How do you hire an employee in Turkiye in 2026?
Turkiye caps probation at 2 months under Labour Law No. 4857. Miss that window and the employee moves onto full employment rights. The written contract must be in place on or before day one, and job security protection kicks in after 6 months of service.
· Turkiye guide
Illustration · Istanbul, Turkiye
The Turkiye hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, SGK social insurance registration, first payday.
Probation is capped at 2 months by law. A collective agreement can extend this to 4 months, but not a standard employment contract.
Job security protection applies after 6 months of service, but only in workplaces with 30 or more employees. Before that threshold, the employee still receives notice and severance but cannot seek reinstatement.
What does the end-to-end Turkiye hire process look like?
Five steps from accepted offer to first payslip: offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, SGK registration, first payday.
The written contract must be ready on or before day one. SGK registration follows within the same week.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms including probation of up to 2 months | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Turkish citizens need no separate permit. Foreign nationals must hold a valid work permit (calisma izni) before starting. | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Written employment contract | Signed written contract under Labour Law No. 4857, covering all required terms | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one |
| 4. SGK registration and onboarding admin | Register the employee with the Social Security Institution (SGK), enrol in BES auto-pension, collect IBAN and tax ID | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued, withholding tax and SGK contributions remitted to authorities | Teamed | End of first calendar month |
-
Issue the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, gross salary, start date, probation of up to 2 months, notice during probation of 14 days, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or references.
-
Complete the work-authorisation check
Confirm Turkish citizenship or verify the foreign national's work permit (calisma izni) before the employee starts. Retain a copy of the identity document or permit. This step cannot happen after day one.
-
Issue the written employment contract
The signed written contract under Labour Law No. 4857 must be in place on or before day one. Teamed's standard Turkiye contract covers all required terms. Clients choose commercial elements; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
-
Complete SGK registration and onboarding admin
Register the employee with the Social Security Institution (SGK) before their first shift, enrol them in BES auto-pension, and collect their TC Kimlik No, Vergi Kimlik No, and IBAN. This runs across days 1 to 7.
-
Issue the first payslip and remit contributions
Run the first payroll at the end of the first calendar month. Remit SGK contributions and withholding tax by the deadline. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.
What must a Turkiye offer letter include?
An offer letter is not the binding contract in Turkiye. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Standard inclusions: role title, reporting line, gross monthly salary, start date, probation of up to 2 months, notice during probation, working pattern, location, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or reference checks.
Three traps to avoid in Turkiye offer letters:
- Quoting net salary. Turkish payroll involves banded income tax, SGK contributions, and minimum-wage exemptions. Committing to a net figure creates problems when tax rates or contribution ceilings change. Quote gross only.
- Overstating probation rights. The statutory maximum is 2 months. An offer letter that promises a longer probation period than the law allows is not valid. The employer cannot unilaterally extend probation beyond the statutory limit.
- Promising things outside your authority. A role title promotion after six months without board sign-off creates a constructive dismissal angle if it is not honoured. Keep the offer letter factual and conditional.
Teamed's standard Turkiye offer letter template covers all required ground. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues documents in both Turkish and English where requested.
Turkiye work-authorisation checks (Calisma Izni)
Turkish citizens need no work permit to be employed in Turkiye.
Foreign nationals must hold a valid work permit (calisma izni) issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before they can legally start work. The employer cannot begin work without the permit in hand.
Turkish citizens
No work permit or authorisation check is required for Turkish nationals. The employer confirms identity with a national ID card (kimlik karti) or passport and retains a copy. Registration with SGK is the primary compliance step.
Foreign nationals
The employer must apply for a work permit on behalf of the foreign national through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security e-permit portal (e-izin). The permit must be granted before the employee starts. Working without a valid permit is an administrative offence and can result in fines for both the employer and the employee.
Common permit categories include the standard work permit, the independent work permit for self-employed foreign nationals, and the exceptional work permit for senior executives. EU Blue Card equivalent provisions apply for highly qualified workers under certain conditions. Permit duration is typically one year for the first application, renewable for up to three years, and then for up to six years.
Foreign nationals wishing to work in Turkiye must obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before commencing employment. Employers who engage foreign workers without a valid permit face administrative fines under the Law on Work Permits of Foreigners No. 4817.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Calisma ve Sosyal Guvenlik Bakanligi)
Follow-up checks for time-limited permits
Work permits in Turkiye are time-limited. The employer must track expiry dates and apply for renewal before the current permit lapses. Teamed calendars each renewal and notifies the employee well ahead of the deadline. Letting a permit expire is a compliance breach; the employee must stop working until the renewal is granted.
The Turkiye written contract: what must it contain?
Labour Law No. 4857 requires a written employment contract for all employment relationships exceeding one year. In practice, Teamed issues written contracts for all hires regardless of duration.
The contract must be signed on or before day one. It is the binding document. The offer letter is not.
What the Turkiye written employment contract must include:
- Full names and addresses of employer and employee
- Start date of employment
- Place of work and any mobility terms
- Job title and a description of the work
- Gross monthly salary and any components (base pay, allowances, bonuses), payment method, and payment intervals
- Working hours per day and per week, not exceeding the 45 hours maximum under Article 63
- Annual paid leave entitlement (minimum 14 days for employees with 1 to 5 years of service)
- Probation period, if agreed (up to 2 months by standard contract, or 4 months by collective agreement only)
- Notice periods: banded by tenure under Article 17, starting at 14 days for employees with under 6 months of service
- Terms of any collective agreement (toplu is sozlesmesi) that applies to the employment
- Occupational health and safety obligations
- Details of the BES auto-enrollment pension scheme
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
Although the law mandates a written contract only for contracts over one year, Turkish employment practice and SGK registration requirements mean all hires should have a written contract from day one. Teamed's standard Turkiye employment contract satisfies all current requirements under Labour Law No. 4857.
Key source: Labour Law No. 4857 (ILO NatLex).
Onboarding admin in the first week
Days 1 to 7: written contract signed, SGK registration completed, BES auto-pension enrolled, tax ID and IBAN collected, bank details set up.
Teamed handles the payroll and compliance side. The client handles the cultural and operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Written employment contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 |
| Work-authorisation check completed | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) |
| TC Kimlik No (Turkish ID number) or work permit collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| SGK registration (social security) completed | Teamed | Day 1 (must be before first shift) |
| BES auto-enrollment pension enrolment | Teamed | Day 1 of employment |
| IBAN collected for salary transfer | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Vergi Kimlik No (tax ID) confirmed | Employee submits to Teamed | Days 1 to 3 |
| Occupational health and safety induction | Client with Teamed guidance | Day 1 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |
How does Teamed handle Turkiye employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in Turkiye for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
Payroll, SGK registration, the written employment contract, BES pension enrolment, and the full Turkiye employment law stack run on one platform.
real HR and legal experts handle your Turkiye hires, from the first offer letter through every monthly SGK declaration and withholding tax remittance. an actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Turkiye contractor who converts to full employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see the month your Turkiye hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Turkiye hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Turkiye employment law.
Key sources: Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Social Security Institution (SGK), and Labour Law No. 4857 (ILO NatLex).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in Turkiye through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard a Turkish citizen within a few business days. The critical path is the written employment contract (day one), SGK registration (before the first shift), and BES pension enrolment (day one). Foreign nationals who need a work permit take longer, as the permit must be in hand before the start date. Teamed manages the work permit application process on behalf of the employer.
How long is the probation period in Turkiye?
The standard maximum probation period is 2 months under Labour Law No. 4857, Article 15. A collective agreement can extend this to 4 months, but a standard individual employment contract cannot. During probation, notice of 14 days applies for the shortest tenure band. The probation period cannot be extended unilaterally.
What notice period applies when terminating an employee in Turkiye?
Notice periods are banded by length of service under Article 17. The minimum is 14 days for employees with under 6 months of service, rising to 28 days for 6 to 18 months, 42 days for 18 to 36 months, and 56 days for over 3 years. The same bands apply when the employee resigns. The employer may pay salary in lieu of notice (ihbar tazminati) instead of requiring the employee to work the notice period.
When does job security protection apply in Turkiye?
Job security protection (is guvencesi) under Article 18 applies when the employee has at least 6 months of service AND the employer has 30 or more employees. Once both conditions are met, dismissal must be for a valid reason and the employee can seek reinstatement at the labour court. Employees below this threshold still receive notice pay and severance but cannot seek reinstatement.
What is the minimum annual leave entitlement in Turkiye?
The minimum paid annual leave for employees with 1 to 5 years of service is 14 days per year under Labour Law No. 4857, Article 53. This rises with tenure: 20 days for 5 to 15 years of service, and 26 days for over 15 years. Employees under 18 and those aged 50 or over receive a minimum of 20 days regardless of tenure. Leave accrues only after the first year of service, including any probation period.
The probation cap catches companies out. Two months sounds short until you realise the clock starts from day one of employment, not from when the contract is signed. We send the signed contract before the employee walks in the door, so the clock runs from a position of full compliance, not catch-up.
Turkiye gives you 2 months to assess a new hire. The clock starts on day one.
SGK registration must happen before the first shift. Not within the week. Before the first shift.
Get the contract and the registration right from the start and you stay clean.
