Working in Turkey: the work permit, the annual cycle and the minimum wage

Can you work in Turkey as a Dutch citizen? Yes, but not without a work permit. The application runs through the Turkish Ministry of Labour, and for a complete application the ministry decides within thirty days. The finding at the source is how strict the clock is on renewal: you submit the renewal from sixty days before your permit ends, and in any case before the end. An application after that date is refused. The pitfall is the link to your employer. The first permit is valid for at most a year, for one employer, and anyone changing jobs starts again at that single year.

How does the work permit work?

Part	Rule	Article
Where you apply	in Turkey at the ministry, abroad via the Turkish embassy or consulate	7
Decision period	within 30 days for a complete application	7
Missing documents	assessment postponed, at most 30 days; then refused	7
First permit	at most 1 year, for a specific employer and job	10
First renewal	at most 2 years with the same employer	10
Later renewals	at most 3 years with the same employer	10
Another employer	treated as a first application again, at most 1 year	10
Renewing	from 60 days before the end, and before the end	7
Indefinite	possible after a long-term residence permit or 8 years of legal work permit	10

Who applies for the permit?

Usually the employer. The application can be made in Turkey directly to the ministry, or from abroad via the Turkish embassy or consulate in the country where you live; they forward it to the ministry. An authorised intermediary may also file the application.

The ministry assesses applications against international labour market policy. An application is refused, among other things, if the reason for hiring a foreigner is not convincing, if you lack the required qualifications, or if the profession is reserved for Turkish citizens under other laws. Anyone going to work in healthcare or education needs prior permission from the Ministry of Health or of Education.

Do you then also need a residence permit?

No. According to the Turkish migration authority, a valid work permit counts as a residence permit, and the duration of the work permit counts when your total length of residence is calculated later. So you don't apply for a separate ikamet. Anyone not working does need an ikamet; the routes are in the residence routes to Turkey.

A new job is a new start. The renewals of two and three years only apply with the same employer. If you switch, your application is treated as a first application, with a permit of at most one year. And because your work permit is also your right of residence, your residence then hangs on your job.

What do you earn at minimum?

The minimum wage for the whole of 2026 has been set at 33,030 lira gross a month. From that, 14 percent social insurance and 1 percent unemployment insurance are deducted, and the net minimum wage is 28,075.50 lira. The increase compared with 2025 was 27 percent. So compare a salary offer in lira with that annually revised minimum, and agree how often your own pay is adjusted.

What must your employer report?

An employer with foreign employees reports the start and end of the work to the ministry within fifteen days, as well as situations that should lead to the permit being withdrawn. You and your employer also meet the requirements of the Turkish social insurance law. The social security agreements Turkey has concluded take precedence.

And as a self-employed person or with your own company?

Professionals can get an independent work permit if they meet the requirements in the laws for their profession. The partner-manager of a Turkish limited company or joint-stock company works with a work permit. For highly qualified people and investors there is also the Turkuaz Kart, with a transition period of three years.

If you keep working for a Dutch employer from Turkey, the question is where you pay tax and contributions. That is covered in AOW, pension and tax in Turkey.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 2 of 5 of the journey, step 2.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Turkey or go straight to step 2.1 in the open plan.