Work Residency in Turkey- Privileges and Requirements

There are a lot of residence permit types granted to foreigners in Turkey based on the reason for the permit, and each residence permit is different but all of them are regulated by clear laws that regulate the process for any foreigner in the country to obtain legal permission to reside in Turkey.

The most important types of residence permits in Turkey are:

1. Short-term residence permit.
2. Family residence permit.
3. Student residence permit.
4. Long-term residence permit.
5. Humanitarian residence permit.
6. Residence permit for human trafficking victims.

Each of the previous items has subdivisions of reasons for obtaining a residence permit.

But here in this article, we will be writing about the work permit, or what some people metaphorically call work residence in Turkey, we will also talk about the conditions of obtaining this type of residence permit, its benefits, and how to get work residency in turkey in detail.

It is a permit to work within a legal framework in Turkey, it allows its holder the right to practice his/her work in Turkey and to reside in the country legally, along with many other important advantages.  

Work residence permit/work permit is granted to foreigners employed in the legally licensed Turkish companies, where the company obtains work permits for the foreign employees from the Ministry of Labor.

The time needed to obtain a work permit is about 40 days usually.

If one of the parents obtains a work permit, the rest of the family members (husband/wife and children) are entitled to obtain a residence permit with the same duration as the parent's work residence duration.

Turkish work residency requirements

Conditions of the work permit in Turkey/work residence permit are:

1. Obtaining a residence permit for touristic purposes with a validity period of one month at least is required.
2. The company must employ five Turkish citizens for every foreign employee, except for the company owner.
3. The company's capital must be 100 thousand Turkish liras at least.
4. The company must pay all the due taxes to the country.
5. The company must commit to paying all the due social insurances.

Privileges of Turkish work residency

The work permit in Turkey provides the holder with a lot of important advantages, such as:

1. The work permit holder has the right to apply for Turkish citizenship after 5 years of a valid work permit, provided that the work permit holder does not leave the Turkish territory for more than 6 months.
2. The possibility of applying for a Schengen visa to enter the European Union.
3. The possibility to enter and exit Turkey without the need for a prior visa.
4. The right to benefit from 100% discounts in government hospitals and more than 75% in private hospitals including the father, the mother, the husband, the wife, and the children who hold an official residence permit in Turkey.
5. The holder of the work permit in Turkey enjoys the full protection of workers' rights by the country, thus, the country guarantees all of the workers’ rights along with ensuring that they obtain the minimum wage at least.
6. All family members of the work permit holder are entitled to obtain a residence permit.
7. The children can be enrolled in public schools and universities free of charge.
8. The holder of the work permit can obtain financial compensation from the government if any accident happens at work after the end of a period of 25 years of service.

Difference between Turkish work permit and work residency

To be precise, there is nothing called a work residence permit in Turkey, but the work permit in Turkey has some of the advantages that make it a competitor to the residence permit for touristic purposes or the real estate residence permit, an example of this is the work residency in Istanbul‎, that is why some people call it «work residence permit» which is called ÇALIŞMA İZNİ in Turkish.

And since the work permit allows its holder to have the right to reside and move in Turkey and abroad, in addition to the fact that it grants the right to work in the country, it was called metaphorically work residence permit.

It worth mentioning that the work residence permit in Turkey is divided into two parts:

1. Work residence permit granted to all applicants regardless of nationality, in which the holder is entitled to travel outside of Turkey.
2. Work residency for Syrians in Turkey‎ who hold the temporary protection cards and live in Turkey, which may be obtained smoothly and easily but it does not allow them to travel outside of Turkey.

How to get work residency in Turkey?‎

To get a work residence permit in Turkey/work permit, you must be:

1. The owner of a company licensed officially, or one of the partners.
2. Or an employee in one of the companies.

The company’s management requests that you work in Turkey according to the laws followed in this matter, and the work residency cost in Turkey or the Turkish work residency fees are paid by the company in Turkey on your behalf.

The result usually appears in a period between 30 to 45 days from the date of submitting the request, and for the Turkish work residency query you can‎ track it using the application number through the website, you can also use the website for checking work residency in Turkey and other information about work residency Turkey 2020.

Requirements for work residency in Turkey

For foreigners residing in Turkey who wish to apply for a work permit, they must provide the following documents:

1. A copy of a valid passport (valid for 6 months at least).
2. A copy of the residence permit for touristic purposes (must be still valid).
3. A personal photo of the applicant.
4. A Turkish translation of a copy of the academic certificate, if any, ratified by the notary.
5. A signed employment contract between the employer and the employee.

In addition to the Turkish work residency application form which is filled out with the applicant's information, and some documents regarding the company.

As for the work permits granted to Syrians who have a temporary protection ID, the required documents are:

1. A copy of the temporary protection ID/Kimlik.
2. A signed employment contract between the employer and the employee.
3. Personal photo.

Turkish work residency renewal

Holders of the work permit in Turkey/work residence permit are entitled to submit a request to renew their permits 60 days before their validity expires. The permit may still be renewed until the date of its expiration.

The documents required to renew the work permit are:

1. A work permit application form signed by the employer.
2. Special application form for foreign employees.
3. A signed copy of the work contract between both parties.
4. A copy of the official gazette of the company's commercial register.
5. Clearance from the due tax liabilities.
6. The employee's registration number in the Social Security with a statement showing that there are no financial dues on the employer towards the employee regarding social security.

Reasons for Turkish work residency rejection

The reasons that may lead to the rejection of a work permit application in Turkey usually vary depending on the application’s status...

The rejection reasons may be related to a financial matter:

1. The company’s capital is less than stated.
2. Unpaid taxes to the Turkish government.
3. Failure to pay health insurance premiums SGK.

Or, for some legal reasons in regards to the company:

1. The absence of Turkish employees in the company according to the law.
2. Having legal problems against the company.
3. Having legal problems with one of the founders.

Or, for reasons related to the employee/applicant:

1. Not having a valid passport.
2. Illegally entering the lands of the Turkish Republic.
3. The existence of a previous decision to deport the applicant outside Turkey or if the applicant is prevented from entering the territory of the Turkish Republic.
4. Illegal use of work residency.
5. Staying outside of Turkey for more than 6 continuous months after obtaining residency in Turkey.

What occupations do not grant a foreigner the right to obtain a work permit?

The Laws applicable in Turkey regarding the work permit prohibit granting them to foreigners in each of the following professions:

1. Dental medicine.
2. Midwife or nurse.
3. Veterinary medicine.
4. Lawyer profession or notary.
5. Private Security.