Work permit (çalışma izni) — how it works in Turkey
Feb 5, 2026Levent · Experience date Dec 23, 2025
Work permits in Turkey are applied for by the employer, not the employee, through the Ministry of Labor (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı). Your employer must show a valid business registration, at least 5 Turkish employees for every 1 foreign worker (ratio requirement), and sufficient capital. Processing time: 30–90 days. You receive a work permit card (çalışma izni kartı) which also serves as a residence permit. Without a work permit, working in Turkey is illegal even on a tourist visa.
Contributor: Nadia Dubois Golden Visa equivalent in Turkey — long-term residence through investment
Jan 31, 2026Beşiktaş · Experience date Nov 12, 2025
Turkey offers citizenship (not just residency) through investment: $400,000 property purchase, $500,000 bank deposit maintained for 3 years, or $500,000 government bond purchase. Turkish citizenship by investment gives a Turkish passport (visa-free access to 100+ countries) and full residency rights. Process: 3–6 months. Many Middle Eastern and South Asian nationals use this pathway. Turkish citizenship does not require renouncing home country citizenship for most nationalities. Long-term residence (8 years) is a slower path to residency without citizenship.
Turkish labor court — filing a claim as a foreign worker
Jan 29, 2026Kadıköy · Experience date Nov 14, 2025
If your Turkish employer violates your rights: first file a complaint at the Ministry of Labor (ÇSGB) via alo170.gov.tr or ALO 170 phone. If unresolved: take to the Labor Court (İş Mahkemesi) — free for employees, no lawyer required for initial filing. Turkey has mandatory mediation before labor court: all employment disputes must go through a mediator (arabulucu) first. Mediation resolves 60–70% of cases. Courts are slow (1–2 years) but generally pro-employee for clear-cut cases. Foreign workers have same rights as Turkish citizens in labor disputes.
Digital nomad situation in Turkey — legal grey area
Jan 28, 2026Beşiktaş · Experience date Jan 17, 2026
Turkey has no official digital nomad visa as of 2024. Remote workers who work for foreign companies and get paid abroad commonly live in Istanbul on tourist residence permits. This is technically not authorized for work in Turkey but widely practiced. The risk is low if you don't work for Turkish clients or companies. Tax residency: if you spend 183+ days in Turkey, you could be considered a Turkish tax resident — consult a local accountant. Many digital nomads rotate between Turkey and other countries to avoid this threshold.
SGK (social security) enrollment — your rights as an employee
Jan 26, 2026Beşiktaş · Experience date Apr 25, 2026
SGK (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu) is Turkey's social security system. As a foreign employee with a work permit: your employer must enroll you in SGK. Employee contribution: 14% of gross salary. Employer contribution: 20.5%. Benefits: state healthcare (reduces private hospital costs by 30–50%), pension contributions, sick pay, maternity leave. If your employer doesn't register you with SGK: this is illegal — file a complaint at the Ministry of Labor (ALO 170 helpline). SGK registration gives you access to state hospitals nearly free of charge.
Apostille and notarized translation requirements
Jan 11, 2026Maslak · Experience date Jan 25, 2026
Many Turkish bureaucratic processes require foreign documents with apostille (international certification) plus notarized Turkish translation. Documents commonly needed with apostille: birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal background check, educational diplomas. Process: 1) Get apostille on the document in your home country. 2) Have it translated by a yeminli tercüman (sworn translator) in Turkey — 200–500 TRY per document. 3) Get the translation notarized at a noter office. Allow 1–2 weeks and budget 1,500–3,000 TRY per document for the full chain.
Contributor: Nadia Dubois Company registration in Turkey — for foreign entrepreneurs
Jan 11, 2026Levent · Experience date Jan 12, 2026
Foreigners can establish a company in Turkey with 100% foreign ownership (Limited Şirketi / Ltd. Şti.). Minimum capital: 10,000 TRY. Requirements: notarized passport, articles of association, tax number, Turkish bank account with capital deposit. Process: 3–7 business days through the trade registry (Ticaret Sicili Müdürlüğü). Cost: 3,000–8,000 TRY plus notary fees. Having a Turkish company allows you to apply for a work permit for yourself. Consider engaging a local lawyer (1,500–3,000 TRY for company setup) — Turkish commercial law has important details.