The general rule in Türkiye is that a foreign national who works needs a work permit. The exceptions to that rule are more numerous than most people realise, and they matter in both directions: an investor who qualifies for one avoids an application entirely, and a person who assumes an exemption that does not apply commits an offence with lasting consequences. This article sets out where exemptions genuinely exist.
The framework
Work permits are governed by Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force. Alongside the ordinary permit regime it provides for work permit exemptions, granted or recognised in defined circumstances and set out in the law and its implementing regulation.
An exemption is not an absence of regulation. In several categories a work permit exemption confirmation must be obtained — a document evidencing that the person falls within an exempt category — rather than the person simply beginning work.
The safest working assumption is that an exemption must be established, not assumed.
Company shareholders and directors
The most commercially significant exemptions concern corporate roles.
Shareholders. Holding shares in a Turkish company is not working. A shareholder who does not work in the company needs no permit, receives dividends, attends general assemblies and exercises shareholder rights freely.
Joint stock company board members resident abroad. A member of the board of directors of a joint stock company who resides outside Türkiye and does not work here falls outside the permit requirement. This is the structure most commonly used by investors who own a Turkish business without relocating.
Limited company managers. No equivalent exemption. A manager working in Türkiye needs a permit. Because every limited company must have at least one manager who is a shareholder, a sole foreign shareholder is necessarily in this position.
The dividing line, again, is function rather than title. A person described as a non-executive director who is in fact running operations in Türkiye is working.
Short-term and specialist categories
The regulation provides for exemptions, generally time-limited and often requiring a confirmation, in circumstances including:
- technicians arriving to install, maintain or repair imported machinery or equipment, or to provide training in its use, for limited periods;
- persons coming for the delivery, assembly or servicing of goods under a contract;
- persons attending training at a Turkish company on equipment or systems supplied by it;
- participants in scientific, cultural, artistic or sporting events for limited periods;
- tour operator representatives, within defined limits;
- persons coming for vocational training within defined programmes;
- academics and researchers within defined arrangements.
The periods are short — measured in days or months — and cumulative limits usually apply within a year. Companies that bring in technicians repeatedly should track the aggregate rather than each visit.
Categories exempt by status
- Long-term residence permit holders and holders of indefinite work permits, who may work without a further permit, subject to rules applying to particular professions.
- Turquoise Card holders, whose card carries indefinite work rights.
- Persons of Turkish descent holding the blue card, who benefit from defined rights including in relation to work.
- Persons under international agreements to which Türkiye is party, where the agreement provides for it.
- Certain diplomatic and international organisation staff, under the applicable conventions.
What is never exempt
Some beliefs are simply wrong and are worth stating plainly:
- "Part-time work does not need a permit." It does.
- "Unpaid work does not need a permit." Working without payment does not remove the requirement; genuine volunteering is a narrow and different question.
- "Working for a foreign employer while living here does not need a permit." This is the remote work question, and it is genuinely unsettled under the current framework rather than clearly permitted. Take advice on the specific arrangement.
- "Owning the company means I can work in it." Ownership and work are separate.
- "A student permit allows part-time work." It allows an application for a work permit, subject to conditions.
- "A tourist visa allows a few days of work." It does not.
The consequences of getting it wrong
Working without a permit, where no exemption applies, produces:
- administrative fines on the individual;
- substantially larger fines on the employer, increasing on repetition;
- liability for social security contributions and return costs;
- a restriction code affecting future residence, work and citizenship applications;
- possible removal and an entry ban.
The restriction code is the consequence that outlasts everything else. A short period of unauthorised work years earlier regularly surfaces in a security screening on a citizenship file.
Establishing an exemption properly
Where a category applies, the practical steps are:
- Identify the specific provision relied on, not a general impression.
- Check whether a confirmation is required, and obtain it before work starts.
- Observe the time limits, including cumulative limits within a year.
- Document the basis — contract, invoice, correspondence establishing the nature of the work.
- Keep the residence position separate and lawful. An exemption from a work permit is not a right of residence.
That last point causes real problems. A technician exempt from a work permit still needs a lawful basis to be in Türkiye, and an exemption does not extend a visa.
A note for investors
The corporate exemptions shape the structure of an investment, and the decision should be taken at formation:
Investor who will not work in Türkiye: joint stock company, board seat, residence abroad. No permit required, no employment criteria to satisfy, no capital threshold driven by permit rules.
Investor who will relocate and work: no exemption. Capitalise the company to meet the permit criteria — at least TRY 100,000 paid in for a new company, with a shareholding of USD 100,000 or more potentially taking the application outside the standard five-employee requirement — and plan for that requirement over the first permit year.
Restructuring later, when the business needs the founder present, is the expensive version of this decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a list of exempt categories? They are set out in Law No. 6735 and its implementing regulation. Identify the specific provision rather than relying on a summary.
Do I need to apply for an exemption? In several categories a confirmation must be obtained. Check before work begins.
How long do short-term exemptions last? Days to months depending on the category, usually with cumulative annual limits.
Can I work remotely for a foreign employer while living in Türkiye? Unsettled under the current framework. Take advice on your specific arrangement rather than assuming.
Does an exemption give me residence? No. Residence is a separate question.
Am I exempt as a company owner? As a shareholder, yes. As someone working in the company, no.
What if I have already worked without a permit? Take advice. Restriction codes can sometimes be addressed, and early action is materially better than late.
Check before starting, not after
Exemptions in this area are real and useful, and they are narrower than the assumptions people make about them. The cost of checking is a short enquiry; the cost of being wrong is a record that follows a person for years.
Dural Hukuk advises on work permit exemptions, obtains exemption confirmations, structures investments so that the permit position is settled at formation, and represents individuals where unauthorised work has produced a restriction code. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Exemption categories and criteria change; verify the current position before relying on them.