The legal nature of the work permit and determining the application route
A work permit is the administrative act that gives a foreign national the right to work in Türkiye within the framework of a specific employer, workplace, duty and term. A fixed-term permit is not a general card allowing the foreign national to work in any job or with any employer. The limits of employer, duty, workplace and term shown on the permit or in the system record are important. [1, Arts. 6 and 10]
Does a work permit replace a residence permit?
Under Article 27 of Law No. 6458, a work permit and a work permit exemption replace a residence permit for the duration of their validity, except for the special statuses specified in the Law. This result arises not from the making of a work permit application but from the issuance of a valid permit. When a work permit ends or is cancelled, it must be checked immediately whether the foreign national has a separate valid residence permit or a different status of stay. Work permits granted to international protection applicants, conditional refugees and foreign nationals under temporary protection do not replace a residence permit. [9-10]
Does the foreign national or the employer make the application?
In a work permit tied to an employer, the application is made through the e-İzin system by the natural or legal person employer who will employ the foreign national. The employer registration, the authority of representation and the electronic signature are the technical basis of the application. For an independent work permit, an indefinite work permit, the Turquoise Card or statuses specially regulated in the legislation, the applicant and the form of representation may differ. This guide mainly deals with applications for a fixed-term work permit tied to an employer.
Application from within Türkiye
What does a valid residence permit of at least six months mean?
According to the Ministry's current explanation, an application from within Türkiye is made for a foreign national who is in Türkiye and holds a valid residence permit of at least six months, and who has a foreign identification number beginning with 99. The criterion here should not be understood as meaning that the card must necessarily remain valid for six more months on the date of application. The total period for which the residence permit was issued and its validity on the date of application are assessed together. Special application routes for foreign nationals found suitable by the Ministry and relating to protection statuses are reserved. [3-5]
Steps of an application from within Türkiye
- The foreign national's valid passport, residence status and foreign identification number are checked.
- The actual job, job description and pay are determined; the employment contract is signed.
- The employer or an authorized user logs in to the e-İzin system via e-Devlet and creates the workplace record with an electronic signature.
- The type of application is selected; the foreign national, workplace, duty, pay and place-of-work details are filled in.
- The employment contract, passport, diploma and employer documents, and, if required, prior authorization and sector documents are uploaded.
- The application is completed with an electronic signature; the application number and the actual files uploaded are kept.
- Requests for additional information or documents, the result and the payment notification are followed through e-İzin, UETS and the registered communication channels. [3-5]
That the foreign national holds a residence permit does not mean that the work permit will automatically be granted. The application is separately examined under Law No. 6735, the international labor force policy and the current evaluation criteria. [1, Arts. 7 and 9]
Application for a work permit and work visa from abroad
The two-stage application and the 16-digit reference number
An application from abroad is conducted in two stages. The foreign national starts the work permit and work visa process by applying in person to the Embassy or Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in the country of which he or she is a citizen or in which he or she is lawfully present. The diplomatic mission gives the foreign national a 16-digit reference number. Using this number, the employer completes the e-İzin application in Türkiye. The Ministry's application guide provides for the reference number to be passed to the employer and for the application to be completed within the stated period; the deadline on the consular document must therefore be checked separately. [3, 5]
Steps of an application from abroad
- The employer and the foreign national sign the employment contract containing the duty, pay and working conditions.
- The foreign national applies to the Turkish diplomatic mission in the country where he or she is lawfully present.
- The 16-digit reference number obtained from the diplomatic mission is sent to the employer.
- In the e-İzin system the employer selects the application type for abroad, enters the reference number and uploads the documents.
- The application is completed with an electronic signature; the evaluation and requests for additional documents are followed.
- Upon a favourable result, the fee and the value-paper charge are paid and the visa procedures are completed.
- The foreign national enters Türkiye with a work visa; the obligations of starting work, SGK and address registration are fulfilled. [2-5, 8-9]
For a foreign national who is abroad, opening an ordinary residence permit application in Türkiye does not replace the work permit process. The consular and employer procedures of an application from abroad are linked to one another.
The e-İzin system, electronic signature and application records
Employer registration and authority of representation
In a company application, a workplace record consistent with the trade registry, tax and SGK records is created. The person making the application must have authority to represent the company or to act in e-İzin. An application started from the account of an unauthorized person, not completed with an electronic signature, or opened under the wrong workplace can cause problems before it reaches substantive examination.
How can one tell that the application has been completed?
Filling in the form and selecting the file from the computer do not show that the application has been completed. The electronic signature stage must be concluded, the application number must be generated, and the application must appear in e-İzin as "under evaluation". The employer should archive the application form, the latest versions of the uploaded files, the electronic signature record and the system screen.
The thirty-day evaluation period
The evaluation of applications that are properly made and complete in documents is completed within 30 days. If additional information or documents are requested, the 30-day period starts from the upload of the requested information and documents to the system. This period is not a period of automatic acceptance; the Ministry may obtain the opinion of the relevant public institutions or professional organizations. [1, Art. 7; 5]
Documents required for the work permit
The list below is the general framework. The type of application, the duty, the sector and the foreign national's status may change the need for additional documents.
| Document group | Basic document | Point to check |
|---|---|---|
| Employment relationship | Employment contract signed by the employer and the foreign national | Duty, pay, term and place of work being the same as in the form |
| Identity | Copy of the passport | Certified Turkish translation if not in Latin letters; sufficient validity period |
| Professional qualification | Diploma or provisional graduation certificate | Connection with the professional duty; certified translation where necessary |
| Employer | Trade Registry Gazette | Current capital, partnership and representation structure |
| Financial record | Balance sheet and profit/loss statement for the last year | Tax office or YMM (certified public accountant) approval; consistency with the criteria period |
| Employment | SGK workplace and employee records | Five Turkish employees and the exemption calculations being made under the correct workplace/branch |
| Prior authorization | MEB, YÖK, Ministry of Health or relevant institution document | To be obtained before the application in professions requiring prior authorization |
| Sector document | Activity/operating/licence/permit document | The workplace's actual field of activity and its relation to the duty applied for |
Passport and translation
If the passport is not drawn up in Latin letters, a Turkish translation certified by a sworn translator or an official authority is attached to the application. The Ministry limits the work permit to be issued so that it does not exceed the date 60 days before the passport's expiry; applications made with a passport that has less than 60 days of validity left on the date of application are not processed. [4]
Diploma and professional documents
A diploma is mandatory, in particular for professional services and the duties the Ministry considers necessary. A clear connection must be established between the diploma and the duty in the employment contract. In domestic services, a declaration concerning the last school completed may be sufficient instead of a diploma; care experience and the foreign national's qualifications nevertheless remain important in the evaluation. [4, 6]
The employer's financial and corporate documents
The Trade Registry Gazette shows the capital and partnership structure; the balance sheet and income statement show financial adequacy. It is not sufficient for a document to be uploaded to the system; it must be shown that it meets the criterion in force on the date of application and that it belongs to the correct employer. In sectors where the number of employees is required on a branch basis, the head-office company total should not be confused with the workplace for which the application is made. [6]
Additional documents by sector and profession
Prior authorization in the education and health sectors
For foreign education staff who will work at private educational institutions, the prior authorization of the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education is required; for foreign healthcare professionals who will serve at private healthcare facilities, the prior authorization of the Ministry of Health or the relevant provincial health directorate is required. The institution's opening, licence and operating documents are also attached to the application. Prior authorization does not replace the work permit; it is a special condition of the work permit evaluation. [4, 6]
Domestic services
The employment of foreign nationals in domestic services is limited to the purposes of caring for children, disabled or elderly persons and accompanying patients. The relationship between the person who may make the application and the person to be cared for, the need for care and the foreign national's qualifications must be explained according to the current criteria. General cleaning or day-to-day housework alone may not be regarded as sufficient for a work permit. [6]
Tourism, entertainment and aviation
In tourism businesses an operating or activity certificate; in the entertainment sector the foreign performer's professional background, a bilingual contract and an operating certificate; in aviation the relevant civil aviation documents may be required. The current criteria and the minimum wage should be checked before old contract and pay templates are used. [4, 6]
Engineers, architects and other professional services
For engineering and architecture duties, the diploma, professional competence and the relevant professional legislation are examined. For jobs and professions reserved for Turkish citizens, carrying out the same activity by changing the title does not ensure lawfulness. The actual duty, the contract and the application form must be the same.
Qualifying direct foreign investments and liaison offices
For qualifying direct foreign investments and liaison offices, special documents relating to key personnel and operating status may be requested. The existence of an investment or company partnership does not by itself require a work permit to be granted; the relevant special regulation and the current criteria are applied together.
How do the evaluation criteria affect the application?
Five Turkish employees and financial adequacy
The general rule is the employment of at least five Turkish citizens at the same workplace for each foreign national to be employed. At newly established balance-sheet-basis workplaces, at least TL 500,000 of paid-in capital is required; at operating workplaces, one of the alternatives of TL 500,000 capital, TL 8,000,000 net sales or USD 150,000 exports is required. At workplaces whose net sales in the last year are TL 50,000,000 or more, the employment criterion is not applied for the first five foreign nationals. [6]
The pay criterion
On the basis of the gross minimum wage valid on the date of application, pay of 5 times is required for senior managers and pilots; 4 times for engineers and architects; 3 times for other managers; 2 times for jobs requiring expertise and mastery; and at least 1 time for domestic services and other jobs. Since the 2026 gross minimum wage is TL 33,030, the monthly gross thresholds are TL 165,150, TL 132,120, TL 99,090, TL 66,060 and TL 33,030 respectively. These amounts are specific to 2026 and must be recalculated when the minimum wage changes. [6, 13]
Exceptions and the 3 August 2026 amendments
In applications from within Türkiye for foreign nationals who have had at least one year of lawful stay in Türkiye in the three years before the date of application, the employment and financial adequacy criteria may not be applied, limited to at most three foreign nationals at the same workplace; the number of foreign nationals cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees. Special criteria such as those for information technology, education, health, tourism, domestic services, livestock farming and temporary sector regulations are examined separately. A criteria exception does not mean exemption from the obligation to obtain a work permit. [6]
A favourable outcome, fees and starting work
2026 fees and card charge
In 2026, the work permit fee for a permit of up to one year is TL 12,574.90, the fee for a two-year permit is TL 25,149.80, the fee for a three-year permit is TL 37,724.70 and the value-paper charge is TL 964. If the fee and the value-paper charge are not paid within 30 days following the payment notification, the application is rejected. Because the amounts change every year, the official tariff on the date of the transaction should be taken as the basis. [7]
Starting work after an application from within Türkiye
In a work permit issued from within Türkiye, the foreign national must be started in work within one month from the permit's start date, with the social security obligations fulfilled. The SGK notification must be consistent with the duty, pay and full-time working conditions undertaken in the application. [5, 8]
Entry and starting work after an application from abroad
A foreign national who obtains a permit from abroad enters Türkiye having completed the work visa procedures; he or she must start work within one month of the date of entry and in any event within six months of the start of the work permit. The registration of the foreign national who comes to Türkiye with a work permit in the address registration system must also be made on time. [5, 9]
Notification obligation
The start of work, the end of work and circumstances requiring cancellation of the work permit are notified to the Ministry within 15 days. The notification is not itself the SGK entry or exit procedure; the two obligations rest on separate legislation and must be followed together. [1, Art. 22; 8]
Refusal of the application and legal remedies
Article 9 of Law No. 6735 regulates grounds for refusal such as non-conformity with the international labor force policy, misleading documents, insufficiency of the justification for employing a foreign national, the profession being closed to foreign nationals, absence of the required qualification or prior authorization, failure to meet the evaluation criteria, public order, and failure to complete missing documents in time. An objection to the decision may be made to the Ministry within 30 days of notification; if the objection is rejected, the administrative court route is open. An objection or a suit does not by itself give the foreign national a right to work. [1, Arts. 9 and 21; 5, 11]
Common mistakes in the application
- Opening an application merely because the foreign national is in Türkiye, without the condition for an application from within Türkiye being met.
- Using the abroad reference number under the wrong employer or the wrong application type.
- Writing the duty, pay and place of work in the employment contract differently from the application form.
- Thinking that the application has been submitted before the electronic signature is completed.
- Using old capital, turnover or pay benchmarks.
- Calculating the employment criterion, which applies on a branch basis, on the company total.
- Uploading only the diploma in a profession requiring prior authorization.
- Not following requests for additional documents by e-mail or UETS.
- Delaying the fee, SGK, starting work and address registration procedures after a favourable outcome.
- Treating the work permit card as a general document that authorizes work for another employer.
Related articles: Work Permits in Türkiye: Application Conditions, Types, Extension and Objection to a Refusal Decision; Work Permit Extension Application; Evaluation Criteria for Foreign Work Permits.
Conclusion
In a foreign national's work permit application in Türkiye, choosing the correct application route comes before completing the document list. For an application from within Türkiye the residence status; for an application from abroad the diplomatic mission and the 16-digit reference number; and in both routes the e-İzin record, the employment contract, the professional documents and the employer criteria must be managed together. When the application has a favourable outcome, the process is not regarded as finished until the fee, starting work, SGK, address and notification procedures have been completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the foreign national make the work permit application himself or herself?
In a work permit tied to an employer, the application is made through e-İzin by the employer or an authorized representative. The application model may differ for independent and special permit types.
For an application from within Türkiye, must the residence card be valid for six more months?
The rule is a residence permit issued for at least six months and valid on the date of application. No automatic interpretation should be made that the card must necessarily remain valid for six more months from the day of application. [3-5]
Can a work permit application be made with a tourist residence permit?
A valid residence permit of at least six months may open the general channel for applications from within Türkiye; however, the application is also subject to the evaluation criteria. A residence permit alone does not confer a right to work.
Who uses the 16-digit number in an application from abroad?
The foreign national who obtains the number from the diplomatic mission passes it to the employer in Türkiye; the employer completes the e-İzin application with this number. [3, 5]
How long does the application take to be concluded?
The rule is that applications that are complete in documents and properly made are evaluated within 30 days. If additional documents are requested, the period starts from the upload of the document to the system. This period does not mean automatic acceptance. [1, Art. 7; 5]
Is a diploma mandatory in every application?
A diploma is mandatory in professional services and in duties the Ministry considers necessary. In domestic services, a declaration concerning the last school completed may be sufficient. [4]
Does the passport validity affect the permit?
Yes. The permit cannot exceed the date 60 days before the passport's expiry; an application made with a passport that has less than 60 days of validity left on the date of application is not processed. [4]
Is the five-Turkish-employee requirement absolute for every employer?
No. Although it is the general rule, there are exceptions based on high turnover, a particular history of lawful stay, sector or person. The conditions of the exception must be shown with documents. [6]
Is a separate residence permit needed once the work permit is issued?
As a rule, the work permit replaces a residence permit for its period of validity. There is a special provision for international protection applicants, conditional refugees and foreign nationals under temporary protection. [9-10]
When is payment made after a favourable outcome?
The fee and the value-paper charge must be paid within 30 days of the notification; otherwise the application is rejected. [7]
Can a work permit be used with another employer?
A fixed-term work permit is tied to a specific employer, workplace and duty. A new application is required for a different employer.
Within how many days can a refusal decision be objected to?
An objection may be made to the Ministry within 30 days of the proper notification of the decision. The notification record must also be examined separately. [1, Art. 21]
Sources
- Law No. 6735 on International Labor Force (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu). Official Gazette, 13.08.2016, 29800; in particular Arts. 6-10, 15, 21-23. resmigazete.gov.tr
- 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
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı) - Application Types. Current official explanations on applications from within Türkiye, from abroad and for extension of duration. csgb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - Documents. Employment contract, passport, diploma, employer and sector documents. csgb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - Work Permit FAQ. Explanations on e-İzin, extension of duration, 90-day work, permit termination and notification. csgb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - Evaluation Criteria. Employment, financial adequacy, pay and exemption criteria; including the amendments of 03.08.2026. csgb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - Fees and Value-Paper Charge. 2026 work permit fees and the TL 964 document charge. csgb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - Social Security of Foreign Employees. The fifteen-day notification and social security obligations. csgb.gov.tr
- Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı) - Work Permit FAQ. The work permit replacing a residence permit, address registration and special statuses. goc.gov.tr
- Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection (6458 sayılı Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu; YUKK). In particular Art. 23 and Art. 27. mevzuat.adalet.gov.tr
- Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577 (2577 sayılı İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu). In particular Arts. 2, 7, 11, 27, 28 and 32. mevzuat.adalet.gov.tr
- Notification Law No. 7201 (7201 sayılı Tebligat Kanunu). In particular Art. 7/a on electronic notification. mevzuat.adalet.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security - 2026 Minimum Wage. For the period 01.01.2026-31.12.2026, gross TL 33,030.00; net TL 28,075.50. csgb.gov.tr