Hiring Foreign Domestic Workers

1. Permitted jobs

In the domestic work sector, employing foreigners is limited to childcare, disabled or elderly care and patient companionship (Work Permit Evaluation Criteria B.3.1); work permit applications cannot be filed for jobs outside these areas under domestic work.

2. Who may apply for childcare? (B.3.2/a)

• The mother or father, if married;
• The parent holding custody, if divorced;
• The person who adopted the child;
• The guardian, if the child is under guardianship;
• A foster mother or foster father under the foster family programme;
• The mother of a child born outside marriage, or the father who has officially recognised the child.

3. Disabled/elderly care and patient companionship: who may apply

• The disabled, sick or elderly person themselves;
• Their first or second degree relatives;
• If under guardianship, the guardian, or first/second degree relatives of the person to be cared for with the guardian’s approval (B.3.2/b).

4. Assessment criteria

• The health condition and age of the person to be cared for or accompanied;
• The foreigner’s education, professional experience, level of Turkish, residence or work history in Türkiye, marital status and age;
• Any other circumstances showing the special nature of the work;
• The employer’s socio-economic standing, assets, and steady monthly income (B.3.3).

5. Income evidence and a notarised undertaking

The person to be cared for or accompanied, or their blood/affinity relatives up to the second degree supporting the care, must be shown to have sufficient steady income evidenced by documents. Where no such relative exists, other family members supporting the care must provide income evidence and a notarised undertaking committing to support the care (B.3.4).

6. Wage, durations and the six-month rule

The payable wage cannot be below the gross minimum wage — 33,030.00 TRY for 2026. The first permit is granted for at most 1 year, the first extension for 2 and later extensions for at most 3 years. For a foreigner entering on a permit obtained from abroad and attached to an employer, a domestic application to work for another employer within six months of the permit start date is refused except in force majeure (B.3.5).