Work permit for a foreign founder of their own Turkish company: capital, five employees, timing

A foreigner who forms a company in Türkiye may still need a work permit to work in it, even when they own all of it. The company files the application and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security decides. This guide sets out the 2026 capital thresholds for the company and the partner, the five Turkish employees rule and its exceptions, documents, timing, the link with residence and what the bank looks at.

Does a founder need a work permit?

Owning shares is not the same as being allowed to work. Under Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, a foreigner who manages or actively works in a Turkish company needs a work permit, even if the company is entirely their own. In practice this covers the foreign manager (müdür) of a limited company who is also a partner, and a foreign board member of a joint-stock company who lives in Türkiye. Published summaries of the Ministry’s position treat a foreign board member who does not live in Türkiye, and a partner with no management role, as outside the permit regime; such a person may need only a short exemption for a specific task. Signing a trade-registry application or a bank form is not work, but running the business day to day is. Because the line depends on the actual role, decide it before the company is registered, not after.

Capital thresholds in 2026

The Ministry raised the financial criteria for criteria-based applications from 1 October 2024, with the capital figures applying from 1 January 2025. A company must show one of: paid-in capital of at least ₺500,000, net sales of at least ₺8,000,000 in the previous year, or exports of at least US$150,000. For a foreign partner the share itself is tested as well: at least ₺500,000 of capital and at least 20 percent of the company. A partner whose share is worth US$100,000 or more is reported to be outside these shareholder criteria. Older guides still quote ₺100,000 for the company and ₺40,000 for the partner; those were the figures before 2025, and the criteria in force on the day of the first application apply. Capital must be paid in and visible in the trade registry gazette, so a promise to pay later does not count.

The five Turkish employees rule

The general rule is five Turkish citizens, insured with SGK, for each foreign employee at the workplace. For a foreign shareholder on a first permit the requirement does not apply during the first six months; from the start of the seventh month the company should show at least five Turkish employees every month, and a one-off hire is not enough. The owner and other foreigners do not count among the five. At renewal the monthly check covers the whole new period. A second foreigner at the same workplace needs a further five. There are exceptions: a company with net sales of at least ₺50,000,000 in the previous year is not tested on this rule for up to five foreign employees, and the shareholder with a US$100,000 share noted above is not tested either. Budget payroll and SGK registration for five people before month seven.

Who applies, documents and timing

The application is made through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s online system, with the company’s own electronic signature and KEP address; the Ministry decides. A foreigner already in Türkiye with at least six months of valid residence permit left applies in the country; otherwise the foreigner first applies at a Turkish consulate and the company then completes the filing in the system. Expect to supply the passport (valid at least 60 days beyond the application), diploma or similar, current trade registry gazette showing capital and partners, the previous year’s balance sheet and income statement for an existing company, and SGK records. If the Ministry finds a gap, the missing item must be supplied within 30 days of the request (Regulation art. 19). Total time is normally several weeks, and the first permit is usually for up to one year.

Residence and what the bank looks at

A work permit and a residence permit are separate rights, but an approved work permit also serves as the foreigner’s residence document, so a founder who holds one does not file a separate residence application. A tourist or an unrelated residence permit does not allow you to run the company. Banks read the same facts. When you open or review a corporate account they ask for the trade registry gazette, signature circular, tax number, proof of paid-in capital, the identity of every shareholder above 25 percent and, for a foreign manager, the permit or the filing receipt. A mismatch between the declared role and the paperwork, or a capital that was never actually paid in, is what triggers follow-up questions. See our guides on company formation and the work permit via the employer for the surrounding steps.

Sources

• csgb.gov.tr — Ministry of Labour and Social Security, International Labour Force: work permit criteria (site blocks automated access; amounts cross-checked in published summaries of the Ministry criteria of 1 October 2024)
• mevzuat.gov.tr — Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force and its Implementing Regulation
• alomaliye.com — consolidated copy of the Implementing Regulation (arts. 15, 17, 19)
• turkiye.gov.tr — e-Devlet portal, for the company’s authorised-person access

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