Residency and visas in Turkey

Owning a company in Turkey does not by itself give the right to live or work there, and running one does not require it: the Ministry of Trade notes that a limited company’s directors need not be Turkish citizens or resident in Turkey. Foreign owners and staff who plan to stay usually need a residence permit, and employment needs a work permit, with a separate procedure for each. The right route depends on why the person is staying: running the company on site, working as an employee, or visiting for meetings while living elsewhere. Conditions and document lists change, so treat any summary, this one included, as a starting point and confirm the details with a firm.

Firms offering residency and visa support in Turkey

Ozbek CPA

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Istanbul

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +6 more

Languages: English · Turkish

View profile of Ozbek CPA

Celikel CPA

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Istanbul

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: English · Turkish · Russian · Chinese …

View profile of Celikel CPA

Monetics

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Ankara

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +6 more

Languages: English · Turkish

View profile of Monetics

TaxEurope

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Istanbul

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: Turkish · English

View profile of TaxEurope

15 more firms offering residency and visa support in Turkey

What to ask a residency and visa firm in Turkey

Ask which permit fits your plans and how your company’s own figures affect the application. Ask for the full document list, which items from your home country need a translation or an apostille, and how long each step has taken for recent clients. Ask whether the firm files the application itself or works with a lawyer, whether it books and attends appointments with you, and who reminds you before a permit expires. If family members will join you, ask whether the firm handles their permits too.

Firms on Accountanty

Accountanty lists 39 firms in Turkey that help with residency and visas: 31 accounting firms, five law firms and three corporate service providers, 36 of them small. Thirty have a foreign-client focus. English is offered by 31, German and Russian by five each and Arabic by four. Energy and real estate are each named by six. Thirty-eight also handle company formation and 28 payroll. Istanbul has 26 of these firms and Ankara nine. Read the Turkey guide for the wider setup.

Frequently asked questions

Does setting up a company in Turkey give me a residence permit?

Not automatically. A company can support an application, but the permit is a separate procedure with its own conditions. Ask a firm which permit fits your situation and what the company will need to show.

Do foreign employees of my Turkish company need a work permit?

In general a foreign national employed in Turkey needs one, with limited exceptions. Ask the firm who applies, how long it usually takes and whether the employee may start before the permit is issued.

Other services in Turkey

Accountants by city in Turkey

Setting up a company in Turkey: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.