Work & Business

Turkish work permits are employer-led - your employer applies on your behalf through the Ministry of Labour's online portal. The employer must be a registered Turkish legal entity, must have at least 5 Turkish employees on payroll for every 1 foreign hire (with exceptions for larger companies), and must demonstrate that no suitable Turkish candidate is available. The permit is valid for 1 year and renewable. Processing typically takes 4–8 weeks. Once approved, you get an SGK number (social security) and your work permit also serves as your residence permit - you don't need a separate ikamet.

If you have the Digital Nomad Visa (launched 2024/2025), yes - legally and with no Turkish income tax on salary deposited offshore. If you're on a standard ikamet (residence permit), remote work for overseas employers is a grey area: it's widely practised and tolerated in practice, but not formally legalised. Many expats on ikamet work remotely without issue, but it's technically not covered under the residence permit's conditions. The Digital Nomad Visa was created precisely to regularise this situation - if you're working remotely, apply for it.

Istanbul is one of Europe's top 10 tech startup hubs by venture capital. Major Turkish success stories: Trendyol (owned by Alibaba, valued at $16.5B+), Getir (rapid grocery delivery, now restructuring post-expansion), Peak Games (acquired by Zynga for $1.8B), and Hepsiburada (Nasdaq-listed e-commerce). The city hosts dozens of international tech company offices (Google, Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, LinkedIn). Tech salaries are USD $1,500–$4,000/month for mid-level engineers; senior roles at multinationals can go significantly higher. The talent pool is strong and the city offers a quality of life that increasingly competes with London or Berlin at a fraction of the cost.

The standard vehicle is a Limited Şirket (LTD ŞTİ - LLC equivalent). Requirements: minimum capital of 500,000 TRY (~$11,500 at 2026 rates), at least 1 director/representative (can be a foreigner if they have a work permit or are a shareholder), and registration at the local Trade Registry. Process takes 3–7 business days with a lawyer (notarised articles of association, capital deposit, trade registry filing). 100% foreign ownership is permitted. A foreign shareholder contributing 500,000 TRY or more (20%+ share) can typically obtain an independent work permit through the company. Budget $2,000–$5,000 in legal fees for the full setup.

TRY salaries have been eroded significantly by inflation, so expats should negotiate in USD or EUR. In tech, mid-level engineers typically earn the equivalent of $1,500–$4,000/month USD; senior engineers at multinationals can earn $5,000–$8,000+/month. Finance professionals: $2,000–$6,000/month. English teachers: $800–$1,500/month (less appealing unless combined with low expenses). The minimum wage is approximately $385/month USD-equivalent (23,500 TRY/month in early 2026) - a meaningful reference for cost context. Most experienced expat professionals negotiate full USD/EUR contracts to avoid lira exposure.