Frequently Asked Questions

PAKTUR manages the process of identifying suitable staff in Pakistan according to the requirements of businesses that need personnel in Türkiye, and of bringing the selected staff to Türkiye with a legal work permit. Candidate research, document preparation, the İŞKUR process, consulate procedures, the Ministry e-Permit application, SGK registration and related procedures are all followed within the scope of the process.

No. Our service covers identifying staff who will come from Pakistan to Türkiye to work, in line with the requirements of Turkish employers, and carrying out their work permit processes.

Depending on the employer's needs, candidate research can be carried out for qualified or suitable personnel across many sectors, including industry, manufacturing, textiles, metal, furniture, plastics, logistics, recycling and livestock. The requested occupation, experience and other criteria are clarified at the start of the process.

As a general rule, at least 5 Turkish citizens must be employed at the workplace where the work permit application is made, for each foreign employee.

No. The head office and the branch are assessed separately. The employee count, the SGK registry and the application are handled through whichever workplace the staff member will actually work at.

For workplaces with net sales of 50,000,000 TL or more in the last year, the employment criterion is not applied for work permit applications covering up to five foreign nationals. The other work permit conditions must still be met.

For workplaces subject to the balance sheet basis that were established in the current year and do not yet have a year-end balance sheet, the paid-in capital must be at least 500,000 TL.

For an operating workplace subject to the balance sheet basis, at least one of the following conditions must be met:

• paid-in capital of at least 500,000 TL,
• net sales of at least 8,000,000 TL,
• exports of at least 150,000 US dollars in the last year.

Yes. An e-signature is required for employer transactions carried out through the e-Permit system of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The e-signature must belong to the e-declaration officer registered to the SGK registry number of the workplace where the foreign employee will actually work. The head office and the branch are assessed separately in this respect.

Yes. While the e-signature is being prepared, company documents can be gathered, the staff request can be clarified and the appropriate procedures can be started. This way no time is lost once the e-signature is ready.

The main information requested is:
the full company title, the name and surname of the authorised person, their Turkish ID number, title, telephone and email details, the address where the staff member will work, the relevant SGK registry number, the tax number and tax office, the MERSİS number, capital details, the requested role, the SGK occupation code and a short description of the company's business.

Depending on the state of the file, the trade registry gazette, tax certificate, activity certificate, trade registry certificate, signature circular, balance sheet and other financial documents, together with documents relating to the authorised person, may be requested. The workplace address on the documents must match the address where the staff member will work.

Before a foreign employee is engaged, it must be assessed whether suitable personnel can be found in Türkiye for the relevant position. For this reason a labour request is created through İŞKUR on behalf of the workplace where the foreign employee will work.

If the staff member will work at the head office it should be published for the head office, and if at a branch, for the relevant branch. It is important that the listing matches the workplace that will be used in the work permit application.

In the process applied, the listing is kept open for approximately 28 days. Incoming applications are followed, interviews are held with suitable people where necessary, and if employment cannot be provided the process is concluded accordingly.

For foreign staff working in jobs that require expertise and craftsmanship, the wage to be paid cannot be less than 2 times the minimum wage.

In all occupations that do not require expertise and craftsmanship, the wage to be paid to foreign staff cannot be below the level of the minimum wage.

The occupation, experience and other criteria stated by the employer form the basis of the candidate research in Pakistan. For qualified staff requests, video recordings of candidates while working, along with their basic details, can be presented to the employer.

No. The assessment and final selection of candidates rests with the employer. The employer is not obliged to accept a candidate they do not consider suitable. Once the selection is made, the official procedures for that candidate are started.

The staff member's accommodation costs in Türkiye are the employer's responsibility. The employer provides suitable accommodation for the employee. The relevant address must also be determined correctly so that it can be used in the required official notifications.

The flight ticket, travel and personal journey costs relating to the staff member's arrival in Türkiye are the staff member's responsibility. When the staff member arrives in Türkiye, they are met and received at the airport by the employer. They are then taken to the accommodation provided by the employer.

Yes. Once work begins, Turkish labour legislation applies to matters such as wages, SGK, working arrangements, leave, and occupational health and safety. The employer must also fulfil their legal obligations in respect of the foreign employee.

Yes. In the manufacturing sector there are special employment provisions for certain periods in addition to the general criteria. Under the regulation in force as of 03.08.2026, until 31.12.2027 a special assessment may be made for 1 foreign national per 5 Turkish employees on a branch basis for certain additional foreign employment.

Yes. There are also special assessment provisions for businesses operating in waste collection, recovery and disposal. Different criteria may apply depending on the number of employees at the business and the nature of the application.

Yes. A work permit application can be made for shepherds and animal caretakers at businesses registered in the Animal Information System that meet the livestock presence conditions set by the Ministry. Certain special employment criteria apply depending on the number of animals at the business.

If the application concludes positively, the official fees and valuable paper charges are paid. The work permit card is issued and the staff member's arrival process in Türkiye is then planned. After the staff member arrives in Türkiye, the SGK employment entry and other required notifications are completed.

If documents are prepared on time and official institution processes proceed as usual, an average period of 60-90 days is anticipated for the work permit and related procedures. This period is not a firm commitment. Consulate or Ministry workload, requests for additional documents, shortcomings originating from the employer and delays in official systems may extend the period.