Expats beware: Here’re all changes to regulations for foreign workers in Türkiye

The criteria for foreign workers in Türkiye were redefined for the first time in 14 years, with new regulations coming into effect on Oct. 1 affecting wages, financial qualifications required, and the number of Turkish citizens to be employed for each foreigner.

Under the new regulations, if a workplace applies for a work permit for a foreign national, it will have to employ at least five Turkish citizens for each foreigner working at the company. However, if the net sales amount of the company exceeds ₺50 million (nearly $1.5 million), then there will be no Turkish national employment quota until the number of foreigners employed at the firm reaches five.

Wages for foreign workers in Türkiye in each sector

The new regulations have also revised wages for foreign workers in Türkiye in different sectors based on the national gross minimum wage, which for 2024 is ₺20,000. Senior managers and pilots can be paid up to five times the gross minimum wage, which, based on the current wages before the expected 2025 raise, equals $100,000. The previous amount these professions could earn was 6.5 times the minimum wage.

Engineers and architects can be paid four times the minimum wage, while non-senior managers can earn three times and skilled workers and specialists can make twice the minimum wage, meaning ₺80,000, ₺60,000, and ₺40,000, respectively.

Those employed in domestic services and other professions are set to earn minimum wage.

Newly established companies need to have a paid capital of ₺500,000 before they can employ foreign nationals, while established companies are required to have both a paid capital of ₺500,000 and net sales amounting to at least ₺8 million or $150,000 of exports.

Foreign workers to Turkish nationals ratio

Companies can employ up to three foreign nationals who have been in Türkiye for at least three years in the five without any staffing or financial criteria, except that the number of foreigners cannot exceed the number of Turkish employees. However, if more than three foreign workers are employed, five Turkish citizens must be hired by every foreigner.

The staff ratio and financial criteria do not apply to the IT, aviation and health sectors. Meanwhile, in the tourism sector, companies that want to employ foreigners in specialized jobs need to have 10 Turkish employees per foreign nationals.

Türkiye had also introduced new exemptions for work permits for foreign nationals back in October that eased work permit requirements for refugees and foreigners.

The regulations, published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 15, offered temporary work permit exemptions for specific groups of foreign workers, including refugees and professionals providing essential services.

For skilled foreign workers providing significant economic, sociocultural or technological contributions, the duration of work permit exemptions has been extended from six months to three years.