Living and working in Turkey

[th4s]

The rise in popularity of Turkey as a holiday location and a place to buy affordable and desirable property has resulted in more expatriates relocating and living and working in Turkey.

There are a few fields of employment in which foreigners are not permitted to work but generally speaking those with a desire to work in Turkey and who can provide a specialist skill or talent to the labour force will find employment opportunities particularly in the tourism, teaching, real estate and finance fields for example – with the most opportunities available in Istanbul.

To enter Turkey residents of the UK and most European countries require only a tourism visa which is renewable and valid for three months at a time. You will be charged around GBP 10 for the visa upon arrival at a port or airport in Turkey and those who wish to spend longer in the country can take a day trip to Northern Cyprus or a short break on one of the Greek islands and then just return and apply for a new visa.

Such open rules can currently be exploited to the advantage of those wishing to live and work in Turkey but who have no desire to go through the registration process. It could be that there is a crackdown or tightening of the rules in the future however, and one should always be aware of governmental policies relating to immigration controls when living and working in a foreign country because ignorance of any changes is no excuse!

Anyone planning on living and working in Turkey for a prolonged period might be best advised to apply for a resident’s permit from the outset especially if they plan to import their worldly goods from the country they herald from – only those with a resident’s permit can get their personal effects into Turkey and avoid paying import taxes you see.

The process of application should begin as soon as you enter Turkey on your latest tourism visa because the process can take a while and anyone who extends their stay over the period of their visa faces heavy fines. The first thing to do is go to the local police station and visit the immigration officials, you’ll need to take some or all of the following items depending on where you herald from - a completed application form in triplicate, a letter of application for residency, at least 6 passport sized photographs, passport, property deeds or rental contract and proof of wealth.

As the Turkish rules of immigration differ on a nation by nation basis it’s sensible to take a translator with you to determine what requirements you will have to fulfil. A permit costs about GBP 200 annually although costs can also change.

Work permits are generally applied for by the employer and because they take ages to issue most foreigners have been in their job for many months before they receive their permission to work! The majority of those who wish to start their own business choose to incorporate a limited company – depending on the proposed activities that the company will engage in it is either possible to incorporate a company alone as a foreigner or to take a Turkish business partner and set up the company together,

[frankie666]

hi its an experience i love coming to turkey hell i even married a turk, lovely people lovely place and beautiful country ...................... so did i tell you i like turkey lol

[synthia]

Are there special programs for retirees? And how expensive is it?

[RVGRINGO]

For a few years, until 1962, I lived near Izmir, with my family, while stationed there with the USAF. We were befriended by a family in Kar?iyaka and will always remember the hospitality of the Akkoyunlu extended family. Now, as I approach my 70th year, I am living in Mexico but always wish that I had the health and resources to move back to Turkey. Some of my best memories are there. I was able to return once in 1972 and found it very much changed. Perhaps I shouldn't go back after all this time and so much development; they say, "you can't go back." I remember, for example, being the only ones at Ephesus and being the only people picknicking on the beach at Ku?adas? when the town was a village and there were not hotels. Yeah, I'm old!

[synthia]

One of the hard things about going back is discovering that things have changed in ways you think are for the worse. Of course, I don't like all the heavy traffic and pollution in Chiang Mai. However, there is heavy traffic and pollution because the people have more money and can afford motorbikes. I doubt they would want to go back.

New member, currently living in Northern Cyprus. considering moving to Turkey, probably Mediterrranean part
anyone any tips, dont-do's, help-you are mads?
TIA
Kim

[th4s]

Kim,
I suggest you make a list first,

Do you want to work here, do you have children etc etc,there are a few help full tips in my web site,its below this,

th4s - yes, some very helpful info on your site(s).
But what I need to hear are people's stories of relocating - both good and bad. I live in turkish Northern cyprus, and if I had known before I moved here what was going on, dearly as I love the island, I would not have decided to live here. Info is great, and useful, but indivdual stories say a lot more...
Cheers
Kim

[Karyn UK]

Turkey is probably going to have a lot of the things you like about Northern Cyprus but perhaps less of the stress. Things are a little more certain here and the country is a little more mainstream established and is working hard to raise itself to European ideals.

I've lived and worked here for a couple of years of now, I have a company - which is not a walk in the park, especially if you are legal! - it gets frustrating sometimes and there are things that seem sent to try you on the beaurocratic front, but we have built up a great network of friends and support and information networks and that gets us through the tricky bits when you just need to vent!

We live in a little village outside Kusadasi and we prefer it here to being in the main resort, we live a more normal life, not surrounded by people constantly on holiday (which can be weird if you are trying to work). We have dinner parties and we socialise with friends but we rarely go to the tourist bars. We have stable electricity, high speed wifi, cheap telephone, good water supply and we just live quietly, apart from the occassional late night gin fest.

In Turkey especially you need to find a niche market if you want to succeed and you need to respect the laws of the country and the spirit of the laws that allow us to come here to work. So, if you have a company you need to employ local people, you need to train people and put something back into the community.

Right now I think there is market potential in the following niche sectors - therapeutic services (massage/beauty/new age), niche tourism (boutique hotels/art holidays/bespoke tours), high end home goods(bespoke carpentry/soft furnishings), education (private tutoring). All of these areas could provide small viable business opportunities for people looking to support a lifestyle move.

The key is to come here and spend some time exploring and talking to a wide variety of people who are actually doing it, build a relationship with them and learn about the pitfalls and the various ways to safeguard yourself.

Hope this helps a bit.

Karyn

Karyn - thanks for that - it is exactly the sort of thing I want to know. We are retired now - although occasionally I miss working -, and on a very small budget. We have been to Turkey many times, but always on holiday, and I understand now, if I didn't before - that permanent living is completely different. The politics in Cyprus are difficult, and there is always hanging over us the prospect of The Problem. Also, as you say, it is an unstable society, with almost everyone, business wise, out to Fleece The Brits (no, not paranoia, but actual fact) though the "ordinary" TCs are usually very nice people, like their mainland cousins.
I would like to talk more with you, if you have time, and by all means email if it is easier: I'd like to give you my email, but the site will not permit me to! Let me say my name is kimig1, and I use google's mail service, gmail. Maybe this will get through!