Türkiye hosts foreigners from many countries today. Whether a person is considered a foreigner is determined based on citizenship. Individuals who are not citizens of the country they currently reside in are considered foreigners. The freedom to work is defined as “the freedom of an individual to work, to enter into a business, and to practice a chosen profession and art.” Each country imposes its own unique restrictions on the work rights and freedoms of foreigners. There are certain restrictions and conditions for foreigners who want to work in Türkiye as well.
A work permit is an official document issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security that grants the right to work and reside in Türkiye for its validity period. According to the International Labor Force Law No. 6735, foreigners are required to obtain permission before starting dependent or independent work in Türkiye. However, firstly, foreigners must have entered the country in accordance with the procedures to be able to work in Türkiye. It is clear that foreigners must also meet the specific conditions required for the profession or art they want to work in. According to our legislation, working in certain sectors or specific professions is prohibited for foreigners.
As a rule, working in Türkiye without permission is prohibited for foreigners, but there are some exceptions. Under the category of foreigners with special status, “those who have lost Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave and those up to the third degree of descendants who have a Blue Card or who can document their registration in the Blue Card Register” can work in Türkiye without a work permit. Accordingly, no work permit is issued for these individuals, but upon request, a document, not subject to a fee, may be provided to indicate that they can work in Türkiye. Another exception is for “foreigners who are stated to be eligible to work without a work permit in laws or bilateral or multilateral agreements or international treaties to which Türkiye is a party.” These individuals can also work in Türkiye without obtaining a work permit.
The work permit or work permit exemption given to a foreigner substitutes for a residence permit in accordance with Article 27 of Law No. 6458.
As for work permit durations, as a rule, if the work permit application is approved, the foreigner is granted a work permit valid for no more than one year on the first application, without exceeding the duration of the work or service contract for a specific job in a specific workplace owned by a real or legal person or public institution or organization, or in their workplaces in the same line of business. If the work permit extension application is approved, the foreigner is granted a work permit for up to two years on the first extension application and up to three years on subsequent extension applications, provided that they are employed by the same employer. However, if an application is made to work for a different employer, a work permit will again be issued for no more than one year on the first application. Foreigners who have a long-term residence permit in Türkiye or at least eight years of legal work permit can apply for an indefinite work permit. The independent work permit is issued for a fixed period without being subject to the duration limitations specified in this article. Detailed information on work permit durations can be found in our article titled “Types of Work Permits.”
