Candoğan Law Firm | Updated September 2026
Türkiye revised several important work permit rules in 2026. The changes affect the criteria used by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to evaluate applications, including new exemptions for certain domestic applicants and long-term residents, revised sector-specific rules, and updated salary floors, fees and administrative fines. The applicable sector, the foreigner’s residence history, the proposed position and the employer’s financial and employment structure can now lead to materially different requirements.
Scope of the Turkish work permit system
A work permit issued under the International Labour Force Law No. 6735 is the substantive authorization for a foreign national to work in Türkiye. During its validity period, it also functions as a residence permit under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458. The authorization is normally tied to the employer, workplace, occupation and approved period stated in the application.
Applications may be filed through the overseas or domestic route. In an overseas case, the foreign national begins the process at a Turkish embassy or consulate and the employer submits the corresponding electronic work permit application to the Ministry. The consular work visa facilitates entry after approval but does not replace the work permit. A domestic application may generally be filed for a foreigner who holds an eligible residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid on the application date. Not every form of lawful stay supports an in-country application.
The first fixed-term permit may be granted for up to one year and is tied to the stated employer, workplace, occupation and contract. With the same employer, the first extension may be issued for up to two years and later extensions for up to three years. A move to a different employer is generally assessed as a first application. An application filed with a passport valid for fewer than sixty days is not processed, and a permit cannot extend beyond the date falling sixty days before passport expiry.
General employer criteria continue to apply
Unless a statutory or administrative exemption applies, the Ministry continues to test the employer’s Turkish workforce, financial capacity and proposed salary. The standard employment criterion generally requires at least five Turkish citizens for each foreign employee. An employer whose net sales in the preceding year reached TRY 50 million is exempt from that workforce ratio for up to five foreign employees.
The financial sufficiency test depends on the employer’s accounting history. A business established in the current financial year and without year-end financial statements must generally have at least TRY 500,000 in paid-in capital. An existing balance-sheet business must generally satisfy at least one of the following: TRY 500,000 in paid-in capital, TRY 8 million in net sales or USD 150,000 in exports. These higher monetary thresholds have applied since 1 January 2025 and remain central to applications in 2026.
These criteria are evaluation rules, not an automatic entitlement to a permit. The Ministry may also consider the foreigner’s qualifications, the nature of the position, sector conditions, the employment contract, public policy and whether the documents support the declared business activity.
New domestic application exception from 3 August 2026
The most important general change in 2026 concerns certain foreigners who are already established in Türkiye. For a domestic application filed on behalf of a foreigner who, during the three years preceding the application date, has accumulated at least one year of lawful stay under a work permit, residence permit or international protection status, the standard employment and financial sufficiency criteria are not applied.
The exception is limited to three qualifying foreign employees at the same workplace. The number of foreign employees benefiting from the rule cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees there. If the employer seeks permits for more than three qualifying foreigners, the fourth and later applications again become subject to the financial test and the rule requiring five Turkish citizens for each foreign employee.
The change does not waive every requirement. In particular, the salary criterion remains applicable, and the employer and foreign worker must still satisfy the procedural and substantive conditions relevant to the occupation. The exception therefore reduces two common barriers without converting a domestic application into an automatic approval.
Long residence can create a broader exemption
A separate rule applies to foreigners who can document at least eight years of lawful stay in Türkiye under the residence and protection categories listed in the Ministry’s criteria. Qualifying applicants are exempt from the ordinary employment, financial sufficiency and salary criteria. Because this exemption also reaches the salary test, it is broader than the one-year residence-history exception introduced for domestic applications.
The eight-year rule does not create an unconditional right to work. The residence history must be documented, and the application remains subject to Law No. 6735, regulated-profession requirements, public-order considerations and any sector-specific restrictions.
Sector specific criteria were expanded in 2026
The Ministry’s revised criteria increasingly assess employment needs by sector and, in some cases, by enterprise or branch rather than through one uniform national ratio. Several amendments became effective on 11 March 2026 or 3 August 2026.
- Accommodation and tourism. For non-specialist positions in qualifying accommodation businesses, Turkish employment may be assessed across the enterprise. Where additional foreign labour is justified, branch-based calculations apply under the special sector rule introduced on 11 March 2026.
- Animal husbandry. Qualifying livestock enterprises that meet the relevant animal-capacity thresholds may employ up to three foreigners without the ordinary employment criterion, subject to the opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The financial sufficiency criterion is also waived for qualifying holdings. A six-month restriction can affect employer changes following permits obtained through the overseas route.
- Manufacturing. From 3 August 2026, qualifying manufacturing employers may have Turkish employment assessed across the enterprise. A temporary branch-level arrangement for additional foreign workers applies through 31 December 2027.
- Poultry and recycling. Temporary sector rules through 31 December 2027 allow branch-based treatment. For certain workplaces with fewer than five Turkish employees, domestic applications for up to two foreigners may be exempt from the employment and financial criteria, provided foreign employees do not outnumber Turkish employees.
- Information technology. Specialist software, database, network, security, mobile development and related technology roles remain exempt from the employment and financial sufficiency criteria at information-technology businesses. At businesses outside that sector, the exemption is generally limited to two foreign specialists.
Permits issued through a sector, profession or position-based exception are not freely transferable. As a general rule, a domestic application submitted within six months to work for a different employer outside the relevant sector, profession or position may be refused unless force majeure is established. Employers should therefore review the conditions attached to the original permit before planning an early transfer.
Salary thresholds increased for 2026
The salary criterion is calculated by multiplying the gross national minimum wage in force on the application date. Türkiye’s gross monthly minimum wage for 1 January through 31 December 2026 is TRY 33,030. The resulting minimum gross monthly salaries are as follows:
| Position category | Multiplier | Minimum gross monthly salary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior executives and pilots | 5 times | TRY 165,150 |
| Engineers and architects | 4 times | TRY 132,120 |
| Other managers | 3 times | TRY 99,090 |
| Positions requiring expertise or mastery | 2 times | TRY 66,060 |
| Domestic service and other positions | 1 time | TRY 33,030 |
The job title should reflect the employee’s actual duties and the employer’s registered activity. Using a lower-paid title for work that is managerial, engineering or specialist in substance can lead to additional document requests or refusal. Salary compliance must also continue after approval through payroll and social-security reporting.
Foreign company partners face specific capital tests
A foreign shareholder who will work in a newly established or existing company is subject to separate business-partner criteria. The workplace generally must have at least TRY 500,000 in paid-in capital, the foreign partner’s own capital contribution must be at least TRY 500,000, and the foreign partner must hold at least 20 percent of the company. The five-Turkish-employee requirement begins monthly from the seventh month of the first permit.
The capital and employment criteria are not applied where the foreign partner’s capital share is at least USD 100,000. The corporate records, bank evidence, trade-registry documents and the actual role performed by the partner should be consistent with the application.
Work permit fees and payment deadline
The Ministry updated work permit charges for 2026. The permit fee is separate from the TRY 964 valuable-paper fee, and consular visa or service charges may also apply to overseas cases. After approval is notified, the required amounts must be paid separately within thirty days. Failure to pay within that period results in rejection of the application.
| Permit period | Permit fee | Fee plus valuable paper |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed term up to 1 year | TRY 12,574.90 | TRY 13,538.90 |
| Fixed term up to 2 years | TRY 25,149.80 | TRY 26,113.80 |
| Fixed term up to 3 years | TRY 37,724.70 | TRY 38,688.70 |
| Fixed term up to 4 years | TRY 50,299.60 | TRY 51,263.60 |
| Fixed term up to 5 years | TRY 62,874.50 | TRY 63,838.50 |
| Permanent or independent | TRY 125,802.20 | TRY 126,766.20 |
Administrative fines are substantially higher
Working before the permit becomes valid, continuing after expiry, or employing a foreigner outside the approved employer or position can amount to unauthorized employment. For 2026, the administrative fine is TRY 102,503 per foreigner for an employer that employs a foreign national without a work permit. The foreign worker is separately exposed to a fine of TRY 40,977 for dependent work without a permit, while unauthorized independent work carries a fine of TRY 82,010. Failure to comply with notification duties carries a fine of TRY 6,805 per foreigner. Repeated violations are penalized at twice the applicable amount.
The financial consequences are not limited to fines. An employer may also be required to bear accommodation, travel and, where necessary, medical costs connected with the removal of an unauthorized foreign worker. The foreign national may face immigration consequences under Law No. 6458.
Practical effect of the 2026 changes
The 2026 framework is more flexible for applicants with a documented connection to Türkiye and for employers in sectors covered by targeted labour rules. At the same time, it requires a more precise classification of the case. A residence-history exception may remove the workforce and balance-sheet tests but leave the salary test intact; the eight-year rule may remove all three; and a sector exception may be limited by branch, headcount, occupation or a six-month transfer restriction.
Before filing, the employer should identify the correct application route, confirm that the proposed title matches the actual duties, calculate the required salary from the current gross minimum wage, verify Turkish employee numbers and financial records, and determine whether a general or sector-specific exemption applies. The application documents should then present one consistent account of the employer’s activity, the foreigner’s qualifications and the need for the position.
Legal basis
The principal sources are the International Labour Force Law No. 6735, the Regulation on the Implementation of the International Labour Force Law, the Work Permit Evaluation Criteria published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, the Fees Law No. 492 and the Valuable Papers Law No. 210. The 2026 monetary amounts derive from the official minimum-wage, fee and administrative-fine schedules in force for that year.
Legal notice
This article is for general information only and reflects publicly available rules as of September 2026. It does not constitute legal advice. Work permit outcomes depend on the applicant’s nationality, residence history, profession, employer, sector, proposed duties and supporting documents, and the competent authorities may require additional information or apply other rules to the individual case.