Can Foreign Employees Work Remotely from Another City in Turkey? 2026 Guide

Can a foreign employee with a Turkish work permit work remotely from another city? Learn the 2026 rules on remote work, workplace addresses, employer changes, branches, residence addresses and work permit compliance in Turkey.

Yes, a foreign employee may be able to work remotely from another city in Turkey, but employers should not assume that a valid work permit automatically authorizes unrestricted remote work from anywhere in the country.

The issue is particularly important because the Ministry of Labour and Social Security states that dependent work permits are issued for a specific job, workplace and address. The Ministry also permits certain changes within the same employer, including work at another branch of that employer in the same line of business where the necessary conditions are satisfied.

Therefore, remote work must be evaluated by considering the employee’s legal employer, registered workplace, actual job, work permit information, remote-working arrangement and the permanence of the move.

Does a Turkish Work Permit Allow a Foreigner to Work Anywhere in Turkey?

Not automatically.

A standard employer-dependent work permit is not a nationwide authorization allowing the foreign employee to work for any company, in any occupation and from any workplace.

The Ministry expressly states that work permits are issued for a specific job, workplace and address.

The work permit documentation also identifies the employer and the province in which the foreigner is authorized to work.

This means that location remains relevant even in an era of remote and hybrid employment.

Can a Foreign Employee Work from Home?

Potentially, yes.

Remote work from home is not automatically equivalent to unauthorized employment. However, the employer should determine whether the arrangement remains consistent with the foreign employee’s work permit and employment relationship.

Relevant factors include:

• Whether the legal employer remains the same;
• Whether the employee’s job remains the same;
• Whether the registered workplace remains the same;
• Whether remote work is temporary or permanent;
• Whether the employee works from the same or another province;
• Whether the employment contract properly reflects remote work.

A few days of occasional home working creates a different compliance situation from permanently relocating an employee hundreds of kilometers away from the workplace stated in the permit.

What If the Employee Works Remotely from Another City?

This requires greater caution.

For example, suppose a foreign employee has a work permit connected with an employer’s workplace in one province but permanently moves to another province and performs all duties remotely from home.

The legal employer may remain unchanged, but the actual place from which the foreigner works has materially changed.

Because the Ministry expressly describes work permits as being issued for a particular workplace and address, employers should review the permit arrangement before establishing permanent cross-city remote work.

Is Travelling to Another City the Same as Working There?

No.

A foreign employee holding an ordinary work permit can travel between provinces.

The Ministry’s current guidance confirms that holders of work permits that also substitute for residence permits may travel between provinces during the validity of their permits without obtaining a separate travel authorization.

Therefore, an employee travelling to another city for a meeting, conference or short business trip should not automatically be treated in the same way as an employee permanently relocating their regular workplace.

Does the Work Permit Card Show the City of Employment?

Yes.

The Ministry states that work permit documents contain information identifying the employer and the province where the foreigner will work.

This is particularly relevant when considering permanent remote work from another province.

The fact that modern technology allows the employee to perform their duties anywhere does not eliminate the location information underlying the work authorization.

Is Occasional Remote Work Different from Permanent Remote Work?

Yes.

A practical distinction should be made between:

Occasional remote work: The employee normally works at the authorized workplace but occasionally works from home.

Hybrid work: The employee regularly divides working time between the registered workplace and home.

Permanent remote work: The employee performs substantially all work from a different address.

Cross-city permanent remote work: The employee permanently works from another province from the one associated with the authorized workplace.

The further the arrangement moves away from the workplace structure underlying the work permit, the greater the need for a formal compliance review.

Can the Employee Work from Another Branch in a Different City?

Potentially.

The Ministry states that a foreigner holding a work permit with one employer may work at another branch belonging to the same employer in the same line of business where the necessary conditions are satisfied.

This can be important for companies with offices, factories or branches in several provinces.

However, employers should verify that the second location genuinely belongs to the same legal employer.

What If the Second Office Belongs to Another Group Company?

That is different.

A foreign employee cannot use a work permit issued for Company A to work for Company B merely because both companies belong to the same corporate group.

The Ministry expressly states that a foreigner with a permit issued under one employer cannot work at another employer’s workplace using that permit. A new work permit is required for employment with a different employer.

Therefore, remote working arrangements should not be used to disguise an employer change.

What If the Foreign Employee Works from a Coworking Space?

A permanent coworking arrangement deserves review.

The employee may technically remain employed by the same company, but the actual work location may differ from the workplace underlying the permit.

Relevant questions include:

• Is the coworking location temporary?
• Is it effectively the employee’s permanent workplace?
• Is it in another province?
• Does the employer have a registered branch there?
• Has the employment contract been amended?

The label “remote work” does not by itself resolve these issues.

What If the Employee Works from a Hotel or Holiday Home?

Temporary remote working during travel is different from permanently establishing a new workplace.

For example, working for several days while travelling is less likely to raise the same issues as moving permanently to another province and working exclusively from there.

However, repeated or long-term arrangements should be evaluated based on their actual substance rather than their label.

Can a Foreigner Live in One City and Work in Another?

For many ordinary work permit holders, living and working in different cities is not inherently impossible.

Residence and workplace are separate concepts.

A foreign employee might live in one province and commute to a workplace in another.

The employee’s home address does not automatically become the employer’s workplace simply because the employee lives there.

However, if the employee actually performs all work from that home, the distinction becomes more significant for remote-work compliance.

Does Moving Home Require a New Work Permit?

Not merely because the foreign employee changes residential address.

A residential move and workplace change are different legal issues.

If the employee changes home but continues working at the same authorized workplace, a new work permit should not be assumed necessary solely because of the residential move.

However, the employee must comply with applicable address-registration obligations.

What If the New Home Becomes the Permanent Place of Work?

That is different.

Suppose the employee previously worked at the employer’s office but then moves to another city and permanently works from the new home.

The employer should assess whether this constitutes a material change in the workplace arrangement underlying the permit.

Relevant documents may include:

• Work permit;
• Employment agreement;
• Remote-work agreement;
• Workplace registration;
• Employer records;
• Employee address information.

Does the Employee Need a New Work Permit?

Not automatically in every remote-work situation.

There is no sound basis for saying that every temporary or occasional remote-working day requires a completely new permit.

However, a new application or other corrective procedure may become relevant where the change effectively results in:

• A different legal employer;
• A materially different workplace;
• A different branch structure;
• A different job;
• Another situation inconsistent with the existing authorization.

The Ministry’s core rule remains that dependent permits are connected to a specific job, workplace and address.

What If the Employer Has Offices in Both Cities?

The situation may be easier to structure where both locations genuinely belong to the same employer.

The Ministry permits a foreign employee, subject to the necessary conditions, to work in another branch of the same employer operating in the same line of business.

The company should nevertheless check:

• Branch registration;
• Workplace registration;
• Applicable employment criteria;
• Employee’s job;
• Work permit records.

Can a Foreign Employee Work Remotely from Another City for a Few Weeks?

Temporary remote work presents less risk than a permanent relocation, but duration is not the only factor.

Employers should also consider:

• Purpose of the temporary arrangement;
• Employee’s normal workplace;
• Whether the authorized workplace remains operational;
• Whether the employee will return;
• Whether another employer is involved.

There is no general rule that automatically converts every short remote-working period into unauthorized employment.

What If the Employee Works Remotely for Several Months?

The longer and more permanent the arrangement becomes, the more important it is to review whether the work permit information still reflects reality.

A company should be cautious where an employee:

• Permanently leaves the authorized city;
• Stops attending the registered workplace;
• Works exclusively from another province;
• Establishes a permanent home office;
• Is supervised through another branch.

Such circumstances can indicate that the actual employment structure has materially changed.

What If the Employee’s Job Title Does Not Change?

Keeping the same job title reduces one area of complexity, but it does not eliminate the workplace issue.

The Ministry treats job, workplace and address as separate relevant elements of a work permit.

Therefore, an unchanged title does not automatically resolve a permanent location change.

What If Both Job Title and City Change?

The employer should review both changes together.

For example:

Software Specialist working at headquarters → Regional IT Manager working remotely from another province

may involve:

• Workplace change;
• Occupational change;
• Salary-criterion change;
• Employment-contract amendment.

Under the current 2026 evaluation criteria, salary thresholds vary according to occupation. Senior executives, engineers and architects, other managers, specialists and other employees are subject to different remuneration criteria.

Can a Foreign Software Developer Work Fully Remotely?

Potentially, but the fact that software work can technically be performed remotely does not automatically override work permit rules.

The Ministry’s work permit system regulates the foreigner’s legal employment relationship, not merely whether the work requires physical presence.

Foreign-owned technology companies should therefore distinguish between:

• Flexibility in performing the job; and
• The legal scope of the employee’s work authorization.

Can the Employer Allow “Work from Anywhere in Turkey”?

This type of policy should be reviewed carefully before being extended automatically to foreign employees.

A policy that may be straightforward for Turkish employees can create additional compliance questions for foreign nationals because their employment is tied to work authorization.

Companies should therefore consider separate immigration/work-permit approval procedures within their remote-working policies for foreign personnel.

What About Hybrid Work?

Hybrid work can generally be easier to reconcile with an existing workplace structure where the employee continues to work regularly from the authorized employer workplace.

However, the company should document the arrangement properly.

The employment records should make clear that:

• The same employer continues;
• The same underlying job continues;
• The employee remains attached to the relevant workplace;
• Remote work forms part of the employment arrangement.

Can Remote Work Affect Social Security Registration?

Potentially.

The employer should ensure that remote-working arrangements remain consistent with employment and social security records.

Where the arrangement involves transfer to another registered branch or workplace, payroll and workplace-registration issues may also arise.

Work permit compliance should therefore be coordinated with employment and social security compliance.

Can a Foreign Employee Work Remotely While a Work Permit Extension Is Pending?

Particular caution is required.

The Ministry’s current guidance allows a foreigner whose timely extension application is under evaluation to continue working for up to 90 days after the existing permit expires, but this continuation is subject to the condition that the work performed and workplace do not change.

A major relocation while relying on this continuation rule can therefore create additional risk.

What If the Employee Moves Cities During the Extension Process?

The employer should review the situation before implementing the move.

Where the foreigner is continuing to work under the special post-expiry continuation period while an extension is pending, maintaining the same workplace is an express condition of that continuation.

A permanent move to another workplace or city should therefore not simply be assumed to fall within the pending extension.

Are There Special Rules for International Protection Holders?

Yes.

Location can be particularly important for international protection applicants and conditional refugees who are subject to an obligation to reside in a specified province.

The Ministry states that where such a foreigner applies for a work permit outside the province in which they are required to reside, the application is decided after obtaining the opinion of the Ministry of Interior.

Accordingly, these cases should not be analyzed using only the rules applicable to an ordinary residence-permit holder.

What About Temporary Protection Holders?

Their position also requires separate analysis.

The Ministry’s current documentation confirms that work permits issued to temporary protection holders do not themselves substitute for residence permits in the same manner as ordinary fixed-term work permits. Certain location and travel rules may therefore differ.

Employers should determine the foreigner’s immigration status before approving cross-city remote work.

Can the Employer Be Penalized for an Incorrect Remote-Work Arrangement?

Potentially, where the arrangement amounts to employment outside the foreigner’s valid work authorization.

The International Labour Force framework requires foreigners covered by the legislation to obtain appropriate work authorization before working in Turkey.

The key issue is therefore not that remote work itself is prohibited. The risk arises when the actual employment arrangement no longer corresponds with the scope of the foreigner’s authorization.

Could It Affect a Future Work Permit Extension?

Potentially.

During a later extension, inconsistencies may become relevant if:

• The employee’s actual workplace differs materially from official records;
• The employee was transferred to another company;
• The employee’s job changed;
• Payroll information does not correspond with the declared position.

Companies should therefore regularize material changes rather than waiting for the next extension application.

What Should Employers Do Before Approving Cross-City Remote Work?

A foreign-owned company should review at least:

1. The employee’s current work permit;
2. Legal identity of the employer;
3. Province and workplace associated with the permit;
4. Employee’s job description;
5. Proposed remote-work address;
6. Whether the arrangement is temporary, hybrid or permanent;
7. Whether another company or branch is involved;
8. Employment contract;
9. Social security workplace registration;
10. Work permit expiration and extension dates.

A short written compliance review can prevent a much larger problem later.

Should the Remote-Work Arrangement Be Documented?

Yes.

The company should maintain clear documentation concerning:

• Remote-work terms;
• Normal workplace;
• Duration;
• Employee’s duties;
• Employer identity;
• Reporting structure;
• Whether the arrangement is temporary or permanent.

This can be particularly useful if the actual location of work is later questioned.

What If the Employee Secretly Moves to Another City?

The employer should investigate and regularize the arrangement once discovered.

Foreign employees should not assume that because their job can be performed on a laptop, their work permit location becomes irrelevant.

The employer should determine:

• Where the employee actually works;
• How long the arrangement has existed;
• Whether the work permit remains appropriate;
• Whether employment records need amendment.

Can a Foreign Employee Work Remotely for Another Company at the Same Time?

A standard employer-dependent permit should not be treated as authorization for employment by an unrelated second employer.

The Ministry expressly states that a foreigner holding a permit with one employer cannot work at another employer’s workplace using the same permit.

Remote work does not eliminate this rule.

A second employment relationship may therefore require separate work authorization.

2026 Practical Rule for Remote Work from Another City

For foreign employees in Turkey, the safest distinction is:

Occasional home working:
Generally different from changing the employee’s authorized workplace permanently.

Hybrid work while remaining attached to the same employer workplace:
Potentially manageable, but the employment structure should be properly documented.

Permanent remote work from another city:
Requires closer review because dependent work permits are connected to a specific job, workplace and address.

Transfer to another branch of the same employer:
Potentially permitted in the same line of business where the necessary conditions are satisfied.

Remote work for another legal employer:
The existing employer-dependent work permit cannot ordinarily be used; a new work permit is required.

The practical principle is that remote work does not eliminate work permit compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can a foreign employee work from home in Turkey?

Potentially, yes. However, permanent remote work should be reviewed against the workplace and address associated with the employee’s work permit.

2. Can a foreign employee permanently work remotely from another city?

Potentially, but this should not be assumed automatically. Work permits are issued for a specific job, workplace and address, so a permanent cross-city arrangement requires compliance review.

3. Does travelling to another city require a new work permit?

Ordinary travel does not itself require a new work permit. Certain ordinary work permit holders may travel between provinces during the validity of their permits.

4. Can a foreign employee work at another branch of the same company?

Potentially, yes, where the branch belongs to the same employer, operates in the same line of business and the necessary conditions are satisfied.

5. Can the employee work remotely for a sister company?

Not merely using the existing permit. If the sister company is a separate legal employer, a new work permit is generally required.

6. Does changing residential address require a new work permit?

Not automatically. A residential-address change is different from changing the employee’s legal workplace.

7. Is permanent remote work different from occasional home working?

Yes. A permanent relocation can materially alter the factual workplace underlying the work authorization.

8. Can a foreign employee work from a coworking office in another city?

Potentially, but a permanent arrangement should be reviewed carefully, particularly where the coworking location effectively becomes the employee’s regular workplace.

9. Can a foreign employee change workplace while an extension is pending?

Particular caution is required because the Ministry’s continuation rule during a pending timely extension requires the work performed and workplace to remain unchanged.

10. Should employers review work permits before approving remote work?

Yes. The permit, employer, workplace, province, job, branch structure, social security records and duration of the remote arrangement should all be considered.

Client-Focused Legal Support for Remote Foreign Employees in Turkey

Remote and hybrid employment can create work permit issues that do not arise in the same way for local employees. A foreign employee may remain with the same company while moving to another city, working from home, transferring to another branch or changing both workplace and position.

For international companies, remote-working policies should therefore be coordinated with foreign employee compliance rather than applied automatically to every employee.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office assists foreign employees, international companies and foreign-owned businesses with remote-work arrangements, workplace changes, branch transfers, employer changes and work permit compliance in Turkey.

Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya provides legal assistance concerning cross-city remote work, hybrid employment, workplace-address changes, branch transfers, work permit extensions, employer changes and foreign employee compliance.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower, Office No:148, 06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey