Tourism Sector Work Permit

Eligibility

• Employer side: licensed Turkish tourism establishment — hotel, resort, travel agency, tour operator — with current Ministry of Culture and Tourism licensing where applicable.
• Tour-guide-specific: foreign tour-guide certification under Law 6326 (Turist Rehberliği Meslek Kanunu).
• Standard Law 6735 employer eligibility — registered entity, no tax / SGK debt, 5:1 rule (or sector exemption).
• Salary at or above the tourism-role multiplier of minimum wage published by MoLSS.
• Language competence relevant to the role (multi-language guest-relations, outbound tour languages).
• Standard public-order, public-security and public-health clearance.

Documents required

• Standard e-İzin document set (passport, photograph, employment contract).
• Employer's Ministry of Culture and Tourism licensing (hotel, travel-agency licence) where applicable.
• Tour-guide-specific: certification under Law 6326 plus chamber registration with the relevant tour-guide chamber.
• Standard employer registration package (trade registry, SGK, financials, 5:1 staff list or sector exemption).
• Foreigner's CV, language certificates and prior-engagement evidence.
• For seasonal employers: prior-year staffing record and seasonal-operations plan.

Application process

1. 1

   Confirm employer licensing

   Hotels and resorts must hold Ministry of Culture and Tourism operating licences; travel agencies must hold Law 1618 A-class, B-class or C-class licences. The employer's licence must be current at filing time.

2. 2

   Tour-guide-specific: regulator registration

   Foreign tour guides must hold certification under Law 6326 and be registered with the relevant tour-guide chamber before the e-İzin step. Without certification, the application will be refused.

3. 3

   Sign the employment contract

   Contracts specify role, schedule (seasonal or year-round), salary, accommodation and duration. Seasonal contracts should align to the tourism season and the employer's seasonal-operations plan.

4. 4

   Employer files the work permit in e-İzin

   The employer files the standard Law 6735 application in e-İzin, attaching the licensing, the contract and any sector-exemption justification.

5. 5

   MoLSS evaluation with sector consultation

   MoLSS may consult the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on regulated roles. Typical processing time runs 4–8 weeks; verify on the e-İzin portal.

6. 6

   Approval, harç, card and SGK enrolment

   On approval, pay the harç and kart bedeli. The employer enrols the foreigner on SGK; the card doubles as a residence permit for the engagement period.

Validity and renewal

Seasonal tourism roles are commonly granted for the season within the Article 10 one-year first-grant maximum. Year-round roles run on the standard 1+2+3 progression. Renewals require continued employer licensing and continued role.

Salary thresholds and fees

Tourism roles face the standard commercial multiplier — historically around 1.5× minimum wage for line hotel and travel-agency staff and higher for management and tour-guide roles. Multipliers are set by MoLSS regulation; verify the current numbers on the e-İzin portal. Seasonal accommodation provided by the employer does not waive the cash-salary minimum.

Common rejection reasons

• Employer's Ministry of Culture and Tourism licensing not current at filing.
• Tour-guide certification missing for tour-guide roles.
• 5:1 rule unmet without a credible seasonal-tourism sector-exemption justification.
• Salary below the tourism-role multiplier of minimum wage.
• Outstanding tax / SGK debt at the employer level.
• Inconsistencies between role description and the foreigner's language and experience profile.

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