First hires in Turkey
Country manager, sales lead, engineers or the five Turkish employees your work permits require. One fixed fee per role, through a licensed recruitment partner, with the contract and payroll set up by lawyers and accountants.
Turkey restricts temporary agency work to listed cases and limited periods, so a foreign company normally employs staff through its own Turkish entity. Recruitment agencies must hold an İŞKUR licence and may not charge candidates. The employer registers each employee with social security before the first working day, pays wages in Turkish lira by bank transfer and bears employer contributions of 23.75% on top of gross pay before incentives. Karum runs the search at a fixed fee per role and has the contract, the social security registration and the payroll set up by its lawyers and accountants.
How does the first-hire service work?
| Step | What happens | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Role brief and salary check | We define the role with you and benchmark gross pay, net pay and total employer cost for the Turkish market | 3 working days |
| Licensed search | Our recruitment partner, a private employment agency licensed by İŞKUR, searches, screens and interviews in Turkish and English | 10 to 15 working days |
| Shortlist and interviews | 3 to 5 candidates with notes, salary expectations and notice periods. We schedule and sit in on the interviews if you wish | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Offer and contract | Offer letter, then an employment contract in Turkish and English drafted by lawyers | 2 to 5 working days |
| Registration and payroll | Social security registration before the start date, payroll and monthly filings by certified accountants | Before day one |
Who is this for?
Foreign companies with a Turkish limited liability company, joint stock company, branch or liaison office that are making their first 1 to 10 hires: a country manager, a sales or business development lead, engineers, finance and administration staff, or the five Turkish employees that each work permit requires. We do not place temporary staff and we do not run volume recruitment.
Can you hire in Turkey without a Turkish company?
Not as a rule. Turkish law allows temporary agency work only through a licensed agency and only in the cases listed in Article 7 of the Labour Law, for example cover during maternity or military leave, seasonal work or an unforeseen increase in workload for up to four months, renewable once. That leaves no general route for an employer of record. Most foreign companies therefore form a company first; a limited liability company is registered within 4 to 6 weeks. A liaison office can also employ local staff for non-commercial work, and salaries it pays in foreign currency out of funds sent from abroad are exempt from Turkish income tax.
What does an employee cost in 2026?
The figures below come from the 2026 minimum wage summary by EY Türkiye and the social security rates in force since 1 January 2026. The employer cost calculator applies them to any salary.
| Item | 2026 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross minimum wage | TRY 33,030 a month | Net TRY 28,075.50. In force since 1 January 2026, no mid-year increase |
| Employer social security premium | 21.75% of gross pay | 19.75% for employers that file and pay on time; 16.75% in manufacturing until the end of 2026 |
| Employer unemployment insurance | 2% of gross pay | No reduction |
| Employee deductions | 14% + 1% + income tax + 0.759% | Social security, unemployment insurance, income tax from 15% and stamp tax. The tax that would fall on a minimum wage is exempt for every employee |
| Premium ceiling | TRY 297,270 a month | Social security premiums stop above this gross pay |
| Minimum-wage employee, total employer cost | TRY 40,874.63 a month | TRY 40,214.03 with the 2-point reduction |
An employee on TRY 100,000 gross costs the employer TRY 123,750 a month before incentives and takes home about TRY 69,500 on average over the year. Meal cards up to TRY 300 and commuting allowances up to TRY 158 per working day are exempt from income tax in 2026 and are common in offers.
What must the contract and the exit cover?
- Written contract for any term of one year or more. Indefinite term is the norm; a fixed term needs an objective reason. Turkish text with an English version
- Probation of up to 2 months, during which either side can end the contract without notice or compensation
- 45 hours a week; overtime at 150% and at most 270 hours a year, with the employee's written consent
- Annual leave of 14, 20 or 26 working days by length of service, after the first year
- Notice of 2 to 8 weeks by length of service, or pay in lieu
- Severance of 30 days' gross pay per year of service after one year, capped at TRY 73,729.87 per year from 1 July 2026
- From 30 employees, a valid reason and a written notice are required to dismiss
The full rules are in the employment law chapter. The severance calculator shows what an exit costs.
Can we hire foreign staff as well?
Yes, with a work permit applied for by the Turkish employer. The company needs five Turkish employees per foreign employee and must pay the foreigner a multiple of the minimum wage set by role. The work permit chapter and the eligibility checker cover the tests. Our fixed price for a work permit is EUR 1,200 per person.
What do we need from you?
- Role description, reporting line and place of work: office, hybrid or remote
- Budget as gross or net monthly pay, in lira or in your currency
- Target start date
- Status of your Turkish entity and who signs the contract
- Whether the role will need a work permit
Packages
| Package | What you get | Our fixed price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary and market check | Benchmark for up to three roles: gross pay, net pay, total employer cost, contract type and how hard the role is to fill | EUR 450 | 3 working days |
| First hire search, professional or specialist role | Role brief, licensed search, shortlist of 3 to 5 candidates, interview scheduling, offer management. One repeat search at no fee if the hire leaves during the probation period | EUR 2,900 per role | Shortlist in 15 working days |
| Country manager or senior role search | As above, with a wider search, reference checks and a structured final interview | EUR 4,900 per role | Shortlist in 20 working days |
| Employment set-up | Employment contract in Turkish and English drafted by lawyers, employee data notices under the data protection law, social security workplace registration, payroll onboarding | EUR 950 per company | 5 working days |
| Payroll and HR administration | Monthly payroll, social security and tax filings, payslips, leave records | Quoted in your scope | Monthly |
Our fee is the same whatever the salary: no percentage of annual pay. No fee is ever charged to candidates, which Law No. 4904 prohibits. For comparison, published agency fees in Turkey run from 1.5 to 3 monthly gross salaries per hire.
Related guides and tools
Employment law for foreign employers
Contracts, probation, notice, severance and job security.
ReadWork permits and hiring
The five-to-one rule and minimum salaries by role.
ReadEmployer cost calculator
Gross to net and total cost for any salary.
Open toolSeverance and notice pay calculator
What an exit costs, with the 2026 cap.
Open toolCommon questions
Can a foreign company hire employees in Turkey before it has a Turkish entity?
Not as a rule. Temporary agency work is allowed only through a licensed agency and only in the cases listed in the Labour Law, such as cover for maternity leave or a workload peak of up to four months. Form the entity first; a liaison office is enough to employ staff for non-commercial work.
Do you charge candidates?
No. Under Law No. 4904 a private employment agency may not charge job seekers or obtain any benefit from them. The employer pays the fee.
Do you charge a percentage of the salary?
No. The search fee is fixed per role, EUR 2,900 for professional and specialist roles and EUR 4,900 for a country manager or other senior role, whatever the salary agreed.
How long does it take to hire someone in Turkey?
A shortlist takes 15 working days. Candidates who are in employment usually have to serve a notice period of 2 to 8 weeks. From brief to first working day, plan for 6 to 10 weeks.
Can the contract be in English and the salary in euros?
The contract is drawn up in Turkish with an English version, since Turkish companies must use Turkish in their contracts under Law No. 805. Salaries of employees resident in Turkey must be set and paid in Turkish lira; foreign-currency salaries are allowed only in narrow cases, for example for employees who are not Turkish citizens. Employers with five or more employees must pay wages by bank transfer.
How is candidate data handled?
Under the Turkish data protection law, KVKK. Candidates receive a privacy notice before their data is processed, their profiles are shared with you only for the role concerned, and the data is deleted after the search unless the candidate agrees to be kept on file.
Related pages
Employment law in Turkey for foreign employers
Turkish employment law for foreign employers: contracts, probation, working time, notice periods, severance cap of TRY 73,729.87, job security, 2026 employer costs.
ReadWork permits and hiring in Turkey
Work permit rules for foreign-owned companies in Turkey: five Turkish employees per foreigner, TRY 500,000 capital test, minimum salaries by role.
ReadTurkey employer cost calculator
Free tool: gross to net salary and total employer cost in Turkey for 2026, with social security, unemployment insurance, income tax brackets and stamp tax.
ReadCompany formation in Turkey
Set up a company in Turkey as a foreigner. LLC from EUR 3,900, minimum capital TRY 50,000, 100% foreign ownership, 4 to 6 weeks.
Read