Short answer: prior approval from MEB or YÖK is mandatory for professional positions in education institutions, and from the Ministry of Health for health institutions. Academic staff approved in advance by YÖK and public health personnel in professional positions in the public sector enjoy criteria exemptions; foreign flag carriers’ representations in Türkiye are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria.
1. Education sector
- Prior approval from the Ministry of National Education or the Council of Higher Education is mandatory for foreigners in professions and duties requiring professional qualification at education institutions (B.2.1).
- For foreign academic staff approved in advance by the Council of Higher Education, no evaluation criteria are applied pursuant to Article 8(3) and (4) of Law No. 6735 (B.2.2).
- For foreigners in jobs or professions requiring prior approval under Article 29 of the MEB Regulation on Private Education Institutions, at education institutions and international schools, applications are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria (B.2.3).
2. Healthcare sector
- Prior approval from the Ministry of Health is mandatory for foreigners in professions and duties requiring professional qualification at health institutions (B.7.1).
- For foreigners in professional positions in public health institutions, the employment, wage AND financial adequacy criteria are all waived (B.7.2) — the only scope in the public sector where all three are lifted together.
3. Aviation sector
Applications for senior executives or specialist roles at the Turkish representations of foreign flag-carrier airlines are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria (B.4.1).
4. Scope of the wage criterion
The wage criterion applies to all applications outside the exemptions: with the 2026 gross minimum wage at 33,030.00 TRY, the floor is 5× for senior executives, 4× for engineers/architects, 3× for other managers and 2× for skilled and craft occupations; for public health staff under B.7.2 even the wage criterion is waived.
| Job group | Multiple | Lower limit (gross / month) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior executives and pilots | 5× | 165,150.00 TRY |
| Engineers and architects | 4× | 132,120.00 TRY |
| Other managers | 3× | 99,090.00 TRY |
| Jobs requiring expertise or a skilled trade | 2× | 66,060.00 TRY |
| Domestic services and other jobs | 1× | 33,030.00 TRY |
Senior executives and pilots
- Multiple
- 5×
- Lower limit (gross / month)
- 165,150.00 TRY
Engineers and architects
- Multiple
- 4×
- Lower limit (gross / month)
- 132,120.00 TRY
Other managers
- Multiple
- 3×
- Lower limit (gross / month)
- 99,090.00 TRY
Jobs requiring expertise or a skilled trade
- Multiple
- 2×
- Lower limit (gross / month)
- 66,060.00 TRY
Domestic services and other jobs
- Multiple
- 1×
- Lower limit (gross / month)
- 33,030.00 TRY
5. The prior approval process and general rules
Prior approval applications are filed with the relevant institution (MEB, YÖK, Ministry of Health); without prior approval an e-İzin application cannot be approved. Where the section is silent, the general evaluation criteria apply (B.11.1); permit duration, extension and fee rules are the same across sectors.
Source: Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of International Labour, Work Permit Evaluation Criteria (A.3, B.2, B.4, B.7, B.11). Reviewed on 29/09/2026.