Foreign Personnel Employment Process in the Tourism Sector: 2025 Guide

As Istanbul Relocation, we address the process of employing foreign personnel in Türkiye’s tourism sector. The tourism sector is one of the areas that most needs international workforce, and obtaining a work permit for foreign employees is a legal requirement. However, unlike other sectors, there are certain significant exemptions and facilitations in the legislation for tourism enterprises. Therefore, the process is subject to specific rules, yet it can proceed more flexibly thanks to advantages specific to the tourism sector.

General Evaluation Criteria:
During the application process, the Ministry evaluates under three main headings:

Employment Criterion: For each foreign employee, there must be at least 5 Turkish citizens at the workplace. This ratio is checked through the workplace’s active SGK notifications.

Financial Sufficiency Criterion: As of 2025, the workplace is expected to meet at least one of the following criteria: at least 500.000 TRY paid-in capital, 8.000.000 TRY annual sales, or 150.000 USD export. If the foreign individual is a company partner, at least 20% partnership and 500.000 TRY capital share are required.

Wage Criterion: A salary compliant with the minimum wage multipliers determined according to the foreigner’s position must be offered. For example: 2 times the minimum wage for positions requiring expertise, 4 times the minimum wage for engineers, 5 times the minimum wage for senior executives.

Meeting these three criteria together is the fundamental requirement for the application to be approved.

The tourism sector is one of the sectors that has certain special exemptions and facilitations in employing foreign workers. These exemptions apply especially to enterprises certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and they allow some general criteria to be relaxed according to sectoral needs. Below are important practices specific to the tourism sector:

Exemption to the Requirement of 5 Turkish Employees – “10 Turkish Employees” Exemption:

In the tourism sector, a significant facilitation is provided in the employment criterion for certain enterprises. In work permit applications for foreign personnel who will work in jobs requiring expertise and skill, the following enterprises are exempt from the general rule of “5 Turkish employees for each foreign employee” if they employ at least 10 Turkish citizens:

• Tourism enterprises certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
• Restaurants operating under contract at the same address
• Tourism-animation organization companies
• Complexes such as hammams and saunas
• Hammams and saunas contracted with a travel agency
• Thermal hotels with official authorization

If 10 or more Turkish employees are actually working in these enterprises, an employment quota exemption arises for the foreign personnel to be applied for. As Istanbul Relocation, we verify the number of Turkish employees through the SGK service list before the application in such enterprises, confirm the eligibility for exemption, and prepare your application accordingly.

Work Permit for Positions Requiring Expertise Such as SPA, Massage, Animation:

In the tourism sector, special conditions are required for foreigners who will work in expertise- and skill-requiring jobs such as masseur, masseuse, and SPA therapist. According to Law No. 6735 and the current regulation, in order for a work permit to be granted in these positions, the workplace where the foreigner will work must meet one of the following qualifications:

• A tourism facility certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that has a massage salon and can prove it, or a thermal hotel with official operational authorization
• A massage salon operating under contract at the same address within a ministry-certified tourism enterprise
• A hammam and sauna facility contracted with a company holding a travel agency operation certificate
• A sports center employing at least 20 Turkish citizens and officially authorized by government authorities

In places that do not meet these criteria (for example, unlicensed businesses, beauty salons, or undocumented small facilities), work permit applications made for such positions are evaluated negatively by the Ministry.

As Istanbul Relocation, before the application, we check in detail whether these criteria are met through business certificates, operational permits, and SGK records, and if the necessary conditions are not present, we recommend alternative application routes or adjustments.

Quota Exemption in Small Enterprises: Small enterprises operating within large tourism facilities (such as hairdressers, jewelers, carpet shops, or textile stores inside a hotel) also have ease in employing foreign personnel. According to Ministry criteria, if such a small enterprise operating under contract within a certified tourism facility employs at least 1 Turkish citizen, the requirement of the 5 Turkish quota and financial sufficiency conditions are not applied for up to 2 foreign employees. For example, if a gift shop within a hotel has 1 Turkish staff member, that shop may employ 2 foreign salespersons without the requirement of 5 Turkish employees. This is a flexibility that facilitates small local businesses in tourism areas to employ staff who speak foreign languages.

Exemption in the Entertainment and Animation Sector: Companies that provide tourist entertainment services (such as animation organization firms or show teams) can also benefit from a special facilitation when employing foreign artists or animators. If entertainment sector companies or tourism-animation organization firms employ at least 10 Turkish citizens for foreigners who will work in expertise-requiring positions, the 5 Turkish quota for each foreigner is not applied. For example, if an animation company has 10 local animators, this company may add an extra foreign acrobat or performing artist to its staff without an additional Turkish employment requirement. This rule encourages international performance groups to work in Türkiye.

Health Tourism and Travel Agencies: There is also an exceptional situation for A-group travel agencies authorized by the Ministry of Health, especially those operating in the field of health tourism. For foreigners who will work within these agencies in domestic applications, the employment and financial sufficiency criteria are not applied for up to 5 foreign employees. In this way, agencies wishing to employ multiple foreign personnel—such as foreign patient coordinators or interpreters in the field of medical tourism—may meet these needs without being restricted by the 5 Turkish quota.

In conclusion, for certified and corporate enterprises in the tourism sector, the process of employing foreign personnel may have more advantageous conditions compared to other sectors. Exemptions from the 5 Turkish employee rule, the ability to employ foreign specialists in specific jobs such as massage/SPA, and the flexibility to obtain permits for multiple foreigners address the needs of the sector. However, it should still be remembered that each application is evaluated individually by the Ministry; the physical capacity and financial sufficiency of the enterprise are taken into account in determining the number of foreign employees to be permitted. That is, the scale and the nature of the business may practically affect how many foreign personnel can be authorized.

Considering the complexity of the foreign personnel employment process, the expert team of Istanbul Relocation provides comprehensive support to employers and foreign employees at every stage of the process. Especially for companies in the tourism sector, working with an experienced consultant who is familiar with the legislation can save both time and cost. Here are some of the critical services provided by Istanbul Relocation:

Pre-Assessment and Eligibility Analysis

Istanbul Relocation first conducts a situation analysis for the foreign personnel you plan to hire. It evaluates your company’s employment criterion (number of Turkish employees), financial sufficiency (capital and turnover status), and the compliance of the foreign personnel’s qualifications with the legislation. For example, as a hotel enterprise, it analyzes whether you meet the requirement of 5 Turkish employees; if not, it indicates which exemptions you can benefit from (such as the 10 Turkish employee exemption). In this way, you identify risks and deficiencies before the application.

Document Procurement and Preparation

Collecting all necessary documents and preparing them in the correct format is one of Istanbul Relocation’s core services. It also prepares the employment contract that must be signed by both the employer and the employee in accordance with the legislation and submits it to the parties. Thus, the possibility of errors or missing documents is eliminated.

Application Tracking and Additional Process Management

After the application, we follow the progress in the ministry system daily and quickly respond to additional document or explanation requests when necessary. In case of a rejection, we conduct a cause analysis and prepare the objection or re-application file, restructuring the process from the beginning.

Approval and Aftermath

Even after the work permit is approved, our job does not end. We check details such as passport validity and work permit card duration, and we proactively track permit renewal dates and legislative changes, informing you in a timely manner.

Extension and Termination Process

Before the work permit expires, we plan and execute the extension applications. In cases such as the foreign personnel leaving the job, we carry out the termination procedures of the permit in accordance with the legislation. In this way, we prevent risks and penalties from arising.

In conclusion, employing foreign personnel in the tourism sector can provide significant benefits to enterprises when done correctly. Acting in compliance with the updated legislation as of 2025 is essential both to avoid administrative sanctions and to ensure that the personnel start their job efficiently. Since mastering the legal procedures in foreign employment can be time-consuming, working with professional consultancies such as Istanbul Relocation significantly accelerates and simplifies the process. By following the steps covered in this guide and obtaining expert support when necessary, you can conduct a successful and lawful collaboration with foreign employees in the tourism sector. Remember, with the right knowledge and expertise, there is no barrier to building an international team.