Work Permits in the Tourism Sector

1. Skilled roles: the 10 Turkish staff exemption

For skilled and craft occupations in tourism, applications from the following workplaces are exempt from the employment criterion provided at least ten Turkish citizens are employed (Work Permit Evaluation Criteria B.8.1):

• Tourism enterprises certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism;
• Restaurants operating under contract inside such enterprises at the same address;
• Tourism-animation organisation companies contracted with certified tourism enterprises;
• Hammams, saunas and similar complexes operated under contract inside such enterprises at the same address;
• Hammams and saunas contracted with travel agency licence holders;
• Thermal hotels holding operating permits from official authorities.

2. Masseurs, masseuses and SPA therapists: a narrow list of employers

Applications for masseurs, masseuses, SPA therapists and similar skilled/craft roles can only be approved at the following workplaces (B.8.2); applications for these occupations at any other workplace are refused:

• A certified tourism enterprise that proves it operates a massage salon, or a thermal hotel with an official operating permit;
• A massage salon operating under contract inside a certified tourism enterprise at the same address;
• A hammam or sauna facility contracted with a travel agency licence holder;
• An officially permitted sports centre employing at least twenty Turkish citizens.

3. Maximum number of foreigners: financial adequacy and physical capacity

When determining the maximum number of foreigners permitted to work in a workplace under the skilled roles provisions, the workplace’s financial adequacy and physical capacity are taken into account (B.8.3).

4. Small shops inside hotels: hairdressers, jewellers, leather, carpet, textiles

For foreigners working in small businesses operated under contract inside hotels certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (hairdressers, jewellers, leather, carpet and textile retail etc.), a maximum of two foreigners are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria (B.8.4).

5. Health tourism intermediary organisations: up to five foreigners

For domestic applications filed for foreigners employed by health tourism intermediary organisations authorised by the Ministry of Health and operating under travel agencies certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a maximum of five foreigners are exempt from the employment and financial adequacy criteria (B.8.5).

6. Non-skilled roles: the 1:5 rule and the 11.03.2026 concession

Applications for jobs outside skilled and craft occupations in accommodation are assessed against the general 1:5 employment criterion, counting the Turkish citizens the business employs nationwide (B.8.6).

From 11.03.2026, for every 5 Turkish citizens employed at the workplace (branch-level), applications for one additional foreigner are assessed with an exemption from the 1:5 employment criterion (B.8.7).

7. The wage criterion

For skilled and craft occupations the payable wage cannot be less than 2× the 2026 gross minimum wage of 33,030.00 TRY; for senior executives the floor is 5× (criteria effective 01.10.2024).