Turkey Practical information

Visas

Working visas

It’s best to obtain a çalışma vizesi (working visa) from the Turkish embassy or consulate before you leave your home country. At least two months before your departure date submit in person the completed visa form, your passport, a photo of yourself, your proof of employment (a contract or letter from your employer) and the required fee (between €140 and €200, depending on your nationality). After about three weeks (Inşallah, God willing), your passport will be returned with the visa stamped inside.

Once you arrive in Turkey with a work permit, you must obtain a ‘pink book’ (a combined work permit and residence permit) from the emniyet müdürlüğü (security police). If your employer doesn’t do this for you, apply with your passport, five passport photos and the processing fee (€320 for a year, but check as it rises regularly). Your pink book should be ready in three or four working days and replaces the visa in your passport. It’s renewable every year as long as you can prove you’re still working.

Most people who are working in Turkey illegally (as private English tutors, for example) cross the border into Greece, Northern Cyprus or Bulgaria every three months rather than bother with the cost and hassle of trying to extend their visa or get residency. In theory an immigration officer could query a passport full of recent Turkish stamps. However, in our experience most of them happily turn a blind eye to this bending of the rules.

Note that rules seem to change regularly, so see www.e-konsolosluk.net and the Turkish embassy or consulate in your home country for the latest information about visa requirements.