Employment Quota Removed for Work Permits (2026 Updated)

Evaluation criteria regarding work permit applications for foreigners in Turkey were significantly amended as of August 3, 2026. Particularly, the regulation that has long been criticized by the public “The obligation to employ 5 Turkish citizens”, has been lifted for employers who meet certain conditions. Consequently, obtaining a work permit has become significantly easier for many foreign employees and employers.

With the current evaluation criteria published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, in work permit applications to be made on behalf of foreigners who meet certain conditions, neither the employment criterion as well as nor the financial adequacy criterion will be applied.

This regulation produces highly significant consequences for foreign investors, companies, employers, and foreigners who have been legally residing in Turkey for a long time.

In this article, we explain in detail the changes made to the 2026 work permit criteria, under which circumstances the employment requirement has been lifted, who can benefit from this right, and the points to be considered in practice.

For comprehensive information on the general conditions of work permits, domestic and international application procedures, required documents, and appealing a rejection decision, our foreign work permit guide you may review.

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What Was the System Prior to 2026 for Work Permit Applications?

One of the most important conditions that employers had to fulfill to obtain a work permit in the system applied for many years employment criterion was.

According to this rule:

• for each foreign national intended to be employed in the workplace, at least five Turkish citizens had to be employed under social security.

For example;

• The requirement was
• 5 Turkish employees for 2 foreign nationals,
• 10 Turkish employees for 3 foreign nationals,

15 Turkish employees.

Particularly for newly established businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, and foreign-capital companies, this criterion was seen as one of the major obstacles to obtaining a work permit.

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What Changed on August 3, 2026?

With the new evaluation criteria entering into force on August 3, 2026, an important exception was introduced.

Accordingly:

For domestic work permit applications to be made on behalf of foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey under a work permit, residence permit, or international protection for at least one year within the last three years;

• The requirement to employ 5 Turkish employees shall not apply.
• The financial adequacy criterion shall not apply.

This exemption, for the same workplace, applies to a maximum of three foreign employees .

Therefore, many employers will no longer be required to employ five Turkish personnel for the first three foreign employees.

This amendment provides significant convenience, particularly for the service sector, software companies, technology firms, consulting companies, and foreign-capitalized businesses.

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The current and official text of the regulation can be checked on the work permit evaluation criteria page of the Directorate General of International Labor . The employment requirement is not applied solely with respect to the foreigners and applications specified in the regulation; the general rule has not been completely abolished.

Requirements for the Removal of the Employment Condition

Not every foreigner can benefit from this exemption.

The legislator requires certain conditions to be met concurrently.

These are;

• within the last three years preceding the application date,
• for a period of at least one year,
• having legally resided in Turkey,
• and that this period has been spent under a work permit, residence permit, or international protection.

In other words;

it is aimed to reintegrate foreigners who have been legally residing in Turkey for a long time into working life.

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Which Permits Are Included in This Period?

Many people think that only the work permit is taken into consideration.

However, the new regulation has a much broader scope.

It is sufficient to have legally resided in Turkey with one of the following permit types:

• Work permit
• Short-term residence permit
• Family residence permit
• Student residence permit
• Long-term residence permit
• Humanitarian Residence Permit
• International protection status

Therefore, not only employees but also foreigners who have been studying in Turkey for a long time or residing under a family residence permit will be able to benefit from this regulation.

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For How Many Foreigners Can the Exception Be Applied in the Same Workplace?

This matter is one of the most frequently asked questions in practice.

Pursuant to the new regulation;

a maximum of three foreigners can benefit from this facility in a workplace.

For example;

In a company;

• for the first foreigner,
• the second foreigner,
• the third foreigner,

for;

• the employment criteria,
• nor the financial adequacy criterion

will not be required.

However, starting from the fourth foreign employee, the former system shall be reapplied.

In this case;

the requirement of five Turkish employees for each foreign national will come into effect again.

Additionally, financial adequacy criteria will be re-examined.

Therefore, it is of great importance for companies to make their personnel planning in accordance with the new regulation.

Is the Removal of the Employment Criterion Completely Unlimited?

No. The amendment made in 2026 has not completely eliminated the employment criterion. The regulation merely introduces an exemption for foreign nationals meeting certain conditions and for a specific number of work permit applications.

Accordingly:

• within the scope of the exemption in the same workplace can benefit can be employed.
• Employment and financial adequacy criteria are not required for these three foreign nationals.
• However, starting from the fourth foreign national, the former system continues to apply.

For instance, if a company wishes to apply for work permits for four foreign nationals within the scope of the exemption;

• The requirement for five Turkish employees shall not apply to the first three foreign nationals.
• However, for the fourth foreign national, an additional five Turkish citizens must be employed at the workplace.

Therefore, it is crucial for employers to conduct their personnel planning by taking this restriction into account.

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The Number of Turkish Employees at the Same Workplace Cannot Be Less Than Foreign Employees

While the new regulation removes the employment criterion, it also introduces an important balancing mechanism.

Accordingly:

Under the exemption, the number of foreign employees cannot exceed the number of Turkish citizens working at the same workplace.

For example;

• If there are 2 Turkish employees at the workplace;
• A maximum of 2 foreign nationals may be employed within the scope of the exemption.

On the other hand;

• If there are 10 Turkish employees at the workplace;
• Work permits can be obtained for the first three foreign nationals without applying the employment criterion.

This regulation aims both to facilitate the employment of foreign nationals and to protect the employment of Turkish citizens.

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Has the Financial Sufficiency Criterion Also Been Abolished?

The amendments introduced in 2026 not only removed the employment criterion but also the financial sufficiency criterion for certain types of applications.

Under normal circumstances, work permit applications require the employer to have:

• at least a paid-in capital of 500,000 TRY,
• or net sales of 8,000,000 TRY, realized,
• or exports amounting to 150,000 US Dollars completed

is required.

However, within the scope of the new regulation;

the requirement to meet these financial criteria has also been eliminated for the first three foreign nationals who meet the conditions.

This amendment, in particular;

• newly established companies,
• small businesses,
• entrepreneurs,
• technology companies,
• consulting firms

provides significant convenience.

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For detailed information regarding the general employment requirement, financial adequacy criteria, sector-specific exceptions, and special rules applied to foreign company partners, work permit evaluation criteria 2026 you may review our guide.

How Will the Requirement of Residing in Turkey for 1 Year in the Last 3 Years Be Calculated?

This is one of the issues that causes the most hesitation in practice.

According to the regulation;

It is sufficient for the foreigner to have resided in Turkey with a legal status for at least one year within the last three years retroactively from the application date.

This period;

• does not have to be uninterrupted.
• Periods spent under different residence permits may be evaluated cumulatively.

For example;

if a foreigner;

• has resided in Turkey with 6 months of student residence permit,
• 4 months of family residence permit,
• 3 months of work permit,

then;

since the total legal stay period exceeds one year, they will be able to benefit from this exception.

However, since each application has its own specific conditions, it is important to conduct a detailed review of the foreigner's immigration records and permit history prior to the application.

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Has There Been Any Change in the Salary Criterion?

No.

The regulation enacted in 2026 pertains solely to employment and financial adequacy criteria.

The criteria applied regarding the remuneration to be paid to foreign personnel remain entirely in effect.

Accordingly, in work permit applications, the wage to be paid to the foreign national is determined based on the gross minimum wage in effect as of the application date.

The wage criteria are as follows:

• Senior executives and pilots: At least 5 times
• Engineers and architects: At least 4 times
• Other executives: At least 3 times
• Professions requiring expertise and mastery: At least 2 times
• Domestic services and other professions: A wage at least equal to the gross minimum wage

Therefore, the removal of the employment criterion does not mean that the wage criterion has also been eliminated. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security continues to take the wage criterion into account in work permit evaluations.

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Even in an application where the employment and financial adequacy criteria are not applied, the wage to be paid to the foreigner may still be required to meet the lower limit determined for the duty and profession. For the wage coefficients to be applied according to professions, wage criteria for foreign employees in 2026 you may review our article.

Which Foreigners Are Completely Exempt from Evaluation Criteria?

The 2026 regulations not only introduced new exemptions but also protected foreign groups that were previously exempt from the criteria.

The main foreign groups to which the employment, financial adequacy, and wage criteria do not apply are as follows:

• Foreign nationals whose mother, father, or child is a Turkish citizen,
• Holders of humanitarian residence permits,
• Victims of human trafficking,
• Holders of Stateless Person Identity Documents,
• Foreigners holding a long-term residence permit,
• Foreigners married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years,
• Foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey for at least eight years (effective as of 03.08.2026),
• Foreigners of Turkish descent (subject to the favorable opinion of the relevant institutions),
• Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

However, such persons are required to prove their respective status with official documents. Furthermore, falling within this scope does not imply that a work permit will be granted automatically. The Ministry evaluates each application individually in terms of public order, public security, and international labor policy.

Exemption from evaluation criteria is not the same as a work permit exemption. A foreigner exempt from evaluation criteria may still be required to obtain a work permit. In the case of a work permit exemption, however, the foreigner is relieved of the obligation to obtain a general work permit, limited to the activity and duration specified in the legislation. Regarding the differences between these two statuses and the exemption application work permit exemption 2026 you may review our guide.

Conclusion

The new evaluation criteria, which entered into force on August 3, 2026, have significantly amended the long-standing requirement in work permit applications of “employing at least 5 Turkish citizens for every foreign employee” In particular, the new regulation introduced for foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey under a work permit, residence permit, or international protection status for at least one year within the last three years has both for the first three foreign employees employment criterion as well as the financial sufficiency criterion abolished.

However, this amendment does not mean an unlimited exemption for all foreigners. In the event that more than three foreign employees are employed, the requirement to employ five Turkish citizens will apply again for the fourth and subsequent foreign employees; furthermore, the number of foreign employees in the workplace must not exceed the number of Turkish employees.

On the other hand, exemptions from employment, financial adequacy, and wage criteria continue to apply to holders of long-term residence permits, individuals married to Turkish citizens for at least three years, foreigners with eight years of legal residence, foreigners of Turkish descent, TRNC citizens, and other persons with special status enumerated under the law. Therefore, each application must be evaluated individually, taking into account the legal status of the foreigner and the financial structure of the workplace.

While the new regulation provides significant conveniences for employers wishing to employ foreign labor, it should not be forgotten that work permit applications are still International Labor Law, reviewed within the framework of relevant regulations and the current evaluation criteria of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Since even a minor mistake in the application may lead to the rejection or subsequent cancellation of the work permit, conducting the application process with expert support is of great importance in preventing loss of rights.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Has the requirement for 5 Turkish employees for work permits been abolished?

It has been partially abolished. As of 03.08.2026, the requirement of five Turkish employees does not apply to the first three foreigners who will work in the same workplace, provided they have been legally in Turkey for at least one year within the last three years.

Does the regulation apply to all foreigners?

No. The regulation only applies to foreigners who meet certain conditions. General evaluation criteria continue to apply to applications outside of this scope.

Has the financial adequacy requirement also been abolished for the first three foreign employees?

Yes. Within the scope of the new regulation, neither employment nor financial adequacy criteria apply to the first three foreign employees meeting the specified conditions.

What rules apply to the fourth foreign employee?

If more than three foreigners are employed in the workplace, the requirement to employ at least five Turkish citizens for each foreigner and to meet the financial adequacy criteria shall apply again for the fourth and subsequent foreign employees.

Can the number of foreign employees in the workplace exceed the number of Turkish employees?

No. Under the new regulation, it is a fundamental rule that the number of foreign employees in workplaces employing foreigners within the scope of the exception shall not exceed the number of Turkish citizen employees.

Can foreigners who have been living in Turkey for eight years also benefit from this regulation?

Yes. As of August 3, 2026, foreigners who have legally resided in Turkey for at least eight years with a work or residence permit are among those who may be exempt from the evaluation criteria.

Is the employment requirement sought for foreigners married to a Turkish citizen?

For foreigners who have been in a marriage union with a Turkish citizen for at least three years, the employment, financial adequacy, and wage criteria are not applied.

Is the new regulation applicable to foreign company partners?

Special rules regarding capital, partnership share, and in certain cases, the employment of five Turkish employees continue to apply to foreign company partners. These applications are evaluated separately.

Atty. Batın YILMAZ – Attorney at Law, Istanbul Bar Association