Work permit and CV for a job in Turkey: how the two fit together
Foreigners need a Ministry of Labour work permit before starting work in Türkiye, and the employer files it online. Your CV is not on the document list, but the contract, diploma and job title in the file must match it.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Before you send a CV: check the job is open to you
Türkiye's work permits are tied to an employer and a job, so the first question is not your CV but whether that employer can hire a foreigner for that role. Four checks, all on official pages, save a wasted application.
- Is the profession closed to foreigners? The Ministry keeps a list of jobs reserved by law for Turkish citizens, from pharmacist and dentist to lawyer, notary, tour guide, customs broker assistant and private security guard.
- Is it a civil service post? Article 48 of the Civil Servants Law (657) makes Turkish citizenship the first general condition for becoming a civil servant, and public-sector worker hiring through İŞKUR asks for it too.
- Does the role need a pre-approval? Teachers in private schools need one from the Ministry of National Education, health professionals from the Ministry of Health, and university staff from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
- Can the employer meet the criteria? A company usually needs five Turkish employees for each foreign one and must pay you at least a set multiple of the minimum wage (table below). A recruiter who cannot answer this is not ready to sponsor you.
How the work permit process runs
Work permits are issued under the International Labour Force Law No. 6735 by the General Directorate of International Labour Force, part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (ÇSGB). The Ministry's FAQ says a foreigner covered by the law must get a work permit or a work permit exemption before starting work, and that working without one leads to fines and referral for deportation.
Applying from abroad
You go in person to the Turkish embassy or consulate in your country of citizenship or legal residence and apply for a work permit and visa. The mission gives you a 16-digit reference number. You send that number to your employer in Türkiye, who then files the application with the Ministry through e-Devlet (calismaizni.gov.tr).
Applying from inside Türkiye
If you already hold a residence permit valid for at least six months, the employer can apply from inside the country. You will then have a foreign identity number starting with 99. Since 17 September 2026, applications for a work permit exemption go through calismaizni.csgb.gov.tr.
Decision, fees and arrival
A complete application is decided within 30 days, counted from the day it, or any extra document requested, is uploaded. The decision goes to the email address given in the application. For applications made abroad, you then pay the work permit, residence and visa fees at the mission; unpaid fees after 30 days lead to refusal. After entering Türkiye you have 20 days to register your address, and you must start work within one month of entry.
Duration and changing jobs
A first permit lasts up to one year. Extensions with the same employer give up to two years, then up to three. A permit for one employer does not let you work for another; a new employer means a new application, assessed as a first one.
The permit file and the CV line that must match it
The Ministry's documents page lists what the employer uploads. A CV is not among them. In practice the employer hires you from your CV and then builds the file from your documents, so any gap between the two surfaces at the worst moment. This table pairs each document with the CV line it has to agree with.
| In the permit file | Official rule (ÇSGB, read 13 October 2026) | Matching CV line |
|---|---|---|
| Employment contract signed by both sides | Scanned and uploaded online; sample contracts on the Ministry site | Job title on your CV is the title in the contract |
| Passport copy | Permit ends at least 60 days before passport expiry; applications with under 60 days of validity are not processed | Full name exactly as in the passport, same spelling and order |
| Diploma or provisional graduation certificate | With a Turkish translation certified by a sworn translator or official authority; compulsory for professional services | Degree title and year exactly as on the diploma |
| Diploma equivalence (engineers, architects educated abroad) | Equivalence certificate under the YÖK regulation on foreign diplomas | Add the equivalence line once you have it: 'Diploma equivalence: YÖK, 2026' |
| Health professional pre-approval | Ministry of Health pre-approval; foreign graduates also need diploma equivalence | Licence and registration lines for the country where you practise now |
| Teacher pre-approval | Ministry of National Education document showing professional competence | Teaching licence, subject and level |
| Pilot licence | Certified Turkish translation; valid only with the civil aviation validation document | Licence type, ratings and total hours |
| Salary declared in the application | At least the multiple of gross minimum wage for your job group | Leave salary off the CV; agree it in the offer |
Salary floors by job group
| Job group | Minimum pay, as a multiple of the gross minimum wage on the application date |
|---|---|
| Senior executives and pilots | 5 times |
| Engineers and architects | 4 times |
| Other managers | 3 times |
| Jobs requiring expertise or mastery | 2 times |
| Domestic work and other jobs | At least the minimum wage itself |
The Ministry ties these floors to the minimum wage in force on the day of the application, so we do not convert them to lira here; the figure changes when the minimum wage does.
A CV block written for a Turkish employer
A made-up applicant. The point is the lines that answer the permit questions before anyone asks.
- Daniel Okafor · Software Engineer · Lagos, Nigeria · +234 800 000 0000 · daniel.okafor@example.com
- Right to work in Türkiye: needs a work permit filed by the employer; passport valid to 03/2031
- Experience: Backend Engineer, Example Payments Ltd, Lagos · 04/2021 to present · Built and ran the card settlement service in Go and PostgreSQL
- Education: BSc Computer Science, University of Lagos, 2020 · Certified Turkish translation available
- Languages: English (native level, language of instruction); Turkish A2, course since 01/2026
Three choices in that block come straight from the rules above. The right-to-work line says plainly that a permit is needed, which the employer will learn anyway. The passport date shows the 60-day margin is not a problem. The translation note tells HR the diploma step is already in hand.
Why a software role is easier to sponsor
The Ministry's sector rules exempt IT companies from the five-employee and financial criteria for specialist roles such as software development, database, mobile software, network and security, and enterprise architecture. A company outside the IT sector gets the same exemption for up to two such foreigners. Naming the specialism in your job title helps the employer see which rule applies.
Who this page does not cover
- Students: foreign associate and bachelor students may work part time only after completing their first year; postgraduate students are not limited by that rule. Scholarship holders need an extra opinion.
- People under international or temporary protection: separate application routes and guides exist on the Ministry site.
- Self-employed foreigners and company partners: the independent work permit and the partner criteria are a different assessment.
- Turkuaz Card holders, who already have the rights of an indefinite work permit, and people with long-term residence or eight years of legal work permits, who can apply for one.
- Domestic care work: allowed only for elderly, disabled or child care and patient companionship, with its own conditions.
Immigration rules change, and several criteria on the Ministry's page carry dates in 2026. Check the linked official pages before you apply.
Next steps and other routes
- Read the Turkish CV format guide for section order, photo and references; a Turkish employer reads your CV with those habits in mind.
- If your degree is from outside Türkiye, the degree recognition guide explains how to show equivalence on a CV.
- Write your language levels on the CEFR scale and add a test score where you have one.
- Watch for job offers that ask you to pay for a permit or a placement; the overseas job scams guide lists the warning signs.
- CitedCV can write the English CV from the facts you confirm, following EU conventions; it does not file permits or check your eligibility.
Questions people ask
Do I need a work permit to work in Turkey?
Yes, unless you are exempt. The Ministry of Labour says a foreigner covered by Law 6735 must get a work permit or exemption before starting work; Blue Card holders and refugees are among the exceptions.
Who applies for a Turkish work permit, me or the employer?
Both have a part. From abroad you apply at a Turkish consulate and get a 16-digit reference number; the employer then files the application with the Ministry online using that number.
Does a Turkish work permit application need a CV?
No. The Ministry's document list names the employment contract, passport copy and diploma with a certified Turkish translation, plus sector documents. The employer still uses your CV to decide to hire you.
How long does a Turkey work permit take?
Thirty days for a complete application, according to the Ministry. The clock starts when the application, or any extra document it asks for, is uploaded to the system.
What is the minimum salary for a foreigner in Turkey?
It depends on the job: five times the gross minimum wage for senior executives, four for engineers and architects, three for other managers, two for expert roles and the minimum wage for other jobs.
Which jobs can foreigners not do in Turkey?
Jobs reserved by law for citizens, such as pharmacist, dentist, veterinarian, lawyer, notary, tour guide, customs broker assistant and private security guard. The Ministry publishes the full list.
Can I change employers on a Turkish work permit?
Not on the same permit. It is issued for a specific employer and workplace, so working for a new employer needs a new application, which is assessed as a first application.
Should my CV for Turkey be in Turkish or English?
Write it in the language of the job ad. The permit file needs a Turkish translation of your diploma, not of your CV, so an English CV is fine where the employer works in English.
Sources
- ÇSGB International Labour Force, Work Permit Typeswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/en/calisma-izni/calisma-izni-turleri/
- ÇSGB International Labour Force, Application Typeswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/en/calisma-izni/basvuru-turleri/
- ÇSGB International Labour Force, Documentswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/en/calisma-izni/documents/
- ÇSGB International Labour Force, Work Permit Evaluation Criteria (English)www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/en/calisma-izni/calisma-izni-degerlendirme-kriterleri/
- ÇSGB Uluslararası İşgücü Genel Müdürlüğü, Çalışma İzni Değerlendirme Kriterleri (Turkish, with sector rules)www.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/calisma-izni/calisma-izni-degerlendirme-kriterleri/
- ÇSGB, Professions reserved for Turkish citizenswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/calisma-izni/turk-vatandaslarina-hasredilen-meslekler/
- ÇSGB, Work permit FAQ (Turkish)www.csgb.gov.tr/sikca-sorulan-sorular/uluslararasi-%C4%B1sgucu-genel-mudurlugu/calisma-%C4%B1zni/
- ÇSGB announcement, 17 September 2026: new system for work permit exemptionswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/duyurular/17092026/
- Civil Servants Law No. 657, Article 48, mevzuat.gov.trwww.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.657.pdf