This calculator answers the question "How many foreigners can my company employ?" by working out your foreign employee quota in Turkey under the current assessment criteria of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS). When you enter your number of Turkish employees, your current foreign staff and your financial data, the employment criterion, the financial criterion and the new rule dated 3 August 2026 are assessed together, and your remaining quota is calculated instantly.
What is the foreign employee quota?
The foreign employee quota is the limit that shows how many foreign nationals your workplace can hold work permits for at the same time while meeting the Ministry's criteria. Workplaces that keep their books on a balance-sheet basis must employ at least 5 Turkish citizens for each foreign national, and the company must meet the financial criterion. Applications that exceed the quota may be refused even if all other requirements are met.
How is the foreign employee quota calculated?
The calculator assesses your inputs in four stages:
1. Financial criterion check
- Newly established company: paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL.
- Existing company: paid-in capital of at least 500,000 TL or net sales of at least 8,000,000 TL in the last year or exports of at least 150,000 USD. Meeting any one of these is enough.
2. Employment criterion
Total quota = number of Turkish employees ÷ 5 (rounded down)
At workplaces with net sales of 50,000,000 TL or more in the last year, the employment criterion is not applied for up to 5 foreign nationals; in this case the calculator sets the quota to at least 5.
3. The 3 August 2026 rule
For candidates who have been in Turkey for at least 1 year within the last 3 years with a work permit, a residence permit or international protection status, the employment and financial criteria are not applied for up to 3 foreign nationals per workplace. The condition is that the number of foreign nationals with work permits does not exceed the number of Turkish employees. From the 4th foreign national onwards, the 5-Turkish-employee requirement and the financial criterion apply again. The calculator checks your number of eligible candidates separately against this limit.
4. Remaining quota
Remaining quota = total quota − current number of foreign employees with work permits
If the result is zero or negative, you will first need to increase your Turkish headcount or meet the financial criterion before you can file a new application.
Sample foreign employee quota calculations
In the examples below, unless stated otherwise, it is assumed that there are no eligible candidates under the 3 August 2026 rule:
| Company profile | Financial criterion | Total quota | Current foreign employees | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: Existing company, 23 Turkish employees, net sales 12 million TL | Met (net sales) | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| B: Existing company, 12 Turkish employees, net sales 60 million TL | Met | 5 (50 million TL exception) | 1 | 4 |
| C: New company, 2 Turkish employees, capital 100,000 TL, 2 eligible candidates | Not met | 2 (3 August 2026 rule) | 0 | 2 |
| D: Existing company, 8 Turkish employees, capital 600,000 TL | Met (capital) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
For Company A, 23 ÷ 5 = 4.6 is rounded down to 4; since two foreign nationals already work there, there is room for 2 more. For Company B, the standard calculation would give a quota of only 2, but thanks to the net sales exception the employment criterion is not applied for up to 5 foreign nationals. Company C cannot employ any foreign nationals under the standard rules; however, because its candidates have held permits in Turkey for at least 1 year in the last 3 years, it can apply for 2 foreign nationals without the criteria being applied, provided it does not exceed its number of Turkish employees.
The quota calculation is a preliminary assessment. The Ministry also examines the wage criterion, the nature of the position and the foreign national's professional qualifications. As Turkish employees, enter the employees you actually employ and have declared to the Social Security Institution (SGK).
Some foreign nationals are exempt from the assessment criteria, such as those married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years, holders of a long-term residence permit, and those whose mother, father or child is a Turkish citizen. A separate rule applies to foreign company partners: a capital share of at least 500,000 TL and a shareholding of at least 20% are required; partners investing 100,000 USD or more are exempt from these conditions.
Steps after the quota check
If you have quota remaining, the next step is to check whether the wage you will offer the foreign national meets the Ministry's minimum; you can use the foreign employee salary calculator for this. To see whether your candidate meets the 1-year presence requirement under the 3 August 2026 rule, you can use the residence duration calculator.
For the document list and the e-İzin (online work permit system) process, see our company work permit service. These criteria apply to workplaces that keep books on a balance-sheet basis; for families employing a caregiver at home, the caregiver work permit rules apply. To see the full picture, including costs and penalties, read our guide to hiring foreign employees.
Why Fast Danışmanlık?
Since 2010 we have advised employers on foreign staff across the Marmara Region and online throughout Turkey (officially Türkiye), from industrial businesses in Kocaeli and Gebze to manufacturers in Bursa and service companies in Istanbul. We analyze the criteria before you apply and aim to maximize your chance of approval with a complete file.
This calculation is for information only; the final assessment and amounts are determined at the time of application according to the Ministry's current criteria and the official tariff. The criteria apply to 2026 and are updated when the legislation changes.
Frequently asked questions
As a general rule, at least 5 Turkish citizens must be employed for each foreign national, so a company with 20 Turkish employees has a quota of 4 foreign nationals. At workplaces with net sales of 50,000,000 TL or more in the last year, this criterion is not applied for up to 5 foreign nationals.
The employment criterion requires workplaces that keep books on a balance-sheet basis to employ at least 5 Turkish citizens for each foreign national for whom a work permit is requested. Since 3 August 2026, this criterion is not applied for up to 3 foreign nationals when the candidates meet the conditions.
Yes, but its paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL and the employment criterion must be met. If the candidates have held permits in Turkey for at least 1 year in the last 3 years, the financial and employment criteria are not applied for up to 3 foreign nationals, provided the number of Turkish employees is not exceeded.
For foreign nationals who have been in Turkey for at least 1 year within the last 3 years with work, residence or international protection status, the employment and financial criteria were lifted for up to 3 foreign nationals per workplace. The number of foreign nationals with work permits cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees; from the 4th foreign national onwards, the general criteria apply.
The foreign partner's capital share must be at least 500,000 TL and their shareholding at least 20%, and the company's capital must also be at least 500,000 TL. Partners investing 100,000 USD or more are exempt from these conditions.
Applications that do not meet the employment or financial criterion are usually refused. In the event of a refusal, you can get immigration legal support to review the reasons and evaluate the options of reapplying or filing an objection.