Can International Students Work in Türkiye? 2026
Can international students work in Türkiye? Yes. International students enrolled in formal education in Türkiye can work legally if they meet the required conditions and obtain a work permit. For associate and undergraduate students, the right to work begins after completing the first year of study, and the work must be part-time. For master’s and doctoral students, the requirement to complete the first year and the part-time work limitation do not apply. Having a student residence permit alone does not provide the right to work; a permit must be obtained from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before starting work.
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Can International Students Work in Türkiye?
International students enrolled in a formal education program at a higher education institution in Türkiye can work with a work permit.
The basic rules according to level of study are as follows:
| Student Status | Right to Work |
|---|---|
| First-year associate degree student | Cannot work based on student status before completing the first year |
| First-year undergraduate student | Cannot work based on student status before completing the first year |
| Second-year and later associate degree student | Can work part-time with a work permit |
| Second-year and later undergraduate student | Can work part-time with a work permit |
| Master’s student | Can work with a work permit |
| Doctoral student | Can work with a work permit |
According to International Labour Force Law No. 6735, international students enrolled in formal education at higher education institutions in Türkiye have the right to work. Associate and undergraduate students may exercise this right after completing the first year of their studies.
Is a Student Residence Permit Enough to Work?
No.
One of the most commonly confused issues is the belief that a student residence permit also serves as a work permit.
A student residence permit allows an international student to stay legally in Türkiye for educational purposes. However, it does not provide the right to work.
A student who wants to work must also obtain a work permit.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security also explicitly states that having a residence permit for any reason does not, by itself, give a foreigner the right to work.
Once a work permit is obtained, the student’s valid student residence permit does not expire. The Presidency of Migration Management states that work permits issued to international students do not terminate the existing student residence permit or the rights provided by that permit.
When Can Undergraduate Students Work?
The right to work for associate and undergraduate students begins after completing the first year of education.
For example, an international student who starts a four-year undergraduate program in Türkiye in September 2026 cannot benefit from this right based on student status before completing the first year for the purposes of obtaining a work permit.
After completing the first year, part-time work is possible by obtaining a work permit.
When determining an international student’s student status, YÖK records are taken as the basis rather than a statement issued by the university.
How Many Hours Per Week Can an International Student Work?
Under the current 2026 criteria of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, no fixed “24 hours per week” limit is specified for associate and undergraduate students; instead, it is stated that these students may work part-time after completing their first year.
According to the Regulation on Working Hours Related to the Labour Law, part-time work is work performed for up to two-thirds of the comparable full-time working hours at the workplace.
At a workplace where the general full-time weekly working period is 45 hours, this definition corresponds to a maximum of approximately 30 hours of part-time work. However, if the normal full-time working period at the workplace is lower, the part-time work limit is calculated accordingly.
The 24-hour figure seen in older sources online comes from previous legal regulations. Under current legislation, the relevant expression for associate and undergraduate students is part-time work.
Can Master’s and Doctoral Students Work?
Yes.
International students enrolled in formal master’s or doctoral programs in Türkiye can also work by obtaining a work permit.
The following restrictions that apply to associate and undergraduate students do not apply to these students:
- completing the first year,
- working only part-time.
However, being a master’s or doctoral student does not remove the work permit requirement.
Even if the student is eligible to work full-time, the permit process must be completed before starting work.
How Can an International Student Obtain a Work Permit?
For an international student who has a valid residence permit in Türkiye, the work permit application is generally made by the employer.
For an application from within Türkiye, the foreign national must have a residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid on the application date.
The application is submitted electronically through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s e-Permit system.
The basic process is as follows:
- The student finds the workplace where they will work.
- An employment contract is prepared with the employer.
- The student’s valid residence and student information is checked.
- The employer submits the work permit application through e-Permit.
- The employment contract and required documents are uploaded electronically to the system.
- The Ministry evaluates the workplace and the foreign national.
- If the application is approved, a work permit is issued.
- Employment and SSI procedures are initiated within the legal time limits.
The first fixed-term work permit may be issued for up to one year, provided that it does not exceed the duration of the employment or service contract.
Does the Student or the Employer Obtain the Work Permit?
If the student will work for an employer, the main party in the application process is the employer.
The employer creates the application in the e-Permit system on behalf of the international student.
In the application, the following are generally evaluated:
- employment contract,
- passport information,
- the foreign national’s residence information,
- education information,
- the employer’s company and financial information.
The work permit is generally issued for a specific:
employer + workplace + position
A work permit obtained for one employer cannot be used to work for another company. If the employer is changed, a new work permit application must be submitted.
Can Every Employer Employ an International Student?
In work permit applications, not only the student’s situation is evaluated. The employer may also need to meet the Ministry’s current criteria.
Under the general evaluation system, workplaces may be subject to criteria such as:
- employment of Turkish citizens,
- capital or sales volume,
- the salary to be paid to the foreign national.
However, an important exception entered into force as of August 3, 2026.
For domestic applications submitted for foreign nationals who have legally resided in Türkiye for at least one year during the three years preceding the application date, employment and financial eligibility criteria may not be applied, under certain conditions, for up to the first three foreign employees at the workplace. Residence permits are also included in the calculation of legal stay under this scope.
This regulation may be particularly important for applications involving international students who have been in Türkiye with a student residence permit for more than one year.
Can International Students Work in Any Job?
No.
According to the Ministry’s 2026 criteria for international students, work permit applications for students to work in entertainment sector jobs or domestic services that are unrelated to their field of education are evaluated negatively.
In addition, some professions are reserved exclusively for Turkish citizens by law.
These include, for example:
- legal practice,
- notary services,
- pharmacy,
- dentistry,
- veterinary medicine,
- private security services.
It is not possible to issue a work permit to an international student for these professions. Therefore, the student’s field of study and the profession for which they can obtain a work permit are not the same matter.
Are Working International Students Covered by SSI?
Yes. Foreign nationals who obtain a work permit and the employers who employ them are required to fulfill their obligations arising from social security legislation.
A foreign national who is granted a work permit through a domestic application must complete the social security procedures and start working within one month from the permit start date.
Therefore, a work permit does not mean:
“permission to work without insurance.”
The employer must register the student in accordance with SSI legislation.
Is There a Penalty for Working Without a Work Permit?
Yes.
Employing a foreign national without a work permit or a valid work permit exemption is subject to administrative sanctions for both the employee and the employer.
In 2026, an administrative fine of TRY 102,503 for each foreign national is imposed on an employer who employs a foreign national without a work permit, while a foreign national working for an employer without a work permit is subject to an administrative fine of TRY 40,977.
These amounts may change from year to year due to revaluation.
Therefore, even if the student:
- receives their salary in cash,
- works only a few days a week,
- is in a trial period,
they should not perform work that requires a work permit without obtaining one.
Is a Work Permit Required for an International Student Doing an Internship?
Internships may be evaluated differently from regular student employment.
Within the work permit exemption system of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, there are work permit exemption categories for:
- students subject to compulsory internships,
- inter-university student exchange internships,
- certain international student internship programs.
Therefore, a compulsory internship required by the university and paid employment at a company undertaken voluntarily by the student are not the same procedure. Depending on the type of internship, a work permit exemption may be required instead of a work permit.
Can Türkiye Scholarships Students Work?
Work permit applications for international students studying under Türkiye Scholarships are subject to a separate special evaluation.
According to the Ministry’s current criteria, for work permit applications submitted for Türkiye Scholarships students, the opinion of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) is obtained.
Therefore, scholarship students should also check their scholarship agreement and the current obligations communicated by YTB before deciding to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can international students work in Türkiye?
Yes. International students enrolled in formal education can work provided that they obtain a work permit. The right to work for associate and undergraduate students begins after completing the first year.
Can I work directly with a student residence permit?
No. A student residence permit provides the right to stay legally but does not provide the right to work. A work permit must also be obtained.
In which year can an international undergraduate student work?
Associate and undergraduate students can apply for a work permit after completing the first year of their studies.
Can an international student work full-time?
Associate and undergraduate students can work part-time after the first year. This part-time limitation does not apply to students enrolled in formal master’s and doctoral programs.
Can an international student work 24 hours per week?
The current 2026 Ministry criteria use the requirement of part-time work instead of a fixed 24-hour limit. Under the regulation related to the Labour Law, part-time work is defined as work performed for up to two-thirds of the comparable full-time working period.
Does the student submit the work permit application personally?
When working for an employer, the application is submitted by the employer through the e-Permit system. The student’s required personal, residence, and education information is used in the application.
Is the student residence permit cancelled after obtaining a work permit?
No. According to the Presidency of Migration Management, a work permit issued to an international student does not terminate the valid student residence permit or the rights provided by that permit.
Sources
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security – Work Permit Evaluation Criteria: first-year, part-time work, and graduate-level work requirements for international students.