Company Work Permit in Turkey

When you want to hire a foreign engineer, skilled tradesperson or manager, the application is filed not by the foreign national but by you, the employer. The outcome of a company work permit in Turkey depends largely on the state of your workplace: how many Turkish citizens you employ, your capital or turnover, and the salary you offer. We prepared this guide, with worked examples, for HR managers, business owners and factories operating in the organized industrial zones (OIZs) of the Marmara Region.

What is a company work permit in Turkey, and who applies?

A company work permit is a fixed-term work permit, tied to a specific workplace and position, that is issued after an employer applies to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) through its online e-İzin system so that it can employ a foreign national legally. The employer files the application, and the Ministry decides on the basis of the workplace's employment, financial and salary criteria.

Also known in practice as a "foreign employee work permit", this permit is the main route employers use to hire foreigners in Turkey (officially Türkiye). For permit types, the foreign national's individual situation and the general framework, see our Turkey work permit guide. This page focuses entirely on the employer's side. If you are looking for a nanny or an elderly caregiver for your family rather than staff for your company, the process works differently; in that case our caregiver work permit page will guide you.

Which sectors employ foreign staff?

The need for foreign staff is concentrated in different positions depending on the sector. The position directly affects both the salary criterion and the documents required.

Employer obligations

Your responsibility does not end once the work permit is issued; as the employer, you have obligations to fulfill throughout the permit period:

• Not letting the foreign employee start work before the permit is approved and the fee is paid
• Maintaining the employment and financial criteria throughout the permit period
• Employing the foreign national only at the workplace and in the position for which the permit was issued
• Paying the salary declared in the application and reporting the same salary to the Social Security Institution (SGK)
• Paying the fee within 30 days of approval
• Reporting the end of the employment relationship within the legal deadline
• Tracking extension dates and applying before the permit expires

Company work permit criteria, with worked examples

Employment criterion: 1 foreigner for every 5 Turkish citizens

Workplaces that keep balance-sheet-based accounts must employ at least 5 Turkish citizens registered with SGK for each foreign national for whom a work permit is requested. Foreigners already working at the workplace with a work permit are also taken into account in the calculation.

Example: how many foreigners can a company with 15 Turkish employees hire?

The answer is 3. A machinery manufacturer in Gebze with 15 Turkish employees registered with SGK can apply for a maximum of 3 foreigners, based on 15 ÷ 5 = 3. If it wants to employ a fourth foreigner, it must increase its number of Turkish employees to at least 20. This ratio is checked again not only at the time of application but also in extension applications.

To calculate with your own figures, use our foreign employee quota calculator.

The 50 million TL net sales exemption

Workplaces with net sales of 50,000,000 TL or more in the last year are exempt from the employment criterion for up to 5 foreigners. For example, a chemical plant in Dilovası with net sales of 62 million TL in the last year can apply for up to 5 foreign engineers without being bound by the 5-to-1 ratio, although the other criteria still apply. We assess together, file by file, how the quota is calculated from the sixth foreigner onward.

Financial criterion: capital, net sales or exports

In newly established companies, paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL. In existing companies, it is enough to meet just one of these three conditions: paid-in capital of 500,000 TL, net sales of 8,000,000 TL in the last year, or exports of 150,000 USD.

In the İzmit example, which does not meet the criterion, the most practical solution is to raise paid-in capital to 500,000 TL. Note that the Ministry looks at paid-in capital, not committed capital.

Salary criterion: 2026 amounts in TL

The salary paid to foreign staff cannot be lower than a set multiple of the gross minimum wage in force on the application date, depending on the position. Based on the 2026 gross minimum wage of 33,030.00 TL, the figures are as follows:

*Calculated without incentives by adding the SGK employer share (21.75%) and the employer's unemployment insurance share (2%) to the gross salary. Amounts apply to 2026 and are updated when the legislation changes.

Example: If an automotive supplier in Kocaeli applies for a foreign mechanical engineer, the gross salary in the employment contract must be at least 132,120 TL. An employer offering 120,000 TL gross faces the risk of rejection even if it meets every other criterion. Confusing net and gross pay is the most common mistake in this area, so make sure the salary is stated as a gross amount in the contract.

To see the minimum threshold for a position instantly, use our foreign employee salary calculator.

Newly established company or existing company?

If you are setting up a new company and want to employ foreign staff from day one, you need to plan the company formation and the capital payment together with the work permit timeline. Talking to us at the formation stage can save you the cost of a later capital increase and amendments to the articles of association.

Work permit for a foreign partner (shareholder)

Becoming a partner in a company does not by itself give you the right to work. A foreign partner who will work as a director or manager in their own company also needs a work permit, and the following conditions apply:

• The foreign partner's capital share must be at least 500,000 TL.
• The foreign partner's shareholding must be at least 20%.
• The company's capital must be at least 500,000 TL.
• Partners who invest 100,000 USD or more are exempt from these conditions.

For partners who do not meet the conditions, we assess options together, such as a share transfer, a capital increase or documenting an investment of 100,000 USD or more. For partners planning larger-scale investments, citizenship by investment options may also come into play; a fixed capital investment of at least 500,000 USD or creating employment for at least 50 people is one of the routes to a citizenship application.

From 3 August 2026: flexibility for up to 3 foreigners

Under the regulation in force since 3 August 2026, the employment and financial criteria are not applied for up to 3 foreigners per workplace when the foreigners have been in Turkey for at least 1 year within the last 3 years with a work permit, residence permit or international protection status. There are two important limits:

• The number of foreigners with work permits cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees at the workplace.
• From the fourth foreigner onward, the requirement of 5 Turkish citizens per foreigner and the financial criterion apply again.

Example: A newly opened restaurant in Kadıköy with 3 Turkish employees and 100,000 TL in capital can apply for a master cook who has lived in Istanbul for 2 years on a short-term residence permit. This business, which would normally fail both the 5-Turkish-employee requirement and the 500,000 TL capital requirement, can apply for up to 3 foreigners thanks to the new rule, provided that each candidate meets this condition. However, if it had only 2 Turkish employees, it could employ a maximum of 2 foreigners. The salary criterion still applies in this case.

Documents required for an employer work permit application

Company documents

• Application form signed by the employer and the foreign employee
• Employment contract showing the position, job description and gross salary
• Balance sheet and income statement for the last year; for new companies, records showing paid-in capital
• Trade Registry Gazette showing the latest capital and shareholding structure
• Current list of authorized signatories (signature circular)
• SGK records showing the number of Turkish employees
• If the export criterion is used, documents showing the export amount

Documents required from foreign staff

• Valid passport, biometric photo and CV
• Diploma with an apostille and a sworn translation; an equivalence certificate for engineers and architects
• For in-country applications, a residence permit valid for at least 6 months; for applications from abroad, the consulate reference number

Sector-specific pre-approvals

Healthcare professionals need pre-approval from the Ministry of Health, and teachers who will work at private educational institutions need pre-approval from the Ministry of National Education. An application cannot be finalized without pre-approval, which is why we build the timeline for hospital, clinic and school applications around the pre-approval period.

The e-İzin application process step by step

1. Preliminary assessment and quota check

   We compare your number of Turkish employees, your financial statements and the salary you are offering against the criteria.

2. Employer registration

   An authorized company officer logs in to the MoLSS e-İzin system with an e-Devlet (Turkish e-government) password or an e-signature, and the workplace is registered with its tax and SGK registration details.

3. Choosing the application type

   If the foreign national has a residence permit valid for at least 6 months, an in-country application is selected; if not, an application from abroad is selected using the consulate reference number. For applications from abroad, the documents must be uploaded within 10 days.

4. Entering information and uploading documents

   The position, job description, gross salary and work address are entered, and the company and foreign employee documents are uploaded.

5. Signature and submission

   The application form, signed by the employer and the foreign employee, is added to the system and the application is completed.

6. Follow-up and missing documents

   Complete applications are decided within 30 days. If missing documents are requested, the period is extended; we respond to the request quickly.

7. Approval and fee payment

   After the approval notification, the fee and card fee are paid within 30 days; if they are not paid, the permit is not processed.

8. Card, SGK registration and starting work

   The work permit card is issued, the SGK employment start notification is filed, and the foreign employee can start working legally.

You can follow official announcements about the system on the MoLSS work permit portal.

2026 company work permit cost per employee

On the first application, a fixed-term work permit is granted for up to 1 year; the 2- and 3-year amounts apply to extension applications. A card fee is paid separately for each permit.

Amounts apply to 2026 and are updated when the legislation changes. Salaries and SGK contributions are not included in this table. You can work out your total budget with our work permit fee calculator.

SGK registration and notice of departure

SGK employment start

When the work permit takes effect, the foreign employee's SGK employment start notification must be filed within the legal deadline. The salary reported to SGK must be consistent with the salary declared in the work permit application. Reporting a lower salary causes problems in the extension application and creates a risk of sanctions during inspections.

Resignation or end of the contract

When a foreign employee resigns, the employment contract is terminated, or the work actually ends before the permit expires, the employer must notify the Ministry within the legal deadline and complete the SGK exit.

Group applications: hiring several foreign employees

A factory opening, a new hotel season or a large construction project may require many foreign employees at the same time. Points to watch in group applications:

• A separate application and a separate fee for each foreign national: A group application is not a single file; each person is assessed separately.
• Quota planning: Hiring of Turkish staff must be aligned with the same timeline as the foreign applications.
• Using the exemptions correctly: Candidates covered by the 50 million TL turnover exemption and the 3-person rule are assessed separately.
• A standard document set: Contract templates, job descriptions and salaries are prepared consistently for each position.
• Extension tracking on a single calendar: Extension dates for all staff are monitored in one table.

We cover common scenarios by sector and frequent mistakes in detail in our guide to hiring foreign employees in Turkey for employers.

Company work permit rejection reasons

• The number of Turkish employees not meeting the quota
• Capital that has been committed but not paid in
• Failing the financial criterion where net sales and exports are also insufficient
• The gross salary offered falling below the minimum threshold for the position
• A mismatch between the position and the diploma or the company's field of activity
• For in-country applications, the foreign national's residence permit being valid for less than 6 months
• Missing, contradictory or uncertified documents
• The fee not being paid within 30 days of approval

An objection to a rejection decision can be filed with the Ministry within 30 days of notification. We prepare the objection petition with you; if an administrative lawsuit is needed, the process is handled through our partner attorneys under our rejection appeals and legal support service.

Penalties and inspections

The cost of employing foreigners without a permit is far higher than the cost of a work permit. For each unauthorized foreign worker found during an inspection:

• A substantial administrative fine is imposed on the employer per foreign worker, and this amount increases every year in line with the revaluation rate.
• A separate administrative fine is also imposed on the foreign national.
• Sanctions for uninsured employment under SGK legislation come into play.
• The employer may be held liable for the foreign national's travel costs back to their home country.
• The foreign national faces the risk of deportation and an entry ban.

If you are considering hiring a candidate who has previously been deported or has an entry ban, the deportation and entry ban removal process needs to be assessed first.

Services for employers in the Marmara Region

We work with employers of all sizes in the industrial and service hubs of the Marmara Region:

• Istanbul: The İkitelli and Dudullu OIZs, industrial businesses in Tuzla, and hotels, restaurants, software companies and healthcare institutions. See our company work permit service in Istanbul.
• Kocaeli: Automotive, chemical and machinery manufacturers in Gebze OIZ, Dilovası OIZ and around İzmit. For details, see our Kocaeli and Gebze page.
• Bursa: Automotive suppliers and textile companies in Bursa OIZ and Nilüfer OIZ, and furniture manufacturers in İnegöl. We run foreign employee hiring processes in Bursa around local needs.
• Tekirdağ: Textile, food and logistics businesses in Çorlu, Çerkezköy and Velimeşe. You can find regional information on our Tekirdağ and Çorlu page.

We also provide remote services to employers throughout Turkey, including in Sakarya, Yalova, Balıkesir and Bilecik.

Why Fast Danışmanlık? For employers

• Employer experience since 2010: We prepare files for businesses of every size, from factories to boutique hotels.
• Pre-application quota and salary analysis: We identify risky points before you apply.
• A complete file: A complete file maximizes your chances of approval; because the decision belongs to the Ministry, we cannot promise approval.
• A process that does not burden your HR team: We take care of the document list, contract review, fees, SGK and the extension calendar.
• Long-term planning: We also plan the residence and citizenship journey of your foreign executives; we explain this route step by step in our article from residence permit to Turkish citizenship.

To work out your company's quota and costs together, contact us by phone or WhatsApp at +90 542 392 90 92.