To sponsor a work permit in Turkey, a registered company files the application on behalf of a foreign national and accepts legal responsibility for that worker’s right to work. The sponsor is the employer, not the employee. The permit stays tied to one company and one role, so the business that sponsors it carries the conditions the application has to meet.
This guide covers what it means to sponsor a work permit in Turkey, who qualifies as a sponsor, the requirements and ongoing obligations, the documents to prepare, the steps, the usual timeline and the official fees. The figures and rules below are current as of the time this article is written. Labour and immigration rules change, so confirm the exact details with a lawyer before you act.
What It Means to Sponsor a Work Permit in Turkey
To sponsor a work permit in Turkey means your company asks the state for permission to employ a specific foreign national, and then stands behind that worker for as long as the job lasts. The permit is issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı). It links one employer to one employee in one declared role. Under current rules the same document also gives the worker the right to reside in Turkey for the permit period, so a sponsored employee usually does not need a separate residence permit.
Sponsorship is an employer-led process by design. The company registers on the Ministry’s online system, files the request, uploads the file and answers any questions the reviewers raise. The worker hands over personal documents, but the legal weight sits with the sponsor. Sponsoring a foreign employee in Turkey is therefore a commitment, not a formality. You are telling the state that the role is genuine, that your company can support it, and that you will meet the duties that follow approval.
Who Can Sponsor a Foreign Employee in Turkey
Only a genuinely trading, properly registered company can sponsor a foreign worker in Turkey. Many applications fail at this first hurdle. A sponsor has to show the role justifies bringing in a foreign national rather than hiring locally, and a dormant company with no real activity will struggle to sponsor anyone.
The conditions usually cited for a sponsoring company, current as of the time this article is written, include:
- paid-up capital of around 100,000 Turkish lira, or a comparable level of gross sales or exports;
- at least five Turkish citizens employed for each foreign worker at the same workplace;
- a salary that fits the role, measured against multiples of the gross minimum wage;
- a clear business reason for filling the position with a foreign national.
The five-to-one ratio catches out the most sponsors. For a first foreign hire, those five Turkish employees normally need to be on the payroll when you apply. Exemptions exist for certain foreign-owned firms in their first six months, for some company structures and for specific roles, so the rule is not absolute. Knowing how to sponsor a foreign worker in Turkey starts with checking whether your company already clears these thresholds.
Turkish Work Permit Sponsor Requirements in Detail
The Turkish work permit sponsor requirements split into conditions on the company and promises about the job. Most refusals come from the company side, which is why this part deserves the most care. A strong file answers the reviewer’s real question: is this a genuine job that genuinely needs this person?
Conditions on the company
Your company must be current on its tax and social security obligations, hold the required capital or turnover, and meet the Turkish-employee ratio. The declared salary has to be credible for the position. A senior specialist role offered at the bare minimum wage tends to draw questions, because the pay is read as a signal of whether the job really needs a foreign professional.
Promises about the job
The Turkish work permit sponsor requirements also cover what you commit to after approval. You undertake to employ the worker in the declared role, at the declared pay, and to register them for social security. A file that describes one job while the company plans another is the kind of mismatch that unravels later during an inspection.
A Sponsor’s Ongoing Work Permit Sponsorship Obligations
Sponsorship does not end when the permit card arrives. Your work permit sponsorship obligations run for the whole life of the permit. Within the first days after approval you must register the worker with the Social Security Institution (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu) and begin paying the premiums. From then on, the actual role and salary have to match what you declared.
If the employment ends, you generally have to notify the authorities, and the permit tied to that job can lapse. A change of role, or a move to a different company, is normally a new application rather than a transfer, because the permit belongs to the original sponsor relationship. These work permit sponsorship obligations are where careless employers get caught: the permit is granted once, but compliance is checked over time. In our practice at Karanfiloglu Law Firm, the problems we are asked to fix most often are not refused applications but permits put at risk by a sponsor who stopped matching the declared terms.
How to Sponsor a Foreign Worker in Turkey, Step by Step
Learning how to sponsor a foreign worker in Turkey is mostly about doing things in the right order, because the worker and the company file linked applications. The sequence depends on whether the worker is abroad or already holds a residence permit inside Turkey.
When the worker is abroad
- Agree the role and sign a written job offer or employment contract with the foreign national.
- The worker applies for a work visa at the Turkish consulate in their country and receives a reference number.
- Within the window that follows, usually around ten working days, the sponsoring company files the matching application online with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and uploads the full document file.
- The Ministry reviews the company and worker files together and issues a decision.
- After approval, the worker collects the visa, enters Turkey and registers so the permit and residence rights take effect.
When the worker is already in Turkey
- Confirm the worker holds a valid residence permit that allows an in-country application.
- The company submits the application directly to the Ministry online with the supporting documents.
- The Ministry assesses the file and decides.
- On approval, the permit card is produced and delivered.
In both routes the sponsor, not the worker, files the main application inside Turkey. Whether the in-country route is open to you depends on the worker’s current status and how long they have held it; a lawyer can assess that in a short consultation before you set a start date.
Documents the Sponsor Must Provide
Sponsoring a foreign employee in Turkey runs on paperwork, and the sponsor supplies the larger share. The company file typically includes:
- a signed employment contract or written job offer stating the role, duties and salary;
- the trade registry record and a recent activity certificate;
- the latest balance sheet and profit-and-loss statement, often certified;
- the tax registration certificate and proof of no overdue debts;
- a signed application petition and the authorised signatory list.
The worker provides a valid passport, a diploma or qualification where the role requires one, biometric photographs and, for applicants abroad, the consulate reference number. Documents issued outside Turkey usually need notarisation, an apostille and certified Turkish translation. The most common cause of delay is not a missing worker document but an out-of-date or uncertified company financial statement.
Who Does What: Sponsor and Worker at a Glance
The process divides clearly between the two sides. This table sets out the split.
| Stage | Sponsor (employer) | Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer | Prepares and signs the contract | Signs and accepts |
| Work visa (if abroad) | Provides the supporting letter | Applies at the consulate |
| Main filing | Files online with the Ministry | Supplies personal documents |
| Social security | Registers and pays the premiums | Is registered by the sponsor |
| After approval | Keeps role and pay as declared | Starts work legally |
Timeline and Costs to Sponsor a Work Permit in Turkey
A decision to sponsor a work permit in Turkey usually arrives within about thirty days once the Ministry has the complete file. Incomplete files, extra checks or missing translations stretch that out, sometimes well past a month. Gathering, notarising, apostilling and translating documents often takes longer than the Ministry’s own review, so start the paperwork early.
The official costs generally include a work permit fee and a card fee, both set by the state and revised each year. Workers applying from abroad also pay consular charges for the work visa. In practice the sponsor commonly covers the state fees, though who pays what is a matter for the employment agreement. Treat any figure you read online as indicative only, because the tariffs are updated each January. Clients we advise in Istanbul often ask us to confirm the current amounts before they budget for a hire.
Common Mistakes Sponsors Make
A few avoidable errors delay or sink most sponsorship applications. Watch for these.
- Ignoring the five-to-one ratio. Filing before you employ enough Turkish citizens is the classic refusal. Check the headcount first, or confirm whether an exemption applies.
- Understating the salary. Pay that does not match the seniority of the role invites questions and can lead to rejection. Match the salary to the position.
- Stale financial documents. An old balance sheet or an uncertified statement is a frequent cause of delay. Use current, properly certified figures.
- Missing the consulate window. When the worker is abroad, the sponsor has a short period after the consulate step to file inside Turkey. Miss it and the process restarts.
- Forgetting the duties after approval. Many sponsors treat the permit as the finish line. The work permit sponsorship obligations continue, and a gap between the declared job and the real one can cost the permit.
Knowing how to sponsor a foreign worker in Turkey is only half the work. Avoiding these mistakes is what keeps a file moving and a permit safe. This is the point where a short legal review before filing usually pays for itself.
Summary
To sponsor a work permit in Turkey is to file on behalf of a foreign employee through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and then stand behind that worker for the life of the permit. Meeting the Turkish work permit sponsor requirements, preparing certified company and worker documents, filing in the right order and honouring your duties after approval are what keep a sponsorship sound. Because the ratios, capital thresholds and official fees change, a short consultation before you make a job offer can save weeks when you plan to sponsor a work permit in Turkey.
Talk to a Lawyer in Istanbul
If you would like advice on your own situation, Karanfiloglu Law Firm is a registered law office in Istanbul serving foreigners and Turkish clients across Turkey. You can reach us by phone or WhatsApp at +90 532 659 35 11, by email at [email protected], or visit us at Mecidiyeköy Mah. Büyükdere Cad. No:67-71, Alba İş Merkezi, Kat:8, Şişli, İstanbul. Contact us to discuss your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sponsors a work permit in Turkey, the employer or the worker?
The employer sponsors the permit. To sponsor a work permit in Turkey, the company files the application online through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and carries the legal conditions. The worker supplies personal documents and, if abroad, first applies for a work visa at a Turkish consulate before the sponsor files inside Turkey.
What are the main Turkish work permit sponsor requirements?
The main Turkish work permit sponsor requirements are a genuinely trading, registered company, enough capital or turnover, roughly five Turkish citizens employed per foreign worker, a realistic salary for the role, and a clear reason for hiring a foreign national. Some foreign-owned firms and specific roles are exempt.
How many Turkish employees must a sponsor have to hire a foreigner?
As a general rule, a sponsor needs at least five Turkish citizens employed at the same workplace for each foreign worker, current as of the time this article is written. Certain foreign-owned companies in their early months and some roles are exempt, so confirm your position before applying.
How long does it take to sponsor a work permit in Turkey?
Most complete applications receive a decision within about thirty days of the Ministry receiving the full file. Preparing, notarising, apostilling and translating documents usually takes longer than the review itself, so allow extra time before the intended start date.
What are a sponsor’s obligations after the permit is granted?
After approval, the sponsor must register the worker with the Social Security Institution, pay the premiums, and keep the actual role and salary consistent with what was declared. These work permit sponsorship obligations run for the full life of the permit and are checked during inspections.
Can a sponsor transfer a work permit to a new job or company?
No. A work permit is tied to one sponsor and one role, so moving the worker to a new position or a different employer normally requires a fresh application. The permit linked to the old job can lapse once that employment ends.
Who pays the fees to sponsor a foreign worker?
The official work permit and card fees are usually settled as part of the application, and in practice the sponsor commonly covers them, although this depends on the agreement with the worker. Consular work visa charges for applicants abroad are separate and set by the consulate.
What happens if a company employs a foreigner without sponsoring a permit?
Employing a foreign national without a permit exposes the company to administrative fines per worker, and repeat breaches raise the penalties. The worker can also be fined and required to leave the country, so securing sponsorship before work begins is the only safe course.
About the Author
Kaan Karanfiloğlu is the founder of Karanfiloglu Law Firm, an Istanbul-based registered law office serving Turkish and international clients across Turkey. He is a lawyer registered with the Istanbul Bar Association (Reg. No. 58270) and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (No. 133074), and has practised law in Turkey since 2017. He holds an LL.B. from Galatasaray University Faculty of Law (2016) and advises clients in Turkish, English and French; the firm also serves clients in Russian and Chinese with experienced in-office translators.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Turkish law and is not legal advice. Laws, regulations, official fees and procedures change over time and every situation is different. For advice on your specific circumstances, please consult a qualified lawyer. No liability is accepted for any loss arising from reliance on the information in this article.
