Before Türkiye approves you, it checks your employer's payroll
A Turkish work permit hangs on the company as much as on you: five Turkish staff per foreign hire, real capital, and a salary floor set by your job title.
This is the route for Americans with a signed job offer from a Turkish company. You start at a Turkish consulate in the U.S., your employer finishes the file online, and the permit you get doubles as your residence permit.
Four figures to know first
13,538.90 TL
Permit and card fees, first year
2026 rates, due within 30 days of approval
5 to 1
Turkish staff per foreign hire
large firms skip it for up to five hires
30 days
Ministry decision on a complete file
the Ministry's own target
1 year
Longest first permit
then up to 2 years, then up to 3
Step by step
Consulate first, then the e-Permit system
1. You apply at a Turkish consulate
With a contract in hand, you apply at a Turkish embassy or consulate in the U.S. You leave with a 16-digit reference number. Your passport needs at least 60 days of validity left, and your diploma needs a Turkish translation.
2. Your employer files online
The company enters your reference number in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's e-Permit system and uploads its trade registry gazette and an approved balance sheet. A Turkish law firm puts the deadline at 10 working days after your consulate visit.
3. Approval, fees, then the visa
The Ministry says it decides a complete file within 30 days. Fees are due within 30 days of approval or the file is rejected. Once you land, you have one month to start work.
The test your employer has to pass
Five Turkish employees
The workplace needs at least five Turkish citizens for each foreigner. Firms with 50 million lira or more in net sales last year are exempt for up to five foreign hires.
A company with money behind it
500,000 lira in paid-in capital, or 8 million lira in net sales, or $150,000 in exports, in force since January 2025. IT specialists are exempt from the staffing and money tests.
Your pay, by job title
Multiples of the 2026 gross minimum wage of 33,030 lira a month: 5x for executives and pilots (165,150 lira), 4x for engineers and architects (132,120), 3x for other managers (99,090), 2x for skilled jobs (66,060).
Teachers clear Education first
Schools need a prior authorization from the Ministry of National Education before the work permit. A Turkish law firm says that means a bachelor's degree and at least two years of teaching experience.
One permit, not two
The U.S. Embassy's Türkiye page tells Americans to get a residence permit after the work visa. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says a work permit serves as a residence permit under Law No. 6735 while it's valid. We follow the Ministry here; have your employer's advisor confirm it for your file.
After you land
Living on a Turkish work permit
Tied to one employer
A first permit is bound to your employer and workplace. Switching jobs means a new application, not a transfer. File extensions in the 60 days before your permit expires.
Your spouse and kids
They can get a family residence permit that never runs longer than yours. It covers living here, not working, so a spouse who wants a job needs a permit of their own.
Staying for good
After eight years of legal work, you can get an indefinite permit that isn't tied to one employer. Citizenship takes five years of continuous residence, and work permit time counts. More than six months abroad in total breaks the clock. The law also lets officials require you to give up your current nationality in some files, so check before counting on keeping both passports.
Here's the catch
Some jobs are closed to foreigners, including dentistry, law, notary work, veterinary medicine and private security. Working without a permit in 2026 means a 40,977 lira fine for you, 102,503 lira for the employer, and possible deportation.
The U.S. side
The U.S. and Türkiye have an income tax treaty from 1996 but no Social Security agreement, so get a U.S. expat tax preparer to look at your pay package before you sign.
Get a second pair of eyes
Master Immigration Services (Turkey)
Turkey Relocation and Visa Services
A visa and relocation firm in Türkiye that handles work and residence permit files.
Kimberly McCauley
Türkiye Local Guide
An Expatsi local guide who lives in Istanbul.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
A tax filing service for Americans who live and work abroad.
Türkiye work permit questions
How much does a Turkish work permit cost in 2026?
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security charges 12,574.90 lira for a permit of up to one year, plus a 964 lira card fee, for 13,538.90 lira in total. Longer permits cost more, up to 62,874.50 lira for four to five years. Fees are due within 30 days of approval. The consulate's work visa fee is separate.
How long does a Turkish work permit take?
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says it decides a complete application within 30 days. Before that, your employer has to file online after your consulate appointment; a Turkish law firm puts that window at 10 working days and reports decisions in about 10 to 30 days when documents are in order.
Does time on a Turkish work permit count toward citizenship?
Yes. Naturalization needs five years of continuous legal residence, and years on a work permit count. More than six months abroad in total resets the clock. Turkish law also lets officials require applicants to give up their current nationality in some cases, so confirm the rule for your file before you plan on dual citizenship.
Can I change employers on a Turkish work permit?
Not automatically. A first work permit is tied to one employer and workplace, so a new job usually means a new application by the new employer. After eight years of legal work you can apply for an indefinite permit that isn't tied to any employer.
I work remotely for a U.S. company. Do I need a Turkish work permit?
Usually not. Türkiye's digital nomad route is built for you: it asks for a university degree, income of at least $3,000 a month or $36,000 a year, and a contract with a company outside Türkiye. It can't be used to work for a Turkish employer.
What's the minimum salary for a foreigner working in Türkiye?
It depends on the job and is set as a multiple of the gross minimum wage, which is 33,030 lira a month in 2026. Skilled jobs need at least twice that (66,060 lira), other managers three times (99,090), engineers and architects four times (132,120), and senior executives and pilots five times (165,150).
Can I work in Türkiye on the 90-day visa-free entry?
No. Americans can stay 90 days in any 180 days without a visa, but working needs a work permit. Applying from inside Türkiye requires a residence permit with at least six months left on it, so most Americans start at a Turkish consulate in the U.S. instead.
Can my spouse work in Türkiye if I have a work permit?
Not on a family residence permit alone. Your spouse and dependent children can get a family residence permit, capped at the length of yours, but a residence permit allows living in Türkiye, not working. A spouse who wants a job needs a work permit of their own.
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