Turkey
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.
- Capital city
Ankara
- Currency
Turkish lira (₺, TRY)
- Languages
Turkish
- Population size
83,614,362
Facts & Stats
- 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
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.