaining a work permit. No work permit document shall be issued for these persons. However, upon their request, a document stating that they may work in Türkiye shall be issued.

Foreigners found to be working without a work permit and their employers are subject to administrative fines. In addition, foreigners found to be working without a work permit are reported to the Ministry of Interior for deportation.

According to Law No. 6735, a work permit or work permit exemption is a substitute for a residence permit. However, the possession of a residence permit for any reason by foreigners other than refugee or subsidiary protection status does not give the foreigner the right to work.

Work permit applications are evaluated by taking into consideration the situation in the labour market in Türkiye, developments in the labour market, sectoral and economic conjuncture conditions regarding employment. In addition, it is not possible to grant work permits to foreigners in professions and positions that are reserved only for Turkish citizens in the relevant legislation.

These professions are reserved for Turkish citizens in accordance with various legal regulations and the most well-known ones are the jobs and professions listed below:

• Founder, Manager, Trainer for Private Security Companies and Representatives Authorised by the Legal Entity Partner of the Company (Article 5 of the Law on Private Security Services)
• Private Security Officers (Article 10 of the Law on Private Security Services)
• Bazaar and Neighbourhood Watch (Article 3 of the Law on Bazaar and Neighbourhood Watch)
• Financial Consultancy (Article 4 of the Law on Certified Public Accountancy and Sworn-in Certified Public Accountancy)
• Members of the Board of Directors of the Cooperative (Article 56 of the Law on Cooperatives)
• Assistant Customs Consultant (Article 227 of the Customs Law)
• Founders of Schools Opened by Foreigners and Teaching in Languages Other Than Turkish (Article 8 of the Private Education Law)
• Responsible Manager in Private Hospitals (Article 9 of the Private Hospitals Law)
• Dentistry (Law on the Practice of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Article 30)
• Hospital careworker (Law on the Practice of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Article 63)
• Pharmacy (Article 2 of the Law on Pharmacists and Pharmacies)
• Veterinary Medicine (Article 2 of the Law on the Execution of the Veterinary Medicine Profession, the Formation of the Turkish Veterinary Medical Association and its Chambers and the Affairs to be Performed)
• Foreign Assistants to Work Outside Speciality Training (Article 20 of the Regulation on Speciality in Medicine)
• Notary (Article 7 of the Notary Law)
• Judge and Prosecutor (Article 7 of the Law on Judges and Prosecutors)
• Lawyer (Article 3 of the Law on Lawyers)
• Mediator (Article 20 of the Law on Mediation in Civil Disputes)
• Expert Witness (Article 12 of the Expert Witness Law)
• Concordat Commissioner (Article 4 of the Regulation on Concordat Commissioner and Board of Creditors)
• Trainee Aviation Information Management Officer (Article 16 of Aviation Information Management Personnel Licence and Rating Regulation)
• Honorary Traffic Inspector (Highway Traffic Law Additional Article 6)
• Organisation of Transport Works (Article 7 of the Regulation on Organisation of Transport Works)
• Agency Supervisor, Travel Agency Supervisor (Article 3 of the Law on Travel Agencies and Association of Travel Agencies)
• Tourist Guide (Article 3 of the Tourist Guide Profession Law)
• Export of fish, oysters, mussels, sponges, sponges, pearls, corals; diving, prospecting, pilotage, captain, captaincy, navigation, clerk, crew, etc. within the territorial waters (Article 3 of the Cabotage Law)
• Sports Counsellors (Article 5 of the General Directorate of Youth and Sports Regulation on Appointment and Employment of Sports Counsellors)
• Labour Intermediary in Agriculture (Article 6 of the Regulation on Labour Intermediation in Agriculture)
• Ship Agency Official and Ship Agency Personnel (Articles 7 and 8 of the Regulation on Ship Agencies)
• Permanent Supervisor, Technical Staff (Articles 125 and 130 of the Mining Regulation)

According to the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, foreigners who are company partners of limited liability companies, company partners of joint stock companies, members of the board of directors of joint stock companies, directors of limited partnership companies with capital divided into shares, can work by obtaining a work permit. Established in accordance with Law No. 6102, non-resident members of the board of directors of joint stock companies and non-managing partners of other companies are considered within the scope of work permit exemption.

Can international protection applicants and conditional refugee status holders apply for a work permit?

International protection applicants and conditional refugee status holders are obliged to obtain a work permit before starting work. The work permit application can be made six months after the date of the international protection application. The applications of international protection applicants and conditional refugees, who are obliged to reside in a certain province, to obtain a work permit outside the borders of this province are finalised by taking the opinion of the Ministry of Interior.

A foreigner with a dependent-permanent work permit is granted a work permit on condition that he/she works in a specific workplace belonging to a real or legal person or a public institution or organisation, or in a specific job in their workplaces in the same line of business.

Work permits are issued to work in a specific job, workplace and address. A foreigner who has a work permit with a specific employer cannot work in the workplace of another employer with the same permit. In order for the foreigner to work in the workplace of a different employer, he/she must obtain a new work permit. However, it is possible for a foreigner who has been granted a work permit under one employer to work in a different position in the workplace of the same employer or in other branches of this employer in the same line of business if the necessary conditions are met.

Statistical data on work permits of foreigners can be accessed from the website of our Ministry (https://www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/istatistikler/).

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security notifies the employer or the foreigner of its decision regarding the rejection of the request for granting or extending the work permit or the cancellation of the work permit or the termination of the work permit. The decisions to be taken by the Ministry may be appealed against by the relevant persons within thirty days from the date of notification. In case the objection is rejected, administrative judgement may be applied.

Pursuant to the Law on Fees dated 02/07/1964 and numbered 492, work permits and work permit exemptions to be granted to foreigners are subject to fees. In addition, pursuant to the Law No. 210 on Valuable Papers, work permit and work permit exemption documents issued by the Ministry are considered as valuable papers and a valuable paper fee is charged for each document to be issued. No fee is charged for work permit exemption applications requested for less than three months. Turquoise Card holder foreigners are not subject to fees and a valuable paper fee is charged for the document issued. Current work permit fee amounts and valuable paper fee amounts can be found at https://www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm.

Work permit fee and valuable paper fee can be paid online through the "Payment with Reference Number" option on the main page of the Digital Tax Office (https://ivd.gib.gov.tr/).

Work permit fee and valuable paper fee Payments can be made by clicking on the "Payment with Reference Number" screen on the main page of the Digital Tax Office (https://dijital.gib.gov.tr), selecting the name of the institution as "General Directorate of International Labour Force" on the screen that opens and using the T.C. Foreigner Identification Number starting with "9" and the Transaction (Reference ID) Number sent to the foreigner via e-mail. If payments are to be made through contracted banks in Turkey (T.C. Ziraat Bank, T. Halk Bankası, T. Vakıflar Bankası), the amounts specified in the e-mail must be deposited in full and in full to the account codes specified in the e-mail. In case of depositing less or more than the requested amount, the transaction cannot be finalised. In this context

For Work Permit Certificate:

- The work permit fee amount to the account coded 9130,

- Valuable Paper Fee to the account coded 9267;

For Work Permit Exemption Certificate:

- Work permit exemption fee amount to the account coded 9280,

- The Valuable Paper Fee must be paid to the account coded 9268;

with separate receipts (by declaring the foreign identity number of the foreign person).

In these payments, no additional transfer or similar costs will be paid to the banks. All payments made can be seen through the system and there is no need to submit a receipt to the Ministry.

In order for the e-İzin system to run smoothly, it is recommended to use Google Chrome as an internet browser. In order to avoid problems in electronic signature transactions and to see the system warnings, it is necessary to switch the internet browser settings to "Allow Pop-up Windows" (switch off the pop-up blocker).

Work permit applications can be made to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to employ foreigners for domestic services; elderly, disabled, or child care and patient accompaniment.

If the persons who will employ foreigners in domestic services are elderly or disabled or are not in a position to apply, their first-degree relatives can be employers. In this case, after the workplace record is opened with the information and electronic signature of the first-degree relative, the address where the foreigner will work should be entered in the system while making the application. In addition, a document showing the proximity and a copy of the identity card of the person to be cared for should be attached to the contract to be uploaded.

If the workplace is the main employer, the last three digits following 23 digits should be entered as 000. In case of sub-employer status, this number should be learnt from the relevant Provincial Directorate of Social Security.

With the Decree Law No. 663, foreign doctors and nurses are allowed to work in Turkey and they apply for a work permit to the Ministry with the preliminary permission certificate obtained from the Ministry of Health and a work permit is issued to those whose application is approved. If the foreigner for whom a work permit is requested has graduated from abroad, it is mandatory to submit a diploma equivalency certificate.

Work permits are issued for a period of sixty days shorter than the validity period of the foreigner's passport or passport substitute documents.

In the e-İzin automation system, employer registration can be made by the employer's workplace SSI e-Declaration user registered in the SSI. After the workplace registration is created by the workplace SSI e-Declaration user, the persons to be authorised can be authorised to apply on behalf of the workplace by entering the T.R. identification number by entering the "Employer Management Panel" - "Authorisation Procedures" menu. After the employer registration is opened by the workplace e-Declaration user, the authorised persons can apply on behalf of that workplace when they enter the system.

In the e-İzin automation system, employer registration can be made by the employer's workplace SSI e-Declaration user registered in the SSI. After the workplace registration is created by the workplace SSI e-Declaration user, the persons to be authorised can be authorised to apply on behalf of the workplace by entering the T.R. identification number by entering the "Employer Management Panel" - "Authorisation Procedures" menu. After the employer registration is opened by the workplace e-Declaration user, the authorised persons can apply on behalf of that workplace when they enter the system.

After the employer registration is opened by the workplace e-Declaration user, there is no limit on the authorisation of persons to apply on behalf of the workplace.

Workplace SSI e-Declaration user is authorised to update other information except for the automatic information from SSI (this information can be updated from SSI).

When at least three letters in the task to be performed by the foreigner are entered into the system, all tasks containing the typed text are listed. From this list, it is possible to select the relevant task that the foreigner will work in accordance with the labour contract.

Documents to be uploaded to the e-İzin system must be maximum 2 MB in size and in PDF format.

The photograph to be uploaded to the e-İzin system must be in JPEG, PNG, GIF or JPG format. The photograph of the foreigner must be taken in colour within the last 6 months, from the front, with an open face, in a way that the foreigner can be easily recognised, with a white background (biometric).

Check whether there is a green tick (ü) next to the title of each tab in the application. There is a deficiency in the tab without a check mark. The application should be continued by completing the relevant missing information. If the e-Signature window does not open when the "Save" button is clicked even though all tabs are completed, make sure that the "Allow Pop-ups" status (switching off the pop-up blocker) is set in the internet browser settings. It is recommended to use Google Chrome as an internet browser in order to run the e-İzin automation system smoothly.

In the e-İzin system, an application is a completed application if all tabs of an application are filled in and completed with e-Signature. However, if an application is saved without being signed with e-Signature even if all information is entered, it is saved in the incomplete applications section. Tracking of the applications can be done from the tabs under the "Application Tracking Operations" menu.

In the e-İzin system, all transactions are carried out online and there is no need to send information or documents to the Ministry in paper format for work permit applications completed with e-Signature.

After preparing the requested missing document in PDF format, it must be uploaded from the transaction menu of the relevant application in the "Application Tracking Procedures"- "Applications Under Evaluation" field. After uploading the document, the process must be completed with an electronic signature.

Regarding the cancellation of the work permits issued by the Ministry, the employer must follow the "Post Permit Transactions"-"Permit Termination Request" tabs on the e-İzin automation system and complete the process with an electronic signature.

If a foreigner holding a work permit falls ill or has an occupational accident, the provisions of the relevant legislation shall apply.

Employers employing foreigners and foreigners on whose behalf a work permit is issued for work permits issued without being affiliated to an employer are obliged to notify the Ministry within fifteen days of the commencement and termination of the work permit or work permit exemption, and the circumstances that may require the cancellation of the work permit or work permit exemption.

There is no obstacle for foreign workers working in Türkiye to become union members.