Can foreign undergraduate students work in Türkiye during their studies?
General information, not legal advice. For high-stakes decisions, confirm with the official institution in the next-step below, or consult a qualified Turkish lawyer.
Pending expert review. This fact is sourced but has not yet been reviewed by an independent legal expert. Treat as a starting point.
Yes, under two conditions defined in the CSGB Çalışma İzni Başvurusu Değerlendirme Kriterleri (Section 9.1):
- Only after completing the first academic year of an undergraduate (lisans) or associate-degree (ön lisans) programme at a Turkish higher-education institution.
- Only part-time (kısmi süreli). Full-time employment is not permitted during studies.
You still need to apply for and receive a work permit through the standard CSGB process before starting. The right-to-apply is not a right-to-work.
Watch-outs
- "First-year completion" means a full academic year, not a calendar year. Eight months into your studies isn't enough, even if you started in September.
- "Part-time" hours are not explicitly defined in the criterion. The practical cap depends on the employer's contract and your class schedule — there's no published weekly-hour limit, but the application is evaluated against whether it's compatible with continued study.
- The city where you study is taken into account during evaluation — see work-15. CSGB can weigh local labour market conditions.
- Certain sectors are off-limits to foreign student workers regardless — see work-12 before accepting a role.
Next step
Pull your YÖK enrolment record to confirm it's current, identify an employer willing to apply, then submit the work-permit application through CSGB Uluslararası İşgücü Genel Müdürlüğü. The employer files; you don't file directly.
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