Research checked: 29 September 2026. A foreign national taking a job in Türkiye generally needs a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before starting work. An overseas applicant first visits a Turkish embassy or consulate and receives a 16-digit reference number; the Turkish employer then files the work-permit application through the e-İzin system.
A person already in Türkiye normally needs a valid residence permit issued for at least six months for the employer to file domestically, subject to defined exceptions. A tourist stay, offer letter or ordinary visa does not independently authorise employment.
Türkiye work-permit routes compared
| Situation | Application route | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Worker living abroad | Turkish mission plus employer e-İzin application | Employer uses the 16-digit consular reference |
| Worker lawfully resident in Türkiye | Employer domestic e-İzin application | Normally needs a qualifying residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid |
| Person in a defined exempt activity | e-Muafiyet exemption application | The exact activity and time limit must match an exemption |
| Self-employed or investor applicant | Independent work-permit assessment | Experience, investment and economic contribution are considered |
| Long-term eligible worker | Permanent or other advanced permit route | Separate statutory eligibility and document-renewal rules apply |
What sponsorship means in Türkiye
Sponsorship means a genuine Turkish employer signs the employment contract, registers the workplace in the official system, supplies company and job evidence, and files for a named foreign worker. The Ministry decides the application.
The initial fixed-term permit is specific to an employer, job and workplace or qualifying same-line workplaces. It is not a transferable certificate that a recruiter can sell.
Overseas application: stage one
The foreign worker applies in person at the Turkish embassy or consulate general in the country of citizenship or lawful residence. The mission creates a 16-digit reference number for the work-permit application.
The worker sends that reference to the verified employer in Türkiye. Do not send it to an unverified agent because it is the link used for the employer’s electronic filing.
Overseas application: employer stage
The employer registers or uses its workplace account through e-Government and e-İzin, enters the reference number, uploads the required company, contract and worker documents, and finalises the application with the required electronic authorisation.
The employer and worker should follow the application through the official system. An embassy application without the employer’s second-stage filing is incomplete.
Domestic application
For most domestic applications, the foreigner must hold a Turkish residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid on the filing date. Published Migration Management guidance excludes some short-term tourist residence situations and recognises specified exceptions.
The relevant Turkish employer files directly with the Ministry through e-İzin. Lawful presence alone should not be mistaken for eligibility to use the domestic route.
Application sequence from abroad
- Verify the Turkish employer and actual vacancy.
- Agree duties, workplace, gross salary, hours and contract duration.
- Sign the employment contract required for the application.
- Apply in person at the competent Turkish mission.
- Receive the 16-digit reference number and send it securely to the employer.
- The employer completes the e-İzin application and uploads evidence.
- Respond promptly if the Ministry requests additional documents.
- After approval, pay official fees through authorised channels.
- Enter Türkiye under the approved work process.
- Complete migration, address, social-security and payroll registration.
Documents normally required
- Employment contract signed by employer and worker.
- Valid passport and translation where the passport is not in Latin script.
- Recent photograph and accurate personal information.
- Diploma or qualification documents where required.
- Professional equivalency or preliminary permission for regulated roles.
- Employer tax number, trade registration and workplace SSI information.
- Balance-sheet, turnover or other financial evidence where applicable.
- Consular reference for an overseas application.
The route and occupation determine the final checklist. Use the current Ministry document page and application guide rather than an old recruiter list.
Thirty-day evaluation target
The Ministry states that a duly completed application is normally decided within 30 days where all information and documents are complete. If additional evidence is requested, the period runs from the date the requested material is uploaded and the application becomes complete.
This is not a guaranteed arrival date. Consular steps, document corrections, fee payment, card production and travel can add time.
First work-permit duration
A positively assessed first fixed-term permit can be issued for up to one year, provided it does not exceed the employment or service contract. It covers a specific job under a specific employer at the stated workplace or qualifying workplaces in the same line of business.
Passport validity also matters: the Ministry states that permits are issued for a period 60 days shorter than the passport or substitute document’s validity. Renew a short passport before filing where practical.
Work permit as residence permission
A standard work permit generally counts as a residence permit during its validity. Stated exceptions apply to permits issued to temporary-protection holders, international-protection applicants and conditional refugees.
Published guidance instructs work-permit holders entering Türkiye to register with the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management within 20 working days. The worker should also complete address and social-security formalities.
Extension rules
An extension can be filed from 60 days before the existing permit expires and must be submitted before expiry. A late filing is treated under first-application rules rather than as a timely extension.
After one lawful year, the first approved extension can be issued for up to two years with the same employer. Later approved extensions may be up to three years. A change of employer is not treated as a simple same-employer extension.
Employer employment criterion
For balance-sheet workplaces, the general evaluation criteria normally require at least five Turkish citizens employed at the workplace for each foreign worker requested. The Ministry publishes exemptions and sector-specific rules, so the test must be checked against the current category.
A company that cannot identify the criterion or exemption it relies on should not promise guaranteed approval.
Financial eligibility
Employer capital, sales, exports or other financial thresholds can apply depending on the employer and sector. Different rules may apply to newly established businesses, foreign company partners, liaison offices and designated sectors.
Use current Ministry evaluation criteria because sectoral measures can start or expire during 2026. Do not rely on a single historic turnover figure copied across unrelated occupations.
Salary criteria
The offered gross salary must meet the multiple of the statutory minimum wage applicable to the worker’s occupation or seniority under the Ministry’s current criteria. Higher-level executives, engineers, architects and specialist professionals can require higher multiples than ordinary roles.
The contract, application and payroll should show consistent lawful pay. A promise to reduce the salary after approval can breach the basis of the permit.
Sector-specific 2026 rules
The evaluation page contains targeted criteria and temporary measures for sectors such as livestock, manufacturing and poultry. Some provisions modify employment or financial tests for defined applications and effective dates.
An exception for one sector does not apply to a warehouse, hotel or unrelated factory. Verify the workplace activity code, occupation and effective period.
Work-permit exemptions
Türkiye recognises exemptions for specifically defined short-term or special activities. Applications use the e-Muafiyet system. A person applying from abroad may need a 16-digit consular reference, while an in-country exemption application generally has timing rules linked to arrival and lawful stay.
An exemption is not a casual alternative for ordinary employment. Choose the correct sector and category and obtain the official exemption document before relying on it.
Independent work permit
An independent permit allows qualifying activity without attachment to a single employer. The assessment can consider education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, investment, economic and employment effects, and company ownership.
Registering a company does not guarantee this permit. Ordinary employees should not be pushed into fake self-employment to avoid employer criteria.
Changing employer or job
The fixed-term permit is employer and job specific. A worker should not begin at another company or in materially different duties until the required new application is approved.
Keep written termination evidence and ask the Ministry or a qualified adviser how lawful stay will be maintained. The old card’s printed expiry date does not prove continuing authority after cancellation.
If employment ends
The employer must complete termination and social-security notifications. Because a work permit generally serves as residence permission, cancellation can also affect lawful stay unless the worker holds a separate valid residence permit.
Migration Management guidance notes that a separate residence permit can remain valid after work-permit cancellation. Confirm the individual record instead of assuming every worker has this protection.
Regulated occupations
Healthcare workers can need preliminary Ministry of Health permission, and foreign graduates may need diploma equivalency. Engineering, architecture, education and other professions can have recognition, chamber or signature restrictions.
Some professions are reserved by law. A work permit does not override a professional prohibition or missing licence.
Employer verification matrix
| Evidence | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Trade and tax registration | Legal name, number, address and authorised signatory | Genuine businesses can be impersonated |
| SSI workplace registration | Correct workplace and authorised e-İzin user | The employer files through the official workplace account |
| Employment contract | Salary, duties, hours, location and duration | The first permit is based on this job |
| Evaluation basis | Employment, financial and salary criteria or exemption | Reveals unrealistic approval promises |
| Permit verification | QR code and official inquiry system | Detects forged cards |
Fees and payments
Approved applicants pay the published work-permit fee and valuable-paper fee through the authorised channels identified by the Ministry. The current amounts vary by permit type and duration.
Use the reference-number payment option or named contracted channels. Do not send “government fees” to a recruiter’s personal or cryptocurrency account.
Salary and contract review
Check gross and estimated net salary, guaranteed hours, overtime, shifts, weekly rest, leave, probation and notice. Itemise accommodation, meals, transport, equipment and agency deductions.
The salary must satisfy both labour law and work-permit evaluation criteria. Reject wage repayment, cash-only payroll or a replacement contract with worse terms.
Realistic job sectors
Foreign recruitment may occur in tourism and hospitality, manufacturing, export businesses, technology, education, healthcare, agriculture, livestock, domestic care and specialist management. Each sector has different criteria and licensing risks.
Turkish-language ability can be essential even when the advert is in English. Verify the workplace, shift, occupation code and practical language requirement.
Where to find legitimate vacancies
- Verified employer career pages.
- İŞKUR and official employment resources.
- Established Turkish recruitment agencies.
- Professional associations and chambers.
- International-company regional portals.
Save the original advert and confirm it through independently sourced company contact details. Compare it with the signed contract and e-İzin application.
Housing and arrival budget
Confirm the full address, rent, deposit, utilities, occupancy and commute. Ask who completes address registration and whether employer housing ends when employment ends.
Budget for official fees, translations, travel, rent and emergency departure. Do not surrender a passport as collateral.
Worker-rights evidence
Keep the contract, consular reference, application number, permit decision, QR-verifiable card, address record, SSI registration, payslips and bank transfers. Record hours and deductions.
A permit does not authorise passport retention, unpaid productive work, unsafe conditions or unlawful deductions. Seek help from the labour authorities, migration authority, a union or qualified lawyer where conditions differ materially.
Scam warnings
Reject guaranteed permits, fake 16-digit references, forged QR cards, tourist-to-work promises, paid interviews and demands for personal-account transfers. A real reference still needs a real employer filing.
Verify the employer, permit and payment details through official systems. Never rely only on a recruiter-supplied link or screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Who files an overseas work-permit application?
The worker starts at the Turkish mission and receives a reference; the Turkish employer completes the Ministry application through e-İzin.
Can I apply domestically as a visitor?
Ordinarily, domestic filing requires a qualifying residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid, subject to specified exceptions.
How long is a first permit?
Up to one year, not exceeding the contract and passport-related limits, for the approved employer and job.
Does a work permit count as residence?
Generally yes during its validity, except for the stated protection-related categories.
When can an extension be filed?
From 60 days before expiry and no later than the expiry date.
The strongest strategy
Start with a verified employer and contract, then track the consular reference, employer filing, Ministry decision, official payment, entry, migration registration and SSI payroll as separate checkpoints.
Keep one evidence file and recheck the current evaluation criteria immediately before submission because sectoral rules and minimum-wage-linked salary thresholds can change.
For a neighbouring EU permit framework, compare our Bulgaria visa sponsorship guide. Permission from either country does not authorise work in the other.
Compare this process with our Azerbaijan Visa Sponsorship Jobs in 2026: Work Permit, Work Visa and Residence Rules guide before choosing a destination or paying a recruiter.
