Türkiye · Work
Türkiye Work permit
First stay: 1 yr
Work permit (temporary, employer-dependent)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Work permit is a work route for Türkiye. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 30 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
First permit up to one year, first extension up to 2 years, later extensions up to 3 years; apply for an extension from 60 days before expiry.
Permanent residenceAfter 8 years of residence
A work permit also serves as the residence permit; a permanent work permit needs a long-term residence permit or 8 years of legal work permits in Türkiye.
ProcessingUp to 30 days
Applications are evaluated within thirty days when complete.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply from abroad through a Turkish embassy or consulate in a two-stage process, or domestically through the e-Izin system.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Türkiye
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The permit is linked to an employer under Law 6735.
What you must show1
- No fixed income threshold applies.
Steps2
- Evaluation takes 30 days.
- Applications can be made from abroad or domestically.
When you become tax resident
How Türkiye decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Income tax residence is separate from immigration status.
- Foreign-source income
New-resident relief (20 years)
Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income exemption · 0% tax
All tax rules for Türkiye Tax records checked
Full official text
Employer-linked work permit under Law 6735: valid up to one year at first grant, up to 2 years at the first extension and up to 3 years after. A work permit also serves as the residence permit. Evaluation takes 30 days; applications can be made from abroad or domestically. 1
Requirements
- The permit is linked to an employer under Law 6735. 1
- No fixed income threshold applies. 1
- Evaluation takes 30 days. 1
- Applications can be made from abroad or domestically. 1
Stay
- First permit up to one year (not beyond the contract); first extension up to 2 years; later extensions up to 3 years.
- First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Work for the named employer, workplace and job.
Family
Family residence permits are available to family members.
Official sources
- Work permit FAQ: temporary, independent and permanent work permits · Ministry of Labour and Social Security · checked 2026-10-11
Work permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Card Portugal | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Employee visa Spain | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| D1 work / business visa Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Card Italy | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Work permit?
First permit up to one year (not beyond the contract); first extension up to 2 years; later extensions up to 3 years.
How long does the Work permit take to process?
Applications are evaluated within thirty days when complete.
Can I work on the Work permit?
Work for the named employer, workplace and job.
Can I bring my family on the Work permit?
Family residence permits are available to family members.
Does the Work permit lead to permanent residence in Türkiye?
Time on the Work permit counts toward permanent residence in Türkiye, which the rules allow after 8 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Work permit holders in Türkiye?
Foreign-source income exemption for new tax residents (Income Tax Law repeated Art. 20/D): Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income exemption for new tax residents (Income Tax Law repeated Art. 20/D)
0% tax
Details
- On: Foreign-source income and gains (kazanç ve iratlar) earned outside Türkiye
- Who: Natural person treated as resident in Türkiye on or after 1 January 2026
Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income and gains (kazanç ve iratlar) earned outside Türkiye.
Who it applies to
- Natural person treated as resident in Türkiye on or after 1 January 2026 (domicile in Türkiye or staying continuously more than six months in a calendar year, Art. 3-4).
- No domicile and no tax liability in Türkiye during the three calendar years before becoming resident.
- Earlier Türkiye-source rental, securities income or capital gains liability does not prevent the exemption; a salary or business taxed in Türkiye in those three years does.
- An exemption certificate must be obtained from the tax office: the application is due by the end of the calendar year in which the person becomes resident, or by the end of February of the next year for those who become resident in November or December. A late application is refused.
Exclusions
- Income earned in Türkiye is not covered.
- Costs and expenses of exempt income are not deductible; foreign taxes paid on exempt income cannot be credited against Turkish income tax.
- No annual return is filed for the exempt income; the exemption is lost with retroactive tax if the conditions were not met.
Tax residence
Applies from 1 January 2026 to persons who become resident; added by Law 7582 of 21 May 2026, published 4 June 2026. The Ministry of Treasury and Finance sets procedures.
Visas
Tax residence arises from presence or domicile, not from a particular residence permit.
Other taxes
Social security, VAT and local taxes are separate.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Türkiye
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 1 official source. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Work permit FAQ: temporary, independent and permanent work permits · Ministry of Labour and Social Security · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.