Work Permit Eligibility Checker

Obtaining a work permit in Türkiye requires both the foreign national and the employing company to meet specific legal criteria.

The Turkey Work Permit Requirements are primarily based on three key factors: the employer’s capacity to employ Turkish citizens (the 5:1 employment rule), the company’s financial adequacy, and the proposed gross salary in relation to the foreign employee’s professional position.

However, a regulatory change introduced on 3 August 2026 established an important exception, allowing certain foreign nationals who have legally resided in Türkiye for at least one year within the preceding three years to benefit from exemptions from the employment and financial adequacy criteria.

These requirements are not applied identically to every applicant. The company’s sector, the foreign national’s legal status, and the nature of the proposed position may all affect the assessment. Use our Turkey Work Permit Eligibility Checker above to obtain a preliminary assessment of whether your application meets the relevant eligibility criteria.

What Are the Work Permit Requirements in Turkey?

Foreign nationals wishing to work legally in Türkiye must obtain a work permit before starting employment.

However, receiving a work permit is not simply a matter of submitting an employment contract. Applications are assessed under Turkey's international labour force legislation, taking into account the employer's financial capacity, employment structure, the foreign national's qualifications and the proposed position.

Understanding the legal framework is therefore essential for anyone researching Turkey Work Permit Requirements or using a Turkey Work Permit Eligibility Checker to assess their eligibility.

Legal Basis: Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force

The primary legislation governing foreign employment in Turkey is Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, which entered into force following its publication in the Official Gazette on 13 August 2016.

The law establishes the principles governing work permits, work permit exemptions and the employment of foreign nationals in Turkey.

Under Article 6, foreign nationals covered by the legislation cannot work without obtaining a valid work permit or qualifying for a work permit exemption. The law also authorises the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to establish evaluation criteria based on Türkiye's international labour force policy.

Who Evaluates Your Application?

Work permit applications are evaluated by the Directorate General of International Labour Force, operating under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The competent authority examines the submitted information and documents against the applicable general and sector-specific evaluation criteria.

The assessment may involve reviewing the employer's financial records, the number of Turkish employees, the proposed salary and the foreign national's professional qualifications. Where necessary, the Ministry may also seek opinions from other relevant public institutions and professional organisations.

Importantly, meeting the minimum Turkey Work Permit Requirements does not automatically guarantee approval. Each application is assessed individually, and the competent authority retains the power to evaluate whether granting the permit is consistent with the applicable legislation and international labour force policy.

The Three Core Criteria Used to Evaluate Your Application

A work permit application in Turkey is assessed according to three main criteria: the employer’s obligation to employ Turkish citizens, the financial adequacy of the workplace, and the proposed salary for the foreign employee.

These criteria are applied to workplaces subject to the balance-sheet basis, although specific exceptions may apply depending on the company’s circumstances and the foreign national’s position.

Employment Criterion: The 5:1 Rule

As a general rule, an employer must employ at least five Turkish citizens for each foreign national for whom a work permit application is submitted. This requirement applies at the workplace where the foreign employee will work.

However, an important exception applies to workplaces whose net sales in the previous year were TRY 50 million or more. Such employers are not required to satisfy the employment criterion for work permit applications covering up to five foreign nationals.

Financial Adequacy Criterion

The financial requirements depend on whether the workplace is newly established or has already prepared its annual financial statements.

For a newly established workplace that has not yet prepared a year-end balance sheet and annual income statement, the paid-in capital must be at least TRY 500,000.

For an existing workplace that has prepared at least one year-end balance sheet and annual income statement, at least one of the following conditions must be met:

• Paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000;
• Net sales of at least TRY 8 million; or
• Exports amounting to at least USD 150,000.

For applications involving an ordinary partnership established by a balance-sheet workplace, at least one partner must satisfy one of these financial thresholds.

Salary Criterion by Job Level

The proposed gross monthly salary must correspond to the foreign employee’s professional position. The applicable multiple is calculated using the gross minimum wage in force on the application date:

Exceptions That Waive the Employment and Financial Criteria

Although the employment and financial adequacy criteria generally apply to work permit applications, certain circumstances allow employers to benefit from exemptions.

Two important exceptions concern foreign nationals with a qualifying history of lawful stay in Türkiye and workplaces with sufficiently high net sales. These exemptions are subject to specific conditions, including limits on the number of foreign employees.

The 2026 Prior-Lawful-Stay Exception: Up to Three Foreigners

Under this exception, a foreign national must have stayed legally in Turkey for a total of at least one year within the three years preceding the application date. The qualifying period must have been based on one of the following statuses:

• A work permit;
• A residence permit; or
• International protection status.

The exception applies only to domestic work permit applications and entered into force on 3 August 2026. It allows the employment and financial adequacy criteria to be waived for a maximum of three qualifying foreign nationals at the same workplace.

There are two important limitations. First, the number of foreign nationals working under this exception must not exceed the number of Turkish citizens employed at the same workplace.

Second, if the employer intends to hire a fourth or subsequent foreign national who meets these conditions, the employer must satisfy the general employment and financial adequacy criteria separately for each additional foreign employee. In other words, the employer must employ five Turkish citizens for each such foreign national and meet the applicable financial threshold.

Companies with High Net Sales

A separate exception is available to workplaces whose net sales in the previous year were at least TRY 50 million. Under this rule, the employment criterion does not apply to work permit applications for up to five foreign nationals to be employed at the qualifying workplace.

This means that the employer does not have to demonstrate that it employs five Turkish citizens for each of these foreign employees. It is important to distinguish this exception from the prior-lawful-stay exception described above.

The high-net-sales rule waives the employment criterion only. It does not, by itself, remove the financial adequacy criterion.

Therefore, the workplace must still meet the applicable financial requirements when the application is assessed. Both exceptions can make it easier for eligible employers to hire foreign nationals. However, their conditions and scope differ, so the correct exception should be identified before submitting the work permit application.

Sector-Specific Rules for Turkey Work Permits

The general work permit requirements in Türkiye are not applied identically across all industries. Certain sectors benefit from exemptions from the employment and financial adequacy criteria, while others are subject to additional conditions, such as obtaining prior approval from a relevant public authority.

These sector-specific rules may significantly affect whether an employer can hire a foreign national without meeting the standard requirements. The applicable conditions depend on the sector in which the employer operates, the nature of the foreign employee’s position and, in some cases, the number of Turkish citizens employed at the workplace.

IT and Software: Exemptions for Specialist Positions

The information technology sector benefits from an important exemption from the general employment and financial adequacy criteria. For workplaces operating in the IT sector, these two criteria are not applied when the foreign national will be employed in a specialist position requiring relevant expertise. The qualifying positions include:

• Software development specialist;
• Database specialist;
• Mobile software specialist;
• Systems, network and security specialist; and
• Enterprise architecture specialist.

The exemption is not limited to companies operating in the IT sector. Workplaces operating in other industries may also benefit from it when hiring foreign nationals for these specified specialist positions.

However, outside the IT sector, the exemption is limited to a maximum of two foreign nationals. Accordingly, an employer in another industry may benefit from the employment and financial adequacy exemptions for up to two qualifying IT specialists.

It is important to note that the exemption concerns the employment and financial adequacy criteria. The position must still fall within the specified specialist categories.

Education and Health: Prior Approval Requirements

Foreign nationals seeking employment in certain educational and healthcare positions must obtain prior approval from the relevant public authority before their work permit applications can be evaluated.

Education sector

For foreign nationals who will work in positions requiring professional qualifications at educational institutions, prior approval from either the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) is mandatory.

Certain exemptions also apply:

• Foreign academic staff who have received prior approval from YÖK are exempt from the evaluation criteria specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 8 of Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force.
• Subject to applicable international agreements, foreign nationals working in educational institutions and international schools in positions requiring prior approval under Article 29 of the Regulation on Private Educational Institutions are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria.

Health sector

A similar prior approval requirement applies to foreign nationals who will work in healthcare institutions in positions requiring professional qualifications.

In these cases, prior approval from the Ministry of Health is mandatory. An additional exemption applies to foreign healthcare professionals working in public health institutions.

These professionals are exempt from the employment, salary and financial adequacy criteria when employed in positions requiring professional qualifications.

Therefore, employers in the education and healthcare sectors should identify the applicable prior approval requirement and exemption before submitting a work permit application.

Tourism: Special Conditions for Certified Tourism Businesses

The tourism sector has several specific exemptions, particularly for businesses holding the relevant certification from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. For certain skilled or specialist positions, the employment criterion may be waived if the workplace employs at least 10 Turkish citizens. This exemption covers qualifying positions at:

• Tourism businesses certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism;
• Restaurants operating under contract at the same address within certified tourism businesses;
• Tourism-animation companies contracted by certified tourism businesses;
• Hammam and sauna complexes contracted at the same address within certified tourism businesses;
• Hammams and saunas contracted with travel agencies; and
• Thermal hotels holding an official activity permit.

Special requirements for massage therapists and similar positions

Additional restrictions apply to foreign nationals seeking employment as massage therapists, masseuses, SPA therapists or in similar skilled positions. Applications for these positions are assessed positively only where the workplace falls within the specified categories, including:

• A tourism business certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that has a massage salon;
• A licensed thermal hotel;
• A massage salon operating under contract within a certified tourism business at the same address;
• A hammam or sauna operating under contract with a licensed travel agency; or
• An officially permitted sports centre employing at least 20 Turkish citizens.

Applications for these positions at other workplaces are evaluated negatively.

Other tourism-related exemptions

The rules also provide specific exemptions for certain smaller businesses and health tourism activities:

• Small businesses within certified tourism businesses: Businesses such as hairdressers, jewellers, leather shops, carpet shops and textile sales businesses operating under contract within tourism businesses certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism may benefit from exemptions from the employment and financial adequacy criteria for up to two foreign nationals.
• Health tourism travel agencies: For domestic work permit applications involving foreign nationals who will work at travel agencies certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, actively operating in health tourism and authorised by the Ministry of Health as intermediary institutions, the employment and financial adequacy criteria are not applied for up to five foreign nationals.

Manufacturing, Livestock, Poultry and Recycling

Certain activities in the manufacturing, livestock, poultry farming and recycling sectors benefit from special employment-related exemptions. Some of these provisions were introduced with effect from 3 August 2026 and are subject to specific conditions and time limits.

Manufacturing sector

For manufacturing businesses, the general employment criterion is assessed by considering the total number of Turkish citizens employed by the business across Türkiye.

However, an additional exemption applies until 31 December 2027. During this period, for each five Turkish citizens employed at a manufacturing branch, the employer may apply for a work permit for one additional foreign national without being subject to the general employment criterion under Section A.

This arrangement allows qualifying manufacturing businesses to employ additional foreign nationals at branch level, subject to the specified ratio.

Livestock sector

Special rules apply to livestock businesses registered in the relevant animal information system. To employ a foreign national as a shepherd or livestock caretaker, the workplace must have at least one of the following animal populations:

The number of foreign shepherds or livestock caretakers must correspond to the animal population: one foreign worker for every 200 small livestock, 100 beef cattle, 50 dairy cattle or 75 mixed beef and dairy cattle.

The employment criterion may be waived for a maximum of three foreign nationals at the same livestock workplace.

The opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is also obtained when these applications are evaluated.

There is an additional restriction concerning changes of employer. If a foreign national obtained a work permit through an overseas application to work in the livestock sector, a domestic application to work for another employer within six months from the start date of that permit is evaluated negatively, except in cases of force majeure.

Poultry farming sector

For poultry farming businesses, the general employment criterion is assessed by considering the total number of Turkish citizens employed by the business across Türkiye.

Until 31 December 2027, an additional exemption applies to foreign nationals employed in positions such as animal caretakers and poultry-house maintenance workers. For every five Turkish citizens employed at the relevant branch, one additional foreign national may be employed without applying the general employment criterion.

A further exemption is available for smaller workplaces employing fewer than five Turkish citizens.

For domestic work permit applications, the employment and financial adequacy criteria are not applied for up to two foreign nationals, provided that the number of foreign employees benefiting from this provision does not exceed the number of Turkish employees at the workplace.

Recycling sector

Similar provisions apply to businesses operating in waste collection, recovery and disposal activities. Until 31 December 2027, one additional foreign national may be employed for every five Turkish citizens working at the relevant branch in positions such as waste collector or recycling worker, without applying the general employment criterion.

Furthermore, workplaces employing fewer than five Turkish citizens may benefit from an exemption from both the employment and financial adequacy criteria for domestic applications covering up to two foreign nationals. However, the number of foreign employees benefiting from this exemption must not exceed the number of Turkish employees.

Domestic Services: Restricted Positions and Employer Eligibility

The employment of foreign nationals in domestic services is subject to specific restrictions. Under the applicable criteria, foreign nationals may principally be employed in the following roles:

• Childcare;
• Care for elderly persons;
• Care for persons with disabilities; and
• Patient companionship.

Accordingly, domestic service work permits are not generally available for every type of household task. The nature of the care required and the relationship between the employer and the person receiving care are important elements of the assessment.

Who can apply for a domestic services work permit?

The eligible applicant depends on the type of care involved. For childcare, the application may be submitted by:

• The child's mother or father, if the parents are married;
• The parent who has custody, if the parents are divorced;
• The person who has adopted the child;
• The child's guardian, if the child is under guardianship;
• The foster parent under the foster family programme; or
• The mother of a child born outside marriage, or the father who has formally recognised the child.

For elderly care, disability care or patient companionship, the application may be submitted by:

• The elderly, disabled or sick person themselves;
• Their first- or second-degree relatives; or
• Their guardian, if they are under guardianship, or their first- or second-degree relatives with the guardian's consent.

What factors are considered during the evaluation?

Domestic services applications are assessed by considering both the care recipient's circumstances and the qualifications of the foreign national. The evaluation may take into account:

• The health condition and age of the person receiving care;
• The foreign caregiver's education and professional experience;
• The caregiver's level of Turkish language proficiency;
• The caregiver's residence and work history in Türkiye;
• The caregiver's marital status and age;
• Other circumstances specific to the nature of the care duties; and
• The employer's socioeconomic status, assets and regular monthly income.

Financial capacity is particularly important. The person receiving care, or their relatives up to the second degree by blood or marriage who will support the care, must have sufficient and regular income documented by the relevant institutions.

If the person receiving care has no relatives up to the second degree who can provide this support, other family-connected individuals wishing to finance the care must submit official documentation proving sufficient and regular income. They must also provide a notarised undertaking confirming their commitment to support the care for the employer.

Restriction on changing employers

A specific restriction applies to foreign nationals who obtained their work permits through overseas applications. If such a foreign national applies domestically to work for a different employer in the domestic services sector within six months from the start date of the work permit, the application is evaluated negatively, except in cases of force majeure.

Important: Sector-Specific Exemptions Have Conditions

The existence of a sector-specific exemption does not mean that every employer operating in that industry automatically qualifies. The foreign national's actual job, the employer's business activity, the applicable employee thresholds and any required prior approvals must all be considered.

There are also restrictions on changing the conditions under which an exempted work permit was issued. Where a foreign national received a work permit under a sector, profession or job specific exemption, a domestic application made within six months from the permit's start date to work for a different employer or in a sector, profession or job outside the relevant exemption is evaluated negatively, except in cases of force majeure.

Where the sector specific rules do not provide a particular exemption or evaluation condition, the general work permit evaluation criteria continue to apply.

For this reason, identifying the correct sector and job classification is an essential step before submitting a work permit application in Turkey.

A company may not need to satisfy the standard employment or financial requirements if the foreign national's position falls within a specific exemption, but the precise conditions of that exemption must first be established.

Work Permits for Company Partners and Investors

Foreign nationals who establish a company in Turkey or become partners in an existing company may apply for a work permit. However, being a shareholder or company partner does not automatically exempt a foreign national from the general work permit evaluation criteria. Specific capital, ownership and employment requirements apply to foreign company partners.

Capital and Ownership Requirements for Foreign Company Partners

For workplaces subject to the balance-sheet basis, a foreign national who establishes a new workplace or becomes a partner in an existing company must satisfy the following conditions:

• The workplace must have paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000.
• The foreign national's individual capital contribution must be at least TRY 500,000.
• The foreign national must hold at least 20% of the company's capital.

Employment Requirement for Foreign Company Partners

In addition to the capital and ownership conditions, the company must employ at least five Turkish citizens.

A specific arrangement applies to the first work permit issued to a foreign company partner or owner. The initial work permit is issued with an annotation concerning this employment requirement. Starting from the beginning of the seventh month of the work permit, the company must employ at least five Turkish citizens each month.

This means that the employment obligation is not simply a condition to be considered at the initial application stage. The company must also observe the monthly employment requirement from the beginning of the seventh month.

Exception for Foreign Partners Investing USD 100,000 or More

An important exception applies where the foreign company partner holds a capital share of at least USD 100,000. Foreign partners meeting this investment threshold are exempt from the requirements set out in paragraphs 1.1(a) and 1.1(b) of the relevant criteria. These are the requirements concerning:

• The workplace's minimum paid-in capital;
• The foreign partner's minimum individual capital contribution; and
• The foreign partner's minimum 20% ownership share.

The exception also removes the employment requirement described in paragraph 1.1(b). Accordingly, a foreign partner whose capital share is at least USD 100,000 benefits from an exemption from both the specified capital and ownership conditions and the five-Turkish-employee requirement.

For foreign investors considering company formation or acquiring shares in a Turkish company, these thresholds should be assessed before the work permit application is prepared. The investment amount and ownership structure can directly affect which requirements apply.

Foreign Nationals Exempt from the Work Permit Evaluation Criteria

Certain foreign nationals are exempt from the general employment, financial adequacy and salary criteria when applying for a work permit in Türkiye.

These exemptions are based on the foreign national's family relationship, residence status, length of stay or other legally recognised circumstances.

However, an exemption from the evaluation criteria does not mean that a work permit is automatically granted. The applicant must still prove that they fall within the relevant exemption category, and the competent authority retains the ability to evaluate the application.

Who Is Exempt from the Employment, Financial and Salary Criteria?

Under the applicable criteria, the following foreign nationals are exempt from the employment, financial adequacy and salary requirements:

1. Foreign nationals with a Turkish citizen parent or child

   A foreign national whose mother, father or child is a Turkish citizen benefits from the exemption.

2. Holders of humanitarian residence permits

   Foreign nationals holding a humanitarian residence permit are included among those exempt from the evaluation criteria.

3. Victims of human trafficking

   The exemption covers foreign nationals who hold a residence permit as victims of human trafficking, as well as those covered by the victim support programme established under the relevant regulation.

4. Stateless persons

   Foreign nationals holding a Stateless Person Identity Document are included in the exemption categories.

5. Holders of long-term residence permits

   Foreign nationals holding a long-term residence permit are exempt from the general employment, financial adequacy and salary criteria.

6. Foreign nationals married to Turkish citizens for at least three years

   A foreign national who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years qualifies for the exemption.

7. Foreign nationals who have stayed in Türkiye for at least eight years

   An additional exemption, effective from 3 August 2026, applies to foreign nationals who have stayed in Türkiye for at least eight years under one or more of the following residence or work statuses:

   • Work permit;
   • Short-term residence permit;
   • Family residence permit;
   • Student residence permit;
   • Long-term residence permit;
   • Humanitarian residence permit; or
   • Residence permit issued to victims of human trafficking.

   The qualifying period must be assessed in accordance with the specified legal statuses.

8. Foreign nationals of Turkish descent

   Foreign nationals of Turkish descent may benefit from the exemption where their status has been notified by the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or accepted by the General Directorate under international labour policy.

   This exemption does not apply to occupations and jobs reserved for Turkish citizens.

9. Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)

   Citizens of the TRNC are also included among the foreign nationals exempt from the evaluation criteria.

How Must the Exemption Be Proven?

Being eligible for an exemption is not sufficient on its own. The foreign national must document the relevant status or circumstance.

The exemption must be supported by documents issued by public institutions. Depending on the applicable category, the relevant documentation must establish the family relationship, residence status, duration of stay, nationality or other qualifying circumstance.

For example, a foreign national relying on the eight-year stay exemption must be able to demonstrate the qualifying period through the relevant work or residence permit records.

Similarly, a foreign national relying on marriage to a Turkish citizen must provide official documentation establishing that the marriage has lasted for at least three years.

Work Permits for Foreign Students in Türkiye

Foreign students studying at higher education institutions in Turkey may also apply for work permits, but the applicable conditions depend on their level and type of education.

The rules distinguish between associate and bachelor's degree students and postgraduate students. They also take into account the student's academic status, the nature of the proposed employment and, in certain cases, the scholarship programme under which the student is studying.

Work Permits for Associate and Bachelor's Degree Students

Foreign nationals enrolled in formal associate or bachelor's degree programmes at higher education institutions may work part-time after completing their first year of study.

Accordingly, these students are not eligible to benefit from this arrangement during their first academic year.

The part-time work opportunity becomes available only after the first year has been completed. The province in which the student studies and similar circumstances may also be considered when the application is evaluated.

Work Permits for Postgraduate Students

The limitations applicable to associate and bachelor's degree students do not apply to foreign nationals enrolled in full-time postgraduate programmes.

Therefore, the specific restrictions concerning the first year of study and part-time employment do not apply to full-time postgraduate students under this provision.

Which Jobs Are Not Suitable for Foreign Students?

Not every type of employment is considered suitable for foreign students. Work permit applications for foreign students seeking employment in unsuitable entertainment jobs or in domestic services are rejected. In addition, the student's level of education, province of study and similar circumstances may be taken into account, particularly for associate and bachelor's degree students.

Why Work Permit Applications Get Rejected in Türkiye

A work permit application in Türkiye may be rejected even if the employer and foreign national appear to meet the basic eligibility requirements.

The assessment is not limited to checking the company's capital, the number of Turkish employees or the proposed salary.

The foreign national's qualifications, the nature of the position and the employer's justification for hiring a foreign worker may also be important.

Understanding the potential reasons for rejection before submitting an application can help employers identify weaknesses in their documentation and prepare a stronger application.

Failure to Meet the Employment Criterion

One of the most common reasons for problems with a work permit application is failure to satisfy the 5:1 employment rule.

As a general rule, a workplace subject to the balance-sheet basis must employ at least five Turkish citizens for each foreign national for whom a work permit application is submitted.

If the employer does not meet this requirement and cannot benefit from an applicable exemption, the application may be rejected.

Insufficient Financial Adequacy

The employer must also satisfy the applicable financial adequacy requirements. Depending on whether the workplace is newly established or has already prepared annual financial statements, the relevant thresholds include:

• Paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000;
• Net sales of at least TRY 8 million; or
• Exports of at least USD 150,000.

Proposed Salary Below the Required Threshold

The proposed gross salary must correspond to the foreign national's professional position.

For example, senior executives and pilots must receive at least five times the gross minimum wage, while engineers and architects must receive at least four times the gross minimum wage.

If the salary declared in the application falls below the applicable threshold, this may constitute a reason for rejection.

Failure to Demonstrate the Foreign National's Suitability for the Position

The employer should be able to demonstrate that the foreign national has the qualifications, professional experience, education or specialist knowledge required for the proposed position.

Simply assigning a job title to a foreign national does not necessarily establish that the person is suitable for that role. For example, where an employer applies for a work permit for a foreign national as a software development specialist, the application should clearly demonstrate the individual's relevant professional background and ability to perform the proposed duties.

If the foreign national's qualifications cannot be adequately demonstrated, the application may face difficulties during evaluation.

Failure to Explain Why a Turkish Citizen Is Not Being Employed for the Position

Another important consideration is the employer's ability to explain why the particular position needs to be filled by a foreign national rather than a Turkish citizen.

The application should present a clear and credible justification for employing the foreign national. This may involve explaining the specialist nature of the position, the particular qualifications required or the professional expertise that the foreign national brings to the workplace.

The employer should be prepared to demonstrate why the foreign national is suitable for the role and why their employment is justified in the circumstances.

A failure to provide a convincing explanation may weaken the application, particularly where the proposed position requires specialist knowledge or specific professional experience.

Incorrect Job Classification or Inconsistent Application Information

The proposed position must correspond to the foreign national's actual duties and the employer's business activities.

Problems may arise where the declared job title, the foreign national's qualifications and the employer's actual operations do not appear consistent with one another.

For example, an employer seeking to benefit from the IT-sector exemption must demonstrate that the foreign national will actually work in one of the specified specialist positions. Merely describing a position as an IT role does not establish eligibility for the exemption.

The application should therefore present a consistent explanation of the workplace's activities, the proposed job and the foreign national's qualifications.

Failure to Satisfy Additional Procedural Conditions

Certain exemptions and sector-specific arrangements include additional restrictions that must be considered before submitting an application.

For example, a foreign national who obtained a work permit through an overseas application may face a negative evaluation if they apply domestically to change employers within six months, where the relevant sector-specific rules impose this restriction. Exceptions may apply in cases of force majeure.

Similarly, foreign nationals benefiting from certain sector-specific exemptions may face restrictions if they seek to work for a different employer or outside the relevant sector, profession or job within six months from the start of their work permit.

Failure to consider these restrictions may negatively affect a subsequent application.

How Can You Reduce the Risk of Rejection?

Before submitting a work permit application, the employer and foreign national should assess the application as a whole rather than focusing exclusively on the basic financial and employment thresholds.

In particular, they should establish:

1. Whether the employer satisfies the applicable employment and financial adequacy criteria or qualifies for an exemption.
2. Whether the proposed gross salary meets the threshold for the relevant professional position.
3. Whether the foreign national’s education, experience and professional qualifications demonstrate suitability for the proposed job.
4. Whether there is a clear and credible justification for employing a foreign national instead of a Turkish citizen.
5. Whether the employer’s sector and the proposed position are subject to additional conditions or prior approval requirements.
6. Whether all exemption conditions and supporting documents are properly established.

Meeting the numerical requirements is only one part of a work permit application. The employer must also present a coherent explanation of the foreign national’s suitability for the position and the business’s need to employ that particular person.

A careful assessment before submission can help identify potential weaknesses and reduce the risk of an unsuccessful application.