Work permit in Turkey for Syrians
As a Syrian citizen under temporary protection in Turkey, you have the right to work in Turkey. There are different types of work permits you can apply for, but the most common are paid work and self-employment.
We recommend that you register with the Turkish Employment Agency İŞKUR to enter the job market and find job opportunities.
Working legally has many advantages and working informally in Turkey is as illegal as doing informal work. If you have a work permit and/or an official license to do business in Turkey, you can benefit from your rights and receive social security and insurance. You have the same rights as Turkish citizens and you are entitled to a minimum wage.
Paid work permits
Syrians benefiting from temporary protection can apply for a work permit six months after completing the registration process and obtaining a temporary protection ID (ID starting with 99). The application must be made to the governorship where you reside and you must not have a work permit before.
Work permit applications for workplaces in return for a fee given by employers. Once you have agreed on employment with your potential employer, they should apply for a work permit for you to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
Once the work permit is granted, the employer will receive an email confirming the work permit application has been approved. The application result can also be viewed on the Internet in the “Application Tracking System” section of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security system for work permits. The work permit will be in the form of a card that will be issued to you (employee) by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and sent by courier to the address where you will work.
Please note that you can only work in the city where you are registered. If you find a job in another province, you must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management together with your employer to change your place of registration and present the employment contract between you and the employer. When this change occurs, the employer can apply for a work permit.
The documents required for a work permit application are as follows:
Temporary protection identity card for the temporary protection beneficiary (including foreigners’ IDs starting with 99).
picture of the person.
Contract signed between employer and employee.
The e-government password that makes all the transactions for the business owner.
When necessary, relevant documents from the workplace (Doing Business document, other documents, the most up-to-date capital and partnership information of the organization, the latest tax return, power of attorney, etc.)
Existing and pre-prepared forms can be found on the Department of Labour’s website. Forms are available in Arabic and Turkish. However, the parties are free to use contracts that comply with the Turkish Labor Law.
Vocational Education
Vocational courses given by public education centers (Public Education) are free of charge. You will be required to bring your Temporary Protection ID to enroll in these courses offered by Public Education. Each Public Education can decide which courses to open according to local demand and can open new courses.
There may also be skills training programs offered by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Visit İŞKUR’s website to check available opportunities.