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Turquoise Card in Turkey: Who Qualifies, the 3-Year Transition and Your Rights

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 10, 2026 · 11 min read

The Turquoise Card (Turkuaz Kart) is a document that gives a qualified foreigner the right to work in Turkey (Türkiye) indefinitely, and gives their spouse and dependent children the right to reside. It is granted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security under Article 11 of the International Labour Force Law (No. 6735) to people whose education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, or investment is considered valuable to the country. The first three years are a transition period, after which the card becomes permanent on application. Card holders are also among the foreigners who may acquire Turkish citizenship exceptionally.

This guide sets out who qualifies, how the transition period works, what rights the card gives, how it can be lost, and how it compares with the ordinary work permit and the long-term residence permit.

Legal basis: Law No. 6735, Art. 3(1)(ğ) and Art. 11.
Who decides: the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Who qualifies: foreigners assessed as qualified by education, experience, contribution to science and technology, or the economic effect of their activity or investment.
Transition period: the first three years (Art. 11(2)).
Critical deadline: apply to lift the transition note within the last 180 days of the period; otherwise the card becomes invalid.
Family: spouse and dependent children receive a document that replaces a residence permit (Art. 11(3)).
Rights: those of an indefinite work permit (Art. 11(4)).
Citizenship: card holders and their families may be naturalised exceptionally (Law No. 5901, Art. 12(1)(b)).
Not available to foreigners under temporary protection (Art. 11(6)).

Legal status of this guide. It reflects Law No. 6735 as currently in force. The points system, the document list and the application channel are set by the Turquoise Card Regulation and by the Ministry. The scheme has been applied on a limited scale; before preparing an application, confirm with the Directorate General of International Labour Force how applications are currently being received. Last updated: October 2026.

What the Turquoise Card is

The law defines the Turquoise Card as the document that gives a foreigner the right to work in Turkey indefinitely and gives the spouse and dependent children, under the relevant legislation, the right to reside (Art. 3(1)(ğ)). It was introduced in 2016 as Turkey's instrument for attracting highly qualified workers and investors, comparable in purpose to the blue-card schemes used elsewhere.

Two features distinguish it from an ordinary work permit. First, it is not tied to a particular employer or workplace: an ordinary first work permit is issued for one year, for a specific job with a specific employer (Art. 10(1)), whereas the Turquoise Card gives the holder the rights of an indefinite work permit (Art. 11(4)). Second, it is granted on the basis of who the applicant is and what they bring, not on the basis of an employer's need for a particular post.

Who qualifies

Under Article 11(1), the card is granted, in line with the international labour force policy, to foreigners whose application is found suitable having regard to their level of education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, and the effect of their activity or investment in Turkey on the national economy and employment, together with the recommendations of the International Labour Force Policy Advisory Board and the procedures set by the Ministry.

Article 11(5) identifies those treated as qualified foreigners for the purposes of the scheme:

those with internationally recognised work in the academic field;
those who have distinguished themselves in a field of science, industry or technology regarded as strategic for the country;
those who make, or are expected to make, a significant contribution to the national economy in terms of export, employment or investment capacity.

The implementing regulation groups applicants into categories along these lines — highly qualified workforce, highly qualified investors, scientists and researchers, people of international achievement in culture, arts or sport, and those who contribute to the international recognition and promotion of Turkey — and provides for a points-based assessment.

Foreigners under temporary protection cannot apply (Art. 11(6)).

How applications are assessed

The statute leaves the mechanics to the Ministry (Art. 11(1), Art. 25). In outline:

Application. Made to the Ministry through its electronic system from inside Turkey, or through a Turkish embassy or consulate from abroad, with documents evidencing the applicant's qualifications — diplomas, publications, patents, professional references, awards, evidence of investment, export or employment figures.
Points-based evaluation. Criteria and weights are set by the Ministry; qualifications must be documented, and foreign documents need certified translations and, where required, apostille or consular certification.
Security clearance. As with any work authorisation, an application is refused where the Interior Ministry reports that the foreigner falls within Articles 7, 15 or 54 of Law No. 6458, or where work in Turkey is considered objectionable on public order, security or health grounds (Art. 9(1)(f)–(g)).
Decision. If the application is found suitable, the card is issued with a transition-period annotation.

Meeting the criteria does not create an entitlement. The card is granted to those "whose application is found suitable", and the Ministry's discretion in labour force policy is wide.

Engineer in a hard hat presenting building plans on a large screen — The card is granted on the applicant's own qualifications or investment, not on an employer's request for a specific post.

The three-year transition period

The Turquoise Card is granted on condition that the first three years are a transition period (Art. 11(2)). During that period:

the Ministry may request information and documents from the employer or the foreigner about the activities being carried out;
the card may be cancelled if the requested information is not provided, or if it emerges that the holder no longer has the qualities on which the card was granted (Art. 15(2)(e));
the general cancellation grounds also apply.

The end of the period is where holders must be careful. The law provides:

if the card has not been cancelled during the transition period, the transition annotation is removed on the foreigner's application and an indefinite Turquoise Card is issued;
that application must be made from 180 days before the end of the transition period and, in any case, before the period ends;
an application made after the period has expired is rejected and the Turquoise Card becomes invalid.

Conversion is therefore not automatic. A holder who simply lets the three years run out loses the card altogether. Enter the date in your calendar on the day the card is issued, and file early in the 180-day window.

Rights of the card holder

A Turquoise Card holder benefits from the rights given by an indefinite work permit (Art. 11(4)). Under Article 10(4), a foreigner with an indefinite work permit:

benefits from all the rights provided by a long-term residence permit;
benefits from the rights granted to Turkish citizens, subject to special laws, to acquired social security rights and to the legislation governing the exercise of those rights;
does not have the right to vote or stand for election or to enter public service, and has no military service obligation.

In practical terms this means:

the right to work for any employer, or to change employers, without a new work permit application;
a right of residence with no periodic renewal once the transition period has been converted;
because a work permit counts as a residence permit (Art. 12(1); Law No. 6458, Art. 27), no separate residence permit is needed.

Professions reserved by law for Turkish citizens, and professions requiring a licence or professional body registration, remain subject to their own rules.

Spouse and children

The spouse of the card holder and the children whom the holder is responsible for supporting are given a document showing that they are relatives of a Turquoise Card holder, which takes the place of a residence permit (Art. 11(3)). They do not need to apply separately for family residence permits or meet the sponsor income and housing conditions of Law No. 6458.

The relative's document gives a right of residence, not a right to work. A spouse who wishes to work needs a work permit of their own. The family's status depends on the principal's card: if the card is cancelled or lapses, the relatives' documents lose their basis.

The route to citizenship

Article 12(1)(b) of the Turkish Citizenship Law (No. 5901) lists, among those who may acquire Turkish citizenship exceptionally by decision of the President, Turquoise Card holders and their foreign spouse and their own and their spouse's minor or dependent foreign children — provided there is no obstacle in terms of national security and public order.

The significance is that the exceptional route does not require the five years of uninterrupted residence, the language test and the other conditions of the general route in Article 11 of that law. It remains discretionary: the decision is the President's, applications by those with a national security or public order obstacle are rejected by the Ministry of Interior (Art. 12(2)), and no one has an absolute right to citizenship (Art. 10). See Turkish Citizenship Application Rejected for how refusals are challenged.

How the card is lost

Apart from the transition-period rule described above, the card is cancelled on the grounds that apply to work permits generally (Art. 15(2)), in particular where:

the holder does not provide the information and documents requested during the transition period, or is found to have lost the required qualities;
the application is later found to have been made with false or misleading information or documents;
the Interior Ministry reports that the holder falls within Articles 7, 15 or 54 of Law No. 6458 — for example an entry ban or a deportation ground;
the relevant public bodies report that the holder's work in Turkey is objectionable on public order, security or health grounds;
the holder stays outside Turkey for longer than the period set by the Ministry for Turquoise Card holders (Art. 15(2)(h));
the holder's passport is not kept valid, unless the Interior or Foreign Ministry approves.

Cancellation decisions are notified to the card holder personally (Art. 21(1)) and can be objected to within 30 days and then taken to court (Art. 21(2)).

Compared with other statuses

	Ordinary work permit	Indefinite work permit	Turquoise Card	Long-term residence permit
Basis	Employer's application for a specific job	Long-term residence permit, or 8 years of lawful work	Applicant's qualifications or investment	8 years' uninterrupted residence
Duration	1 year, then up to 2, then up to 3	Indefinite	3-year transition, then indefinite	Indefinite
Tied to employer	Yes	No	No	Not a work authorisation in itself
Waiting period in Turkey	None	8 years	None	8 years
Family	Family residence permit, with sponsor conditions	Family residence permit	Relative's document replacing a residence permit	Family residence permit
Citizenship	General route after 5 years	General route	Exceptional route available	General route
Legal basis	Law 6735, Art. 10(1)–(2)	Art. 10(3)–(4)	Art. 11	Law 6458, Art. 42–45

For most foreign professionals the realistic entry point remains an ordinary work permit obtained by an employer; the law also allows the ordinary criteria to be relaxed for those assessed as a qualified workforce or as qualified investors (Art. 16(1)(a)–(b)). The Turquoise Card is the route for those whose profile is strong enough to be assessed on its own merits.

Considering a Turquoise Card, or approaching the end of the transition period? Send a short summary of your qualifications or investment and, if you already hold a card, its issue date. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form.

If the application is refused

Decisions refusing or cancelling a Turquoise Card are notified to the foreigner under the Notification Law (Art. 21(1)). The remedies are those for all decisions under Law No. 6735:

an objection to the Ministry within 30 days of notification;
if the objection is rejected, an annulment action before the administrative court.

Because the scheme is selective and discretionary, a court will not reassess the applicant's merit. It can review whether the Ministry applied its own criteria correctly, considered the documents submitted, and gave reasons capable of being examined. The procedure is described in Work Permit Rejected in Turkey. In most cases the practical alternative — an ordinary work permit on relaxed criteria as qualified workforce — should be pursued in parallel.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Turquoise Card in Turkey?

It is a document granted under Article 11 of Law No. 6735 that gives a qualified foreigner the right to work in Turkey indefinitely and gives the spouse and dependent children the right to reside. It is issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Who is eligible for a Turquoise Card?

Foreigners assessed as qualified on the basis of education, professional experience, contribution to science and technology, or the economic and employment effect of their activity or investment — including recognised academics, leading figures in strategic fields of science and industry, and significant investors or exporters.

How long is the Turquoise Card valid?

It is granted with a three-year transition period. If it is not cancelled in that time, the holder may apply within the last 180 days of the period to have the transition note removed, after which the card is indefinite. If no application is made before the period ends, the card becomes invalid.

Can Turquoise Card holders bring their family?

Yes. The spouse and dependent children receive a document showing that they are relatives of a Turquoise Card holder, which replaces a residence permit. It gives a right to reside, not a right to work.

Does the Turquoise Card lead to Turkish citizenship?

Card holders and their spouse and minor or dependent children are among those who may acquire citizenship exceptionally by presidential decision under Article 12 of the Citizenship Law, provided there is no national security or public order obstacle. It is discretionary, not automatic.

Is the Turquoise Card the same as a work permit?

It gives the rights of an indefinite work permit but is granted on a different basis. An ordinary work permit is requested by an employer for a specific job and is time-limited; the Turquoise Card is granted on the applicant's own qualifications and is not tied to an employer.

Can the Turquoise Card be cancelled?

Yes — for example if information requested in the transition period is not provided, if the holder loses the required qualities, if false documents were used, if a migration-law or security obstacle is reported, or if the holder stays abroad longer than the period set by the Ministry.

Can people under temporary protection apply?

No. Article 11(6) provides that the Turquoise Card provisions do not apply to foreigners under temporary protection.

What if my Turquoise Card application is refused?

You can object to the Ministry within 30 days of notification and, if the objection is rejected, bring an annulment action before the administrative court. An ordinary work permit application is usually a practical alternative.

Legal basis and sources

International Labour Force Law No. 6735, Articles 3, 9–12, 15, 16, 21 and 25 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Turquoise Card Regulation (Turkuaz Kart Yönetmeliği).
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Articles 10 and 12.
Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of International Labour Force — csgb.gov.tr/uigm.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Confirm the current application procedure and criteria with the Ministry before applying.