Türkiye Work Permit for Company Owners, Partners and Self-employed Foreign Nationals

A foreign national who will actively manage or work in a Turkish limited company, joint-stock company or another qualifying business generally needs a work permit. Passive non-managing partners and certain non-resident board members may fall within a work-permit exemption, but ownership alone does not authorize active work.

A separate independent work permit may be considered for a foreign national working personally and independently. It is assessed case by case according to education, experience, economic and employment contribution, technology impact, investment and capital participation.

For a foreigner opening a new company or becoming a partner in an existing business, the official partner criteria generally require at least TRY 500,000 as the foreigner's own capital share, at least TRY 500,000 in total paid-in company capital and at least 20% ownership. The business must employ at least five Turkish citizens each month beginning with the seventh month of the initial permit. For an extension, five Turkish citizens must generally be maintained throughout the permit period.

Where the foreign partner's capital share is at least USD 100,000, the partner-specific capital, ownership and five-employee criteria do not apply. The official currency amount remains controlling, and any converted figure is only for reference.

There is no separately published personal maintenance-fund or net-worth threshold for this work-permit route. However, this does not remove the financial assessment. Company owners must satisfy the applicable capital rules, and independent applicants must demonstrate credible financing and economic substance. Applicants should be ready to document lawful source of funds, paid-in capital, banking transactions, tax registration and operating resources.

The Turkish company or workplace must be established before the foreigner starts working. Official guidance indicates that trade or tradesmen registration and a tax number should be completed before the work-permit application. After approval, the business may also need a municipal workplace opening and operating licence.

A formal immigration business plan is not expressly mandatory for every company-owner filing. A comprehensive commercial plan is nevertheless strongly recommended, particularly for a new company or independent application. Viamora can assist with market research, competitor analysis, business modelling, pricing, financial forecasts, capital allocation, staffing, Turkish-employment planning, operating milestones and supporting commercial documentation.

A note on AI-generated plans: Generic, inaccurate, copied, unverified or unrealistic AI-generated documents may weaken credibility. Technology-assisted content should be independently researched, verified, customized and supported by reliable evidence.

Applications are made through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's electronic work-permit system. An overseas applicant first applies personally at the Turkish embassy or consulate in their country of citizenship or lawful residence and receives a reference number. The Turkish company then completes the electronic filing. A domestic application is generally possible where the applicant has a qualifying residence permit valid for at least six months, subject to official exceptions.

A complete application is normally evaluated within 30 days. In 2026, a fixed-term permit valid for up to one year costs TRY 12,574.90, plus a TRY 964 valuable-paper fee. The separate independent work-permit fee is TRY 125,802.20. Fees change and should be verified before submission.

An initial fixed-term work permit may be issued for up to one year. The first extension may be granted for up to two years and later extensions for up to three years under the same company. A valid work permit also substitutes for a residence permit, but family members require their own appropriate status.