The admission of foreigners to work in Turkey was allowed without five Turks

The Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has simplified the process of obtaining work permits for foreigners, which has long been expected by the business community. According to the new conditions, companies with an annual income of over 50 million Turkish liras can now attract up to 5 foreign workers without meeting additional requirements. The remuneration of foreign employees will be based on the current level of the gross minimum wage at the time of application.

Turkish business has long asked for a review of the requirements for the employment of foreign citizens in order to solve the problem of staff shortages. The Ministry of Labor responded to these requests by implementing updated rules for obtaining work permits for foreigners. The new rules, which came into force on October 1, 2024, are aimed at attracting qualified specialists and investors to the country, as well as eliminating the shortage of local qualified workers in some industries.

Conditions for obtaining work permits

Companies with an annual income of at least 50 million liras can hire up to 5 foreign employees without having to meet the requirements for the number of local employees. However, enterprises using balance sheet accounting must provide at least 5 jobs for Turkish citizens per foreigner.

For new enterprises, the minimum paid-up capital for applying for a work permit for a foreigner is 500 thousand Turkish lira. For operating companies, the requirements include either paid-up capital of at least 500 thousand liras, or annual sales of 8 million liras, or exports of at least 150 thousand US dollars.

For simple partnerships, at least one of the partners must meet one of the following criteria: paid-up capital of 500 thousand liras, annual sales of 8 million liras or exports worth 150 thousand US dollars.

Minimum wage for foreigners

The minimum wage for foreign workers will be calculated based on the current gross minimum wage at the time of application. For top managers and pilots, the salary should be at least five times the minimum wage, for engineers and architects – at least four times, for managers — at least three times, and for skilled workers — at least two times. In other sectors, including domestic work, wages cannot be lower than the minimum.

Exceptions to the new requirements

Some foreign citizens are exempt from these conditions, among them:

• Foreigners whose family members are Turkish citizens (parents, children).
• Persons with a humanitarian residence permit.
• Victims of human trafficking with a residence permit.
• Stateless persons.
• Foreigners with a long-term residence permit.
• Persons who have been married to Turkish citizens for at least 3 years.
• Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.