The only way to legally employ a foreigner in Turkey is to obtain a work permit from the Directorate General of International Labor (UİGM) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Work performed without a permit is considered “illegal work”; if detected during an inspection, an administrative fine is imposed on both the employer and the foreigner, and the foreigner may be deported.

The important thing is: The Ministry does not automatically approve the application. The application is subjected to a filter called “Work Permit Evaluation Criteria“. The company’s turnover, capital, the number of Turkish employees, and the salary offered to the foreigner are examined individually. These criteria changed fundamentally on October 1, 2024, financial thresholds came into effect on January 1, 2025, and salary bases are updated annually with the minimum wage.

In this article, we have compiled the criteria, figures, and exceptions valid as of 2026 in simple language.

Work permit evaluation criteria 2026: Three main headings

Your application is primarily evaluated based on three criteria.

1) Employment criterion: 5 Turks for each foreigner

The rule has not changed: It is essential that at least 5 Turkish citizens are employed with social security (SGK) at the workplace where the permit application is made, for each foreigner sought to be employed. If a permit is requested for more than one foreigner in the same workplace, the condition of 5 Turkish employees is sought separately for each.

New exception introduced with 2024: Workplaces with a net sales amount of at least 50,000,000 TL in the last year are exempt from this criterion for up to the first 5 foreigners. This means that the Turkish employment condition is not required up to the fifth foreigner; the criterion comes into play from the sixth foreigner onwards.

2) Financial adequacy criterion (in force since 01.01.2025)

The company must prove that it is “strong enough to employ foreign personnel”. The thresholds have been significantly raised:

Operating workplaces can meet the criterion by fulfilling any one of these three conditions. A noteworthy point: While capital and turnover thresholds were raised, the export threshold was lowered — an advantage for exporting companies.

3) Wage criterion: The base salary to be paid to the foreign employee

The salary offered to the foreign employee cannot be less than a certain multiple of the minimum wage, according to their position and title. In 2024, the multiplier rates were lowered for many occupational groups (a change that eases the burden on employers). Since the 2026 gross minimum wage is 33,030.00 TL, the base salaries are as follows:

Important: For permits started before October 1, 2024, the old limits apply; however, when the permit period ends and a renewal is requested, new limits will be applied.

Exemptions from employment and financial adequacy

Some foreigners and sectors are fully or partially exempt from these criteria:

Long-term residents in Turkey: Foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey for at least 3 years out of the last 5 years preceding the application date (excluding student residence permits), under a residence permit, work permit, or international protection, are exempt from employment and financial adequacy criteria, limited to a maximum of 3 foreigners. In this case, the number of foreigners cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees; from the 4th foreigner onwards, the criteria will be reapplied.

IT sector: In jobs requiring expertise such as software, database, and mobile software, employment and financial adequacy criteria are not applied for a maximum of 2 foreigners.

Advanced technology / R&D: For foreigners to be employed in companies with an R&D or design center certificate, or within Technology Development Zones, the criteria are not applied with the positive opinion of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

Public projects: Criteria are not sought for foreigners to be employed within the scope of bilateral/multilateral agreements to which Turkey is a party and public tenders.

Domestic services: A foreign domestic worker arriving with permission from abroad cannot transfer to another employer for 6 months.

Special criteria for foreign company partners

For a foreigner opening a new workplace or becoming a partner in an existing workplace:

Provided that the company’s paid-up capital is at least 500,000 TL, the foreigner’s capital share must be at least 500,000 TL (old practice: 40,000 TL) and their partnership share must be at least 20%.

If the foreign partner’s capital share is 100,000 USD or more, financial adequacy and employment criteria are not applied at all.

The employment criterion (5 Turks) is sought for partners only for the last 6 months of the work permit.

Turkey Tech Visa: A privileged gateway for technology entrepreneurs

With the regulation, the Turkey Tech Visa program for tech startups with critical technology expertise and innovative business models was also announced. The main advantages offered within the scope of the program are:

3-year work permit — exceptions applicable to both foreign partners and employees.

Technopark office facilities — ease of reserving space in approximately 100 technoparks.

Tech Visa Fund — financing facilities for startups included in the program.

Government support — project financing, branding, and overseas promotion grants.

Tax incentives — exemptions/incentives in VAT, corporate, customs, and income tax.

Free healthcare — SGK (Social Security Institution) premiums of employees covered by the state.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who applies for a foreign work permit? As a rule, the permit application is made by the employer. If the foreigner is abroad, the application is made through the Turkish foreign representative office in their own country; if they have a valid residence permit in Turkey, the application can be made directly via the e-Devlet/UİGM system. can be made.

What is the penalty for employing a foreigner without a permit? Employing a foreigner without a work permit is considered illegal employment. An administrative fine is imposed on the employer and the foreigner; the foreigner may be deported and a re-entry ban may be imposed. Amounts increase annually by the revaluation rate.

What is the minimum salary I need to pay a foreign specialist in 2026? For jobs requiring expertise/mastery, the base is 2 times the 2026 minimum wage, which is 66,060 TL gross. For engineers/architects, 4 times (132,120 TL), and for top-level managers/pilots, 5 times (165,150 TL) applies.

Can I employ a foreigner without employing 5 Turkish citizens? Yes, in limited cases. Workplaces with net sales exceeding 50,000,000 TL in the last year are exempt for up to the first 5 foreigners; up to 2 foreigners in IT; and in R&D/technopark and public projects, full exemption may apply. Additionally, there is an exemption for up to 3 foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey for 3 years within the last 5 years.

Will my application be rejected if I don’t meet the financial adequacy criteria? If you are a workplace subject to general criteria and not covered by any exception, not meeting the financial threshold (500,000 TL capital or 8,000,000 TL net sales or 150,000 USD exports) is a reason for rejection. Therefore, it is critical to correctly determine which criteria/exception the company will be evaluated under before applying.

How long does it take for a work permit application to be finalized? If the documents are complete, the evaluation is usually finalized within a few weeks; however, incomplete/incompatible documents, incorrect evaluation of criteria, or requests for additional information prolong the process and increase the risk of rejection.

What can I do if the permit is rejected? Against the rejection decision, first an appeal for re-evaluation/objection to the administration, and then an annulment lawsuit in the administrative court within the given period, is available. At this stage, the outcome is determined by the technically correct analysis of the grounds for rejection.

I want to get a permit as a foreign partner, are the conditions different? Yes. The company capital must be 500,000 TL and the foreign partner’s share must be at least 500,000 TL + 20%. If your share is over 100,000 USD, you will be exempt from financial and employment criteria. The company establishment and permit application must be planned simultaneously and harmoniously.

Why is expert lawyer support necessary? — 2M Law Office

The work permit process appears to be “form filling” from the outside; however, in reality, it is a technical legal process that requires the correct establishment of harmony between the company’s financial structure, employment table, sector, and the foreigner’s title. A single misjudgment — for example, including your company under general criteria when it could be considered an exception, or declaring a salary from the wrong title group — results in the rejection of the application and valuable time loss.

Tuzla-based 2M Law Office (Founder: Atty. Meryem Günay) provides legal consultancy to commercial enterprises in the Istanbul Anatolian Side (Tuzla, Pendik, Kartal, Maltepe) and Kocaeli region. In this region, which is concentrated in industry, logistics, and maritime, the need for foreign qualified workforce is high; the office’s expertise in commercial and maritime law and corporate law directly reflects on foreign employment processes.

Support that 2M Law can offer in this area:

Preliminary eligibility analysis: Pre-application determination of which criteria or exception your company will be evaluated under; eliminating the risk of rejection in advance.

Structuring consultancy: Lawful planning of capital, partnership share, employment chart, and title/salary matching.

Application and document management: Preparation of complete and compliant files, process tracking, timely response to additional information requests.

Objection and lawsuit in case of rejection: Conducting administrative objection and annulment lawsuit processes in the administrative court.

Integrated solution for foreign company partners: Simultaneous planning of company establishment/partnership and work permit.

Do not leave your legal processes to chance. Contact 2M Hukuk Law Office to finalize your foreign work permit application with the correct criteria, on the first attempt.