Two-Year Turkish Work Permit Approval: Legal Assessment, Requirements, and Recent Practices

Work permit approved for Legit Law's client, effective from January 13, 2026, to February 25, 2028, in Şişli, Istanbul.

Under Turkish immigration and labor regulations, foreign nationals are required to obtain a work permit sponsored by a Turkish employer in order to work legally in Türkiye. As a general rule, initial work permits are granted for a one-year period. Extensions are assessed based on the applicant’s prior compliance and the employer’s eligibility.

A two-year work permit approval is not common and is generally issued only where both the employee and the sponsoring company demonstrate consistent compliance over time. General Framework for Work Permit Durations In practice, work permit durations typically follow this structure:

• First application: one year • Subsequent renewals: one year or longer, subject to assessment

A two-year approval is discretionary and is not automatically granted upon renewal. The Ministry evaluates the application as a whole, taking into account both the individual employee and the corporate sponsor. Key Legal and Practical Considerations Based on recent administrative practice, the following factors are commonly reviewed when assessing eligibility for longer-term work permits: • Continuity of employment and work permit history • Number of prior renewals without interruption • Employer’s financial stability and regulatory compliance • Company employment structure, including the ratio of Turkish employees • Consistency of the employee’s role within the company Notably, Turkish language proficiency and shareholder or ownership status are not statutory requirements for a two-year permit, although they may be considered as supportive elements in certain cases. Recent Case Example (January Approval) In a case approved on 13 January, a foreign employee was granted a two-year work permit under the following circumstances:

• The applicant had previously renewed his work permit three times • The applicant does not speak Turkish • The applicant is not a shareholder or partner of the company • The sponsoring company demonstrated financial stability • The company employs more than five Turkish citizens (subject to potential exemptions under applicable regulations) Government Fees For this application, the total government fees paid consisted of the work permit application fee and the work permit card fee, amounting to 26,114 TRY.

Government fees are subject to annual revision and should be confirmed at the time of application.

This case illustrates that longer work permit durations are granted following a comprehensive assessment of both the employee’s history and the employer’s compliance standing. No single factor is determinative.

Foreign employees and sponsoring companies seeking longer-term work authorization in Türkiye should ensure continuous compliance, accurate documentation, and timely renewal planning.