Why Turkish employers are hiring Pakistani workers
Turkey's industrial base - shipyards, construction, manufacturing, automotive, food production - faces a persistent skilled labour shortage that domestic supply cannot fill. At the same time, Pakistan produces a large pool of trade-certified welders, electricians, machine technicians, and operators with years of Gulf-market experience (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar), many of whom are actively seeking work abroad.
For Turkish employers, this creates an opportunity: skilled, work-tested tradesmen at wage levels competitive with the Turkish market, who integrate well because the cultural and religious environment is familiar. Pakistan and Turkey share a Muslim heritage, dietary norms, and a strong bilateral relationship - meaning workers arrive with minimal cultural friction.
This guide walks you through the exact process: how to assess your need, what Turkish law requires, how to source candidates, what documents you'll handle, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Who can legally hire foreign workers in Turkey
Under Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force, any Turkish legal entity - limited company, joint stock company, cooperative, foundation, or partnership - may apply to employ foreign workers. There is no size threshold or industry restriction in principle, but two rules drive most decisions:
- Quota rule: the Ministry of Labour generally expects one foreign worker per five Turkish employees registered under the company's SGK (Social Security) account. Exceptions apply for niche roles where domestic supply is clearly insufficient, and for companies in Free Zones or R&D Centres.
- Minimum capital & revenue: for standard work permit applications, the employer must demonstrate paid-in capital of at least 100,000 TRY or equivalent turnover. Special sectors and engineering roles have different thresholds.
If you run a small firm without the required SGK headcount, you have two routes: expand local hiring first, or work through a main-contractor arrangement where a larger firm sponsors the permit and sub-leases labour to you. A reputable recruitment consultancy will tell you immediately which route applies to your situation.
Before you go further: do you have at least 5 Turkish employees registered on SGK, and minimum 100,000 TRY paid-in capital? If yes, you qualify for a direct work permit application. If no, there are still legal routes - but they change the cost structure.
The 6-step hiring process
Every legitimate hire from Pakistan follows the same six phases. Skipping phases or trying to shortcut them is the single biggest reason hires fail or get stuck at the embassy.
- Needs assessment & role definition Define exactly what you need: trade (welder, electrician, CNC operator), certification level (TIG 6G, 3-phase panel, Mazak programming), headcount, start date, contract duration, and salary band. Vague briefs produce mismatched candidates and wasted weeks.
- Recruitment & shortlisting The recruitment agency (on the Pakistan side) screens candidates, runs skill tests, and sends you a shortlist of 3-5 per role with video assessments, CVs, and document packs. Expect 5-10 working days for a shortlist on common trades.
- Interview & selection You interview finalists over video. Plan for a technical interviewer in your team plus a language check - most Pakistani tradesmen have basic English; fluent Turkish is rare before arrival.
- Work permit application (Turkish side) Once selected, the permit file is submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through the e-Devlet system. The employer provides company documents, the worker provides passport, certificates, and photos. Ministry review typically takes 20-45 working days.
- Visa & emigration clearance (Pakistan side) In parallel or immediately after permit approval, the worker applies for a Turkish work visa at the Turkish embassy in Islamabad and obtains Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE) clearance, medical fitness certificate, and police clearance. This runs 2-4 weeks.
- Travel & on-arrival registration Flight booked, airport pickup arranged, worker arrives in Turkey and is registered on your SGK within 15 days. Residence permit linked to the work permit is processed within the first month.
Documents you'll need to provide
The employer side of the file is usually heavier than employers expect. Prepare these before you start - it shortens the cycle meaningfully.
| Document | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trade registry gazette | Proves legal entity status | Issued by MERSIS / Trade Registry |
| Authorised signatory certificate | Shows who can sign employment contract | Notarised circular |
| Tax certificate | Confirms active tax registration | From tax office |
| SGK headcount & premium report | Proves quota compliance | Last 3 months |
| Balance sheet (last year) | Demonstrates financial capacity | Signed by CPA |
| Employment contract draft | Basis of the permit | In Turkish, role & salary explicit |
| Activity report | Describes what the worker will do | Role-specific |
Worker-side documents (passport, diploma, trade certificate, photos, CV) are handled by the recruitment agency or the worker's Pakistani emigration agent, so they do not normally sit on your desk.
Realistic timeline - don't expect 4 weeks
One of the most common miscommunications between employers and agencies is on timing. Employers assume Gulf-style fast-track processing; the Turkish system is more formal and slower. Here is what to actually plan for:
| Phase | Elapsed time |
|---|---|
| Brief to shortlist | Week 1 |
| Interviews & selection | Week 2 |
| Work permit file submission & approval | Weeks 3-8 |
| Visa, BE&OE, medical, police clearance | Weeks 7-11 (overlapping) |
| Flight & arrival | Week 11-14 |
So from the day you sign the service agreement with a recruitment agency, plan for the first worker on-site in 10 to 14 weeks. Seasoned agencies can compress this to 8-10 weeks when document readiness is high on both sides; untested ones regularly drift past 16 weeks.
Total cost breakdown
Employers frequently compare only the recruitment fee between agencies and get surprised by ancillary costs later. A full budget should cover the following:
Rule of thumb: plan on roughly 1.3-1.6× the worker's first-year gross salary as the total one-time hiring cost for a legitimate, fully-documented hire. The recruitment agency fee itself is typically 10-20% of that total; the bulk is permits, visas, flights, housing setup, and legal preparation.
Line items you will see on an invoice or internal budget:
- Recruitment agency fee - one-time, paid by the employer. Workers are never charged fees under legitimate practice.
- Work permit application fee - Ministry of Labour fee, paid per worker per year.
- Work visa fee - paid at the Turkish embassy in Islamabad.
- BE&OE protector fee - Pakistan-side emigration clearance.
- Medical & police clearance - mandatory Pakistan-side.
- Flight - one-way Pakistan → Turkey, typically economy.
- First-month housing - arranged by employer or recruitment agency.
- SGK registration & first-month contribution - standard employer obligation.
- Residence permit card fee - after arrival.
We publish a detailed worked example in our Cost of Hiring a Pakistani Worker guide.
Common pitfalls Turkish employers hit
In our own hiring pipeline we see the same mistakes repeat. A few that will save you weeks if you avoid them:
- Skipping the skill test. CVs from Pakistan vary in how they describe experience. A 15-minute video skill test surfaces more information than an hour of CV screening.
- Under-specifying the role. "Welder" covers six different skill profiles. Specify process (TIG/MIG/SMAW), material (stainless, mild steel, aluminium), position (1G/3G/6G), and environment (shop/field/shipyard).
- Accepting tourist-visa workers. Never bring a worker on a tourist visa with an offer of converting it later. Under current regulations, work permits must be applied before the worker enters Turkey. Conversion is extremely limited and high-risk.
- Cheap housing arrangements. Workers integrating poorly often have a housing problem at the root. Decent shared accommodation close to the worksite is worth the marginal cost.
- No Turkish language plan. Even 50 words of workplace Turkish in the first week dramatically improves safety and retention. Budget 4-8 hours of orientation.
For a deeper list, see our Common Mistakes guide.
Choosing a recruitment agency
Not all agencies are equal. A legitimate recruitment consultancy working on the Pakistan-Turkey corridor must, at minimum:
- Be a registered entity in Turkey with a Ministry of Labour activity certificate for recruitment services.
- Have a Pakistan-side partner licensed by the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE).
- Charge fees to the employer, not the worker. Asking workers for money is illegal in both jurisdictions.
- Provide a written service contract with a replacement clause in case the worker doesn't work out within probation.
- Handle the full pipeline - vetting, permits, visas, travel, arrival - without hidden handoffs to third parties.
After arrival: integration matters
Hiring is not complete the day the worker lands. Retention is driven by the first 30 days, and retention is what determines whether your investment in the hire paid back.
- Day 1: airport pickup, housing check-in, SIM card, local bank account initiation.
- Week 1: orientation on safety protocols, shift schedule, basic Turkish workplace vocabulary, tour of the facility, introduction to team.
- Week 2-4: residence permit appointment, SGK confirmation, performance check-in with the supervisor.
- Month 2-3: first review, feedback on integration, address any housing or workplace friction early.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire directly without an agency?
Legally, yes - if you're willing to handle Ministry of Labour filings, embassy liaison, BE&OE clearance, flight booking, and on-arrival logistics in both Turkish and Urdu/English across two time zones. In practice, small- and mid-size employers use an agency because the legal-administrative complexity does not scale well below ~20 hires per year.
What if the worker leaves after a few months?
Under the standard service contract, agencies offer a replacement within a probation window (typically 3-6 months) at no additional recruitment fee. Work permits are employer-specific, so a departing worker cannot transfer to another employer without a new permit application.
Do Pakistani workers speak English or Turkish?
Most have basic English from schooling and Gulf work experience. Turkish is rare before arrival but picks up quickly in a mixed-crew environment. Plan a short Turkish orientation course before and after arrival.
What about religious and dietary needs?
Pakistani workers are overwhelmingly Muslim and halal food is standard. This is generally not a logistical issue in Turkey. Prayer space in the workplace is appreciated but not usually a blocker.