Which sectors can foreign students NOT work in?
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.
Two sector categories close the door to foreign-student work-permit applications:
The entertainment sector in roles unsuitable for student status. CSGB interprets this broadly — bars, nightclubs, similar venues whose work environment they consider incompatible with student status.
The domestic services sector (ev hizmetleri) — childcare, elderly care, disabled care, patient accompaniment.
Every other lawful sector is open, subject to the standard evaluation criteria and the part-time-after-first-year rule for undergrads (work-10) or the standard rules for graduate students (work-11).
Watch-outs
- "Entertainment in roles unsuitable for status" is interpreted broadly. When in doubt, assume restrictive — don't optimise around a definition CSGB controls.
- The domestic-services ban applies even to informal work — being paid as a "family friend" nanny for a relative is the same risk. Informal work without a permit puts your student status on the line.
- Working illegally in a forbidden sector triggers permit cancellation and deportation under Law 6458 — see law-06.
Next step
If you're considering any service-economy role, confirm explicitly with CSGB whether it qualifies as "entertainment" or "domestic services" before accepting. The verification call is faster than the deportation that follows the wrong guess.
All sources (1)
- CSGB — Çalışma İzni Başvurusu Değerlendirme Kriterleri — B Bölümü, Section 9.4 ↗
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