Quest Turkey Property and Lifestyle Magazine

Due to Turkey not yet being part of the E.U., applying for a work permit is not easy. Those who are transferred by their current employer, find the process significantly easier compared to those who have to complete the process alone. In some cases, expat employees have been known to work in Turkey whilst waiting to have their work permit issued, as the process can take a long time. Without a work permit or residency permit, a foreigner is only allowed to stay in Turkey for a maximum of 90 days, providing that they have paid the 10 GBP  visa fee that is a requirement on entering Turkey and can be purchased either on the border or at a Turkish airport. Even with the tourist visa, this only allows the person to stay in Turkey for no

longer than 90 days, which proves to be a problem for anybody waiting for either a work or residency permit. Many foreigners working in Turkey are dealt with in  the same way depending on their country of origin, which is why it is common for many foreigners to exit Turkey every 90 days and re-enter   to renew their tourist visa, until they obtain the sufficient permits and visas.

 Work permits are acquired from the Ministry of Labour and social security or from the consolates of The Turkish Republic Abroad. The first step is applying for a work permit, which is needed to apply for a work visa. Your employer must send an application to the General Directorate of Foreign Investments, which is applied for from the employer wishing to employ a foreign worker. If the application is passed, the GDFI will issue a work permit, the employee is then able to apply for a work visa from the Turkish consulate.

  To apply for a work visa, the applicant must be able to produce these documents:
  valid passport
  Passport or ID photos 
  permission from the Turkish consulate
  Details of past employment 
  Details of current/future employer in Turkey

Once the employee obtains both the work permit and visa, a residency permit can be easily obtained, without complications.

 Applying for a residency permit is faster and easier than applying for a work permit or visa. After being issued a work visa, a residency card must be applied for within the 30 days following the issue date of the work visa. Residency permits can easily be applied for and issued at a local police station.
To apply for residency you will need to provide the police with:
  valid passport
  passport/ID photos
  photocopy of work permit
  photocopy of passport
  petition written on company headed paper from your employer
  4 signed copies of the Declaration for residence

 For all of the above permits and visas, you will also need to complete the sufficient forms with basic, personal and work details.