The legal nature of an extension application
An extension is not the automatic renewal of the previous permit. The Ministry re-examines the current situation of the foreigner and the employer, the continuation of the working relationship, the duty and salary in the application, the social security records and the evaluation criteria. That a permit was granted in the previous year does not create an acquired right at the next extension; on the other hand, a refusal must also rest on concrete and current facts.
The basic difference between an extension and an initial application
An extension is made, before the term of the current permit runs out, for the continuation of the same working relationship. An application opened after the permit term has expired is evaluated under the initial application procedure and principles, even if the heading says "extension". An application made to work for a different employer is also an initial application. [3]
How is the sixty-day application period calculated?
When can the application be opened?
An extension application can be opened from the date when 60 days remain until the end of the current work permit. In every case the application must be completed with an electronic signature before the permit ends. It is risky to treat the last day only as the day for opening the form or uploading documents; the electronic signature and the completion record must also arise within the period. [1, Art. 7; 2, Art. 27; 3]
What happens if the application is made after the permit ends?
An extension request made after the permit has ended is examined under the conditions for an initial application. If the foreigner has no residence status that permits an application from within the country, the route of application from abroad may be necessary. An expired work permit does not on its own preserve the right to apply from within the country.
Proof of the date of application
The application screen, the time of the electronic signature, the application number and the "under evaluation" record should be kept together. A form or file prepared on a computer does not protect the time limit if it was not uploaded to e-İzin and e-signed in time. If a system failure is to be alleged, the screenshot, the support record and the time information should be preserved.
Extension with the same employer
The term of the first extension and of later extensions
After the one-year statutory working period, if the first extension application tied to the same employer is assessed favorably, a work permit of at most two years may be granted; at later extensions, of at most three years. These periods are upper limits. The employment contract, the passport, the project term, the condition of the workplace or special legislation may lead to a shorter permit. [1, Art. 10; 3, 5]
The 90-day work facility during the extension evaluation
A foreigner who applied for an extension in time may continue to work after the current permit ends, during the evaluation of the application and in any case for no more than 90 days. The conditions are:
- The job performed must not have changed.
- The workplace must not have changed.
- The application must have been completed in time and in proper form.
- The permit-related obligations of the employer and the foreigner must continue unchanged. [2, Art. 27; 5]
This 90-day period is not a general right to work that can be used after a refusal decision or with a different employer. If the application is concluded, the effect of the decision must be taken into account immediately.
SGK and salary obligations continue
Because working during the evaluation period is lawful, salary, SGK premiums, occupational health and safety and employment rights continue in the same way. The employer cannot end the insurance on the ground that an extension is awaited, nor report a salary below the one undertaken in the application. [5, 8]
Why is a move to a different employer not an extension?
A work permit is tied to a particular employer. If a foreigner moves to another employer, the new employer must request a work permit under the initial application procedure. The remaining term on the old permit card does not give the right to work for the new employer.
When can the foreigner work for the new employer?
Actual work should not begin before the new work permit is issued. The continuation of the permit with the old employer does not cover the new employer. When planning a change of employer, the end date of the old employment contract, the 15-day notification to the Ministry, the SGK exit, the type of the new application and the foreigner's stay status should be scheduled together.
Not confusing the refusal of an extension with a change of employer
If an extension with the same employer has been refused, another employer's new application is a separate administrative act. The new application does not stop the time limit for objection to, or suit against, the earlier refusal decision. Whether the earlier ground of refusal also affects the new employer should be examined separately.
Change of duty, salary, workplace and province
Change of duty within the same employer
A request to work in a different duty or workplace of the same employer may require Ministry approval and renewal of the card, depending on the nature of the change. The new duty must be consistent with the foreigner's education and current line of work; if a profession requiring prior permission arises, the document of the relevant institution must be obtained. The work permit endorsement cannot be disregarded by calling it merely an in-house change of title. [2, Art. 26]
Working at another branch or in another province
For a move to another branch of the same employer, the branch must be registered in the Ministry's system, the work must be similar, and the place of work must be brought within the scope of the permit. A move to a workplace in another province may require the card to be reissued and the address/SGK records to be updated. Even if the employer's legal entity is the same, an actual move must not be made without notifying the change of workplace.
Change of salary
The salary cannot be below the gross minimum wage coefficient required for the duty on the date of application. A raise does not, as a rule, cause a problem; reducing the salary together with a change of duty, or reporting to the SGK differently from the contract, may create a contradiction in the extension evaluation. [6]
Documents required for an extension application
| Document group | Main document | Point of examination |
|---|---|---|
| Current permit | Work permit card and system record | Permit end date, employer, duty and workplace |
| Foreigner | Passport and, if necessary, translation | Sufficient validity on the date of application |
| Employment relationship | Current employment contract | Consistency of term, salary, duty and place of work |
| Employer | Trade registry and authority records | Current representation, capital and partnership structure |
| Financial record | Balance sheet, income statement, sales/export documents | The criterion to be applied and the transitional provision |
| Employment | SGK employee lists | The correct workplace/branch, period and number of foreigners |
| Sector | Prior permission, licence and activity documents | Validity, duty and link with the workplace |
| Compliance | SGK premium and salary records | Actual practice in the previous permit period |
The Ministry may request additional documents depending on the nature of the file. A request for additional documents must be met in time, in the correct file format and with the electronic signature procedure completed.
Evaluation criteria in the extension application
The transitional provision in the financial criteria
The Ministry's current criteria state that a different practice may apply to the extension of permits granted before the date the criteria entered into force, and that as to financial adequacy the criterion in force on the date of the initial application will be taken as the basis. This provision does not mean that all the criteria are frozen or that every extension will be accepted automatically. Employment, salary, sector and the foreigner's current status are assessed separately. [6]
Five Turkish employees and exceptions
Although the general employment criterion is five Turkish employees for each foreigner, there may be exceptions based on high turnover, lawful stay history, sector, profession or the individual. In the extension file, which exception is applied and whether the conditions have continued during the permit period must be documented. A criterion exception does not remove the other grounds of refusal.
Updating the salary to the current minimum wage
In an extension application, the salary is assessed on the basis of the current gross minimum wage on the date of application and the duty coefficient. A lower absolute amount in the previous permit period may not be sufficient for the new year. In 2026 the gross minimum wage is TL 33,030; the senior executive/pilot level is TL 165,150, engineer/architect TL 132,120, other manager TL 99,090, specialist/master TL 66,060, and other jobs a gross salary of at least TL 33,030. [6, 13]
Fee, card fee and time limit for payment
After a favorable evaluation, a fee according to the permit term and a TL 964 value-bearing paper fee are paid. In 2026 the fee for a two-year fixed-term permit is TL 25,149.80 and for a three-year permit TL 37,724.70. If payment is not made within 30 days of notification, the application is refused. Making an extension request does not remove the obligation to pay the fee. [7]
Refusal of the extension application
A refusal decision must rest on one of the grounds in Article 9 of Law No. 6735. The decision may be objected to before the Ministry within 30 days of notification; if the objection is rejected, the administrative court route is open. An objection and a suit do not automatically stop the refusal decision. For a stay of execution, a clear unlawfulness and damage that is difficult or impossible to remedy must be explained together. [1, Art. 21; 11, Art. 27]
The decision of the 10th Chamber of the Council of State (Danıştay), E.2018/124, K.2022/213, concerns the extension application of company partners during the period of the repealed legislation. The majority upheld the annulment decision, while the dissent regarded the company's loss, personnel and commercial activity data as sufficient for refusal. The decision does not replace the current numerical criteria; but it shows the importance of discussing financial and employment data with concrete documents in the extension file. [15]
Table of critical time limits
| Procedure | Time limit | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Opening the extension application | 60 days before the permit ends | Cannot be opened earlier |
| Completing the application | Before the permit ends | Afterwards, the initial application procedure |
| Working during the evaluation | At most 90 days after the permit ends | On condition of the same job and workplace |
| Term of the first extension | At most 2 years | Tied to the same employer |
| Later extensions | At most 3 years | Tied to the same employer |
| Payment of fee and card | 30 days from notification | Refusal if not paid |
| Notification of the end of work | 15 days | Notification to the Ministry |
| Objection to a refusal decision before the Ministry | 30 days from notification | e-İzin and reasoned documents |
Common mistakes
- Taking the sixty-day period to be an additional period after the permit ends.
- Opening only the form on the last day without completing the electronic signature.
- Choosing a different employer's application as an extension.
- Using the 90-day work facility in a different duty or workplace.
- Not updating the new year's salary coefficients.
- Calculating the employment criterion on the wrong SGK workplace or the wrong month.
- Not noticing that the prior permission or licence term has expired.
- Continuing to work after a refusal decision.
- Thinking that the new application stops the time limit for objection to the old refusal decision.
Related articles: Work Permits in Türkiye: Application Conditions, Types, Extension and Objection to Refusal; Work Permit Application for Foreigners in Türkiye; Cancellation and Expiry of a Work Permit; Work Permit Evaluation Criteria for Foreigners.
Conclusion
The basic distinction in the work permit extension process is between the continuing relationship with the same employer and workplace and a move to a different employer. The application must be completed before the permit ends; the 90-day work facility should be used only for an extension made in time and for an unchanged job/workplace. The previous permit period should not be relied on without checking the salary, SGK, financial criteria, prior permission and fee processes against current data.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the extension application made?
It is completed through e-İzin from the date 60 days remain until the permit ends, and before the permit expires. [3]
Can an extension be applied for after the permit ends?
An application can be made; however, it is evaluated not as an extension but under the initial application procedure. The conditions for an application from within the country are also required separately.
Can the foreigner work until the extension is concluded?
If the application was made in time, they may work for at most 90 days after the permit ends, in the same job and at the same workplace. [5]
Can the 90 days be used when moving to a different employer?
No. A new work permit is required for a different employer; the protection of the extension with the old employer does not cover the new employer.
How many years can the first extension be?
With the same employer, at most two years at the first extension and at most three years at later extensions may be granted. [3]
Does the passport term affect the extension?
Yes. The permit cannot exceed the date 60 days before the passport expiry date. [4]
Is the five-Turkish-employee requirement sought at an extension?
The general rule applies; however, there may be transitional, sector, foreigner-based or workplace-based exceptions. [6]
Is the salary in the previous permit period sufficient?
No. The gross minimum wage and the duty coefficient on the date of application are taken as the basis. [6, 13]
Within how many days is an extension refusal objected to?
The Ministry can be objected to within 30 days of proper notification. [1, Art. 21]
Does filing a suit allow work to continue?
No. A suit does not automatically stay execution; a stay of execution is assessed separately. [11, Art. 27]
Sources
1. Law No. 6735 on International Labor Force (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu). Official Gazette, 13.08.2016, 29800; in particular Arts. 6-10, 15, 21-23. resmigazete.gov.tr
2. Implementing Regulation of the International Labor Force Law (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği). Official Gazette, 02.02.2022, 31738; in particular Arts. 22-27 and 66. resmigazete.gov.tr
3. Ministry of Labor and Social Security (ÇSGB) - Types of Application (Başvuru Türleri). Current official explanations on applications from within the country, from abroad and for extension of term. csgb.gov.tr
4. ÇSGB - Documents (Belgeler). Employment contract, passport, diploma, employer and sector documents. csgb.gov.tr
5. ÇSGB - Work Permit FAQ. Explanations on e-İzin, extension, 90-day work, permit termination and notification. csgb.gov.tr
6. ÇSGB - Evaluation Criteria (Değerlendirme Kriterleri). Employment, financial adequacy, salary and exception criteria; including the amendments of 03.08.2026. csgb.gov.tr
7. ÇSGB - Fee and Value-Bearing Paper Fee (Harç ve Değerli Kâğıt Bedeli). 2026 work permit fees and the TL 964 document fee. csgb.gov.tr
8. ÇSGB - Social Security of Foreign Workers (Yabancı Çalışanların Sosyal Güvenliği). The fifteen-day notification and social security obligations. csgb.gov.tr
11. Law No. 2577 on Administrative Procedure (İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu). In particular Arts. 2, 7, 11, 27, 28 and 32. mevzuat.adalet.gov.tr
13. ÇSGB - 2026 Minimum Wage (Asgari Ücret). Period 01.01.2026-31.12.2026: gross TL 33,030.00; net TL 28,075.50. csgb.gov.tr
15. Council of State (Danıştay) 10th Chamber, E.2018/124, K.2022/213, 19.12.2022. Extension application of company partners; the different assessment of financial/employment data in the majority and the dissent. app.dejure.ai