Türkiye · Employment
Türkiye Work Permit (Çalışma İzni)
This is governed by the International Labour Force Law No. 6735 (2016) and administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı). As of 2026, the work permit also serves as the holder's residence permit for its full validity. New minimum-salary thresholds took effect 1 January 2026.
This is the only conventional, non-investment route to build residence years in Türkiye. But it depends entirely on a Turkish employer who is willing and able to sponsor you.
Qualifying routes
Government and valuable-paper fees run approximately TRY 19,000–21,000. A Turkish employer sponsors the application and files it through the e-Permit system. That employer must generally show paid-in capital of at least TRY 100,000, or TRY 800,000 in gross sales, or USD 250,000 in exports, and must meet the 5-Turkish-to-1-foreign employee ratio.
The minimum gross monthly salary is set as a multiple of the 2026 minimum wage of TRY 33,030. Most roles require 1.5x, or roughly TRY 49,545. Specialists and teachers need 2x, department managers 3x, engineers and architects 4x, and senior managers or pilots 5x. Benefits do not count toward this figure, and the salary must hold for the entire permit period.
The facts
- Minimum
- 20k TRY
- Total landed cost
- Government fees run approximately TRY 19,000–21,000 per application, plus legal, translation and notary costs, typically USD 1,000–3,000 if you use an advisor. The real obstacle is not the fee. It is the salary floor and the employer's capital and 5:1 headcount conditions.
- Route type
- By employment
- Timeline
- 1–3 months (Ministry review takes roughly 30 working days once a complete file is submitted. Add consulate lead time abroad and document legalisation on top of that. The first permit is granted for up to 1 year.)
- Physical presence
- There is no statutory day-count required to hold the permit, but it depends on genuine employment at the sponsoring workplace. For the residence-to-citizenship clock, total absences must stay under roughly 6 months across the qualifying period.
- Family
- SpouseChildren
- Permanent residency
- Yes. A permanent work permit becomes available after 8 years of legal residence, or after 6 years of continuous work permits with the same employer. A separate long-term residence permit is available after 8 uninterrupted years of legal residence. Both come with near-citizen rights.
- Citizenship
- Yes, through ordinary naturalisation under Article 11 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. That means 5 years of continuous legal residence, an intent to settle, adequate income and a clean record. It is discretionary, not automatic. The administration decides the file even when every condition is met.
- Language test
- Yes. Basic Turkish language proficiency is required for ordinary naturalisation.
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- A valid employment contract with a Türkiye-registered sponsoring employer.The employer must meet the capital requirement, at least TRY 100,000 paid-in or the equivalent in sales or exports, and the 5 Turkish : 1 foreign employee ratio.A gross salary at or above the role-based multiple of the 2026 minimum wage (TRY 33,030).A passport, a biometric photo, and the relevant diploma or qualification certificates, legalised and translated.Application filed through the Ministry's e-Permit system (from a consulate abroad, or in-country with a ≥6-month residence permit)
- The permit is tied to your employer. Losing or changing the job can void your status, and each new employer must re-sponsor you from scratch.
- The role-based minimum salary, 1.5x–5x the minimum wage, must be paid for the entire length of the permit. Falling below it can trigger revocation.
- Your employer must meet the 5:1 Turkish-to-foreign headcount ratio and clear certain capital thresholds. That shuts small firms and startups out of sponsoring altogether.
- The 5-year citizenship route is discretionary and requires passing a Turkish-language test. It is not a guaranteed upgrade.