General rules regarding the employment of foreigners in Turkey are regulated in the International Labor Law (“Law numbered 6735”). There are two ways to apply for foreigners to work in Turkey, from abroad and domestically. Foreigners who are in Turkey with a valid residence permit for at least 6 months can apply for work permit.

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WORK PERMIT IN TURKEY
General rules regarding the employment of foreigners in Turkey are regulated in the International Labor
Law (“Law numbered 6735”). There are two ways to apply for foreigners to work in Turkey, from abroad
and domestically. Foreigners who are in Turkey with a valid residence permit for at least 6 months can
apply for work permit.
Documents required by the employer:
1. The employment contract signed between the foreign worker and the employer
2. Turkish Trade Registry Gazette showing the latest capital and partnership structure of the organization
3. Balance sheet and profit/loss statement of the last year, approved by tax office or certified public
accountant
4. Document proving that organizations (including consortia) that have the right to carry out projects for
which international tenders have been opened by public institutions and organizations have undertaken the
work to be received from the relevant institution and organization
5. Payroll proving that Turkish engineers/architects/contractors are employed in the same profession in
legal entities that will employ foreign experts within the scope of engineering, architecture, contracting
and consultancy services
6. Notarized PoA of the person authorized to make the electronic application as a user on behalf of the
institution and organization that will employ foreign personnel, or a document showing that the person
under the capacity of user works in the institution and organization that made the application.
7. It is mandatory to obtain preliminary permission from the competent authority in the evaluation of work
permit applications of foreigners who will work in health and education services that require professional
competence. In health services; Turkish Ministry of Health and in the education services; Turkish Ministry
of Education are competent authorities to issue preliminary permission for the applicant employer
companies.
Documents required by the worker:
1. Copy of the foreign employee’ passport
2. Copy of the Diploma or Temporary Graduation Certificate with sworn Turkish translation and
notarized.
3. Biometric passport photo of the foreign employee
Criteria’s’ that applicant employer companies and foreigner employees must comply with:
1. In the workplace for which a work permit is requested, at least five Turkish Citizen employee must be
under the payroll of the employer company.

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2. The paid-in capital of the employer company must be at least TRY100.000 or its gross sale must be at
least TRY800.000 or the last year's export amount must be at least USD250.000
3. Article 2, shall not be applied in the permit requests for foreigners to work in associations and
foundations, and articles 1 and 2 shall not be applied in the evaluation of work permit applications of
foreigners who will work in the Turkish representations of foreign state airlines, education sector and
domestic services.
4. The foreign partner of the company requesting permission must have at least 20 percent of the capital
and not less than TRY40.000.
5. The amount of monthly wage declared to be paid to the foreigner employee by the employer company
must be at a level compatible with the foreigner's duty and competence. Accordingly, taking into account
the minimum wage as of the date of application, the minimum wage to be paid to the foreigner must be;
- 6.5 times than the minimum wage for senior managers and pilots,
- 4 times than the minimum wage for unit or branch managers, engineers and architects,
- 3 times than the minimum wage for teachers and those who will work in jobs that require
expertise and mastery,
- At least the minimum wage for foreigners to be employed in home services, 1.5 times the
minimum wage for foreigners who will work in other professions,
- 2 times than the minimum wage for foreigners who will work in tourism-animation organization
companies as acrobats and similar titles, and for foreigners who will work in jobs such as
masseurs, masseuses and SPA therapists.
MINIMUM WAGE MULTIPLES TO BE APPLIED IN 2022 (GROSS/TRY)
PERIOD: 07.01.2022 – 12.31.2022
MINIMUM
WAGE
1.5X THE
MINIMUM
WAGE
(GROSS)
2X THE
MINIMUM
WAGE
(GROSS)
3X THE
MINIMUM
WAGE
(GROSS)
4X THE
MINIMUM
WAGE
(GROSS)
6.5X THE
MINIMUM
WAGE
(GROSS)
6,471 9,706.50 12,942 19,413 25,884 42,061.50

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6. The work permit applications of the employer companies with the scope of following:
At least three-star tourism establishments, certified by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
certified holiday villages, thermal hotels with operating permits obtained from official authorities, ,
- Hammam-sauna-SPA etc. facilities that have a contract (with a contract) with the certified tourism
enterprises,
- Sports centers with permission from official authorities that employ at least twenty (20) Turkish citizens
foreign employment requests for jobs that require expertise and mastery such as masseurs, masseuses and
SPA therapists will be evaluated by the Ministry, applications of the employer companies do not comply
with the aforesaid criterias’ will not be evaluated.
7. If at least 10 Turkish citizen is employed by the entertainment industry and tourism-animation
organization companies; the quota for the employment of five Turkish citizens for each foreigner will not
be applied separately for the work permit application of the foreigner employees that will work in
professional or expert fields of the sector.
Special regulation for foreign engineers and architects:
To issue application for work permits for foreign engineers and architects is kept within the scope of
exceptions in Article 20 of the Law numbered 6735. With its contribution to science and technology
specified in the Article 16/1/a of the same law, it is included in the scope of qualified workforce. In this
case, it turns out that foreign engineers and architects are exempted from work permits on certain
conditions. The exemption application is submitted directly to the Ministry in the relevant articles of the
law and as stated above.
In addition, in the Article 42nd
of the Regulation numbered 31718, the opinion of the, Union of Chambers
of Engineers and Architects of Turkey is taken in the work permit applications of foreign engineers and
architects. Before the Ministry decides on the subject, it sends the relevant documents to the Union of
Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey and finalizes the work permit application in the light of
that decision.
Finally, Turkish employer companies wants to employ foreign engineers and architects can apply work
permit exemption to the Ministry and Ministry takes into account the contribution of the foreign
employees to Turkish Economy. In that respect, with that work permit application evaluation criterias’
will not be applied to the Turkish employer company.

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Teşvikiye Mah. Şakayık Sok. No:42 D:6 Şişli, İstanbul, Türkiye
T: +90 212 951 03 04 E: info@dn-partners.com W: dn-partners.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY;
• https://www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/calisma-izni/calisma-izni-degerlendirme-kriterleri/
• ULUSLARARASI İŞGÜCÜ KANUNU
• https://www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/belgeler/izin-degerlendirme-sureci/
• ULUSLARARASI İŞGÜCÜ KANUNU UYGULAMA YÖNETMELİĞİ
• https://www.mondaq.com/turkey/contract-of
employment/1171266/yabanc305lar305n-trkiye39de-al305351mas305na-dair-genel-350ar
tlar-ve-al305351ma-304zni-al305nmas305