For International Clients
Residence & Work Permits
Legal guidance for foreign nationals on the right to reside and work in Turkey, from application to administrative appeals.
We assist foreign nationals with residence permit and work permit applications, guiding you through the documentation, eligibility conditions and procedural steps under the applicable legislation.
Residence permits are governed by Law No. 6458, which provides distinct permit types (each with its own conditions, duration and rights) while work permits are governed by Law No. 6735. Identifying the correct permit type at the outset matters: an application made under the wrong type is assessed against conditions it was never going to meet.
Where an application is refused or a permit is cancelled, we advise on the administrative remedies available and represent you before the competent authorities and the administrative courts. These remedies run to short statutory deadlines, so the timing of advice is often decisive.
A refusal and a fine follow different tracks. Article 9 of Law No. 6735 lists the grounds on which a work permit application is refused, among them applications that do not fit international labour policy, those made with false or misleading information and documents, and those whose justification for employing a foreigner is not found sufficient. The refusal is a reasoned administrative act. Where an administrative fine has instead been imposed on the employer, the remedies under Law No. 5326 may be pursued, and the points to examine are the factual and legal basis of the finding, the regularity of the notification, and whether the act actually took place.
Matters we handle in this area
- Residence permit applications and renewals
- Work permit applications and renewals
- Employer obligations and notification duties under Law No. 6735
- Responses to permit refusals and cancellations
- Administrative appeals and litigation before the administrative courts
- Examination of the refusal grounds under Article 9 of Law No. 6735
- Challenges to administrative fines under Law No. 5326
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which permit does a given situation call for?
- That is the first question to settle. Law No. 6458 provides several distinct residence permit types, each assessed against its own conditions and durations, while employment is governed separately by Law No. 6735. An application filed under the wrong type is measured against conditions it was never going to satisfy, so identifying the right one is part of the work rather than a formality.
- How quickly must one act after a refusal or cancellation?
- Quickly. Under Article 21 of Law No. 6735, an appeal against the Ministry’s decisions must be made within thirty days of notification, and recourse to the administrative courts follows only if that appeal is rejected. Because the period runs from notification rather than from the moment the decision comes to attention, the practical window is often shorter than it appears.
- What exposure does an employer carry?
- Obligations that run independently of the employee’s own position. Article 22 of Law No. 6735 requires notification to the Ministry within fifteen days of the start and end of work and of circumstances requiring cancellation, and failure to notify is itself subject to an administrative fine. Article 23 provides a separate fine, calculated for each foreigner, where a person is employed without a permit.
- Does a foreign employee need a residence permit as well as a work permit?
- As a rule, no — Article 12 of Law No. 6735 provides that a work permit or exemption replaces a residence permit pursuant to Article 27 of Law No. 6458. What that substitution means in practice is worth planning for in advance, since the residence position is tied to the work permit for as long as it lasts.