Working while studying in Turkey

StudyFans Date : 29 Apr 24

We often receive questions from international students or foreign student residence holders about working in Turkey. 

There are many universities, undergraduate or postgraduate students (Master’s and Ph.D.) who want to work alongside their studies to reduce the financial burden on the family, financial stability and improve the standard of living, and learn if it is possible or not.

In the following lines, we provide you with everything you need to know about the laws and conditions issued by the Ministries of Labor and Immigration to determine the possibility of getting a job in Turkey as a foreign student.

Turkey has a strong economy among the countries of the world, as it is one of the leading countries in many industries and products. There are many job opportunities in various fields because Turkey has recently witnessed a rise in employment rates, which reached 47.6% in 2018.

Are undergraduate students allowed to work alongside their studies?

• Yes, students can work after obtaining a work permit, alongside the residence permit, which the employers require.
• Foreigners who hold a tourist residence permit cannot work or obtain a work permit.

Can graduate students work in Turkey alongside their studies? 

• Of course, they can work alongside their studies, and most universities allow foreign graduate students (Masters and Ph.D.) to work as researchers in their field of specialization.

Read more about: Your Guide for Master's in Turkey 2023

Is it possible to work in Turkey after completing university studies?

• Yes, many Turkish universities provide career fairs and host companies working in the same fields and sectors to facilitate job opportunities and provide them for newly graduated students.
• If you are a graduate of Turkish universities, do not miss the opportunity to work in universities, as they are high-income professions and are easy to get after excelling in your studies.
• If the student wants to work in the private sector or establish a private company, he must obtain an equivalency of his university degree from the Turkish Higher Education Council (Yükseköğretim Kurulu)

Many university employment centers provide continuous job opportunities for graduates and provide students with a variety of advisory services, including some important points to qualify them for the labor market, such as creating a simulation of job interviews and providing them with a CV that matches their specifications and qualifications for work.

Learn more about: P.h.D Study Guide in Turkey and Scholarship Details 2023

What are the conditions for a student to start working?

• As previously mentioned, the first condition is to obtain a work permit.

The university student must complete his first year of study, and it is one of the important laws set by the government to help foreign students adapt and learn the study system first. You only need to obtain a work permit and then start working. Postgraduate students are exempt from this requirement.

• The student is entitled to work part-time at a rate of 4 hours per day or 24 hours per week according to the law issued by the Ministry of Labor.
• The student has the right to work in the fields of design, programming, and self-employment from home without obtaining a work permit.
• The work shall be done through an official contract and official permission from the Ministry of Labor and then the student can start practicing the profession.

What are the conditions that must be met by the owner of the company?

• The employer is obligated to pay the worker’s insurance fees to the Ministry of Social Security, and these fees do not differ between Turkish and foreign workers.
• The company must have a capital of at least 100 thousand Turkish liras.
• A ratio of Five Turkish employees shall be employed for every one foreign employee, and there may be exceptions in some companies and businesses.
• The company’s sales must not be less than 800,000 Turkish Lira annually, or exports worth 250,000 dollars in the past year.

What is a work permit and how to obtain it? 

The work permit is an application submitted by the employer to the Ministry of Labor as a license to the student so that he can work on the job.

The company pays additional fees to the Ministry of Social Security to preserve the student’s rights to work and to get his social and health

insurance. For example, a work permit is not granted in the domestic sector to prevent any abuse towards foreign students.

The employer is responsible for obtaining the work permit. If you work for a company, the company must have the work permit provided to you, and if the company is yours, you must obtain it yourself.

What factors increase your chances of getting a job?

• Speaking Turkish increases your chances of getting a job.
• Forming a network of relations, and having wide relations is a very important part of getting a job and allows you to learn about the available opportunities that are suitable for you.
• Your experience in any field is also an important factor to facilitate getting a job.

What are the conditions for a student to establish his own company?

• The student must own 20% of the company’s capital, or the equivalent of 40,000 Turkish liras as a minimum in case he is a partner or owner of the company.

Five Turkish employees must be employed for every one foreign employee.

• A work permit for his company must be obtained before the company starts practicing its activities.

Read more about: Average Cost of Living in Turkey 2023

What are the professions that non-Turkish people can work in? 

Like any country in the world, there are some professions that only holders of its citizenship can work in:

• Customs advisor
• Hospital management
• Law firm
• Notary
• Security guards
• Nursing and pharmacy
• Veterinary Medicine
• Marine jobs

Foreigners with Turkish citizenship can work in government institutions after passing the KPSS test.

the most popular job search sites in Turkey

• Kariyer.net
• Yenibiris.com
• Monster.com
• Secretcv.com
• elemanonline.com
• jobnak.com
• xing.com

There are some companies and other entities that you can follow their news to provide you with job opportunities regularly 

Read more about: Advantage and disadvantage of Studying in Turkey

• Turkish Daily News
• Zaman
• The New Anatolian

This is in addition to newspapers, magazines, publications, and other sites.

If you wanted to know more or have any questions, we are here to help you and you can always contact us:

Phone: 00905437394024

Or via WhatsApp through this link.