Turkey Work Permit Criteria 2026: New Exceptions

New exceptions to Türkiye Employment Requirements for Work Permit must be thoroughly reviewed by employers and foreign employees. The change enters into force as of 3 August 2026.

Introduction

Türkiye introduces significant amendments to the criteria applied to work permit procedures for foreigners. The present article will give an updated observation on the new change. While analyzing the current situation, the present work will underline the applicability of previous rule together with comparisons of with new obligations.

You can access up-to-date information regarding labor and employment law in Türkiye on our page.

Legal Framework to Applicable to Work Permit Requirements in Türkiye

It should be outlined at the beginning that the general main benchmarks for foreign work permits are regulated under The Law on International Labour Force No. 6735 [6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu in Turkish].

The secondary legal resource is the Regulation on the Implementation of the International Labour Force Law, published in the Official Gazette dated 2 February 2022 and numbered 31738.

For a detailed analysis of work permit procedures you can benefit from our articles: How to Get a Work Permit in Turkey: The Complete 2025 – 2026 Guide

The Special Mission of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has a critical mission

• to ensure occupational peace and order and an effective social security system by prioritising the health, safety and well-being of employees;
• to establish and oversee an effective national and international labour market that supports full employment;
• to protect the rights and interests of the Turkish community abroad in the fields of employment and social security;

and to develop and implement data-driven policies concerning working life.

With the intention of pursuing those aims, the Ministry made the relevant amendments on the current work permit criteria, effective as of 3 August 2026.

What is the new for Employment Requirements on Work Permit

Türkiye has introduced important changes to the criteria applied to work permit applications for foreign nationals, creating new opportunities for certain foreigners who have already been legally residing in the country.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, as a part of her mission, publishes and periodically updates the Work Permit Evaluation Criteria [çalışma izni değerlendirme kriterleri in Turkish] with a view to ensuring a transparent evaluation process for work permit applications.

In this context, the main evaluation criteria for five Turkish citizens for each foreign employee and financial criteria may not be applicable under certain conditions. Besides under the financial eligibility criteria, the workplace must have a paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000.

Indeed under the Article 4.1 on Exception to the Employment and Financial Eligibility Criteria, in the assessment of domestic work permit applications submitted on behalf of foreigners who, as of the date of the work permit application, have legally resided in Türkiye for at least one year within the preceding three years on the basis of a work permit, residence permit, or international protection status, the employment and financial eligibility criteria shall, in principle, not be applied, provided that this exception is limited to a maximum of three foreigners falling within this scope.

Critical Exceptions for Work Permit

The main employment criteria for a work permit requires an employer to employ at least five Turkish citizens for each foreign employee. The updated criteria brings a useful exception where a foreign national has legally remained in Türkiye for at least one year during the preceding three years on the basis of a:

• work permit,
• residence permit, or
• international protection status,

the employment and financial eligibility criteria may not be applied to an in-country work permit application.

This exception may be applicable for up to three foreign employees at the same workplace.

There are two more conditions: First, in workplaces falling within the scope of the first paragraph, the number of foreigners employed under a work permit shall, in principle, not exceed the number of Turkish citizens employed at the same workplace.

Second, without prejudice to the relevant legislative provisions applicable to foreigners under international protection, where more than three foreigners satisfying the conditions set out in the first paragraph are to be employed at the same workplace, the assessment of work permit applications submitted on behalf of the fourth and subsequent foreign employees shall, in principle, require the employment of five Turkish citizens for each foreign employee separately, together with compliance with the applicable financial eligibility criterion.

Student Resident Permit is Covered by the Exemption for Foreigners with at Least Eight Years of Legal Residence in Türkiye

Under the revised Work Permit Evaluation Criteria, foreigners who have legally remained in Türkiye for at least eight years on the basis of a work permit, short-term residence permit, family residence permit, long-term residence permit, humanitarian residence permit, or residence permit for victims of human trafficking as well as student residence permit are, in principle, exempt from the employment, financial eligibility and salary criteria applicable to work permit applications.

Eight years of legal residence does not create a full exemption from the work permit regime. Rather, it provides an exemption only from three specific evaluation criteria: the employment criterion, the financial eligibility criterion, and the salary criterion. The foreigner remains subject to the requirement to obtain a work permit and must continue to satisfy all other applicable legal and procedural requirements.

Conclusion

Having regard to the above, very important revisions have been made by national authorities in Türkiye for the work permit conditions. The criteria for financial and employment pre-requisite can not be applicable where the foreigner has legally stayed in Türkiye for at least one year within the three years preceding the work permit application. When it comes to 8 years, legal stay will provide a full-fledged exception for foreigners with student permit as well. The 2026 changes may significantly improve the feasibility of obtaining a Turkish work permit for foreigners who have already established a lawful period of residence in Türkiye.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.