Work Permit in Turkey

In Turkey, a work permit application is filed online, normally by your employer. The part that falls on you is the paperwork: documents from your own country that the Ministry needs in Turkish and, in some cases, in a certified form. This guide explains which ones, and where applications tend to get stuck. It is a document guide, not immigration advice.

How the process is split

• Your employer files the application with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through the online system, together with the company's own documents.
• If you are abroad, you also apply for a work visa at a Turkish consulate. If you are already in Turkey on a residence permit of at least six months, the application can generally be made from inside Turkey.
• The Ministry can ask for more. The lists below are what is commonly requested, but the Ministry reserves the right to ask for additional documents, so ask your employer for the exact list for your case.

Your documents

• Passport. A copy with a Turkish translation, notarized, is commonly requested, especially for passports that aren't in Latin script. Ask whether yours is needed in this form.
• Diploma or graduation certificate. This is usually translated into Turkish by a sworn translator and notarized. Depending on the country that issued it, an apostille or consular legalization may also be required. A diploma is generally required for roles that depend on a professional qualification.
• Diploma equivalency. For some regulated professions, a degree earned abroad needs an equivalency certificate from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) as well. That is a separate application.
• Experience letters, service certificates and licences. Some sectors ask for these, with a sworn or notarized Turkish translation and, where the destination rules require it, an apostille or consular attestation.

If your country isn't in the Apostille Convention

An apostille is only accepted between member countries. If the country that issued your diploma or letter isn't a member, the document normally goes through consular legalization instead. That route is slower, so find out early which one applies to you.

Common reasons applications get delayed

• Ordering documents before checking the list. Ask your employer, or the consultancy preparing the file, exactly which documents and in what form, before you spend money on copies and translations.
• A translation that isn't sworn and notarized. A translation you made yourself, or one with only a company stamp, will often be rejected.
• Name and date mismatches. Spellings that differ from your passport, including errors introduced during translation, can stop an application until they are corrected.
• Unclear scans. Documents are uploaded online, so blurry or cropped pages can cause a request for resubmission.
• Assuming the apostille question doesn't apply to you. Whether your diploma needs an apostille or legalization depends on the country that issued it, so confirm that rather than guess.

How we help

We handle the document side: sworn translation, notarization, and the apostille steps for documents that need them, including through our remote E-Apostille service. We aren't an immigration law firm, so the application itself, quota rules and eligibility are for your employer, a consultancy or an immigration lawyer. Send us your documents and the list you've been given, and we'll tell you what each one needs.