The captivating Turkish skyline
Remote’s guide to employing in

Turkey
turkey flag}

Make employment in Turkey easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in , all in one easy-to-use platform.

Get started today
  • Capital city

    Ankara

  • Currency

    Turkish lira (₺, TRY)

  • Languages

    Turkish

  • Population size

    83,614,362

Services available in this country:
Global Employment ServicesContractor Management

Facts & Stats

Turkey Map Illustration
  • Capital city

    Ankara

  • Currency

    Turkish lira (₺, TRY)

  • Languages

    Turkish

  • Population size

    83,614,362

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    $ (2021)

  • Payroll frequency

    Bi-Monthly/Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    18%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    0.9% (2019)

The Republic of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) is an European unitary presidential constitutional republic that’s jointly famous for its magnificent mosques from the medieval ages, kebabs, and a rich history spanning over 8,000 years till date.

As the world’s 11th largest economy, Turkey has been witnessing a growth in industrialization, driven by gains in the shipbuilding, infrastructure, and technology, and consumer electronics industries.

Grow your team in Turkey with Remote

Looking to employ workers in Turkey? Companies hiring in Turkey must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.

Remote can employ your team in Turkey on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Turkey team. You can also pay contractors now in Turkey with Remote.

Risks of misclassification

Turkey, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Turkey may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

Employing in Turkey

The Turkish Constitution and the Labor Act of 2003 defines provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights for Turkey’s workforce of 32 million. Employees in Turkey enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.

Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Turkey.

Minimum Wage

The Turkish minimum wage is fixed at 2,825 Turkish liras ($329.37) per month.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in Turkey fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is often 12 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

17 Public holidays

Jan
Sunday, January 1, 20231New Year’s Day (Yılbaşı)
Apr
Thursday, April 20, 20232Ramadan Feast Eve (Half Day)
Friday, April 21, 20233Ramadan Feast (Ramazan Bayramı)
Saturday, April 22, 20234Ramadan Feast holiday (Ramazan Bayramı)
Sunday, April 23, 20235National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı)
Sunday, April 23, 20236Ramadan Feast holiday (Ramazan Bayramı)
May
Monday, May 1, 20237Labour and Solidarity Day (Emek ve Dayanışma Günü)
Friday, May 19, 20238Commemoration of Atatürk Youth Sports Day (Atatürk’ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı)
Jun
Tuesday, June 27, 20239Eid-al-Adha - Half Day (Kurban Bayramı)
Wednesday, June 28, 202310Eid-al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı)
Thursday, June 29, 202311Eid-al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı)
Friday, June 30, 202312Eid-al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı)
Jul
Saturday, July 1, 202313Eid-al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı)
Saturday, July 15, 202314Democracy and National Unity Day (Demokrasi ve Milli birlik Günü)
Aug
Wednesday, August 30, 202315Victory Day (Çarşamba)
Oct
Saturday, October 28, 202316Republic Day Eve - Half Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı)
Sunday, October 29, 202317Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı)

Competitive benefits package in Turkey

At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).

Our benefits packages in Turkey are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Mental Health Support

  • Pension or 401(K)

  • Life and Disability Insurance

Taxes in Turkey

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Turkey.

  • 2%

    Short Term Insurance Branch Premium

  • 11%

    Insurance & disability

  • 7.5%

    General Health Insurance

  • 2%

    Unemployment Insurance

Types of Leave

Employees are entitled to paid time off equivalent to their tenure with an employer.

  • 1 – 5 years: 14 days

  • 6 – 14 years: 20 days

  • 15+ years: 26 days

Employees aged 50 and above are automatically entitled to 20 days off annually, while workers engaged in underground activities (mining) are entitled to four days in addition to their basic vacation entitlement.

Employment termination

Termination process

Employee contracts can be terminated if a just cause is established, such as dishonesty, negligence, fraud, or any other work-related offences. That aside, notice should be provided in advance – provided both parties agree to it.

Notice period

Notice periods in Turkey are determined by an employee’s tenure with the employer as follows:

  • 0 – 6 months: 2 weeks’ notice

  • 6 – 18 months: 4 weeks’ notice

  • 18 – 36 months: 6 weeks’ notice

  • 36+ months: 8 weeks’ notice

Severance pay

Employees who are terminated unfairly are entitled to a severance package equivalent to one month’s wages for every year worked with the employer.

Probation periods

Probationary periods should be written in contract and should not exceed two months. The probation period may be extended up to four months by collective agreement. Within the probation term the parties are free to terminate the employment agreement without having to observe the notice term and without having to pay compensation. The employee’s entitlement to salary and other rights for the days worked are reserved.