Can International Students Work in Turkey? Undergraduate vs Graduate

Contents

• Can International Students Work in Turkey Legally?

• How Do Undergraduate and Graduate Work Rules Differ?

• What Does Turkish Law Say About Graduate Students Working?

• How Do You Get a Work Permit as a Student in Turkey?

• Which Student Work Needs No Work Permit in Turkey?

• Which Work Route Suits Your Study Profile?

• Is There a 24-Hour Weekly Limit for Students in Turkey?

• What Can You Do After Graduating From a Turkish University?

• Real-World Examples

• Frequently Asked Questions

• References

• Legal Notice

Introduction

International students can work in Turkey, but only with a work permit, and the rules differ by degree level. As of September 2026, Article 19 of the International Labour Law (Law No. 6735) lets associate and bachelor's students apply only after finishing their first year and work part-time, while master's and PhD students in formal programs are not subject to either limit.

Here, "graduate student" means a master's or doctoral student, which some countries call postgraduate. Someone who has completed a degree in Turkey is a "graduate of a Turkish university".

The article draws on legislation published in the Official Gazette, English-language guidance from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (ÇSGB) and statistics from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). According to the YÖK Internationalization Strategy Document 2024–2028, published in February 2025, Turkey hosted 336,366 international students in 2024. Work permit criteria and procedures can be revised between periods, so the date attached to each rule matters.

Can International Students Work in Turkey Legally?

International students can work legally in Turkey when they hold a work permit. Article 19 of the International Labour Law (Law No. 6735), published in the Official Gazette on 13 August 2016, states that foreign students enrolled in formal programs at a Turkish higher education institution may work on the condition that they obtain a work permit. The right to work rests on the work permit, not on the residence permit.

Two definitions frame the rule. An international student is a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Turkey and who is admitted to a higher education institution under international student status. A student residence permit is the residence permit granted to a foreign national studying in Turkey, allowing them to remain in the country for the duration of their studies.

Article 41 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458), in its consolidated text accessed on 24 September 2026, sets the same condition for associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral students in formal education. The Presidency of Migration Management repeats the rule in its work permit questions and answers, accessed on the same date.

The word "formal", inserted into Article 41 by Law No. 6735 in 2016, carries weight: students in open or distance education should ask ÇSGB how the rule applies to them.

Four connected rules shape the legal picture:

• Employment depends on a work permit issued by ÇSGB, under Article 19(1) of Law No. 6735.

• A work permit granted to a student does not end a valid student residence permit or its rights, under Article 19(3).

• A valid work permit also counts as a residence permit, under Article 27 of Law No. 6458.

• The Social Security Institution (SGK) is notified within 30 days of the permit's start date, according to ÇSGB guidance accessed on 24 September 2026.

YÖK's February 2025 strategy document ranks Turkey eighth in the world for hosting international students in 2023.

How Do Undergraduate and Graduate Work Rules Differ?

The difference lies in timing and working hours. Associate and bachelor's students may apply for a work permit only after completing the first year of study and may then work part-time under Labour Law No. 4857. Master's and PhD students in formal programs are exempt from both limits, under Article 19(2) of Law No. 6735 and Article 43(2) of its Implementing Regulation.

The Implementing Regulation, published in the Official Gazette on 2 February 2022 (No. 31738), repeats the Article 19 wording almost word for word.

Table 1. Work rules for international students in Turkey by degree level, as of September 2026

Graduate students still need a work permit and still go through ÇSGB's evaluation. Graduate status removes only the waiting period and the part-time ceiling.

The graduate population affected is large. The YÖK Higher Education Statistics bulletin of 27 March 2026 counts 330,464 master's students and 89,665 doctoral students in Turkey for the 2025–2026 academic year, across all nationalities. Of the 336,366 international students YÖK reported for 2024, 42,465 were at master's or doctoral level, a derived total from the strategy document.

In the wording of Article 19, degree level is what changes these two limits. Nationality, program language and university type do not appear in the provision.

What Does Turkish Law Say About Graduate Students Working?

Turkish law gives master's and PhD students in formal programs the standard work permit route, without the first-year and part-time limits placed on associate and bachelor's students. ÇSGB states this in its English guidance on work permit evaluation criteria, accessed on 24 September 2026, which follows Article 19(2) of the International Labour Law.

Work permit applications for graduate students enrolled in formal education programs will not be subject to the limitations mentioned in the first paragraph.

— Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of International Labour Force, Work Permit Evaluation Criteria, accessed 24 September 2026

The "first paragraph" in the ÇSGB evaluation criteria is the one allowing associate and bachelor's students to work part-time after their first year. The exemption is narrow: it removes those two limits and nothing more.

A graduate student therefore still needs an employer, an approved work permit and valid documents. Article 43(4) of the Implementing Regulation, published on 2 February 2022, allows ÇSGB to evaluate and limit applications from enrolled students and recent graduates by location, duration, sector, occupation, permit type and field of study. The regulation does not publish a fixed formula for that evaluation.

The first permit is usually short. According to ÇSGB's page on work permit types, accessed on 24 September 2026, a fixed-term work permit is valid for up to one year at the first application and can be extended afterwards.

University rules run alongside the law. A master's with thesis is a graduate program completed through coursework and the preparation of a thesis. Attendance, supervision meetings and thesis deadlines set by the graduate school continue to apply to a student who works. Some scholarship programs and graduate schools also set conditions on outside employment, and these vary by institution.

How Do You Get a Work Permit as a Student in Turkey?

A student work permit in Turkey is requested by the employer, not by the student alone. According to ÇSGB guidance accessed on 24 September 2026, employers apply online through the Foreigners' Work Permits Application System (e-İzin), reached through the e-Government portal. ÇSGB states that applications can be made from abroad or from within Turkey; a student holding a student residence permit applies from within the country.

The steps below follow ÇSGB guidance and the Implementing Regulation of 2 February 2022.

1. Confirm eligibility. You must be enrolled in a formal program; associate and bachelor's students must also have completed their first year, under Article 19(2) of Law No. 6735.

2. Check your passport. ÇSGB guidance states that permits and exemptions cannot run beyond the date 60 days before the passport expires.

3. Agree on the role with an employer, including the job title and working hours that will appear in the application.

4. The employer submits the application through e-İzin, and the student supplies enrollment proof and a valid student residence permit.

5. ÇSGB evaluates the application and, under Article 43(4) of the Implementing Regulation, may consider sector, occupation, location and field of study.

6. Start work on time. For applications made inside Turkey, ÇSGB states that work must begin, with social security obligations fulfilled, within one month of the permit's start date.

7. Complete the Social Security Institution notification within 30 days of the permit's start date.

The work permit does not replace university obligations. Keeping the student residence permit valid and enrollment active protects both your student status and the permit that depends on it.

Processing times, document lists and fees are set by ÇSGB and can change between periods, so check the Ministry's pages when the application is prepared.

Which Student Work Needs No Work Permit in Turkey?

Some student internships in Turkey need no work permit, because the Implementing Regulation of the International Labour Law lists them as exemptions. Article 48(1) of the regulation, published in the Official Gazette on 2 February 2022, names three internship categories relevant to students and new graduates. Each has its own time limit and approval route.

ÇSGB describes a work permit exemption as an official document issued by the Ministry that gives a foreigner the right to work and reside in Turkey without a work permit during its validity period.

Table 2. Internship-related work permit exemptions under Article 48(1) of the Implementing Regulation, as of September 2026

The compulsory internship item matters most for degree-seeking students. A student whose curriculum requires a placement with an employer can use the exemption for the length of that placement. A voluntary internship chosen outside the curriculum is not named in item (n), so it generally follows the standard work permit route.

The exchange-program items mainly serve short-term visitors. Paid part-time jobs and freelance work do not appear among these internship items; for those, the route in Article 19 of Law No. 6735 applies.

Which Work Route Suits Your Study Profile?

The right route depends on degree level, year of study and the kind of work. A master's or PhD student in a formal program can pursue a standard work permit from enrollment. A bachelor's student must finish the first year and then work part-time, while a required internship may fall under the separate exemption in Article 48(1)(n) of the Implementing Regulation.

The primary rule comes from Article 19 of Law No. 6735. Institutional practice sits on top of it: universities set attendance and thesis rules, employers decide whether to apply, and ÇSGB evaluates each application.

Five typical profiles:

• A first-year bachelor's student cannot apply for a work permit until the first year is complete, under Article 19(2).

• A bachelor's student after the first year can apply through an employer and work part-time under Labour Law No. 4857.

• A student with a compulsory internship in the curriculum can use the exemption in Article 48(1)(n) for its length.

• A master's student in a formal program can apply from enrollment, with no part-time limit in the law.

• A doctoral student can do the same, while keeping pace with the Thesis Monitoring Committee's reviews.

A Thesis Monitoring Committee is the committee that periodically evaluates and tracks the progress of a doctoral thesis. Full-time work alongside a doctorate is legally possible, but it has to fit the committee's schedule and the maximum period of study set in regulation.

YÖK's February 2025 strategy document counted 11,027 international doctoral students in 2024. For a doctoral student, a job offer has to fit both the work permit rules and the thesis schedule.

Is There a 24-Hour Weekly Limit for Students in Turkey?

The 24-hour weekly limit appeared in the original 2013 text of Law No. 6458, but the consolidated text accessed on 24 September 2026 no longer contains it. Article 41 in force as of September 2026 says that the right to work for associate and bachelor's students starts after the first year and is regulated by the relevant laws and Presidential decrees.

The earlier wording explains why the figure is still repeated. The April 2014 English translation of Law No. 6458, hosted in the NATLEX database of the International Labour Organization, states that the weekly working hours of associate and undergraduate students "shall not exceed maximum twenty-four hours". Many English-language guides were written from that version.

Article 41 has been amended since then. Law No. 6735 of 28 July 2016 added the word "formal", and Decree-Law No. 703 of 2 July 2018 added the reference to Presidential decrees. As of September 2026, the detailed student rules sit in Article 19 of Law No. 6735.

Under Article 19(2), associate and bachelor's students may work part-time under Labour Law No. 4857. The Regulation on Working Hours under that law defines part-time work in Article 6 as work of up to two-thirds of comparable full-time work at the same workplace. Article 4 of the same regulation sets general weekly working time at a maximum of 45 hours.

A derived example makes this concrete. If comparable full-time work at a workplace is 45 hours a week, two-thirds of that is 30 hours. The real ceiling depends on full-time hours at the specific employer, so it can be lower.

The part-time rule applies to associate and bachelor's students only; Article 19(2) states that it does not apply to graduate students in formal programs.

What Can You Do After Graduating From a Turkish University?

Graduates of Turkish universities have two specific routes. Under Article 31 of Law No. 6458, a graduate who applies within six months of graduation can receive a short-term residence permit once, for up to one year. Under Article 19(5) of Law No. 6735, a work permit application made within one year of graduation is evaluated under principles set by the International Labour Policy Advisory Board.

The post-graduation residence permit is a one-time option; a job offer still leads to a standard employer-led application through e-İzin.

For highly qualified applicants, Article 11 of Law No. 6735 provides the Turquoise Card. The law lists education level, professional experience and contribution to science and technology among the factors, and treats people with internationally recognized academic work as qualified foreigners. ÇSGB states that Turquoise Card holders receive the rights of a permanent work permit.

In remarks reported by Anadolu Agency on 14 April 2025, YÖK President Erol Özvar said the aim is to raise the number of international students to 500,000 under the 2024–2028 strategic targets. Rules for students and graduates may be revised as the 2024–2028 strategy develops.

A practical roadmap for the months around graduation:

• Note your expected graduation date and count six months forward for the residence permit application window.

• Request your diploma and transcript from the graduate school early.

• Keep your student residence permit valid until the post-graduation permit is issued.

• Ask potential employers whether they can apply through e-İzin within one year of your graduation.

• Check ÇSGB and Presidency of Migration Management pages for changes before each application.

• Keep copies of every permit, contract and SGK notification in one folder.

Application windows, document lists and evaluation principles can change between periods, so confirm each step with the official institution before applying.

Real-World Examples

The examples in this section are illustrative scenarios created to explain situations applicants may encounter.

Sara, a first-year bachelor's student

Sara started a bachelor's program in business and found a café job near campus in her second month. The employer wanted to hire her, but Article 19(2) of Law No. 6735 lets bachelor's students apply for a work permit only after completing the first year. Sara used the first year to improve her Turkish. At the start of her second year, the same employer applied through e-İzin for a part-time position, and Sara checked that the weekly hours matched the part-time definition at that workplace.

Karim, a master's student with thesis

Karim enrolled in a master's with thesis in computer engineering and received an offer from a software company in his first semester. As a graduate student in a formal program, he was not subject to the first-year and part-time limits. The company applied through e-İzin, and Karim supplied his enrollment certificate and residence permit. Before signing, he confirmed his graduate school's attendance rules in writing and agreed with his supervisor on a thesis schedule that the part-time hours of his first semester would not disrupt.

Mei, an engineering student with a compulsory internship

Mei's bachelor's curriculum required a summer internship at a manufacturing company. She assumed she would need a full work permit for a placement of only a few weeks. Her faculty's internship office pointed her to Article 48(1)(n) of the Implementing Regulation, which covers foreign students who must complete a compulsory internship as part of vocational training. The exemption route applied for the length of the internship, and Mei kept a copy of the curriculum document showing that the placement was compulsory for her degree.

Daniel, a new master's graduate

Daniel finished his master's degree in June and wanted to stay in Turkey to look for work in logistics. Article 31 of Law No. 6458 allows graduates who apply within six months of graduation to receive a short-term residence permit once, for up to one year. He applied in July and spent the following months interviewing. When a company made an offer, it applied for his work permit within one year of graduation, so the application fell under Article 19(5) of Law No. 6735.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Mezun Kampüsü
Mezun Kampüsü is a platform that brings together the graduate programs, application calendars and academic announcements of universities in Turkey. International students weighing whether they can work during a master's or PhD can compare program formats and schedules through Atlas, follow application periods and university announcements, and start a free application through the Universities section, so that study plans and work plans can be considered together from the beginning.