Work Permit in Turkey

WORK PERMIT IN TURKEY

All foreign nationals who want to work in Turkey must obtain a work permit  before starting work in Turkey required. It is possible to apply for a work permit from Turkey or abroad. It is illegal for an employer to hire a foreign worker who does not have a work permit. Otherwise, in addition to deportation of the foreigner, employers and foreign employees without work permit are subject to administrative fines.

Foreigners who want to work in Turkey must obtain a work permit before starting their studies. Applications must be made through a company/business entity. It is not possible for a foreigner to apply for a work permit on their own, without the employer and the specific job for which they have been accepted. A foreigner does not have the right to work independently of a particular job, and there is no general work permit that allows him to continue to protect this right.

There are two different ways that foreign workers can follow to obtain a work permit, depending on their residence;

• Except for residence permits given to students; Foreigners who have a residence permit valid for at least 6 months, for fields such as tourism, medical treatment, sports activities, etc., home services, child care, elderly care, disabled care, to obtain work permit They can apply to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services through >TÜRKPERMIT.

• If the foreigner does not have a valid residence permit, he/she should apply to the Turkish Consulate in the country of residence or citizenship. For work permit applications to be made in this way, TÜRKPERMIT prepares the entire file and performs the transactions in the fastest way.

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>How to Apply for a Work Permit from Turkey

Foreigners with a residence permit valid for at least 6 months, except for educational residence permits, through TÜRKPERMIT They can apply to the Ministry of Social Services.

Foreign employers and workers in Turkey should apply online with the necessary documents to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey. The documents to be given by the employee and the employer are different. During the online application, information is requested about both the employee and the employer. Then, the required documents must be uploaded to the  foreign work permit automation system.

The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey examines the documents and applications within the scope of the executive regulation of the International Labor Law No. 6735 (ILO) and other relevant legislation.  Work permit application result is notified via online e-mail. Work permit application and follow-up is done by TÜRKPERMIT.

 

 

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>How to Apply for a Work Permit from Outside of Turkey?

Foreigners who do not have a valid residence permit can apply for a work permit from their country of residence or citizenship. However, this application must be submitted to the Turkish Consulate in the country of residence or citizenship, along with a passport, visa application, a photograph and a copy of the employment contract.

The employer should apply online to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services (with reference number) within 10 days of the application made to the consulate.  Application for work permit in Turkey is made online. If all documents are complete and correct, the approval process takes an average of 30 days, and after approval, the applicant is informed by e-mail. Work permit application and follow-up is done by TÜRKPERMIT.

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>Who Can Get a Work Permit in Turkey?

• The law applies to foreigners currently working or applying for employment, foreigners applying for vocational trainees or vocational trainees, foreigners applying for internships, foreigners who are cross-border service providers and temporarily serving, natural or legal persons

• In addition to the scope of the law, managing partners of limited companies, members of the board of directors who are shareholders of joint stock companies, and managing partners of limited partnerships divided into shareholders must obtain a work permit.< /li>

• Even though the law covers most of the foreigners who work / will work in Turkey, many foreigners are not aware of the obligation of a work permit due to the thought that some lines of business do not require a work permit. However, there are some exceptions to the work permit requirements.

• Home services work permit, Child care at home, child care, Elderly care and Patient care and disabled care under the heading. No other application can be made for the Home Services Work Permit except for these business lines.

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>What are the Basic Documents Required for Work Permit Applications?

Some documents must be uploaded to the online system during the application process. However, these documents may differ depending on your business and the information you provide in your practice. Residence permit (at least 6 months before), passport, photograph, foreign identification number, fixed-term employment contract, printout of the trade registry of the workplace in the official gazette, good status certificate from the trade registry, tax registry document, other documents related to the company, and If the application is made by someone else on behalf of the company, the power of attorney is the most basic documents required for foreign work permit 

In addition, foreign applicants will be asked to submit their diplomas and certificates for the job. However, it may help you gain a work permit more easily if you meet other specific conditions, such as being married to a Turkish person for at least three years or having a Turkish parent. This means that the standard work permit criteria (which the Ministry defines as evaluation criteria) will not be applied in the evaluation of your application. In this case, you need to upload other supporting documents. When you reach the end of the application process, the system will show you which documents you need to upload, so Required documents for a work permit in Turkey must be ready before you start the application process.< /span>

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>What are the Evaluation Criteria for Employers and Foreigners?

The Ministry has set various evaluation criteria for both employers and employees;< /p>

• The employer who wants to employ a foreigner must have at least five Turkish employees. In cases where the foreigner who has applied for a work permit is also a partner of the company, this condition will be required in the last 6 months of the 1-year work permit. In this way, he can establish a new startup company for half a year.

• The company’s issued capital must be at least 100,000 TL, gross sales must be at least 800,000 TL, and its export value in the last year must be at least 250,000 USD, Work permit conditions in Turkey 

• However, these two criteria mentioned above are not intended for foreigners who will work in educational institutions, home service providers, foreign airline representatives in Turkey or government institutions and organizations; It is not applied in cases where there are provisions provided by international conventions of which Turkey is a part.

• One ​​of the work permit criteria is based on salaries. This criterion differs according to the profession. For example: teachers, psychologists, physiotherapists, performing artists and musicians are paid three times the minimum wage. Home services work permit workers must have at least a minimum wage.

• However, the evaluation criteria differ according to the sector, company and specific circumstances such as marrying a Turkish, having a Turkish parent or child, etc.

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>How to Find Out About the Result< /p>

Most of the foreign nationals who apply for a work permit in Turkey ask, “how many days it takes to get the work permit?” seeks an answer to the question. After the application, the evaluation of the application by the Ministry is usually completed within 15 to 30 days, provided that the application and information requests are completed, however, this period may be extended.

The Ministry sends the result of the application evaluation to the applicant via e-mail. If the application is approved, fees must be paid in accordance with the payment details specified in the e-mail. After the relevant fees are paid, the application is finalized and the work permit is sent to the address. If the application is rejected, it is possible to appeal the decision within 30 days from the date of notification. If the objection is rejected, a lawsuit can be filed against the administration.

 

span style=”font-size:12.0pt”>How Does the Process Work After Obtaining a Work Permit in Turkey?

As it is known, work permit or work permit exemption provides residence permit. Therefore, it will not be necessary to obtain a separate residence permit. After obtaining the work permit, the foreigner must register with the social security system within 30 days from the start date of the work permit for the applications submitted in Turkey.

If the application is approved, a one-year work permit is granted for a particular job and for a particular company. In the first extension for the same employer, a maximum of 2 years work permit is granted. When continuing to work with the same employer, a maximum of 3 years work permit is granted for the next extension. However, applications to work with different employers are considered as a first application. Extension applications must be made within 60 days before the current work permit expires.