The work permit as a residence permit
A work permit granted under Law No. 6735 counts as a residence permit for its validity, so an employed foreign national does not need both. It is applied for by the employer, not by the foreigner, and it is tied to that employer and that workplace. Time held under it counts at full rate toward naturalisation — but it ends when the employment ends, and any gap before the next permit is a break in lawful residence.
At a glance
- Legal basis
- International Labour Force Law No. 6735; Law No. 6458, art. 27
- Who applies
- The employer, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security
- Functions as residence
- Yes, for its validity
- Tied to
- The employer and the workplace
- Counts toward citizenship
- Full rate
- Common blocker
- The five-Turkish-employee ratio at the workplace
- Highly qualified route
- Turquoise Card
One document, two functions
Article 27 of Law No. 6458 provides that a work permit counts as a residence permit. That is convenient and it is also a trap: the residence element is entirely dependent on the employment element, so anything that ends the job ends the right to be here. Many foreign employees hold a separate residence permit in parallel for exactly this reason — see keeping status unbroken.
Who applies, and against what criteria
The employer applies. A foreign national cannot self-apply, and a foreign company with no legal presence in Türkiye cannot sponsor a permit — it needs a Turkish subsidiary, branch or contractual partner. The application is assessed against criteria designed to protect the domestic labour market, of which the one that stops most applications is the ratio: the employer must generally employ five Turkish nationals for each foreign worker at the workplace. There are also minimum capital expectations for the employing entity and salary floors keyed to the role.
| Criterion | Effect |
|---|---|
| Five Turkish employees per foreign worker | The usual blocker; assessed at the workplace |
| Minimum paid-in capital or turnover of the employer | Excludes shell entities |
| Salary floor by role | Higher multiples for senior and specialist positions |
| Relevance of qualifications to the role | Assessed on the file |
Several categories of applicant are relieved of some of these criteria — among them foreigners married to a Turkish citizen and living with them in family union. The employer-side mechanics are in the firm's guidance for employers; the employee's position in its guidance for employees.
Changing employers
The permit belongs to the employment relationship. Moving jobs means a new application by the new employer, and the transition must be seamless: a gap between the old permit ending and the new one beginning is a gap in lawful status. This is the single most common way a foreign professional loses qualifying years without noticing.
Employing yourself
Turkish law provides no standalone "company owner" work permit. The permit rests on an employment relationship, and the employer-side conditions attach to the company regardless of who owns it — including the five-employee ratio at renewal. A company incorporated shortly before the application, with no trading history and minimal capital, reads as an immigration vehicle and is treated as one. Where this is the plan, build the company first and apply second; the firm's company establishment practice covers the sequence.
The Turquoise Card
Law No. 6735 also creates the Turquoise Card for highly qualified foreigners — those with qualifications, investment, scientific or technological contribution of a defined order. It is granted first for a transitional period and becomes indefinite on satisfactory completion, and it carries residence rights for the holder's spouse and dependent children. It also connects to nationality: Turquoise Card holders are among the categories named in Article 12 of Law No. 5901. See exceptional citizenship.
What it is worth
Full rate toward the five-year naturalisation period, provided it runs without gaps. That makes it the most efficient status in the system for someone building toward citizenship — and the most fragile, for the same reason. The arithmetic is in permit types compared.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Turkish work permit count as a residence permit?
Yes. Under Article 27 of Law No. 6458 a work permit counts as a residence permit for its validity, so an employed foreign national does not need both.
Can I apply for a Turkish work permit myself?
No. The application is made by the employing entity in Türkiye. A foreign company with no presence here cannot sponsor a Turkish work permit.
What is the five-employee rule?
The employer must generally employ five Turkish nationals for each foreign worker at the workplace. It is the criterion that blocks most applications, and several categories of applicant are exempt from it.
What happens if I change jobs?
The new employer files a new application, and the transition must be seamless. A gap between the old permit ending and the new one starting is a break in lawful residence that affects both the long-term permit and naturalisation.
Related reading
- Turkish residence permit types comparedAll six categories under Law No. 6458 plus the work permit, side by side: conditions, duration, renewal and how each counts toward naturalisation.
- Keeping status unbroken: renewals, gaps and continuityThe quiet failure mode of this whole field — a gap nobody notices until the years are counted, and by then it cannot be repaired.
- Exceptional citizenship and the Turquoise CardArticle 12 is wider than the investment programme — extraordinary contribution, recognised immigrants and Turquoise Card holders all sit inside it.
Sources & legal references
- International Labour Force Law No. 6735 — work permits, evaluation criteria, Turquoise Card
- Law No. 6458, art. 27 — work permit counting as a residence permit
- Regulation on the Implementation of Law No. 6735 — criteria and exemptions