📝 Employment Rights for Foreign Workers in Türkiye in 2026: Contracts, Pay, Hours and Leave

المسافر · Aug 29, 2026

Employment Rights for Foreign Workers in Türkiye in 2026: Contracts, Pay, Hours and Leave

Foreign workers with valid work permission are entitled to the protections of the applicable Turkish employment legislation. Foreign nationality does not justify withholding wages, leave, compulsory insurance or overtime pay. Labour Law No. 4857 covers most employees, but domestic service, journalism, maritime work and professional sport can fall under different rules.

Organising documents and an online application

Practical overview

Right	What to check
Pay	Contract, gross pay and payments
Hours and rest	Rules applicable to your employment
Leave and termination	Length of service and grounds for termination

The employment contract

A signed contract between worker and employer is required for the relevant e-İzin work permit application. A Turkish version and a version the worker understands are useful; specify which text prevails if the wording differs.

Identify the parties, workplace, role and duties, start/end dates, fixed-term or indefinite status, gross pay and payment arrangements, hours and working days, overtime, weekly and annual leave, accommodation/food/transport allowances, any probation period, termination and notice terms. Both parties should sign and keep a copy. Role, pay and workplace must agree with the permit application and SGK records. A fixed-term permit does not freely transfer to another employer or role.

Minimum pay and permit salary thresholds in 2026

The official monthly minimum for 1 January–31 December 2026 is TRY 33,030 gross, with published standard net pay of TRY 28,075.50. An agreement to pay below the statutory minimum is invalid.

Work permit salary criteria can require a higher gross salary:

Senior executives and pilots: five times the minimum = TRY 165,150.
Engineers and architects: four times = TRY 132,120.
Other managers: three times = TRY 99,090.
Specialist or skilled roles: twice = TRY 66,060.
Domestic services and other occupations: at least TRY 33,030.

These calculations use the 2026 gross minimum. Check the criteria in force on the application date and any applicable sector-specific exception.

Wages and payslips

Pay is due on the agreed date, at least monthly. The payslip should show gross pay, SGK and unemployment deductions, overtime, bonuses/allowances and net payment. Under the current general rule for covered employers, three or more employees nationwide triggers bank payment of wages and similar entitlements; this threshold replaced the earlier five-worker rule.

Where pay is more than 20 days late without force majeure, Labour Law provides a right to refrain from working under its conditions and interest on unpaid wages. Obtain advice on using that right in your circumstances.

Hours, night work and breaks

Ordinary working time is generally at most 45 hours a week and 11 actual working hours a day, excluding breaks. Hours can be distributed by agreement subject to daily limits and lawful averaging arrangements. Night work is normally limited to 7.5 hours; statutory exceptions, including specified tourism, healthcare and private security activities, require the applicable conditions and consent.

Minimum breaks are 15 minutes for up to four hours, 30 minutes for more than four and up to 7.5 hours, and one hour for more than 7.5 hours. Breaks are generally outside working time; their arrangement must comply with the law and the nature of the work.

Overtime

Hours above 45 per week normally attract a 50% premium. Where the contractual week is shorter, extra hours up to 45 attract a 25% premium. The worker may elect statutory time off instead: 1.5 hours per overtime hour, or 1.25 hours per extra hour up to 45. Compensatory time must be used within six months. Overtime is generally limited to 270 hours a year and requires the applicable employee consent.

Seeking assistance with an application

Weekly rest and public holidays

Qualifying employees are entitled to at least 24 uninterrupted hours of paid weekly rest. On a national or public holiday, a worker who does not work receives the day’s wage; a worker who works receives an additional day’s wage, giving two days’ pay in total for that holiday.

Paid annual leave

Entitlement starts after one year with the employer, including probation. Minimum leave is 14 days for one to five years’ service, 20 days for more than five and less than 15 years, and 26 days from 15 years. Workers aged 18 or under, or 50 or over, receive at least 20 days.

Leave may be divided by agreement, with at least one period of ten consecutive days. Weekly rest and public holidays are not deducted from the annual leave allowance. Accrued unused leave must be paid when employment ends.

Maternity and family leave

Under the 2026 amendment, maternity leave is eight weeks before and sixteen weeks after birth: 24 weeks in total. A multiple pregnancy adds two antenatal weeks, making 26 weeks. If she wishes and has medical approval, an employee may work until two weeks before the expected birth; the eligible antenatal period worked is added to postnatal leave. Early birth also affects the transfer of unused antenatal leave. SGK maternity benefit has its own insurance and contribution conditions; leave does not itself guarantee full salary from the employer. See Law No. 7578, Articles 15, 16 and 19.

There is paid time for pregnancy examinations and 1.5 hours’ daily breastfeeding time until the child is one. A worker receives ten days’ paid leave when their spouse gives birth. An employee becoming a foster parent may request ten days’ unpaid leave after the child is placed with them. Further unpaid leave and reduced-hours options after maternity leave depend on statutory conditions. The one-off transitional entitlement to eight additional weeks in 2026 had its own eligibility and request deadline; it is not an open-ended entitlement to claim an extra eight weeks now.

Changes to employment terms

An employer cannot simply impose a substantial change in pay, role, hours or workplace. The proposal must be notified in writing; under the applicable rule it is not binding unless accepted in writing within six working days. For a foreign worker, a change may separately require a new permit or Ministry action.

Notice and severance

For indefinite contracts, statutory notice is generally two weeks for service under six months, four weeks for six months to 1.5 years, six weeks for 1.5–3 years, and eight weeks for more than three years. A qualifying termination after at least one year can give entitlement to severance, generally 30 days’ eligible pay per year, subject to the legal ceiling. The published ceiling for July–December 2026 is TRY 73,729.87 per service year. See the Ministry’s official figures. Not every resignation qualifies; the termination ground and evidence matter.

If your rights are breached

Keep the contract, work permit, payslips and bank payments, SGK record, attendance/shift schedules, messages about hours or instructions, and any dismissal or change notice. Ask for correction in writing. ALO 170, the provincial labour/İŞKUR directorate and relevant CİMER channels can help with complaints. Covered labour disputes require mediation before a labour court claim if settlement fails.

Do not sign an unread resignation, release or blank document. Obtain a translation or legal advice first. Before work starts, check permit validity and employer/role, a signed contract, clear gross pay meeting the permit threshold, SGK registration, required bank payment, monthly payslips and records of overtime and leave.

Discussing documents during a legal consultation

Records and checks

Evidence	Purpose
Contract and payslips	Terms and amounts due
SGK record	Employment periods and declared pay
Attendance and correspondence	Hours, leave and requests

📝 Employment Rights for Foreign Workers in Türkiye in 2026: Contracts, Pay, Hours and Leave

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