Setting up a company in Türkiye as a foreigner

Foreign investors are treated like Turkish investors

The Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875 of 2003 lets foreign individuals and companies invest in Türkiye freely and gives them equal treatment with domestic investors, unless an international agreement or a special law says otherwise. No prior approval is needed for an ordinary company: a foreign-owned Ltd. or A.Ş. follows the same trade registry procedure as a Turkish-owned one.

The law also protects investments against expropriation without compensation and allows profits, dividends and sale proceeds to be transferred abroad freely. Regulated activities such as banking, insurance or energy need a licence and may have their own ownership rules.

Limited company or joint-stock company?

The two capital companies of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, compared in 2026:

Companies founded before 2024 with less capital must reach the new minimum by 31 December 2026 (Turkish Commercial Code, provisional article 15), or they are deemed dissolved. If you are buying into an existing company, check its capital first.

Alternatives: a branch or a liaison office

A foreign company can open a branch registered with the local trade registry. It is not a separate legal entity: the parent is liable for its debts, it is taxed in Türkiye on its local income, and it normally needs a fully authorised representative resident in Türkiye.

A liaison office needs a permit from the Ministry of Industry and Technology and may not trade: it cannot invoice customers or earn income in Türkiye, and the parent funds it from abroad. It suits market research or supplier coordination, is permitted for a limited term (initially up to three years) and reports on its activity every May.

Step by step: forming the company

The usual order with foreign shareholders. Appoint a Turkish lawyer and a licensed accountant at the start: they handle most of these steps.

1. 1

   Form, name, activity and address

   Choose Ltd. or A.Ş., check that the trade name is free, define the activities and secure a business address in Türkiye.

2. 2

   Tax numbers for foreign shareholders

   Each foreign shareholder and manager needs a Turkish tax number. Individuals can apply online with a passport through the Revenue Administration's form for foreigners, or at any tax office.

3. 3

   Apostille and sworn translation

   Passport copies for individuals; for a corporate shareholder, a certificate of activity, a board resolution and a power of attorney. Foreign documents need an apostille or Turkish consular legalisation, then a sworn Turkish translation certified by a notary in Türkiye.

4. 4

   Articles of association in MERSİS

   The articles are drafted in Turkish in MERSİS, the Ministry of Trade's central registry system, after the foreign founders are recorded there.

5. 5

   Signatures

   Founders sign before the trade registry officer or through a notarised power of attorney; managers give notarised signature declarations. Signatures abroad can be notarised and apostilled there, or made at a Turkish consulate.

6. 6

   Competition Authority share

   New A.Ş. and Ltd. companies pay 0.04% of their capital, at a bank or through MERSİS.

7. 7

   Capital deposit

   An A.Ş. pays at least 25% of its cash capital into a blocked account in the company's name before registration. A Ltd. can pay within 24 months after registration.

8. 8

   Trade registry and chamber of commerce

   The trade registry directorate, located in the chamber of commerce, registers the company and publishes it in the Trade Registry Gazette. The company becomes a chamber member and pays annual dues.

9. 9

   Tax office

   The trade registry notifies the tax office, so no separate start-up filing is needed; the tax office may visit the address. The accountant then certifies the books or sets up electronic ledgers.

10. 10

    Bank account

    Banks run know-your-customer checks on foreign shareholders and often want to meet the managers in person, so allow time.

11. 11

    E-notification and KEP

    Capital companies must receive official notifications electronically: corporate taxpayers join the tax e-notification system within 15 days of starting business, and other authorities use the national system (UETS). Many companies also open a registered e-mail (KEP) address.

12. 12

    Social security when you hire

    Before the first employee or salaried manager starts, the workplace is registered with the Social Security Institution (SGK); payroll tax and premiums are then declared monthly.

Notary, translation, registry and chamber fees are set in Turkish lira and change every year; ask for a written quote.

How long it takes

Invest in Türkiye, the government investment office, says trade registry registration is completed within the same day once the file is complete. Documents from abroad and the bank account usually set the pace.

For a straightforward company whose documents are ready, practitioners commonly report about one to three weeks in total. Corporate shareholders, documents from several countries or slow bank checks can add several weeks. None of these times is guaranteed.

Running the company: tax and compliance

Recurring obligations, whether or not the company trades (figures as of 2026):

General information, not tax advice. Confirm rates, exemptions and deadlines with a licensed Turkish accountant and a tax adviser in your home country.

Working in your company and hiring foreigners

Owning shares does not in itself require a work permit, but working in the company does, including as a salaried manager living in Türkiye. The employer applies online to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

As published in 2026, the general rule is at least five Turkish citizens employed for each foreigner, with a salary floor tied to the minimum wage. For a foreign partner's own permit, the criteria add the points below. The Ministry revises them regularly, and law firms reported new exceptions from 3 August 2026, so check the current text on csgb.gov.tr or with an immigration lawyer before you plan staffing.

• A shareholding of at least 20%.
• Paid-in capital of at least TRY 500,000 for a new company; an established company can instead show net sales of TRY 8,000,000 or exports of USD 150,000.
• The five-employee rule is waived for the first six months of the partner's first permit and applies every month from the seventh.
• Law firms and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce report that a partner with a capital share of USD 100,000 or more is exempt from the capital and employment criteria.

Residence permits and citizenship through a business

A valid work permit also serves as a residence permit (Law No. 6735, article 12). Your spouse and children under 18 can apply for a family residence permit if your total monthly income is at least the minimum wage in force and at least one third of it per family member. Law No. 6458 (article 31) also offers a short-term residence permit to foreigners establishing business or commercial connections; it does not allow you to work.

Two of the seven citizenship by investment routes are linked to business. A fixed capital investment of at least USD 500,000, confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, is usually made through a Turkish company in machinery, equipment or buildings used in the business, and has no holding period. The employment route requires at least 50 jobs, confirmed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security from social security records. We found no official rule on how long the jobs must be kept; some law firms cite three years, so confirm current practice with a lawyer.

Citizenship by investment usually takes 8 to 12 months end to end and is never guaranteed. Your spouse and children under 18 are included in the same file.

Related guides

• Invest in TürkiyeCitizenship, residence and property for foreign investors.
• The seven citizenship routes comparedIncluding fixed capital and employment.
• Opening a bank account in TürkiyeDocuments and currency transfers.
• Double taxation and Türkiye's treatiesHow treaties affect dividends.
• Residence permit by propertyThe USD 200,000 rule.
• Property taxes and costsTitle deed fee, VAT and annual taxes.
• Title deed and valuationHow the transfer and valuation work.
• Turkish citizenship by investmentRequirements, process and costs.

How Golden Visa Partners helps

We are an independent advisory firm based in Istanbul. We do not give legal or tax advice: filings and tax registrations are the work of a Turkish lawyer and a licensed accountant of your choice. We help you decide whether a company fits your goals and compare it with the citizenship and residence routes and with other countries.

Our founder is a licensed real estate broker, so if your company plans to buy or lease property, we can review its pricing and paperwork before you commit. Golden Visa Partners is the brand that Gordion Partners Organizasyon Danışmanlık Limited Şirketi uses for its investment advisory services.

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