If you want to work in Turkey, in some cases you have to apply for a Turkey visa beforehand. Whether you need a visa, and if so, which visa you need depends on the type of work you plan on doing, and who will be paying you for your work. It also depends on how long you wish to stay in the country.

Please Note: Do you want to stay in Turkey for less than 90 days on a holiday or business trip? If you are a national of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, or any other country in the European Union, as of 2020, you no longer need a visa for these purposes.

Business trip to Turkey possible with e-visa

The easiest and cheapest way to acquire a visa for Turkey is by submitting an online visa application. This can be done through this website, if you hold the passport of one of the countries that are eligible for the digital visa for Turkey. You are, however, expected to meet the visa requirements for the electronic variant of the visa. If you wish to work in Turkey temporarely, this is often possible with the online acquirable visa, but not always. Make sure to check on this page whether you meet the requirements to work in Turkey with the electronic visa. If you do not qualify, you can apply for a specific visa at the Turkish consulate.

A Turkish man working in Turkey

Requirements for working in Turkey with an e-visa

In order to make use of the online acquirable visa for Turkey you (and your work) are required to meet the following demands:

• You are in service to an employer outside of Turkey*
• You will remain in service to this employer for the entirety of your stay in Turkey
• You will not enter into employment with a Turkish organisation
• You will not start a company or other organisation during your stay in Turkey

*Does your employer have an establishment both in Turkey and your home country? Then this requirement means that you need to be working for the branch of the company that is situated in your home country. This means that this branch is responsible for paying your salary. The presence of a subsidiary in Turkey does not matter in this case. You are free to travel to Turkey with an online visa and temporarily work at the Turkish branch of your company or for another Turkish organisation.

Paid labor possible through billing

Despite the fact that you are not allowed to enter into service with a Turkish company, it is possible to allow this company to pay you for your work. This cannot be done through direct employment, but by allowing your employer back home to send an invoice to the company you visited in Turkey. In this case, the trip falls under the standard visa requirements for a business trip, during which you are allowed to visit business relations and perform work while doing so.

Examples of e-visa permitted work in Turkey

Below you will find a few examples of work which you can perform with the electronic Turkey visa, which can be acquired through this website:

• You sold a machine to a Turkish company and are going to Turkey to install it
• You are going to speak to a (potential) client or supplier about a (possible) deal
• You are going to attend a business congress in Turkey
• You are going to follow a training in Turkey

Below you will find examples of what is not allowed with the electronic Turkey visa:

• You are going to do a paid internship in Turkey
• You are going to enter into employment with a Turkish organisation
• You are planning to work in Turkey for longer than 90 days
• You are a truck driver and travelling to Turkey for your job.**
• You are an archaeologist and want to perform field research.**
• You are a documentary maker and want to film a production.**

** Although these three examples meet the requirements as mentioned above, they fall under the exceptions to the Turkey visa requirements .

If you meet the requirements

Do you meet the requirements mentioned on this page to be able to work with an electronic visa? Then you can apply for your Turkey business visa right away. Begin the process by pressing the green button below.
Apply for an online Turkey visa now

If you do not meet the requirements

Does your intended work not meet the visa requirements mentioned on this page? Then there are two possibilities:

- If you are already in Turkey
Did you already arrive in Turkey with a business or tourist visa? Then you can report to the local police. There, you can indicate your desired activities and receive an appropriate permit.

- If you are not in Turkey
If you haven’t left for Turkey yet, you can go to the Turkish consulate to receive a specific Turkey visa for the type of work you wish to perform. Keep in mind that the required duration of stay is also of importance during your application; mention this clearly. Else you risk acquiring the wrong visa, and you will not be able to work during your stay in Turkey.