A Turkey work permit must be in place before a foreign national starts work, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security decides the application (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.6). The Turkish titles of the statute and the Regulation are given here because the official texts are published under them. For ordinary employment the employer completes the electronic application, while an application from abroad starts with a work visa application at a Turkish embassy or consulate. A domestic application carries a separate residence-permit condition. A complete file is assessed within thirty days, but that period does not cover preparing documents, obtaining the visa and starting work. The employee’s qualifications, the employer’s eligibility and the correct application route are assessed together, and this guide follows them in the order an application meets them.
1. Turkey Work Permit: Who Needs One and Who Does Not
Foreigners within the scope of Law No. 6735 must hold a Turkey work permit before working. The permit is granted by the Ministry on the basis of the international labour policy determined under Article 4, and it is prohibited for foreigners within the scope of the Law to work or to be employed in Turkey without one (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.6). The prohibition binds both sides of the relationship: the foreigner who works and the person who employs them.
A tourist visa or a visa exemption does not authorise employment. An employer should establish the employee’s work authorisation before the employee starts the job rather than treat lawful entry as permission to work.
Article 6 preserves two specific exceptions. Foreigners who are stated, in other laws or in bilateral or multilateral agreements or international conventions to which Turkey is a party, to be able to work without obtaining a permit may work or be employed without one (Article 6(3)). Separately, the right to work of those within the scope of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 is reserved (Article 6(4)). The first exception depends on the applicable law or international agreement, so the instrument relied on has to be identified. The second concerns a defined citizenship status, discussed in how to get Turkish citizenship.
2. Turkey Work Permit Requirements for the Employer, the Job and the Salary
A Turkey work permit application is not assessed on the employee’s qualifications alone. The Ministry also examines the proposed job, the salary and the employer. The application is assessed according to the international labour policy, and the Ministry determines the criteria used in that assessment and in establishing the work permit points system, in line with the decisions of the International Labour Force Policy Advisory Board (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.7).
The implementing Regulation lists the employer information used. It covers the paid-in capital, equity, gross sales, export and investment amounts, field of activity, sector or geographical area, total employment, the proportion of Turkish and foreign employees, and short- and medium-term investment and employment commitments of the legal entity in which the foreigner is a partner or will be employed (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.22).
Three connected matters should be checked before the application is submitted:
- Staffing. The workplace’s total employment and the proportion of Turkish and foreign employees are relevant. The applicable employment criterion depends on the category of application and any exception.
- Financial position. Paid-in capital, sales, exports and investment bear on the employer’s capacity. The evidence required depends on the business and on the criteria governing its application.
- Job and salary. The employee’s education and experience, their compatibility with the proposed duties, and the salary are assessed (Article 22(1)(a)). The contract and the application should describe the same position and the same remuneration.
The Ministry publishes the operational thresholds and the category-specific exceptions in its Work Permit Evaluation Criteria. That page carries provisions expressly effective from August 2026, so a checklist built on an earlier version should be checked against the current category before it is used. An exception to an assessment criterion is a different thing from an exemption from holding a Turkey work permit at all.
2.1. Turkey Work Permit Requirements in Regulated Professions: Preliminary Permission
Health and education work may require preliminary permission in addition to the permit itself. Article 8 of Law No. 6735 and Article 20 of the implementing Regulation govern that further assessment. The competent authority is the Ministry of Health for health services, the Ministry of National Education for education services and the Council of Higher Education for foreign academic staff. Preliminary permission addresses professional eligibility; it does not replace the Turkey work permit.
3. How to Apply for a Turkey Work Permit
For a foreign employee, a Turkey work permit application involves the employer as well as the employee. The statutory distinction is between an application made inside Turkey and one made through a Turkish foreign mission. Applications are made, inside the country, directly to the Ministry, and abroad, to the embassies or consulates-general of the Republic of Türkiye in the country of which the foreigner is a national or in which the foreigner is lawfully present; applications made abroad are transmitted to the Ministry by those missions. Applications may also be made by an authorised intermediary institution (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.7).
The employer completes the online stage through the e-İzin system. The foreign mission and the Ministry have different roles: the mission receives the overseas application, while the Ministry decides the permit. The Ministry’s Work Permit information page explains the electronic application channel. That page does not display an update date, so its operational guidance should be read alongside the Regulation.
3.1. Turkey Work Permit Application from Inside Turkey
A domestic application generally requires the foreigner to hold a valid residence permit issued for at least six months, except for applications by foreigners identified by the Directorate General under Article 15(3) (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.15). Being lawfully present on a short visit does not by itself establish eligibility.
Article 15(3) allows the Directorate General to identify foreigners who may apply while lawfully present without a valid residence permit. That is a defined exception, not a rule covering every visitor. Article 15(6) separately requires applications from abroad for foreigners working, or intending to work, in areas involving or potentially involving human trafficking.
For an employee, the application is completed when the requested information and documents are uploaded and the employer approves it (Article 17(3)(a)). Article 16 requires the employer’s electronic notification address, and the foreigner’s identification number is also required for domestic applications, subject to the exception for applicants allowed to apply without a valid residence permit.
3.2. Turkey Work Permit Application from Abroad: the Work Visa Comes First
For a foreigner who will work for an employer, the foreigner must first apply for a work visa at the Turkish foreign mission. The application is then completed when the employer uploads the reference number issued by the mission, together with the required information and documents, and approves the application in the system (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.17). The visa application and the permit application are connected stages with different purposes and different decision-makers.
That employer stage is time-limited: an application within Article 17(1)(a) must be approved and completed by the employer through the system within thirty days of the work visa application (Article 17(2)). The thirty days run from the work visa application and concern the employer’s completion of the file. This period is separate from the Ministry’s assessment period, and a consular reference number on its own is not an approved Turkey work permit.
4. Turkey Work Permit Documents: What the Ministry Asks For
A Turkey work permit application documents three things: the employee, the proposed employment and the employer’s eligibility. The Regulation itself does not fix the list. The information to be entered into the system and the documents to be uploaded during the application are determined by the Directorate General and published on its official website (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.15). The list is therefore administrative and changes without a statutory amendment.
The Ministry’s Information and Documents Required in the Work Permit Evaluation Process identifies the principal documents. That page does not display an update date, so the application category and the current electronic checklist should be confirmed before submission.
| Document | What it establishes or supports |
|---|---|
| Signed employment contract | The employment relationship and the agreed duties and pay. |
| Passport copy | The applicant’s identity and travel-document validity. The Ministry’s list calls for a certified translation where the passport is not in Latin letters. |
| Diploma or graduation certificate, where required | Qualifications relevant to the proposed work, with a certified Turkish translation. The list distinguishes jobs requiring a diploma from domestic services, where a declaration about the last school completed is sufficient. |
| Employer’s Trade Registry Gazette | The company’s current capital and shareholding structure. |
| Latest balance sheet and profit-and-loss statement | The employer’s financial information, with the certification specified in the official list. |
| Sector-specific permission or certificate | Additional evidence for the particular activity, such as education, health or tourism. |
Uploading a document does not close the question of its authenticity. Article 15(7) permits requests for originals or certified copies and allows documents to be translated again.
4.1. Turkey Work Permit Duration Is Capped by Passport Validity
The permit period is tied to the travel document. A Turkey work permit is issued for a period sixty days shorter than the validity of the foreigner’s passport or the document replacing it (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.24). A contract covering a longer period does not remove that limitation, so the passport dates should be checked against the requested employment period before the application is submitted.
5. Turkey Work Permit Processing Time: How Long Does It Take?
A duly completed Turkey work permit application is assessed within thirty days, provided the information and documents are complete. That period begins on the date the application is completed through the system or, where additional information and documents are requested, on the date the requested material is uploaded through the system (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.21).
The starting point is therefore completion in the system, not the date of the job offer and not the date document preparation began. For an overseas application it also sits after the work visa stage, which has its own timetable at the foreign mission.
A missing document does not simply pause the file, it triggers a defined procedure. Where information or documents are missing, assessment is postponed until the deficiencies are completed; the postponement period cannot exceed thirty days unless a force majeure delaying completion is documented by an official authority, and applications whose deficiencies are not completed at the end of that period are refused (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.7). Article 19 of the Regulation confirms that the period for supplying the missing material starts when it is requested.
The practical consequence is that the employer has to monitor electronic notifications and answer the particular deficiency identified. An incomplete Turkey work permit application is not held open indefinitely.
6. Turkey Work Permit Cost: Permit Fee and Valuable Paper Fee
A Turkey work permit carries two separate statutory charges. Work permits and work permit exemptions are subject to a fee under the Law on Fees No. 492, and a valuable paper fee is charged for the permit and exemption documents issued to foreigners under the Law on Valuable Papers No. 210. Where the permit is extended, the full fee and the full valuable paper fee are charged again (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.58).
The Regulation sets the structure but not the amount. The Ministry’s Payment of Fees and Valuable Paper Fees page publishes the schedule by permit type and duration, including a schedule expressly labelled for 2026. The applicable category and the payment notification issued for the particular application govern the amount payable. A figure from an earlier year, or one quoted for a different permit type, does not establish what is due on the present application.
Two further cost items are often folded into a single quoted price and should be kept separate. For an overseas application the work visa stage is charged by the foreign mission. Translation and certification costs depend on the documents required in the particular file. Neither is the statutory permit fee or the valuable paper fee.
7. Turkey Work Permit Duration, Renewal and Changing Employer
Where the application is assessed positively, a first Turkey work permit is granted for at most one year, on condition that it does not exceed the term of the employment or service contract and that the foreigner works in a specific job at a specific workplace belonging to a natural or legal person or a public institution, or at that employer’s workplaces in the same branch of activity (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.10).
One year is a ceiling, not an entitlement. The contract term and, as set out above, the passport validity can each produce a shorter period. The permission is also tied to the specified job and workplace rather than to the labour market generally.
7.1. Renewing a Turkey Work Permit with the Same Employer
Where an extension application is assessed positively, the foreigner is granted at most two years on the first extension and up to three years on subsequent extensions, while attached to the same employer (Article 10(2)). The lengthening applies to continuity with one employer.
The timing is narrow at both ends. An extension application is made from the point at which sixty days remain before expiry and, in every case, before the permit period expires; applications made after that period has expired are refused (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.7). The expiry date on the current permit is therefore the date to plan from, and filing after it is not a late extension but a refused one.
7.2. Changing Employer Returns the Turkey Work Permit to the First-Application Rule
Applications made in order to work for a different employer are assessed within the scope of the first paragraph of Article 10 (Article 10(2)). The two- and three-year extension periods earned with the previous employer do not transfer with the employee; a move returns the application to the one-year first-permit rule. Article 15(5) of the Regulation also authorises specific procedures for domestic applications to change employer within the initial six months, other than for extended permits, so the correct application category has to be identified before the move.
8. Indefinite and Independent Turkey Work Permits
An indefinite permit and an independent permit answer different questions and have different eligibility rules. Neither follows automatically from opening a company or from time spent in Turkey. The Turkish-language treatment of the permit types is at çalışma izni türleri: süreli, süresiz ve bağımsız.
8.1. Indefinite Turkey Work Permit: Long-Term Residence or Eight Years of Lawful Work
Foreigners who hold a long-term residence permit in Turkey, or at least eight years of lawful work permit, may apply for an indefinite work permit. Satisfying the application conditions does not grant the foreigner an absolute right (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.10).
Those are alternative qualifying bases, not cumulative ones, so either route opens the application. The second sentence of Article 10(3) is the operative limit: the provision confers a right to apply, and the assessment remains with the Ministry. Eligibility for an indefinite permit and eligibility for Turkish citizenship are assessed separately and on different conditions.
8.2. Independent Work Permit in Turkey Is Issued for a Fixed Term
An independent work permit concerns work that is not tied to an employer, and Article 24(2) of the Regulation provides for its issuance in the foreigner’s own name. Foreign members of professional occupations may be granted one provided the special conditions in other laws are met (Article 10(6)). The assessment takes account of the foreigner’s education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, the effect of their activity or investment in Turkey on the economy and on employment, their capital share where they are a foreign company partner, and other matters determined by the Ministry in line with the Advisory Board’s recommendations (Article 10(7)).
The duration rule is the point most often misread. An independent work permit is issued for a fixed term, without being subject to the duration limits in Article 10 (Article 10(8)). Escaping the one-, two- and three-year scheme does not make the permit open-ended; it means the term is set outside that scheme. Company registration by itself does not produce this permit either. The corporate steps are covered in setting up a company in Turkey as a foreigner.
9. Does a Turkey Work Permit Replace a Residence Permit?
In one direction, yes. A work permit or work permit exemption granted under Law No. 6735 replaces a residence permit pursuant to Article 27 of Law No. 6458 (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.12).
In the other direction, no. Except for refugee or subsidiary protection status defined in Law No. 6458, holding a residence permit for any reason does not grant a foreigner the right to work (Article 12). The asymmetry is the practical point: the permit carries residence, but residence does not carry the right to work. Someone holding a residence permit must establish a separate work-authorisation basis unless their status falls within the preserved exception. The principal residence categories are explained in residence permit types in Turkey.
10. The Turquoise Card: A Separate Route from the Ordinary Turkey Work Permit
The Turquoise Card is granted, in line with the international labour policy, to foreigners whose application is found appropriate by reference to their level of education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, the effect of their activity or investment in Turkey on the economy and on employment, together with the recommendations of the International Labour Force Policy Advisory Board and the procedures and principles determined by the Ministry (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.11). Its holder benefits from the rights provided by the indefinite work permit regulated in the Law (Article 11(4)). The Turkish-language treatment of the card is at Turkuaz Kart nedir, şartları ve süresi.
The card therefore reaches a comparable outcome through a different set of conditions, and the two routes should not be conflated. An indefinite permit under Article 10(3) is reached through long-term residence or eight years of lawful work permit; the Turquoise Card under Article 11 is assessed on qualifications and contribution. An applicant who does not meet the Article 10(3) conditions has not thereby been assessed under Article 11, and the reverse is equally true.
10.1. Turquoise Card Transition Period: One Hundred and Eighty Days, Not Sixty
The Turquoise Card is granted on condition that its first three years are a transition period, during which the Ministry may request information and documents about the activities carried out from the employer or the foreigner. Where the card has not been cancelled under Article 15 during that period, the transition annotation is removed on the foreigner’s application and an indefinite Turquoise Card is granted. That application is made from the point at which one hundred and eighty days remain before the transition period expires and, in every case, before it expires. An application made after that period has expired is refused and the Turquoise Card becomes invalid (Article 11(2)).
Two features separate this from an ordinary renewal. The application window opens one hundred and eighty days before expiry, not sixty as under Article 7(3). And the consequence of lateness is heavier: an ordinary extension application filed late is refused, leaving the expired permit behind it, whereas a late transition application is refused and the card itself becomes invalid.
10.2. Turquoise Card Family Members and Temporary Protection
A document showing that they are a relative of a Turquoise Card holder, and which replaces a residence permit, is given to the spouse and the dependent children of the holder in accordance with the provisions of the legislation (Article 11(3)). That provision describes a residence document for the family member. It does not transfer the holder’s work rights to them, so a family member who intends to work needs their own authorisation basis.
Article 11 also excludes one group from the regime entirely: its provisions are not applied to foreigners granted temporary protection (Article 11(6)).
11. Turkey Work Permit Exemptions and Exceptions: Two Different Provisions
Two provisions are read as though they said the same thing, and they do not. An exemption under Article 13 removes the need for a work permit but substitutes a procedure of its own: the foreigner may work only on condition that the exemption itself is obtained. An exception under Article 16 works the other way round. It relaxes how Articles 7, 9 and 10 are applied to certain applicants while leaving the Article 6 obligation to hold a Turkey work permit untouched, so falling within Article 16 still means applying for a permit (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.13 ve m.16).
11.1. Turkey Work Permit Exemptions Under Article 13: Company Roles and the Ninety-Day Limit
An exemption is not the absence of a procedure. Foreigners within the scope of a work permit exemption may work on condition that they obtain the exemption, and exemption applications are made, inside the country, directly to the Ministry and, abroad, to the Turkish embassies or consulates-general in the country of which the foreigner is a national or in which they are lawfully present (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.13). Falling within an exemption category and having nothing to apply for are different positions.
The company categories are drawn narrowly. A non-resident board member of a joint stock company established under Law No. 6102, a partner of other companies who does not hold the capacity of manager, and a cross-border service provider whose activities in Turkey do not exceed ninety days within one hundred and eighty days, are assessed within the scope of the exemption (Article 13(7)).
Each limb carries its own qualifier, and reading across them is where applications go wrong. For a joint stock company the provision concerns a board member who does not reside in Turkey. For other company types it concerns a partner without managerial capacity. A managing partner cannot rely on wording written for a non-managing partner, and a resident board member cannot rely on wording written for a non-resident one. The company type, the person’s role and, where relevant, residence status each have to be established separately.
Periods spent under an exemption carry a further consequence that matters years later: they are not taken into account in the calculation of lawful work permit or residence permit periods (Article 13(6)). An applicant who is counting towards the eight years of lawful work permit needed for an indefinite permit should therefore distinguish exemption periods from qualifying permit history.
11.2. Turkey Work Permit Exceptions Under Article 16: Qualified Applicants and Relaxed Articles
In accordance with the international labour policy determined by the Ministry, exceptions relating to the application of Articles 7, 9 and 10 may be granted to defined categories of foreigner (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.16). The listed categories include those assessed as qualified labour force by reference to education, wage, professional experience and contribution to science and technology; those assessed as qualified investors by reference to contribution to science and technology, level of investment or export and the size of employment they will provide; and those married to a Turkish citizen and living with that spouse in Turkey within the unity of marriage.
Other categories in the same provision cover people employed for a defined period on a project in Turkey, people notified as being of Turkish descent, nationals of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or of European Union member states, and the protection-related categories specified in the Law. Certain personnel of foreign representations and international organisations, internationally distinguished applicants and cross-border service providers are also listed.
Two limits govern how this provision is read. The exceptions may be granted in accordance with international labour policy, so listing does not produce entitlement. And Article 16 relaxes the application of Articles 7, 9 and 10; it does not remove the Article 6 requirement to hold a Turkey work permit. The marriage category also has to be read in full: the text requires both marriage to a Turkish citizen and living with that spouse in Turkey within the unity of marriage, so marriage alone is not the statutory description.
12. After a Turkey Work Permit Is Granted: Starting Work and Notifications
Approval starts a second set of duties. For domestic applications the foreigner must start work within one month of the permit’s start date, fulfilling the obligations under the relevant legislation. For applications from abroad the foreigner must start work within one month of entry into the country and, in every case, within six months of the permit’s start date (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği m.25). Article 25(3) separately addresses the timing of social security notification where delivery of the permit to the employer and the permit start date fall on different dates.
Employers employing foreigners, and foreigners holding an indefinite or independent permit, must notify the Ministry within fifteen days of the start and end of work under the permit or exemption, and of circumstances requiring cancellation of the permit or exemption (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.22). The duty therefore runs in both directions and attaches to the holder personally where the permit is indefinite or independent. Failure to notify is separately penalised under Article 23 even where the worker does hold a valid permit.
Social security duties run on their own timetable. Foreigners obtaining a permit or exemption, and employers employing foreigners, must fulfil their social security obligations within the statutory period under Law No. 5510, and the provisions of social security agreements to which Turkey is a party are reserved (Article 22(2) and (3)). The fifteen-day Ministry notification should not be treated as the deadline for every social security filing; Article 22(2) refers those obligations to their own periods.
13. Turkey Work Permit Refusal and Cancellation: Objection Then Court
Articles 9 and 15 of Law No. 6735 distinguish refusal of an application from cancellation of a permit already granted. The two rest on different material: a refusal is assessed against the application as filed, while a cancellation turns on a later event relied on by the administration.
The remedy is staged. Those concerned may object to the Ministry within thirty days of notification against decisions the Ministry gives under the Law, and where the objection is rejected, recourse to the administrative courts is available (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.21).
The thirty-day objection period and the judicial filing period are separate, and the administrative stage does not suspend the consequences of the decision: bringing an action before the Council of State or the administrative courts does not suspend execution of the administrative act challenged (2577 sayılı İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu m.27). Filing a case therefore does not issue or restore a Turkey work permit, and a stay of execution has its own conditions. The work permit rejection and cancellation guide sets out the grounds, the objection evidence, the court deadline and the stay of execution in detail.
14. Turkey Work Permit Fines, Deportation Referral and Employer Costs
Article 23 penalises two different failures: not making the required notification, and working or employing without a permit. Both the foreigner and the employer are exposed.
The Law sets out administrative fines of four hundred Turkish lira on a foreigner working with an independent or indefinite permit who does not fulfil the notification obligation and four hundred Turkish lira on the employer for each such foreigner; and, for work without a permit, two thousand four hundred Turkish lira on a foreigner working for an employer, four thousand eight hundred Turkish lira on a foreigner working independently, and six thousand Turkish lira on the employer or the employer’s representative for each foreigner (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.23). On repetition of those acts the fines are applied increased by one fold (Article 23(6)).
Two features of the structure matter in practice. The employer’s fine is calculated for each foreigner, so exposure scales with the number of workers rather than with the inspection. And the employee’s fine depends on whether the work is employer-based or independent, the independent figure being the higher of the two.
14.1. Why the Statutory Turkey Work Permit Fine Figures Are Not Today’s Amount
The figures above are the base amounts written into Article 23. They are not a current fine schedule, because administrative fines are applied, from the beginning of each calendar year, increased by the revaluation rate determined and announced for that year under repeated Article 298 of the Tax Procedure Law No. 213 (5326 sayılı Kabahatler Kanunu m.17).
The base figures should therefore never be quoted as the sum presently due. The applicable year and the act being penalised have to be identified before the current amount can be established, and the Turkey work permit application fee is a separate matter again: paying that fee does not settle an administrative fine. The same split runs through a stay that has run past its permitted period, where the residence permit fee for the period exceeded can be worked out from the published tariff but the fine cannot; the Turkey overstay calculator keeps those two apart and shows the entry ban rules alongside them.
14.2. Turkey Work Permit Deportation Referral and the Employer’s Recovery Liability
Unpermitted work carries a consequence beyond the fine. Foreigners determined to have worked without a permit are notified to the Ministry of Interior for the purpose of deportation (6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu m.23). That is a referral to another authority rather than a completed removal, and the deportation decision itself is governed by separate immigration rules with their own conditions and remedies.
The employer’s exposure also extends past the fine. The employer or the employer’s representative must meet the accommodation expenses of the foreigner without a permit and, where applicable, of their spouse and children, the costs necessary for their return to their countries and, where necessary, their health expenditures. Where those expenses are met from the budget of the Directorate General of Migration Management, the amounts paid are collected from the employer or the employer’s representative under Law No. 6183 on the Procedure for the Collection of Public Receivables (Article 23(9)).
The recovery mechanism is the part most often overlooked. The administration can meet the costs first and then collect them from the employer through the public-receivables procedure, so the employer’s liability is not limited to the fine assessed against it.
15. Challenging a Turkey Work Permit Fine: A Different Court and a Shorter Deadline
A standalone administrative fine and a Ministry decision on a Turkey work permit are challenged in different places, on different deadlines. Confusing the two is the most consequential error in this area, because the shorter deadline belongs to the fine.
Law No. 6735 designates no court for objections to the administrative fine. The general rule in the Law on Misdemeanours therefore governs: an application against an administrative sanction imposing an administrative fine may be made to the criminal court of peace within fifteen days at the latest from notification or pronouncement of the decision, and if no application is made within that period the sanction becomes final (5326 sayılı Kabahatler Kanunu m.27). The provision names the court in its pre-2014 wording; that jurisdiction is exercised today by the criminal judgeship of peace. The petition must set out clearly the information on the sanction decision and the evidence relied on against it, and must state the grounds of any force majeure that prevented a timely application (Article 27(4)).
Set beside the permit route, the contrast is sharp:
| Turkey work permit refusal or cancellation | Administrative fine for unpermitted work | |
|---|---|---|
| First step | Objection to the Ministry | Application to the court |
| Deadline | Thirty days | Fifteen days |
| Runs from | Notification | Notification or pronouncement |
| Then | Administrative courts if the objection is rejected | — |
| Basis | 6735 sayılı Kanun m.21 | 5326 sayılı Kanun m.27 |
The general rule has a statutory exception that can move the fine back to the administrative court. Where the same action imposing the sanction also carries decisions concerning the same person that fall within administrative-court jurisdiction, allegations that the sanction is unlawful are heard by the administrative court together with the application to annul that action (Article 27(8)).
That exception is why the documents actually served have to be read together before a route is chosen. A fine, a permit cancellation and a deportation referral can arrive from the same inspection and still belong to different courts on different deadlines, and the fifteen-day period runs while that question is being worked out. Where decisions within administrative-court jurisdiction were issued in the same action, Article 27(8) brings the fine with them; where the fine stands alone, it does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who applies for an employee's Turkey work permit?
For ordinary employer-based work, the employer completes and approves the electronic application. For an overseas application, the employee first applies for a work visa at the Turkish foreign mission; the employer then uses the reference number to complete the Turkey work permit application under Article 17 of the implementing Regulation.
Can I apply for a Turkey work permit from inside Turkey with a residence permit?
Under Article 15(4) of the implementing Regulation, a domestic Turkey work permit application generally requires a valid residence permit issued for at least six months. Article 15(3) permits defined categories to apply without a valid residence permit. Lawful presence on a short visit alone does not establish eligibility.
Is a Turkey work visa the same as a Turkey work permit?
No. In an overseas employee application, the work visa application is made at the Turkish foreign mission. The employer uses the mission's reference number to complete the Turkey work permit application for the Ministry's decision. Article 17 requires the employer to complete that stage within thirty days of the work visa application.
What documents are needed for a Turkey work permit?
The Ministry's document list includes the signed employment contract, passport copy, qualification evidence where required, and relevant company and financial records. Translation, certification and sector-specific documents depend on the application. Article 15(8) of the Regulation authorises the Directorate General to publish the required list; the current category must be checked.
What does the Ministry assess about the employer in a Turkey work permit application?
Article 22 of the implementing Regulation identifies matters including capital, sales, exports, investment, total staffing and the proportion of Turkish and foreign employees. It also addresses the foreigner's qualifications, proposed duties and salary. The Ministry's published criteria contain category-specific thresholds and exceptions.
How long does a Turkey work permit application take?
A duly completed application is assessed within thirty days if the information and documents are complete. Under Article 21(2) of the implementing Regulation, the period begins when the application is completed in the system or, after an additional-document request, when the requested material is uploaded. It is not an overall guarantee covering document preparation and the visa stage.
How much does a Turkey work permit cost?
Article 58 of the implementing Regulation provides for a permit fee and a separate valuable paper fee, with both payable on an extension. The Ministry publishes the applicable schedule by type and duration. The current payment notification and category should be checked; visa, translation and certification costs are separate considerations.
When should a Turkey work permit renewal be submitted?
Under Article 7(3) of Law No. 6735, the extension application can be submitted from sixty days before expiry and must be submitted before the current permit expires. Applications made after expiry are refused under that rule.
Can I use the same Turkey work permit after changing employer?
Article 10(2) of Law No. 6735 treats an application to work for a different employer under the first-application rule. The longer extension period granted for the previous employer does not transfer automatically. The applicable procedure for changing employer must also be checked.
Who can apply for an indefinite Turkey work permit?
Article 10(3) of Law No. 6735 permits applications from foreigners with a long-term residence permit or at least eight years of lawful work permit. These are alternative conditions. Meeting them does not confer an absolute right to an indefinite permit.
Is an independent work permit in Turkey permanent?
No. Article 10(8) of Law No. 6735 provides that an independent work permit is issued for a fixed term, without the ordinary duration limits in that Article. Its assessment considers qualifications, professional experience and economic contribution.
Does a residence permit allow a foreigner to work without a Turkey work permit?
As a rule, it does not. Article 12 of Law No. 6735 preserves the specified refugee and subsidiary-protection exception but states that residence permission alone does not grant a work right. A work permit or applicable exemption provides a separate authorisation basis.
What is the Turquoise Card transition deadline?
The first three years are a transition period. Under Article 11 of Law No. 6735, the application to remove the annotation begins one hundred and eighty days before expiry and must be made before expiry. A late application is refused and the card becomes invalid.
Does a Turkey work permit exemption require an application?
Yes. Article 13 of Law No. 6735 permits work under the exemption on condition that the exemption is obtained. Periods spent under it are not counted as lawful work-permit or residence-permit periods under Article 13(6).
What must an employer notify after a Turkey work permit is approved?
Article 22 of Law No. 6735 requires notification to the Ministry within fifteen days of the start and end of work and circumstances requiring cancellation. Social security obligations follow their own statutory periods; the Ministry notification does not replace them.
How can a Turkey work permit refusal be challenged?
Article 21 of Law No. 6735 provides an objection to the Ministry within thirty days of notification and recourse to the administrative courts if it is rejected. The administrative objection period and judicial filing period are separate. Notification dates and the effect of an administrative request must be assessed before calculating the remaining court deadline.
Does challenging a Turkey work permit refusal automatically allow me to work?
No. Under Article 27(1) of Law No. 2577, filing an administrative action does not suspend execution of the challenged act. A stay of execution has separate legal conditions. Filing the case should not be treated as an issued or restored work permit.
Which court hears an objection to a fine for working without a Turkey work permit?
Law No. 6735 does not designate a court for objections to the administrative fine, so the general rule in Law No. 5326 applies. Article 27(1) provides a fifteen-day application period from notification or pronouncement, to the criminal judgeship of peace. Article 27(8) contains an exception: where the same action also carries decisions within administrative-court jurisdiction, the fine is heard there together with the annulment claim.