Turkey is one of the best countries all over the world that provides quality life with ease and comfort. The political and social resilience that prevails in the country, makes it a suitable destination for foreigners from all over the world. The country’s economic growth is advanced and it is powered by reforms and strong infrastructure development.
Turkey successfully attracted approximately worth 15 billion dollars in foreign investments in the last few years. It is a country that has a mixed eastern and western culture. This is what attracts a lot of people from all around the world for many reasons like studying, business investment, tourism, and residence.
What is the work residency permit?
It’s a residency permit that qualifies you and your family to obtain Turkish citizenship. Work residency is given for the foreign owners and employees of Turkish companies.
Work residency allows the resident to apply for Turkish citizenship if the resident has stayed in Turkey for consecutive five years without leaving the country, except for 180 days within those five years. Then it also enables your spouse (husband/wife) and kids (under 18) to get family residence based on it. Moreover, the work permit is a document that allows you to work in Turkey with getting special benefits, that are for foreigners in Turkey. Following are the advantages of the work residency:
- Treatment at the state’s expense in all hospitals of the country.
- Benefit from pension after the age of 60.
- Getting Turkish citizenship after the fifth year.
- The investor’s children can join Turkish schools without any tuition.
- Getting benefits from the powers offered to the investors by the Turkish government.
Why should you seek work residency in Turkey?
Turkey is encouraging foreign investments with maximum support and facilitation to create more and more job opportunities. Many industries are showing increased growth and creating opportunities for investment and employment in an exclusive manner, such as:
- Importing & Exporting Vehicles
- Jewelry & Precious Metals
- Plastics Manufacturing & Plastics Products
- Clothing, Textiles, and Accessories
- Iron & Steel Manufacturers
- Electrical Equipment Supplies
- Fruits & Vegetables
1- Working for a Turkish company
According to Turkish law, companies must apply to get a work residency for foreign workers in Turkey on the following conditions:
- The capital of the company should be more than 100,000 Turkish Lira.
- At least five Turkish workers should be employed full-time if a foreign worker is needed to be hired.
- For the partners who want to get a work permit without hiring Turkish employees, their share in the company’s capital should not be less than 40,000 TL.
- The company must have paid all taxes to the state.
- The company must have paid all social insurances to the country.
After fulfilling the required conditions, the owner of the company shall be able to perform the required procedure for the permit. After submitting the application the result will be declared within one month and then you can get the residence.
2- Investing in establishing a company in Turkey
We suggest this route because it is the easiest way to get a residency permit in Turkey. Learn more about the investment in Turkey
According to Turkish law to have a work permit, the owners of companies are exempted from certain conditions. Also, it gives you some facilitations such as:
- You do not have to hire 5 Turks for the first year of the company. You will open your company first, and then you will get the work residency to start your business directly.
- It is easy to include your spouse, children, and parents in your residency. Thus, they too will be able to get a legal residency.
- You can still get a work permit while you are outside of Turkey.
How to apply for a work residency permit in Turkey?
The first way: get the work permit inside Turkey
In case you apply for a work permit inside Turkey, then you must have a tourist residency and then transfer it to a work residency.
The second way: get the residency outside Turkey
If you have a residence in any other country, this solution will be suitable for you.
The Turkish law permits the owners of companies to get the work residency, work permit, and investor residency in Turkey by visiting one of the Turkish embassies in their country along with the required documents.
The investor will get a working code which he can use later in Turkey to get his work residency.
Hello, i intend to buy an apartment in istanbul and get real estate residence for my family. But at the same time i want to work in Turkey by opening a real estate company as i intend to lure in foreign investments in turkey through selling of property in turkey from South Asia region.
I have two questions here
1) if i get the real estate residence permit through thr purchase of property in tukey, then what is is requirement of work residency?
2) can i incorporate a company and obtain work permit and not get the work residency as I already will have a real estate residence permit through the purchase of property in turkey.
Kindly help me out.
Hello Ms. Monis,
Regarding your first question, you can not change your residency type to a work permit unless you establish a company.
You can apply for a work residency just in two cases:
• If you are an employee for a Turkish company and according to the labor law, your company must hire 5 Turkish employees for your employment to be allowed to get a work residency in Turkey.
• To own or to be a partner in ownership in a Turkish company.
Regarding your second question, the work permit and work residency are the same, to establish a company in Turkey you will just need a valid passport, which means you can keep your real estate residency and establish a company.
I will send you a file to your email address that explains more about the work permit (residency) and establishing a company in Turkey.
Feel free to contact me if you have farther inquiries.
Hi,I am Mohammad Shahidul Islam From Bangladesh , I looking for Turkey Work permit, Please give me details.
Thanks
Hi Mr. Mohammad,
You can get the Turkish work permit (residency) just in two cases:
• If you are an employee for a Turkish company and according to the labor law, your company must hire 5 Turkish employees for your employment to be allowed to get a work residence in Turkey.
• To own or to be a partner in ownership in a Turkish company.
You can contact me if you have further questions.
Hello
Could you please address the law that says if I stablish a LTD company in Turkey I can get work permit for first year?
I’ve heard that this is not possible to get work permit with company registering in Turkey.
Thank you for your help
Hello,
You can apply for the work permit in case of being a company owner or an employee in a Turkish company.
You can check the law that talks about the work permit (residency) from this link
https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=6735&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5
hello,
for work permit is in mandatory that i should have a company in turkey? any working person can not apply for work permit?
Hello,
There are two ways to apply for the work permit (work residence):
_ If you are an employee for a Turkish company and according to the labor law, your company must hire 5 Turkish employees for your employment to be allowed to get a work residence in Turkey.
_ To own or to be a partner in ownership in a Turkish company.
In both cases, the company’s bookkeeper (accountant) can apply for the work permit.
Hi,
1. Can I create any kind of company? In any sector? To get the working permit
2. If after the first year I don’t have 5 turkish employee, can I continue to get the working permit?
Hello,
The only type of company that qualifies you to apply for the work permit is Limited Liability Company and Joint Stok Company, and there are some restrictions regarding some activities.
Regarding the work permit, there are two ways so you can renew it:
1- Employment 5 Turkish citizens employees in the last 6 months from the work permit date.
2- Having an 800.000 TL as an export value during the year, in this case, you won’t need to hire 5 Turkish employees.
If you could not meet these terms, you can not be able to renew your work permit.
Thank you very much Omar,
What are the restrictions regarding the activities?
Also does all 5 employees have to be full time jobs?
Dear Mr. Adeel,
It depends on the activity, for example, foreigners can not do educational activities and some other medical activities.
And for the 5 Turkish employees, it does not mandatory to be hired full time.
Hi
I am from Iran
I ‘m working in travel agency ,but we want to creat a new company or branch in turkey ,by creating company can I get work permit visa without hiring turkish employees
Dear Ms. Sara,
Your inquiry has been answered through your email address, please check
Hi, If i get a work permit as being the owner/partner of the company along with my parents, will my parents also get their health insured and expenses will be handled by the state?
Each manager or shareholder at the company must pay his own social security insurance fees separately and get the advantages.
Having an 800.000 TL as an export value during the year, in this case, you won’t need to hire 5 Turkish employees.
Does the above requirement also include selling real estate to foreigners and bring in revenue for the country?
No, it does not include selling real estate. It must be exporting goods from Turkey to outside.
Hi, I want to start a company, but my work does not require any employees. I work with trading stocks. Can I get a work permit without having any employees? What are the exemptions?
Thankyou
Hello,
Yes, you can
Kindly contact us directly via WhatsApp on this number to discuss setting up your business
0090 551 448 51 81
Hello,
I’m from Iran and have a short-term residency in turkey, and I want to establish a limited company in turkey for my online business. Is it possible to extend my residency after I register my company? If not, can my company continue its activities legally when my residency expires?
I also want to know if it is necessary to obtain a work permit after establishing a company to work legally?
Thank you.
Hello,
Kindly contact us directly via WhatsApp on this number to discuss this further
0090 551 448 51 81