Employers wishing to employ foreign nationals in Türkiye, and foreign nationals establishing or joining a company here, frequently ask which requirements must be met for a work permit.
Submitting an application does not mean that a permit will necessarily be granted. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security considers the workplace’s employment levels, financial position, the proposed salary and the foreign national’s duties.
As of 2026, the employment of five Turkish citizens, financial eligibility, salary and, for foreign company partners, capital participation are particularly relevant.
1. Is there a requirement to employ five Turkish citizens?
As a general rule, yes.
At a workplace subject to balance-sheet accounting, the principle is that at least five Turkish citizens should be employed for each foreign national to be employed.
For example, a business subject to the general assessment criteria may need:
- at least five Turkish employees for one foreign national;
- at least ten Turkish employees for two foreign nationals;
- at least fifteen Turkish employees for three foreign nationals.
However, this requirement does not apply without exception to every foreign national and workplace. Depending on the workplace, the foreign national’s history of lawful residence in Türkiye, the sector and other specific circumstances, it may not apply.
It is therefore incorrect to conclude that a work permit cannot be obtained solely because the workplace does not employ five Turkish citizens.
2. An important exception in 2026
There is an important exception to the assessment criteria in 2026.
For domestic applications by foreign nationals who, as of the application date, have lawfully stayed in Türkiye for at least one year within the preceding three years under a work permit, residence permit or international protection, the principle is that employment and financial eligibility criteria do not apply to up to three such foreign nationals at the same workplace.
However, the number of foreign nationals employed with work permits must not exceed the number of Turkish citizens working at the same workplace.
This provision entered into force on 3 August 2026.
The assessment should therefore consider not only the current residence permit but also the foreign national’s lawful stay in Türkiye during the preceding three years.
3. What capital must the workplace have?
The employer’s financial eligibility is also assessed.
For a newly established workplace subject to balance-sheet accounting that does not yet have a year-end balance sheet and annual income statement, paid-up capital must be at least TRY 500,000 to employ a foreign national.
For an operating workplace subject to balance-sheet accounting with at least one year-end balance sheet, meeting one of the following conditions is sufficient:
- paid-up capital of at least TRY 500,000; or
- net sales of at least TRY 8,000,000; or
- exports of at least USD 150,000.
An operating company may therefore not necessarily need TRY 500,000 in paid-up capital. Meeting the net sales or export criterion may also satisfy financial eligibility.
4. Can a foreign company partner obtain a work permit?
Yes. However, becoming a partner in a Turkish company does not automatically confer a right to work.
The work permit requirement must be assessed separately where the foreign partner will actually work in or manage the company.
For a foreign national opening a new workplace or becoming a partner in an existing workplace subject to balance-sheet accounting, the general criteria include:
- company paid-up capital of at least TRY 500,000;
- the foreign partner’s capital participation of at least TRY 500,000;
- a foreign ownership share of at least 20%.
These three conditions should be considered together.
For example, holding 50% of a company is not sufficient by itself. The value of the foreign partner’s capital participation must also meet the Ministry’s minimum amount.
5. When does the five-Turkish-employee requirement begin for a foreign partner?
There is an important facilitation for foreign company partners and business owners.
For the first work permit issued to a foreign partner, the employment of five Turkish citizens is not required from the first day of the application.
The first permit is issued with a relevant annotation, and the principle is that at least five Turkish citizens must be employed each month from the start of the seventh month of the work permit.
This is particularly relevant for foreign investors establishing a new company in Türkiye. Rather than employing five people immediately on incorporation, the business has the first six months to establish its operations.
Failure to meet the requirement from the seventh month may nevertheless cause difficulties in subsequent work permit procedures.
6. What if the foreign partner’s capital participation is USD 100,000 or more?
Another important exception concerns a high capital participation.
Where the foreign partner’s capital participation is USD 100,000 or more, the above capital, ownership percentage and five-Turkish-employee criteria prescribed for foreign company partners do not apply.
When preparing an application, it is therefore necessary to consider the monetary value of the foreign partner’s participation, not only the company’s total capital.
7. What salary must a foreign employee receive?
Employee numbers and company capital are not the only considerations. The proposed salary also matters.
Under the Ministry’s criteria, salary is determined according to the gross minimum wage in force on the application date and the foreign national’s duties.
The salary must be:
- at least five times the minimum wage for senior executives and pilots;
- at least four times the minimum wage for engineers and architects;
- at least three times the minimum wage for other managers;
- at least twice the minimum wage for work requiring expertise or skilled craftsmanship;
- at least the minimum wage for domestic services and other occupations.
The job description must therefore be identified correctly. The duties stated in the employment contract and the declared salary should be consistent.
8. Are there other exceptions to the five-Turkish-employee requirement?
Yes. Numerous specific provisions depend on the sector and the foreign national’s status.
Under certain conditions, general employment or financial eligibility criteria may not apply to some specialist IT roles, certain education positions, research and development and technology development zones, particular tourism businesses and certain foreign nationals with special qualifications.
In addition, the general employment criterion does not apply to applications for up to five foreign nationals at workplaces with net sales of TRY 50,000,000 or more in the previous year.
Applications should therefore be examined for exceptions or sector-specific provisions rather than assessed only against the general rules.
9. Who may be exempt from the general criteria?
As of 2026, employment, financial eligibility and salary criteria are not applied to certain foreign nationals.
Subject to the relevant conditions, examples include:
- foreign nationals with a Turkish citizen mother, father or child;
- holders of a long-term residence permit;
- foreign nationals who have lived in a marriage with a Turkish citizen for at least three years;
- holders of a stateless person identity document;
- holders of a humanitarian residence permit;
- citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus;
- certain other foreign nationals specified in the legislation.
Exemption from the assessment criteria does not mean that a permit will be granted automatically. The Ministry continues to assess the application under other legislative provisions and international labour policy.
Review the company structure before applying
A significant mistake is applying before checking whether the company and foreign national satisfy the necessary conditions.
For foreign company partners in particular, the following should be assessed together:
- company capital;
- the foreign national’s capital participation;
- ownership percentage;
- current number of Turkish employees;
- the company’s operating history;
- net sales and export amounts;
- the foreign national’s residence and employment history in Türkiye.
An application that appears not to meet the general criteria may fall within an exception because of the person’s status or the company’s activities.
Conclusion
There is no single requirement for obtaining a foreign national’s work permit in 2026.
Although the general rules involve five Turkish employees for each foreign national and certain financial eligibility requirements, different rules or exceptions may apply according to lawful stay, company partnership, capital participation, sector and the workplace’s financial size.
For foreign company partners, considering the criteria before incorporating or determining the ownership structure may help prevent later difficulties.
Each application should be assessed separately by reference to the foreign national’s status and the workplace’s current circumstances.
This article provides general information. Assessment criteria and implementation rules may change; current legislation and Ministry practice should be checked before an application.