Turkey Business Guide

Residential work

1 Visa

Visa Category

Türkiye visa mainly includes tourist visa, business visa, work visa, transit visa and other types. The maximum stay time is 90 days. Applicants who stay for more than 90 days should apply for a short-term residence permit from the provincial immigration administration where the applicant is located. The duration of stay is generally not more than 2 years.

Main visa categories in Türkiye
Scope and duration of visa category application

Tourist Visa
Türkiye tourist visa application shall be subject to the place of work. Chinese citizens who apply for Türkiye tourist visa must apply through Chinese travel agencies. The tourist visa is valid for 90 days, and the longest stay in Türkiye is 14 days. The transit visa for Türkiye is valid for 3 months, and can transit Türkiye twice, with each stay no more than 7 days.

Business visa
The original of the invitation letter from Türkiye company to Türkiye Embassy (certified by the local chamber of commerce in Türkiye) is required. In principle, the business visa is a short-term one-time entry visa, and the longest stay in Türkiye is 30 days.

work visa
The work permit (visa) is issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Türkiye. The holder of a work visa must apply for a residence permit at the foreign staff of the local security bureau within 30 days after arriving in Türkiye.

Procedure
Since March 2015, Türkiye has implemented an electronic visa policy for Chinese tourists or business people. Within the 180 day validity period, only one entry is allowed, and the stay period is 30 days. Each entry needs to be handled again. In 2019, Türkiye relaxed the number of electronic visa entries, allowing multiple entries within 180 days, with a maximum stay of 30 days each time. To visit Türkiye for tourism or business purposes, you can directly apply for an electronic visa online, and the application page supports Chinese. The electronic visa application system is: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/zh .
If you apply for Türkiye's traditional sticker visa (i.e. non electronic visa), you need to go to the visa center of Türkiye's Embassy in China, the Consulate General of Türkiye in Shanghai, and the Consulate General of Türkiye in Guangzhou. The applicant is required to prepare the relevant materials and submit the application according to the requirements, and pay the visa fee. After receiving the visa, the applicant should promptly and carefully check whether the visa information is correct, especially the start and end time of the visa validity period and the length of stay. If any errors are found, they should contact the corresponding embassy or consulate in a timely manner.

Application materials
Depending on the type of visa application, the application materials required by the applicant may vary, and specific information can be found on the visa center website.

Application Considerations
It is recommended to apply for a visa at least one month in advance to avoid inconvenience caused by processing delays. If the visa application is rejected, the visa fee will not be refunded.

2 Residence Permits
The residence permit in Türkiye is divided into short-term permit and long-term permit. ① The short-term residence permit is applicable to foreigners who want to obtain real estate in Türkiye and who have close business ties or business contacts with Türkiye. The validity of the short-term residence permit is up to two years (if the residence permit is not used within six months, it will automatically become invalid). An extension application can be submitted within 60 days before the expiration of the residence permit. The long-term residence permit is applicable to foreigners who have lived in Türkiye for more than eight years. The permit is unlimited.

3 Work Permits
Either in Türkiye or abroad, you can apply for a work permit in Türkiye. Foreigners outside Türkiye must apply to the Turkish embassy and consulate in their country of nationality or permanent residence. The application should be accompanied by a labor contract, a transfer agreement, or a document explaining the company's partnership relationship. The employer in Türkiye must submit the application to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services of Türkiye within 10 working days from the date of the applicant's application to the embassy and consulate（ https://ailevecalisma.gov.tr ）Apply online and submit the required information and documents. Foreigners who have been approved must enter Türkiye within 180 days from the date of issuing the work permit. If an application is submitted in Türkiye, foreigners and their employers can submit an application for a work permit. The residence permit of foreigners (except for study abroad or other education visas) is valid for at least 6 months from the date of application. The required materials for the application must be submitted within 6 working days after online application or sent to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services by email.