Job Discussion Forums

Mr_Clean · Joined: 10 Jun 2011 Posts: 5

I worked in Istanbul from 1998-2002 and was lucky enough to work at a school that sorted out my work permit within the first six months of being there.
This summer I'll be moving back to Turkey permanently with my wife, who's Turkish.
Is it easy to sort out a residence/work permit independently? Or is it best to wait til I get a job and for the employer to sort it out?
How long are the permits valid? And how much do they cost to get/ extend?
Any help and advice on this would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

Your employer has to get a work permit for you (initially for 1 year)
You can't get one independently to work in a school
It can be a long process so your employer needs to get the ball rolling months before you start your new job
Hope that's helpful

billy orr · Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 229

As far as the work permit is concerned, in theory it is possible to obtain an independent work permit, it is allowed by the law. In practice I have never met anyone with such a work permit.

See the Min of Labour website pages

http://www.csgb.gov.tr/csgbPortal/yabancilar/eng/sss/bagimsiz_izin.html

and

http://www.csgb.gov.tr/csgbPortal/yabancilar/eng/sss/istisnai_izin.html

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

Billy
I think you will find that is not applicable for working in schools or Turkish employers in general

Mr_Clean · Joined: 10 Jun 2011 Posts: 5

Going back several years, a former colleague quit his school and worked "self-employed" with private work. It was initially all cash in hand but later it got more difficult as companies wanted to pay into an account, and he was concerned about a possible paper trail.
I wonder, does anyone else do that? Is it theoretically possible to do it legally? Then I guess a teacher could pick up bits n pieces from a school if short on work...

billy orr · Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 229

Where did you get that information from, delal? Not doubting you, interested to know source.

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

I think it was from the UK Turkish Consulate website

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

Mr Clean
Maybe you could try posting a message on one of the websites for expats in Turkey and see how self-employed foreigners in Turkey are managing their affairs etc etc

gloomyGumi · Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 353

my friend had a wife (both were Canadian) and only he was teaching (it was Diyarbakir I believe) and she was on a spouse visa. Well they had a huge fight and she left him, somehow renting a place on her own near Diyarbakir. Turned out she had gotten her own work visa: she actually became a prostitute and wound up making more money than he did as a teacher. Guess she didnt need an actual work visa there, but she did have a residence visa thrugh her husband.