Türkiye's answer to the question of how to attract people it particularly wants — investors, scientists, exceptional professionals — is the Turquoise Card. It grants an indefinite right to work, extends residence rights to the holder's family, and requires no employer to sponsor it. It is also selective, subject to a three-year probationary period, and granted in far smaller numbers than the publicity around it suggests. This article explains what it is and who realistically obtains one.
What it is
The Turquoise Card (Turkuaz Kart) is provided for in Law No. 6735 on International Labour Force. It confers on its holder the rights attaching to an indefinite work permit, and it grants the holder's spouse and dependent children a document functioning as a residence permit.
Two features distinguish it from an ordinary work permit. It is not tied to a particular employer — the holder may work without a sponsoring company, which an ordinary permit does not allow. And it is indefinite rather than time-limited, subject to the transition period described below.
Who it is for
The law identifies categories including:
- foreign nationals whose level of education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, or the impact of their activity or investment in Türkiye on the national economy and employment, is assessed as high;
- persons whose scientific or technological work is at an internationally recognised level;
- persons whose contribution in culture, art or sport is at that level;
- persons who promote Türkiye internationally in those fields.
Assessment is made against a points system determined by the International Labour Force Policy Advisory Board, with criteria published by the Directorate General of International Labour Force. Those criteria are reviewed and published in six-month periods, which is why any specific scoring threshold quoted online should be treated as potentially out of date.
The honest summary: the card is for people with a demonstrable, documented and unusual profile. An investor who has built a substantial business employing Turkish workers, a scientist with an international research record, an athlete or artist of recognised standing. It is not a general route for a qualified professional.
The three-year transition period
This is the feature most descriptions omit.
A Turquoise Card is initially subject to a three-year transition period. During it the holder enjoys the rights the card confers, but their compliance with the conditions on which it was granted — and the fulfilment of any undertakings given — is monitored by an expert assigned by the Directorate General.
Before the end of the transition period, an application must be made for the card to become unconditional. Where the conditions have not been maintained, the card may be cancelled.
The practical implication is that the card is a commitment rather than an award. An investor who obtained it on the basis of a business employing a defined number of people is expected to maintain that business, and to document that they have.
What it gives
- Indefinite work rights, without a sponsoring employer, subject to the rules applying to particular regulated professions.
- Residence for the holder for the card's duration.
- Residence documents for the spouse and dependent children, which is a substantial advantage over an ordinary work permit.
- Freedom from renewal cycles after the transition period.
- Access to services on the basis of lawful residence.
What it does not give: citizenship. The card is a work and residence status. A holder wishing to naturalise applies under Article 11 of Law No. 5901, with its own conditions including five years of continuous residence and adequate Turkish. Time on a Turquoise Card counts toward residence in the ordinary way, but the card itself is not a citizenship route.
Turquoise Card, work permit or investment citizenship?
| Work permit | Turquoise Card | Citizenship by investment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer needed | Yes | No | No |
| Duration | Time-limited, renewable | Indefinite after 3-year transition | Permanent |
| Family covered | Family permit application needed | Spouse and dependent children | Spouse and children under 18 |
| Capital required | None personally | None fixed; profile assessed | USD 400,000 / 500,000 |
| Selection | Criteria-based | Points and assessment | Threshold-based |
| Passport | No | No | Yes |
The comparison that matters for investors: the Turquoise Card requires no fixed capital but a demonstrable profile, and is discretionary. Citizenship by investment requires capital and is threshold-based — meet the figure and satisfy the conditions, and the outcome is largely predictable. An investor with the capital and a preference for certainty generally takes the investment route; one whose contribution is qualitative rather than financial may be a stronger candidate for the card.
Preparing an application
Because assessment is against published criteria and an evidenced profile, applications succeed on documentation. Depending on the category, that means:
- evidence of the investment: company records, capital, employment figures, tax and social security records, growth;
- academic and professional record: qualifications, publications, citations, positions, awards;
- international recognition: prizes, rankings, national team selection, exhibitions, reviews;
- evidence of contribution to Türkiye specifically — employment created, technology transferred, activity promoted.
Foreign documents require apostille and sworn translation, which is again where the timetable is set.
Applications are made through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's electronic system.
Cancellation
The card may be cancelled where it was obtained on the basis of incorrect information or false documents, where the holder's conduct engages public order or security grounds, where the conditions cease to be met, or where the transition period conditions are not fulfilled.
The practical risk for an investor is the third of these: a business that closes, an employment level that falls away, an undertaking that is not maintained. A card that reflects a real and continuing activity is secure; one that reflected a moment is not.
Frequently asked questions
Does the card give citizenship? No. It is a work and residence status. Naturalisation is separate.
Is there a minimum investment? No fixed figure. The assessment is of profile and contribution, against published criteria.
Can my spouse work? The spouse receives a residence document; working requires the applicable permission.
What happens after three years? An application is made for the card to become unconditional, assessed against compliance during the transition.
Can I work in any profession? Subject to the rules applying to regulated professions, which may require Turkish qualifications or registration.
Where are the criteria published? By the Directorate General of International Labour Force, in six-month periods. Check the current version before applying.
How long does an application take? Variable, and dependent on the completeness of the evidence.
Realistic advice
The Turquoise Card is an excellent status for the people it is designed for and a poor use of time for everyone else. An applicant whose profile is solid but ordinary is better served by an employer-sponsored work permit; an investor with capital and a preference for certainty is better served by the investment citizenship route.
Dural Hukuk assesses candidacy against the current published criteria, prepares Turquoise Card applications and the supporting evidence, and advises on the alternatives where the card is not the right route. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Assessment criteria are revised periodically; verify the current position before applying.