If you have a valid visa, you do not need a residence permit up to 90 days in Türkiye. On the other hand, foreigners who shall reside, work or study in Türkiye, should register themselves at the nearest local police department upon their arrival in Türkiye, regardless of the validity of their visa.
To work in Türkiye, you must apply to the nearest Turkish mission to obtain work permit and visa. Your passport, visa application form and a letter from your employer are the necessary documents for your application. Other documents should be submitted to the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) by your employer within ten working days after your application.
You or your employer may find the list of those documents in the MLSS’s website. Applications are finalized by the MLSS within thirty days at the latest. Right after your arrival in Türkiye (before starting to work), you should be registered at the local police department within one month to obtain the necessary residence permit.
As of 1 January 2015, in accordance with the article 7.1b of “the Law on Foreigners and International Protection” no. 6458, foreigners wishing to enter Türkiye should carry a travel document (passport) with an expiration date at least 60 days beyond the “duration of stay” of their visa, e-Visa, visa exemption, or residence permit. For more details please click here.
Work Permit
One can file an application to obtain a work permit in Türkiye either while located in Türkiye or abroad.
In the case of applications filed abroad, foreigners are required to file an application at a consulate of the Republic of Türkiye in the country of which they are a citizen or a permanent resident. The application should be accompanied by a labor contract, letter of assignment, or a document stating company partnership. The employer in Türkiye is required to file an online application and submit the required information and documents to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, either in person or via mail, within ten business days following the date of the candidate’s application to a consulate. The consulates of the Republic of Türkiye and the ministry will execute online the procedures for the work permit applications filed abroad.
Foreigners whose applications are approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security must enter Türkiye
within a maximum of hundred and eighty days after the date the work permit is issued. In the case of applications filed in Türkiye, with the exception of residence permits issued for education in Türkiye, foreigners who hold residence permits with a remaining term of at least six months, or employers thereof, may file work permit applications. Such foreigners are not required to submit an application to the consulates of the Republic of Türkiye. The documents required for the application must be submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, either in person or via mail, within a maximum of six business days after the online application.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security concludes the procedures regarding work permit applications in consultation, where necessary, with relevant ministries and authorities. The procedures regarding duly submitted work permit applications are concluded by the ministry within a maximum of thirty days provided all required documents are submitted in full. If the ministry determines that required documents are missing, the applicant is notified to submit the documents in question. In such cases, the thirty-day period commences on the date on which the missing documents are submitted to the ministry. In the case of applications filed abroad, the ministry forwards the affirmative or negative decision regarding the work permit application to the relevant consulate of the Republic of Türkiye (via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), which notifies the applicant. In the case of applications filed in Türkiye, the ministry notifies the foreigner or the employer. Foreigners who are granted residence and work permits from consulates and enter the country are required to register to the Address Registry System in Türkiye within a maximum of twenty business days following the date of entrance.
Please click for more information regarding the work permit application, procedures, documents and extensions.
Work Permits for Researchers Hosted by Universities
Turkish Universities are required to obtain permits from the Higher Education Council of Türkiye (Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı - YÖK) to employ international academic staff on contract.
An invitation letter, which includes the necessary permits to work in Türkiye, is sent to those whose work visas have been obtained by the host university from YÖK. Upon receiving the invitation and necessary permits, researcher must contact the nearest Turkish consulate to begin the procedures for obtaining a work permit. For more information please contact with the University’s Administration.
Residence Permit
According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, a residence permit document shall stand for the permit issued for the purpose of staying in Türkiye. This document granted by competent authorities entitles the right to reside in a specific location in Türkiye for a given period of time. Residence permit which is of great importance in terms of the provision and protection of public order shall be issued following the request and application by the foreigner together with the required documents providing s/he fulfils the related conditions.
Foreigners who intend to stay in Türkiye for a period longer than permitted in their visa, visa exemption, or for more than ninety days must obtain a residence permit. For more information regarding the residence permit types for foreigners please click here.
Moreover, certificate of residence is an evidentiary formal document of full tax liability in the residing country of an individual or a legal entity. The provisions of Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) are applied to the residents of the contracting countries. Individuals or legal entities who want to benefit from the agreements may request a certificate of residence showing that they are full liable taxpayers from the competent authority of the country in which they are resident. In this scope; certificate of residence is obtained by residents in Türkiye (taxpayers with a full tax liability) who derive income from a party country to a Türkiye’s applicable DTA in order to be taxed according to provisions of the related agreement.
If you are a foreign individual who is a resident of Türkiye you may get your certificate of residence by applying to The Presidency of Turkish Revenue Administration Department of European Union and Foreign Affairs with a petition, questionnaire for foreigners and your domicile certificate or a copy of your work permit certificate. For each document and file please click here.
If you are a legal entity you may get your certificate of residence by applying with a petition to
- Large Tax Payers Office Directorate if you are a taxpayer of this department,
- The Tax Office Directorate of Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, İstanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli, Trabzon if you are a taxpayer of these Directorates.
- The Presidency of Turkish Revenue Administration Revenue Administration Department of European Union and Foreign Affairs if you are not one of the above mentioned taxpayers or you apply for the certificate to submit to the competent authority of Austria, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.
Your application will be evaluated by the competent authority and your certificate of residence will be sent to your address by post if approved.
Residency Permit for Researchers Hosted by Universities
After receiving approval from the Higher Education Council of Türkiye (Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı - YÖK), the University should write a letter to the Turkish General Directorate of Security (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü) and the researcher must apply in person at the General Directorate of Security (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü, Yabancılar Şube Müdürlüğü) with this letter. For more information please contact with the University’s Administration.