Can foreign undergraduate students work in Türkiye during their studies?
Yes — but with two key conditions:
1. Only after completing the first academic year of your undergraduate (lisans) or associate-degree (ön lisans) programme at a Turkish higher-education institution. 2. Only part-time (kısmi süreli) — full-time employment is not permitted during studies.
You must still apply for and receive a work permit through the standard CSGB process before starting work.
- "First year completion" means a full academic year, not a calendar year — you cannot work in your second semester just because months have passed.
- "Part-time" hours are not explicitly defined in this criterion — practical limits depend on the employer's contract and your study schedule.
- The city where you study and other factors are taken into account when evaluating the application (see fact
work-15-student-status-verification). - Certain sectors are off-limits regardless (see fact
work-12-student-forbidden-sectors).
Confirm your YÖK enrolment record is current, identify an employer willing to apply, and submit the work permit application through CSGB Uluslararası İşgücü Genel Müdürlüğü.
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# Dr. Yahaya
> Ghanaian · Medical doctor · 10+ years in Türkiye · English / French / Hausa / Turkish
Dr. Yahaya is a Ghanaian medical doctor who has lived in Türkiye for over a decade. He completed his medical degree at a Turkish university and has navigated the full post-graduation transition — from student ikamet to work-permit-as-doctor, the practical realities of medical practice in Türkiye as a foreign-trained doctor, professional recognition by the Sağlık Bakanlığı, and the long-term residence permit journey.
## Speak to Dr. Yahaya if you are
- Considering medical studies in Türkiye (especially from an African country).
- Currently in a medical programme and need to understand the practical realities — language barrier, clinical-year intensity, exams.
- Approaching graduation and need to map out the work-permit + Sağlık Bakanlığı recognition path.
- A long-term foreign resident considering the Uzun Dönem permit.
## Areas Dr. Yahaya does NOT cover
Per the justice rule, Dr. Yahaya is not surfaced for questions outside his attested scope:
- Non-medical academic programmes (engineering, business, etc. — needs different experts).
- Non-Ghanaian-specific community questions (general questions may be served from Fact data).
- Specific universities he didn't attend (his attestations are about his own university experience).
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# Muna
> Ethiopian · Physics Engineering · Hacettepe (undergrad) + Marmara (master's) · Ethiopian student community in both Ankara and Istanbul · English / Amharic / Turkish
Muna is an Ethiopian physics engineer with a uniquely useful dual perspective on Turkish higher education: she completed her undergraduate at Hacettepe Üniversitesi in Ankara and is doing her master's at Marmara Üniversitesi in Istanbul — same field, two universities, two cities, two cohorts.
She can speak to the specific differences between Ankara and Istanbul student life, the contrasts between Hacettepe and Marmara's physics engineering programmes, and the experience of being an Ethiopian student across both cities. She is connected to the Ethiopian Student Association in both cities.
## Speak to Muna if you are
- An Ethiopian student considering or currently in Türkiye.
- A physics engineering student (undergrad or master's) at Hacettepe or Marmara.
- Looking to find the Ethiopian community in either Ankara or Istanbul.
- Curious about the practical differences between Ankara and Istanbul student life.
## Areas Muna does NOT cover
Per the justice rule, Muna is not surfaced for questions outside her attested scope:
- Other engineering disciplines (her attestation is specifically physics engineering).
- Universities she didn't attend (her observations are about Hacettepe + Marmara specifically).
- Non-Ethiopian community dynamics.
- PhD studies (she's done undergrad + master's; not PhD).