Meta description: How a foreigner can open a company in Turkey in 2026: business forms, minimum capital (TRY 50,000 for a limited company), registration steps and documents, work permits for founders, taxes, and how business, property and residence permits are connected.

How Can a Foreigner Open a Business in Turkey?

Foreign nationals are allowed to open and run a business in the Republic of Turkey. Moreover, the local authorities take measures to support non-residents who invest not only in Turkish property but also in business. The main changes of recent years: since 2024, the minimum capital of a limited company has risen to TRY 50,000, and anyone who works in their own company must have a work permit.

The most popular business sector in Turkey is, of course, tourism and everything connected with it: services, the beauty and medical industries, entertainment and trade. Registering a business in Turkey often turns out to be much simpler than in many other countries.

In addition, commercial rents here are more affordable, and advertising and salary costs are lower. But given inflation (29.73% year on year in September 2026), these costs in lira are rising quickly, so the budget is worth recalculating at least once a quarter.

How to open a company in Turkey as a foreigner: legal aspects

The basics and nuances of Turkish law are the first thing a future entrepreneur planning to open a business in the country needs to get to know. The main document here is the Foreign Direct Investment Law, which sets out in detail who can run a business in the country, how and on what grounds. This is Law No. 4875 of 2003: it gives foreign investors the same rights as Turkish ones, and the company itself is registered under the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102.

Foreigners, including citizens of most countries, are given wide opportunities for business activity. The most attractive business forms are:

A sole trader, or Gerçek Kişi Tacir;
An ordinary partnership, or Adi Ortaklık;
A cooperative, or Kooperatif;
A branch of a foreign company, or Yabancı Şirket Şubesi;
A representative office in the form of a liaison office, or İrtibat Bürosu;
A limited partnership, or Komandit Şirket;
A joint-stock company, or Anonim Şirket;
A limited liability company, or Limited Şirket (Ltd. Şti.).

A foreign national can choose any of these forms for their business in Turkey. In practice, foreigners most often open a limited company (Limited Şirket) or a joint-stock company (Anonim Şirket).

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How to open a company in Turkey as a non-resident: organizational aspects

Foreigners are allowed to work in various sectors. The most promising and popular include:

Real estate;
Tourism;
Services.

To open your own business, you need to meet a number of organizational requirements. For example, there are certain criteria for the company name:

It must state the company's line of business;
The name must be unique and must not match the name of another company, at least as regards the first three words;
To use the words "Turkey", "Turkish" or "republic" in the company name, you need the appropriate permission, which is now granted by the President of Turkey (Article 46 of the Commercial Code); previously, this was decided by the Council of Ministers;
Foreign words may be used in the name if the company's founders include citizens of other countries.

The minimum share capital is TRY 50,000 for a limited company and TRY 250,000 for a joint-stock company (since January 1, 2024). Companies created earlier with less capital must raise it to these amounts by December 31, 2026, otherwise they will be deemed dissolved. This amount can be divided into shares with a value of TRY 25 or more. The capital of a limited company can now be paid in full within 24 months after registration; in a joint-stock company, a quarter is paid before registration and the rest within 24 months. A limited company can have from 1 to 50 founders, who may be citizens of any country. The company must appoint at least one director. If two or more people are appointed to this position, they all have equal powers. Several directors with joint signing authority can also be appointed, which means they can only make business decisions together. To remove a director from office, a corresponding decision of the founders' board is required.

The company's liability is limited to its share capital, except in the case of debts to the Republic of Turkey. A founder remains liable to the state even after leaving the board. However, neither directors nor founders bear personal liability, except in fraudulent schemes.

Can a foreigner open a company in Turkey: registering the company

If you have already managed to buy an apartment in Turkey and are now planning to open your own business, we recommend preparing for this procedure in advance. It does not take much time, but it must be carried out strictly in accordance with the letter of the law.

Registration itself through MERSİS takes from one day, and the whole process, including opening a bank account and tax registration, usually takes 1–2 weeks. You will have to pay a certain amount for the paperwork: in 2026, it is noticeably higher than the former TRY 2,500–4,000 because of inflation and depends on the number of documents that need to be translated into Turkish and notarized. It is best to request an exact estimate in advance from a Turkish accountant (mali müşavir): a company cannot do without one anyway, as the accountant keeps the books and files the reports.

Documents for registering a company

To register your own business in Turkey, you will need:

A passport with a notarized translation;
A Turkish tax number;
A certificate of registration, an extract from the company register and permission from the competent authority approving participation in a Turkish company, if the company is being opened by a foreign legal entity (documents from abroad must be apostilled and translated by a sworn translator);
A power of attorney.

The founders or their official representatives must personally sign the Articles of Association at a notary's office, with the signatures certified. After registration with the chamber of commerce, you need to set up the accounting books, register with the tax office, then open a bank account and order a company stamp. Right before launching the business, you need to prepare receipt and payment vouchers and invoices. Today, invoices are in most cases issued electronically (e-Fatura or e-Arşiv). Usually this preparation is enough to start working. The exception is companies that want to carry out licensed activities. They need to obtain the relevant license or permit before starting work.

A work permit should be considered separately. A foreign founder who works in their own company needs one just like a hired employee. Usually, the company must have capital of TRY 500,000 or more (or revenue of TRY 8 million or more, or exports of $150,000 or more) and at least 5 Turkish employees for each foreigner; from August 3, 2026, some of these requirements were relaxed for those who have lived in Turkey legally for at least one of the last three years. We have described in detail how working with a residence permit works in a separate article.

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Specifics of opening and running a business in Turkey: summary

Registering a legal entity itself takes from one day. For this, you will need the founding documents: the Articles of Association, the founders' declaration, the founders' resolution and the company name in Turkish. You must take the package of documents to the chamber of commerce. In Turkey, you can register a joint-stock company, a limited company, a partnership, a sole proprietorship or a cooperative. The application is prepared in the MERSİS electronic system; the whole process, including tax registration and opening a bank account, usually takes 1–2 weeks.
The share capital does not have to be paid in all at once: in a joint-stock company, a quarter of the capital is paid before registration and the rest within 24 months; in a limited company, all the capital can be paid within 24 months after registration.
In Turkey, procedures such as obtaining permits, certificates and licenses are quick and easy. Sectors such as currency exchange, banking and insurance are under state control, so working in them requires permission from the relevant regulators: banks are supervised by BDDK and insurance companies by SEDDK.

Every entrepreneur doing business in Turkey must follow the letter of the law precisely, especially in everything to do with taxes.

Taxes and mandatory company costs in 2026

What	Rate or amount
Corporate income tax	25% (30% for banks, insurance and financial companies)
VAT	20% standard rate; reduced rates of 10% and 1%
Withholding tax on dividends	15%
Minimum capital of a limited / joint-stock company	TRY 50,000 / 250,000
Accountant (mali müşavir)	A mandatory monthly cost, priced by contract
Chamber of commerce fees	Annual; the amount depends on the chamber and the capital

Business, property and residence permits

A company and an apartment in Turkey give different grounds for a residence permit, and they are often confused:

A residence permit based on property is granted only for a home (konut) with a TAPU price of $200,000 or more. Commercial premises bought for a business do not give this right.
The neighborhood. The apartment must be in a neighborhood open to residence permits for foreigners. In Alanya, according to data from June 2026, Mahmutlar, Kestel, Avsallar and Kargicak are open, but the status is checked for the specific address.
A residence permit for doing business is issued on the basis of your own company or business ties in Turkey; a founder who works in the company needs a work permit.
Citizenship is granted for buying property worth $400,000 or more (it cannot be sold for 3 years) or, for example, for investing $500,000 or more in a company's fixed assets.

"Many buyers combine the two: they buy an apartment to live in and open a small company, for example to manage rentals. We advise keeping these tasks separate from the start. A residence permit is more reliably obtained based on an apartment worth $200,000 or more, and the company is best opened together with an accountant who will help with the work permit and reporting," says a sales manager at Yekta Homes.

Moving to Turkey

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Who should not open a company in Turkey

Those who need a company only for a residence permit. The costs of an accountant, capital and reporting are usually higher than for a residence permit based on property or another ground.
Those who plan to work in the company themselves without a work permit. This is a violation for which both the worker and the company are fined.
Those not ready for monthly reporting. Even with zero revenue, a company files returns and pays an accountant.

Each of these situations is visible in advance. In such cases, people choose a residence permit based on property or a tourist residence permit, and come back to business when they have a clear plan and an accountant as a partner.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner open a company in Turkey?

Yes. Under Law No. 4875, foreign investors have the same rights as Turkish ones and can be the sole founders of a limited or joint-stock company.

What is the minimum capital of a limited company in Turkey?

TRY 50,000 since January 1, 2024; for a joint-stock company, TRY 250,000.

How long does it take to register a company?

Registration itself through MERSİS takes from one day, and with preparing documents, tax registration and a bank account, usually 1–2 weeks.

Does a foreign founder need a work permit?

Yes, if they work in the company themselves. For this, the company must meet the requirements for capital or revenue and the number of Turkish employees.

Does buying an office or a shop give the right to a residence permit?

No. A residence permit based on property is granted only for a home with a TAPU price of $200,000 or more.

We will help you buy property in Turkey and start your own business

If you want to buy property in Turkey and start your own business, contact Yekta Homes. We will help you choose the best residential and commercial property options from a developer in Turkey, provide professional support during the deal and help you understand the local specifics of doing business. To get started, leave a request on the website or call us at +90 533 782 0000. If your business involves exports or manufacturing, look into the special tax regimes as well: we have explained how free economic zones in Turkey work in a separate guide.