Working conditions in Türkiye for foreigners

Learn about the conditions required for foreigners to work legally in Türkiye

Working Conditions in Turkiye for Foreigners

Turkey has become one of the most prominent destinations for young people from different countries of the world, especially Arab countries, for the purpose of work and looking for working conditions in Turkey for foreigners, as the Turkish government allows foreigners to work on its territory after obtaining a work permit, and in this article we will learn about the Turkish labor law and the requirements for obtaining a work permit for a foreigner and we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of working in Turkey, a good follow-up that Sky Line Real Estate wishes you, so stay with us.

Labor Law for Foreigners in Turkey

The Turkish state allows foreigners wishing to work on its territory the possibility of working and reaping profits, whether through jobs or practicing self-employment, and Turkish law defines work as "the activity of a person with the aim of earning", and Article No. 40 of the Turkish Constitution issued in 1961 stipulates the freedom of the foreigner to work in order to make profits and that this is a legitimate right for him like the Turkish citizen, and Article No. 10 of the Turkish Constitution issued in 1982 equals between Turkish and foreign workers in Turkey, as well as participating in many international conventions that are based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination between citizens and foreigners in terms of the right to work.

But despite all this, the Turkish government imposes some conditions on foreign employers, including the requirement to employ Turkish employees in addition to foreign employees and prohibiting foreigners from working in some professions that Turks are famous for, from which the Turkish labor market has had enough, in order to regulate the labor market in Turkey, eliminate unemployment and prevent a shortage or surplus.

Conditions of work for foreigners in Turkey

In order for a foreigner to work within Turkish territory, he must first obtain a work permit, and this is the content of Law No. 4817 issued in 2007, and Article No. 33 of this law shows the implementation mechanism and the procedures that a foreigner must carry out in order to practice work legally, as he must obtain a work permit, which is a card issued by the Turkish Ministry of Labor and the employing company extracts this card for the foreign worker or employee, where The employing company submits a request to the Turkish Ministry of Labor through a dedicated electronic system and submits all the data of this employee to be then studied by the Ministry of Labor and send a response with acceptance or rejection according to the conditions imposed by Turkish law.

Requirements for obtaining a work permit in Turkey

The treatment of obtaining a work permit is sensitive and is carefully studied by the Turkish Ministry of Labor, so care should be taken to complete all the required papers and documents and verify their correctness, safety and clarity, and the papers required to obtain a work permit in Turkey:

Personal document such as Turkish ID, if any, tourist residence permit or temporary protection card for refugees.
A copy of a valid passport.
Personal photo with a white background.
Scientific and practical certificates, if any.
An employment contract signed between the applicant and the employer is registered with the notary public.
Organizing a request and this request is organized by the employer and shows the nature of the worker's job and the need to work for him.
If the applicant is married, he must attach the details of his wife and children with personal photos of them.
A copy of the residence permit with detailed place of residence and contact information.
The applicant must have an email in order to receive a response to the work permit.

There are many types of work permit provided by the Turkish Ministry of Labor, the most famous of which are:

Work permit for students in Turkey: Where students residing in Turkey and who have a student residence can apply for a work permit, but there are some conditions on the student's work permit, as the work must be part-time, such as three or four days a week only, and the student must have completed one year of study in Turkey, and this type of permissions enables the student to rely on himself in study expenses and costs.
Work permit for temporary protection card holders: They are people who reside in Turkey under temporary protection conditions who left their countries due to conflicts and wars, they are entitled to apply for a work permit, provided that the work is registered in this system for a period of not less than six months, and the work permit guarantees them access to their rights and protection.
Work permit in Turkey for refugees: As well as refugees living in Turkish territory are entitled to apply for a work permit, provided that they have been in Turkey for more than a year and a half.
Work permit in Turkey through the Red Crescent: It is a special work permit provided by the Red Crescent Organization to Syrians who have a temporary protection card in its centers located in the Turkish states, provided that the work permit is identical to the state in which the temporary protection card of the worker is registered.
Exceptional Work Permit: It is an exceptional work permit granted in the event that foreigners marry Turks and to consular and international organization staff.

Advantages of working in Turkey for foreigners

Many foreigners, Arabs and others, seek to work in Turkey and take advantage of the many advantages of this work, including:

Benefiting from the minimum salary law, which is constantly updated, and the minimum salary in Turkey in 2024 reached 17,000 Turkish liras, equivalent to approximately 580 US dollars.
Obtaining a work permit and benefiting from health insurance services that include the worker and his family members.
Enjoy all public holidays and annual holidays that are celebrated in Turkey.
The possibility of obtaining a work residence permit and then applying for Turkish citizenship after five years.
Take advantage of the Turkish labor market, which is rich in many different jobs and gain great practical experience.
Residence in Turkey during the period of work, where the cost of living in Turkey is proportional to the monthly income of individuals.

Disadvantages of working in Turkey

In addition to the many advantages that work in Turkey carries, there are some disadvantages, including:

The income of individuals in Turkey is somewhat proportional to living, so saving from working in Turkey will cost a lot of austerity and will not be that much savings compared to salaries in the Arabian Gulf or in European countries.
Long working hours, especially in major cities, can extend to ten hours or more, six days a week.
The Turkish economy suffers from inflation and the turmoil of the Turkish lira and its impact on the income of individuals, commodity prices and the cost of living.
The large areas and traffic crises that major cities, especially Istanbul, suffer from.
The existence of some professions and jobs that a foreigner is prohibited from practicing in Turkey.

Professions prohibited for foreigners in Turkey

As we mentioned earlier, the Turkish government has prohibited foreigners from practicing some professions practiced by Turks, from which the Turkish labor market is sufficient, and they are set out in Article No. 1 of Law No. 2007, and these professions are:

"Musical instruments, photography, manufacture of covers and shoes, stock exchange, sales of products monopolized by the State, construction, iron and wood industry, public transport, permanent or temporary work in lighting, repair and communication works, loading and unloading work, concierge, acting and singing in bars."