- Overview: Turkey
- Global PEO and Payroll
- Global HR Compliance
- Work permit for hiring expats via PEO
- Expand without a company set up
- Contractor vs. employee: which is better?
Immigration support for hiring expats in Turkey via PEO
Global expansion is often linked with foreign hiring. This may require knowing the labor code of a foreign country, in-country incorporation peculiarities or immigration procedure in case of expats hiring.
If you are already hiring or planning to onboard expatriates for your international projects in Turkey, there is a range of things that you need to consider:
- HR compliance
- How to get a work permit or visa so that foreigners are eligible to work in Turkey
- Timelines to get a permit or visa
- How to payroll expats after the permits have been received
- Whether it makes sense to open and keep your own business entity to employ expats directly
A global PEO or Employer of Record solution with immigration support might be a viable alternative to direct hiring of expats on your own company in Turkey. This solution gives companies freedom from the need to keep the entity in the country while employing expats in full compliance with Turkish labor legislation. Immigration support is part of a PEO service that precedes the employment. As a PEO service provider, Acumen International can sponsor a work permit and then employ an expat in Turkey on the client’s behalf.
Note: having one provider that sponsors a work permit or visa on your behalf and then employs expats in Turkey, minimizes risks of visa rejection and takes the hassle associated with immigration procedure off your head.
Attention: we are not an immigration service! We do not provide a work permit and immigration support as a standalone solution to individuals willing to work overseas.
Our ‘work permit and hiring expats through a Global PEO’ solution is designed for employer companies that want to transfer selected expats to Turkey or individuals whose employers are ready to finance their immigration and foreign employment in the country. The service is mainly used by companies hiring highly skilled personnel and willing to retain them by offering employee status and providing employee benefits.
Unlike other global Professional Employer Organizations, Acumen International can provide extra benefits in addition to work permit and employment of expats in Turkey. This includes medical insurance, housing, office rent, mobile phone and car provision to meet-and-greet, dependents relocation, etc.
Focus on your primary business goals and let us take care of the work permit and immigration in Turkey for you. Use our all-in-one solution:
- For long-term assignments in Turkey, allowing to payroll and manage expats with full legal compliance without a legal entity
- As an interim solution before incorporating in the country
Solution for global mobility of expats in Turkey
Acumen International will guide you through a grueling immigration procedure and will help you immediately onboard and payroll expats after they have received a work permit or visa. Use our global mobility and PEO solution to staff any international assignments in Turkey without the pitfalls and financial risks associated with hiring expatriate personnel there.
With our expertise in expats immigration and employment, we offer a comprehensive solution to ensure that your international employees get their work permits within the standard duration of the immigration service in Turkey. Learn more about the timelines requirements for getting a work permit in Turkey below.
Estimated time for work permit issuance
Typically, the procedure of work permit issuance in Turkey takes from 1 week to 1 month until entry to Turkey, and a further 3 to 11 months before the entire process is completed.
Major steps to get a work permit in Turkey
- Visa Application
- Entry to Turkey
- Temporary Residence Permit Application
- Work and Residence Permit Application
- Social Security Registration
Documents for work permit in Turkey, main applicant
| Name | Notes | Copies |
| 1 Passport Photograph 3.5cm x 4.5cm | 3.5cm x 4.5cm, in color, resolution minimum 600 dpi. The photograph should be of an appropriate quality for biometric processing. Face forward, mouth closed, eyes open. | One original |
| Turkish Visa Application Form | To be completed online, printed and signed. Sample attached here. | One original |
| Passport Valid for 60 Days Beyond Period of Stay | With at least 2 blank visa pages | One original |
| Visa Fee | The exact amount and payment method should be checked directly with the Consulate/Embassy. | One original |
| Copy of Passport Information Page | One clear copy | |
| Police Clearance Certificate | Issued from the country/countries of residence from the last five years and legalized or apostilled for use in Turkey. Needed from both parents when applying for permits for children. Should be translated into Turkish and notarized in Turkey. | One clear, notarized and translated copy; one original |
| Application Form | Signed by the applicant and then also signed and stamped by a legal representative at the Turkish entity. The form is generated online and must be submitted with all supporting documents within six days of being generated and, for applications submitted when the applicant is outside Turkey, within 10 days of the work visa application being submitted. | One original |
| 4 Passport Photographs | 4.5 cm x 3.5cm, recent, identical, in color on a white background. Face forward, eyes open, mouth closed. | Four originals |
| Notarized Copy of Lease Agreement | Signed by all parties, original may be requested at the discretion of the authorities. | One clear and notarized copy |
| Notarized Copy of Educational Certificates | Notarized copies of all relevant educational certificates, originals may be requested at the discretion of the authorities. | One clear and notarized copy |
| Address | Completed with address details. | One original |
| Registration Form | ||
| Utility Bill | Recent utility bill (issued within the last three months) for water, gas or electricity clearly stating the applicant’s name and residential address. | One original |
If you need to have your expat personnel legally work for you in Turkey without having to set up your own business entity for that, trust us to assist you with work permit and immigration support, and then employ your expats locally on your behalf.
Contact our team to let us take up your foreign employees’ immigration matters and relieve you of the responsibility of getting work permit by working with our local partners to organize and obtain all the necessary permits, as well as provide you with a detailed update on the progress of the process.
Call us for more information about how you can get a work permit for your expatriate staff and employ them through Acumen International in Turkey.
