The work permit evaluation criteria applied under the Additional Article of the Regulation on the Implementation of the International Workforce Law were updated in accordance with Article 22 of the same regulation. These evaluation criteria took effect on 1 October 2024 and include several significant changes to the employment, financial competence, and salary requirements for foreigners seeking work permits in Türkiye.

One of the primary changes relates to the employment criterion. Previously, at least five Turkish citizens had to be employed for every foreign employee, and where the foreigner was a company partner, the requirement applied during the final six months of a one-year work permit. Under the updated criteria, the requirement to employ at least five Turkish citizens remains, but expanded sector-specific exemptions were introduced — for example for the IT, high-tech, and tourism industries. A notable new provision is that for workplaces with net sales of TRY 50,000,000 or more in the last year, the employment criterion does not apply for up to five foreign employees. For workplaces employing multiple foreigners, the employment requirement of five Turkish citizens must be fulfilled for each additional foreign employee beyond the first.

Financial competence requirements were also significantly revised. Previously, businesses were required to have paid-in capital of at least TRY 100,000, annual gross sales of TRY 800,000, or export value of at least USD 250,000. For newly established businesses, paid-in capital must now be at least TRY 500,000. Existing businesses may instead meet net sales of at least TRY 8,000,000 or exports of at least USD 150,000.

Salary requirements were also updated. Previously, salaries were determined as multiples of the minimum wage — for example 6.5 times the minimum wage for senior executives and pilots. Under the updated criteria, senior executives and pilots must now be paid at least five times the minimum wage, and the minimum salary for household workers was reduced from 1.5 times the minimum wage to the minimum wage itself.

Sector-specific exemptions were expanded, particularly for the IT, healthcare, and tourism sectors — for example, defined exemptions for masseurs and SPA therapists in Ministry of Culture and Tourism-certified establishments. The criteria for foreign company partners were also raised significantly, requiring paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000 matched by the foreign partner's capital, with an exemption for foreign partners investing at least USD 100,000.

The updated criteria state explicitly that exemptions do not automatically guarantee the grant of a work permit, that applications made solely for voluntary activities will be evaluated negatively, and set out transitional financial competence thresholds applicable until 1 January 2025.

A. General Evaluation Criteria

1. Employment Criterion

1.1. In workplaces subject to the balance sheet basis, for each foreigner for whom a work permit application is made, at least five Turkish citizens must be employed at the workplace where the foreigner will work.

1.2. For workplaces with a net sales amount of 50,000,000 Turkish Lira or more in the last year, the employment criterion will not be applied for up to five foreign employees.

2. Financial Competence Criterion

2.1. For newly established workplaces subject to the balance sheet basis (established in the current year and have not yet prepared a year-end balance sheet and annual income statement), the paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL for a work permit application for a foreigner.

2.2. In workplaces subject to the balance sheet basis and operating for more than one year (having prepared at least one year-end balance sheet and annual income statement), the paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL, or net sales must be at least 8,000,000 TL, or exports must be at least 150,000 USD for a work permit application for a foreigner.

2.3. For work permit applications made by joint ventures established by workplaces subject to the balance sheet basis, at least one of the partners must have a paid-in capital of at least 500,000 TL, or net sales of at least 8,000,000 TL, or exports of at least 150,000 USD.

3. Salary Criterion

3.1. The salary to be paid to the foreigner, based on the gross minimum wage in effect on the date of the work permit application, must be:

a) At least five times the minimum wage for senior executives and pilots,
b) At least four times the minimum wage for engineers and architects,
c) At least three times the minimum wage for other managers,
d) At least twice the minimum wage for those working in jobs requiring expertise and craftsmanship,
e) Not less than the minimum wage for foreigners working in domestic services and other professions/jobs.

4. Exceptions to Employment and Financial Competence Criteria

4.1. For foreigners who have legally resided in Türkiye (excluding student residency) for at least three years within the last five years, employment and financial competence criteria are not applied for up to three foreigners within the scope of their domestic work permit applications.

4.2. The number of foreigners with work permits employed in workplaces covered by the first paragraph must not exceed the number of Turkish citizens employed at the same workplace.

4.3. If more than three foreigners who meet the requirements of the first paragraph are employed in the same workplace, employment and financial competence criteria must be met separately for each foreigner beyond the third.

B. Sector, Profession, or Job-Specific Evaluation Criteria

1. Information Technology Sector

1.1. In workplaces operating in the information technology sector, employment and financial competence criteria are not applied for specialized jobs, such as software development, database management, mobile software, system network, security, and enterprise architecture.

1.2. In workplaces operating outside the IT sector, employment and financial competence criteria are not applied for work permit applications for up to two foreigners in the specified specialized jobs.

2. Education Sector

2.1. For work permit applications for foreigners to work in positions that require professional competence in educational institutions, prior permission must be obtained from the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education.

2.2. The evaluation criteria do not apply to work permit applications for foreign academic staff who have received prior permission from the Council of Higher Education under Article 8, paragraphs 3 and 4 of Law No. 6735 on International Workforce.

2.3. Employment and financial competence criteria are not applied to work permit applications for foreigners who will work in educational institutions and international schools in jobs that require prior permission under Article 29 of the Regulation of the Ministry of National Education on Private Educational Institutions.

3. Domestic Services Sector

3.1. In the domestic services sector, it is essential to employ foreigners for childcare, elderly, disabled care, and patient companionship.

3.2. In domestic services: (a) for childcare — the married mother or father, the parent with custody if divorced, the adoptive parent, the guardian, the foster parent, or the mother/officially recognized father for a child born outside marriage; (b) for elderly, disabled, or patient care — the person themselves, their first- or second-degree relatives, or their guardian — can apply for a work permit.

3.3. When evaluating work permit applications, the health status and age of the person receiving care; the education, professional experience, Turkish language proficiency, residency or work history in Türkiye, marital status, and age of the caregiver; the specific nature of the job; and the employer's socio-economic status, assets, and regular monthly income are taken into consideration.

3.4. The person receiving care or companionship must have sufficient regular income, documented by relevant institutions, unless second-degree blood relatives or in-laws provide assistance; otherwise a notarized declaration of support and proof of income is required.

3.5. Where a foreigner works in domestic services based on an overseas application, a domestic work permit application within six months to work with another employer will generally be evaluated negatively, except in force majeure cases.

4. Aviation Sector

4.1. The employment and financial competence criteria are not applied in the evaluation of work permit applications made on behalf of foreigners working as senior executives or in specialized positions at the Turkish representative offices of foreign flag carrier airlines.

5. High-Technology Sectors

5.1. In cases of qualified investments committed to making a significant contribution to the economy or creating a high number of jobs, or where qualified labor is needed due to the lack of a similarly qualified Turkish citizen for advanced-technology jobs, the general evaluation criteria may be partially or fully waived with the approval of the Directorate General.

5.2. For R&D, innovation, or design personnel in companies holding an R&D or design center certificate under Law No. 5746, or within technology development zones under Law No. 4691, the positive opinion of the Ministry of Industry and Technology is required, and employment and financial competence criteria are not applied.

6. Public Projects

6.1. Employment and financial competence criteria are not applied to work permit applications for foreigners working in projects covered by bilateral or multilateral agreements to which Türkiye is a party.

6.2. Employment and financial competence criteria are not applied to work permit applications for foreigners employed by companies contracted by public institutions for goods and services procurement, including all subcontractors.

7. Health Sector

7.1. Prior permission from the Ministry of Health is required for foreigners working in professions requiring professional competence in healthcare institutions.

7.2. Employment, salary, and financial competence criteria are not applied to foreigners working in professional positions in public healthcare institutions.

8. Tourism Sector

8.1. In tourism establishments certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (and related contracted facilities such as restaurants, animation companies, hammams/saunas, and licensed thermal hotels), the employment criterion is not applied for expertise/craftsmanship jobs if at least ten Turkish citizens are employed.

8.2. For masseurs, masseuses, SPA therapists, and similar roles, specific facility-certification conditions apply; applications outside those defined facilities will be evaluated negatively.

8.3. The maximum number of foreigners permitted is determined based on the workplace's financial competence and physical capacity.

8.4. For small businesses (hairdressers, jewelers, leather, carpet, textile sales, etc.) operating under contract within certified tourism establishments, employment and financial competence criteria do not apply for up to two foreigners.

8.5. For travel agencies certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism engaged in health tourism and authorized by the Ministry of Health, employment and financial competence criteria do not apply for up to five foreigners.

9. Foreign Students

9.1. Foreign students in associate and undergraduate programs may work part-time after completing their first year of study.

9.2. This limitation does not apply to postgraduate students in regular education programs.

9.3. Student status is determined based on Council of Higher Education records.

9.4. Applications for foreign students to work in the entertainment sector or domestic services, in jobs inappropriate to their status, will be evaluated negatively.

9.5–9.7. Additional considerations apply for students under the Türkiye Scholarships Program and the YÖK Scholarship Program, requiring the relevant institutional opinion.

10–11. General Application and Sector Exemption Rules

10.1. Where Section B contains no specific provision for a sector, the general evaluation criteria apply.

11.1. Domestic applications for foreigners issued a permit under a Section B exemption to work in a different, unlisted sector, profession, or job within six months of the permit's start date will be evaluated negatively, except in cases of force majeure.

C. Evaluation Criteria for Foreign Partners of Companies

1.1(a). For a foreigner opening a new business or becoming a partner in an existing business (balance sheet basis), the business's paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL, with the foreigner's capital amount at least 500,000 TL and partnership share at least 20%.

1.1(b). At least five Turkish citizens must be employed at the workplace; the initial work permit is issued with this condition, and from the start of the seventh month, at least five Turkish citizens must be employed each month.

1.2. These criteria do not apply to foreign partners with a capital share of USD 100,000 or more.

D. Foreigners Exempt from Evaluation Criteria

Employment, financial competence, and salary criteria are not applied to: foreigners whose mother, father, or child is a Turkish citizen; holders of humanitarian residence permits; human trafficking victims under the relevant protection regulation; holders of a Stateless Person Identity Document; holders of a long-term residence permit; foreigners married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years; foreigners who have resided in Türkiye for at least eight years under specified permit types; foreigners of Turkish descent working in professions not reserved for Turkish citizens, as notified by the Ministry of Interior or Foreign Affairs or approved by the Directorate General; and TRNC citizens. These foreigners must document their status, and falling within this scope does not create an absolute right to a work permit.

E. Other Matters

Voluntary activities: Applications made solely for voluntary activities that do not qualify as work will be evaluated negatively.

Transitional provisions: For extension applications filed before the criteria entered into force, the Directorate General may apply a different evaluation within the scope of international workforce policy; the financial competence criterion valid at the time of the initial application is used.

Entry into force: Except for the paid-in capital and net sales thresholds in Section A, Article 2, and the capital amount threshold in Section C, Article 1, the criteria entered into force on 1 October 2024. Those specific thresholds entered into force on 1 January 2025. Until 1 January 2025, transitional thresholds applied: paid-in capital of at least 100,000 TL (or gross sales of at least 800,000 TL, or exports of at least 150,000 USD), and a foreign partner capital amount of at least 40,000 TL.

Source: Ministry of Labor and Social Security (2024). Çalışma İzni Değerlendirme Kriterleri. Retrieved from csgb.gov.tr. This is an unofficial translation provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.