Foreign work permits in Türkiye: demographic, sectoral, and regional distribution.

Foreign labour has become a structural feature of Türkiye's economy. The number of work permits issued to foreign nationals has risen roughly 6.6 times in eleven years — from 45,823 in 2013 to 300,852 in 2024 — and the 2024 figure is the highest on record. This report draws on the official 2024 statistics published by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Labour and Social Security, alongside the relevant legislation, to describe who is working in Türkiye, in which sectors, and where.

It is an interpretive reading of public data, not legal advice. Where the official statistics do not disaggregate a figure, we say so. The aim is to give employers, institutions, and policy observers a clear, evidence-based picture of the foreign-labour landscape as it stood at the end of 2024.

1. Key findings from the 2024 statistics

Five findings frame the year, each developed below:

A record 300,852 permits. The total number of work permits issued to foreigners rose 25.5% year on year (2023: 239,835 → 2024: 300,852), reaching an all-time high and surpassing even the pre-pandemic growth trajectory.

Syrian nationals remain the largest group. Approximately 38.99% of permits — 117,334 — were issued to Syrian nationals, followed by Turkmenistan (32,276; 10.7%), Russia (17,267; 5.8%), Uzbekistan (15,644; 5.2%), and Kyrgyzstan (10,869; 3.7%).

Women's participation is rising. The share of permits held by women rose to 29% (87,361) in 2024, up from 27.6% (66,299) in 2023 — a notable increase in the participation of foreign women in Türkiye's labour market.

Demand concentrates in services and construction. The largest single sector was Accommodation (31,785), followed by Domestic Workers (25,165), Construction of Non-Building Structures (24,433), Wholesale Trade (18,685), and Manufacture of Wearing Apparel (13,401).

Authorization is heavily geographically concentrated. The Marmara region absorbed 46.66% of permits and Istanbul alone 34.24% (103,025). When exemptions are added to permits, the total number of foreigners legally authorized to work in Türkiye in 2024 was 433,483.

Eleven years, a 6.6× increase, and a record 300,852 permits in a single year. Foreign labour is no longer a marginal flow in Türkiye — it is part of how the economy now functions.

2. Annual trends, 2016–2024

Between 2016 and 2024 the number of work permits issued followed a steady upward trend, interrupted only by a 14.9% pandemic-era dip in 2020. A sharp 35.9% recovery in 2021 was followed by continued growth, culminating in the 2024 record. The transition to a fully digital, e-Government (e-Devlet) application system over 2016–2019 was a turning point: it reduced informality, improved traceability, and let the system absorb rapidly growing demand.

The headline year-on-year growth rates tell the story: 18.5% (2017), 32.8% (2018), 25.3% (2019), then −14.9% (2020), 35.9% (2021), 26.5% (2022), 12.8% (2023), and a renewed 25.5% in 2024. Work permits issued to Syrians under temporary protection have been one of the key drivers of this trend — of the 300,852 permits granted in 2024, around 39% went to Syrian nationals.

3. Nationality: who holds the permits

Of the 300,852 permits issued in 2024, roughly 39% went to Syrian nationals — an indicator of the labour-market participation of the large registered Syrian population. Turkmenistan follows at 10.7%, reflecting both geographical and cultural proximity and demand in specific service and domestic-support sectors. The regional mobility triggered by the Russia–Ukraine war is also visible: Türkiye issued 17,267 permits to Russian and 3,464 to Ukrainian nationals in 2024.

The fastest-growing nationalities tell a parallel story. Compared with 2023, permits issued to Turkmenistan nationals rose 146% (13,128 → 32,276), to Uzbekistan nationals 85% (8,437 → 15,644), and to Indonesian nationals 59% (5,607 → 8,930). Syrian permits grew a steadier 8.1% (108,520 → 117,334). Permits issued to nationals of Central Asian countries — Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan — and to Afghan and Azerbaijani citizens rose by between 25% and 85%.

4. Sectors: where the demand sits

Demand for foreign labour concentrates in services and construction. The revival of tourism and a growing need for home-based care have driven employment in Accommodation and among Domestic Workers, particularly in major cities and tourist regions. The acceleration of infrastructure projects has sustained demand in non-building construction. Together, the top five sectors account for just under 38% of all permits; the long tail of "other sectors" makes up the remaining 62.2%.

Beyond the headline sectors, demand for foreign labour in finance, education, healthcare, information technology, and logistics reflects the multi-sectoral structure of the Turkish economy — and points to likely growth in permit applications for specialised and skilled roles in the coming period.

5. Regional distribution across Türkiye

Work-permit issuance is heavily concentrated in the west and south. The Marmara region leads decisively, driven by Istanbul; the Mediterranean and Aegean regions follow, supported by seasonal demand in tourism and agriculture. The Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, and Black Sea regions hold smaller shares, reflecting where industry, tourism, and services cluster — though provinces such as Ankara, Kayseri, and Konya stand out within their regions.

At province level, Istanbul recorded 103,025 permits (34.24% of the national total), far ahead of Antalya (35,953; 11.95%), Mersin (30,079; 10%), Bursa (18,296; 6.08%), and Ankara (15,121; 5.03%). Viewed globally, the origins of foreign labour skew toward the Middle East (45.24%), Central Asia (20.15%), and the rest of Asia (19.42%), with smaller shares from the Russia–Ukraine corridor (6.89%), Europe (3.21%), Africa (3.01%), and the Americas (1.27%). Labour from Europe and the Americas concentrates in skilled fields — engineering, academia, healthcare, and technology.

6. Permit types and total work authorization

Permits are only part of the picture. A regulatory amendment that took effect on 15 October 2024 extended the scope of the "Work Permit Exemption Information Form" to individuals under Temporary Protection and holders of Humanitarian Residence Permits — a measure aimed at preventing informal employment and promoting formal labour-market access. Through that form, 120,284 people gained the legal right to work in 2024.

7. Conclusion

The 2024 data shows both the contribution of foreign labour to Türkiye's economy and the regional and sectoral needs shaping it. The notable increases among Syrian, Turkmen, and Uzbek nationals — and the broader rise across Central Asia — are indicators of regional employment policy and migration direction. The clear concentration in Istanbul, Antalya, Mersin, Bursa, and Ankara reflects where the country's services, tourism, and manufacturing sectors cluster.

For employers and institutions, the practical implication is that planning around foreign labour now means planning around data: monitoring nationality-based trends, anticipating regional demand, and designing support mechanisms — for women, youth, and individuals under protection — on an evidence base rather than assumption. Digital application systems and facilitative procedures have widened access; grounding the next phase of foreign-labour practice in data-driven analysis will be key to making employment policy inclusive, human-centred, and sustainable.

This report is a starting point. Kaya Development's public-sector and project-management practices support employers and institutions with foreign-labour strategy, compliance reviews, and workforce planning — please get in touch with specific questions.