This calculator shows the full foreign caregiver cost in Turkey for a family, month by month and for the whole year, using 2026 figures, when they employ a foreign caregiver at home for childcare, elderly care, disability care or patient companionship. You see the caregiver's take-home (net) salary, the Social Security Institution (SGK) employer share, unemployment insurance and the work permit fee in a single table, so working mothers and dual-career couples in particular can build a realistic budget. If you are the caregiver, it also shows what you should take home each month.
What makes up the cost of a foreign caregiver?
The cost of a legally employed foreign caregiver is not just the salary. The caregiver must be paid no less than the minimum wage and must be registered with SGK. As the employer, you pay the SGK employer share and the employer share of unemployment insurance on top of the gross salary, and the work permit fee and the card fee are added to that.
How is the cost of a foreign caregiver calculated?
The calculator works through your inputs in four steps:
- Gross or net salary
The default value is 33,030 TL, the 2026 gross minimum wage. If you agreed a net salary with the caregiver, you can enter the net amount instead and the calculator converts it to gross. At the minimum wage, net salary = gross × 0.85 (SGK employee share 14% + unemployment insurance employee share 1%). Because the minimum wage is exempt from income tax and stamp duty, no other deductions apply.
- Employer shares
The SGK employer share is 21.75% and the unemployment insurance employer share is 2%. If you select an SGK employer discount, the employer share is reduced by 2 or 5 percentage points.
- Monthly employer cost
Gross salary + SGK employer share + unemployment insurance employer share + any monthly extra expenses (transport, meals, phone, etc.).
- Annual cost
Monthly cost × 12 + the work permit fee for the selected permit duration (12,574.90 TL × years) + the 964 TL card fee. Since a first permit is granted for a maximum of 1 year, the first-year calculation is the most realistic scenario.
Monthly cost = gross salary × (1 + 21.75% − discount + 2%) + extra expenses
Sample foreign caregiver cost calculation
The table below shows a 1-year calculation for a caregiver on the minimum wage, with no extra expenses entered, under three different SGK discount options:
| Item | No discount | 2-point discount | 5-point discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | 33,030.00 TL | 33,030.00 TL | 33,030.00 TL |
| SGK employer share | 7,184.03 TL (21.75%) | 6,523.43 TL (19.75%) | 5,532.53 TL (16.75%) |
| Unemployment insurance employer share (2%) | 660.60 TL | 660.60 TL | 660.60 TL |
| Monthly employer cost | 40,874.63 TL | 40,214.03 TL | 39,223.13 TL |
| 12-month cost | 490,495.56 TL | 482,568.36 TL | 470,677.56 TL |
| 1-year fee + card fee | 13,538.90 TL | 13,538.90 TL | 13,538.90 TL |
| Total annual cost | 504,034.46 TL | 496,107.26 TL | 484,216.46 TL |
In all three scenarios the caregiver takes home 28,075.50 TL net; the discount only affects the employer share. For example, a working couple living in Kocaeli who need a caregiver for their two children should budget 40,874.63 TL a month and 504,034.46 TL in total for the first year without incentives. Adding 2,000 TL a month for transport and meals raises the monthly cost to 42,874.63 TL and the annual cost to 528,034.46 TL.
If you pay more than the minimum wage
It is common to pay experienced, Turkish-speaking or live-in caregivers more than the minimum wage. In that case, income tax and stamp duty are deducted from the part of the salary above the minimum wage, so the net salary will be slightly lower than gross × 0.85; the calculator shows this result as an approximation. The employer shares are still calculated on the gross salary at the same rates.
To see which minimum applies to which occupational group, have a look at the foreign employee salary calculator. If you only want to see the fee item separately for different durations or numbers of people, the work permit fee calculator is more practical.
A work permit is granted to a foreign caregiver only for childcare, elderly care, disability care and patient companionship; no permit can be obtained for cleaning or housework alone. The caregiver's wage cannot be declared below the minimum wage, and the caregiver must be registered with SGK.
Whether you can benefit from the SGK employer discount depends on your situation as an employer; if you are unsure, calculate with the "no discount" option. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) does not look for a fixed family income, but you are expected to document that you have sufficient, regular income to cover this cost.
Prepare for the application
Once the foreign caregiver cost calculation has helped you settle your budget, you can find out who can apply, which documents are required and how applications are assessed on our caregiver work permit page. If the caregiver applies from within Turkey (officially Türkiye), they must hold a residence permit valid for at least 6 months; if they are coming from abroad, the consulate and work visa stages are added. Our work permit in Turkey guide explains the general rules.
Families looking for someone to care for their children can read our guide to foreign nannies for working mothers and couples, and those seeking support for a mother or father can read our article on the elderly and patient caregiver work permit.
Why Fast Danışmanlık?
Since 2010 we have advised families on foreign caregiver work permits across the Marmara Region, especially in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa and Tekirdağ, and throughout Turkey through an online process. We prepare your file with you, from income documents to the letter of undertaking, and aim to maximize your chance of approval with a complete file.
This calculation is for information only; the exact amount is determined by the official tariff at the time of application. Amounts apply to 2026 and are updated when the legislation changes.
Frequently asked questions
A foreign caregiver's wage cannot be lower than the minimum wage. In 2026 this is 33,030 TL gross and 28,075.50 TL net; a higher wage can be agreed depending on experience and workload.
The monthly employer cost of a caregiver on the minimum wage, without incentives, is 40,874.63 TL. With a 2-point discount it falls to 40,214.03 TL, and with a 5-point discount to 39,223.13 TL.
The SGK employee share and the unemployment insurance employee share are deducted from the caregiver's gross salary; the SGK employer share and the unemployment insurance employer share are paid by you as the employer. Paying the premiums regularly also matters when the permit is extended.
In 2026 the fee for a 1-year fixed-term work permit is 12,574.90 TL and the card fee is 964 TL, for a total of 13,538.90 TL. The fee must be paid within 30 days after the application is approved.
You can include these costs in your budget by entering them in the calculator's monthly extra expenses field. However, the legal wage and the SGK declaration can never be lower than the minimum wage.
There is no fixed minimum family income figure; the Ministry assesses the applicant's socio-economic situation and regular income. If the income is insufficient, a supporting family member can show their own income and provide a notarized letter of undertaking.