Working as an Engineer in Turkey: Degree, Permit, Chamber
A degree earned abroad goes to YÖK, then a work permit, then a TMMOB chamber. Who runs each step, the papers and the 2026 fees.
Table of Contents
An engineer with a degree from abroad meets four bodies in Türkiye: YÖK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu, the Council of Higher Education), Anadolu University if YÖK asks for a level exam, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and a chamber of TMMOB (Türk Mühendis ve Mimar Odaları Birliği, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects).
In short · checked 31.10.2026
Four bodies, in this order.
- YÖK: decides on the degree: accepted, rejected, or sent to the level exam. Fee 1,250 TL in 2026.
- Level exam: Anadolu University, Eskişehir. 2026 round: exam 14.06.2026, fee 5,600 TL, pass mark 40 of 100.
- Ministry: the work permit. Engineers’ pay: at least 4 × the gross minimum wage, 132,120.00 TL a month in 2026.
- Chamber: temporary membership within 30 days of the permit.
- Limit: work is limited to the job named in the permit.
The title block
The four steps on a drawing sheet
Pick a branch and YÖK’s decision. Open a cell to read its card. Tick the steps you have done: when every lit cell is ticked, the signature cell draws itself.
Ticked 0 of 4 steps.Signature cell drawn (imza yetkisi). Work is limited to the job named in the permit.
1Equivalence at YÖK (denklik)
YÖK checks the foreign university and the degree, then decides: accept, reject, or send the applicant to the level exam.
- Fee, 2026
- 1,250 TL (YÖK Executive Board, 24.12.2025; valid 01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026).
- Time
- No fixed time: it varies with the country, the programme, correspondence and the subject commission.
- Where
- Papers go up online; the originals are checked at YÖK in Ankara on the appointment day.
The 15 papers for a foreign national’s bachelor’s degree
- Pre-application form, printed and signed
- Consent form (Rıza Beyanı)
- ID or passport identity page, copy
- Diploma, original, with approved translation
- Transcript, original, with approved translation
- EU diplomas: Diploma Supplement and translation
- Transferred courses: transcript and translation
- Branch campus: paper of the country of study
- International-body institution: same kind of paper
- Dual nationals: residence paper
- Passport pages with entry and exit dates
- Written reason for applying
- Fee receipt
- Language result, 60 points, if taught in another language
- Colour copies of all papers
Source: denklik.yok.gov.tr, checked 31.10.2026.
2Level exam at Anadolu University (Seviye Tespit Sınavı)
YÖK accepted the degree: no exam. The details below apply when YÖK sends the applicant.
Only if YÖK sends the applicant. YÖK’s guide places the engineering exams with Anadolu University in Eskişehir.
- 2026 round
- Apply 22.04 to 04.05.2026 (late 18 to 19.05); exam 14.06.2026, 10:00; results 22.06.2026.
- Exam
- 120 minutes, 80 questions; fee 5,600 TL; pass mark 40 of 100.
Share of the test by subject, in percent (the 2026 guide):
Civil: Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Water resources 7, Hydromechanics 7, Structural statics 7, Steel structures 7, Geotechnics 7, Transportation 7, Materials science 7, Reinforced concrete 7, Construction management 7, Dynamics 7.
Mechanical: Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Manufacturing and design 10, Machine theory, vibrations and control 10, Strength of materials 10, Thermodynamics 10, Fluid mechanics 10, Heat transfer 10, Statics and dynamics 10.
Electrical: Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Linear algebra 7, Circuit analysis 7, Electromagnetics 7, Electronics 7, Electrical machines 7, Control theory 7, Logic circuits 7, Power distribution and transmission 7, Power electronics 7, Communications 7.
Computer: Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Web design and programming 5, Computer networks 6, Formal languages and automata 6, Object-oriented programming 6, Data structures 8, Digital circuits 6, Computer architecture 5, Algorithms 6, Operating systems 6, Databases 6, Optimisation 5, Software engineering basics 5.
Source: YÖK, 2026 level exam guide, checked 31.10.2026.
3Work permit (çalışma izni)
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security decides. For engineers it sends the file to TMMOB for an opinion; the permit names one job.
- Pay
- At least 4 × the gross minimum wage: 132,120.00 TL a month in 2026 (minimum wage 33,030.00 TL).
- Papers
- The equivalence certificate is a paper of the file. A company that takes on the engineer adds a payroll slip of a Turkish employee in the same profession.
- TMMOB
- The chamber gives its opinion within 10 days; TMMOB’s board decides; the decision reaches the Ministry within 30 days.
- More
- Kinds, papers, fees and steps: Work Permit in Turkey.
Source: csgb.gov.tr, checked 31.10.2026.
4Chamber membership (geçici üyelik)
Temporary membership, within 30 days of the permit. Without it the person is barred from professional activity.
Civil: İnşaat Mühendisleri Odası (İMO), imo.org.tr.
Mechanical: Makina Mühendisleri Odası (MMO), mmo.org.tr.
Electrical: Elektrik Mühendisleri Odası (EMO), emo.org.tr.
Computer: Bilgisayar Mühendisleri Odası (BMO), bmo.org.tr.
İMO, first half of 2026: 100,000 TL first registration and 125,000 TL annual dues. Foreigners of Turkish descent pay the citizens’ dues on showing the document.
The fee is set by the TMMOB General Assembly; dues are yearly.
- Papers
- The permit; the diploma with a notarised Turkish translation and the YÖK certificate; a notarised passport copy with translation; the marriage record if married to a Turkish citizen; earlier permits; a professional liability policy.
- Rights
- No vote and no office; the same duties as full members.
- Ends
- With the permit; the card goes back within 15 days.
Source: TMMOB regulation, 2005, checked 31.10.2026.
5Signature authority (imza yetkisi)
TMMOB’s regulation names signature authority in the permit file: its papers apply to foreigners who will practise the profession, including those who take project responsibility and use signature authority.
It sets these conditions:
- The job lies within the engineering field of the bachelor’s diploma.
- The pay is not below the yearly minimum the chambers set.
- A further internship or training the chamber sets, where Turkish practice asks for one.
Work is limited to the job named in the permit. Temporary membership ends with the permit.
Geçici üyelik ve imza yetkisi hakkında bilgi almak istiyorum. I want information about temporary membership and signature authority.imza yetkisi signature authoritySource: TMMOB regulation, 2005, checked 31.10.2026.
Four bodies, four steps
Each body decides one thing and asks for its own papers. The Ministry’s list for engineers names the equivalence certificate, and TMMOB’s regulation lists it in the permit file, so YÖK’s decision comes first. The chamber gives its opinion on the file while the permit is decided, and registers the engineer as a temporary member after it.
- YÖK Recognition and equivalence (tanıma, denklik) of the degree. Result: accepted, rejected, or sent to the level exam.
- Anadolu University, for YÖK The level exam (Seviye Tespit Sınavı, STS), only when YÖK sends the applicant.
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security The work permit (çalışma izni). For an engineer the Ministry sends the file to TMMOB for an opinion.
- TMMOB chamber Temporary membership (geçici üyelik) within 30 days of the permit: İMO, MMO, EMO or BMO for the four branches of the title block.
Who this covers
TMMOB’s regulation names foreign engineers (mühendis), architects and city planners. This page follows engineers. A foreign engineer who practises in Türkiye registers with the chamber of the branch: civil, mechanical, electrical or computer.
Recognition and equivalence at YÖK
Two words matter. Recognition (tanıma) means YÖK accepts that the foreign university and its programme may award degrees. Equivalence (denklik) means YÖK finds the degree equal in level, credits and learning outcomes to a Turkish one. The certificate that follows is a paper of the Ministry’s file. How YÖK and Türkiye’s universities are set up: Turkish Higher Education System.
- Who applies
- Graduates of associate, bachelor’s or master’s programmes abroad, Turkish citizens and foreign nationals alike. Doctorates go to the Inter-University Board.
- Fee, 2026
- 1,250 TL. YÖK’s Executive Board decided it on 24.12.2025 for 01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026. The same fee covers a request for re-examination.
- “Processing continues” letter
- İşlemler Devam Ediyor: free if asked for at the application; otherwise 300 TL.
- Time
- No fixed time. It varies with the country, the programme, correspondence and the subject commissions.
- Where
- YÖK, Üniversiteler Mh., 1600. Cad. No:10, Çankaya, Ankara.
- Incomplete file
- An incomplete file starts nothing. For gaps found later YÖK allows 30 days.
- 1 Pre-application online, through e-Devlet (the state portal) or YÖK’s equivalence page. The form is printed and signed.
- 2 The papers go up online. The originals are checked, and returned, on an appointment day at YÖK. The appointment date counts, not the online date.
- 3 YÖK verifies through the Foreign Ministry and calculates the stay abroad from police data.
- 4 A subject commission assesses the degree.
- 5 YÖK’s Executive Board (Yürütme Kurulu) decides: accept, reject, or the Level and Qualification System, which means the level exam.
The papers for a foreign national’s bachelor’s degree, as YÖK prints them
- Pre-application form, printed and signed
- Consent form (Rıza Beyanı)
- Copy of the ID or the passport page with the identity details
- Diploma, original, with its Turkish translation approved by a Turkish notary or mission
- Transcript, original, with its approved translation
- EU diplomas: Diploma Supplement, with translation
- Transferred courses: their transcript, with translation
- Branch campus abroad: the recognition or equivalence paper of the country of study
- Institution under an international body: the same kind of paper
- Dual nationals: a paper showing residence in the country of study
- Passport pages with entry and exit dates
- Written statement of why the degree is submitted
- Fee receipt
- Language result, 60 points, if taught in a language other than the applicant’s national one
- Colour copies of every paper, passport pages included
A diploma, transcript or Diploma Supplement printed from a digital file, with no wet signature and no seal, hologram or watermark, is not accepted. YÖK may ask for further papers after the application. A Turkish translation approved by a notary: Notarization in Turkey.
Direct equivalence: the top-400 rule
Under YÖK’s rules of 15.03.2024, a degree gets direct equivalence, with no level exam, when the foreign institution stands in the top four hundred band of at least three of the rankings YÖK accepts, as they stood in the year studies began, and a Turkish programme is equivalent.
The rule
3 of 4 rankings, top 400, the year you began.
The rankings YÖK accepts: ARWU, CWTS Leiden, QS and THE.
It covers all programmes of an institution that stands in the band.
A wider band (top 1,000 in at least two rankings) applies to medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and law only.
Those who enrolled in the programme, or its preparatory year, before the change of 15.03.2024 are outside the new rules.
The level exam, Seviye Tespit Sınavı (STS)
YÖK’s third outcome sends the applicant to the Level and Qualification System. For the engineering fields YÖK’s guide places the exam with Anadolu University in Eskişehir (Anadolu University); the medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and teaching exams are ÖSYM’s. ÖSYM (Ölçme, Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi, the national exam centre) appears in this route for the language proof only.
- Who may sit
- Applicants whom YÖK decided to send. Applicants with no decision may apply on request. Applicants whose equivalence request was rejected cannot sit.
- 2026 round: apply
- 22.04 to 04.05.2026; late applications 18 to 19.05.2026.
- 2026 round: exam
- 14.06.2026 at 10:00. 120 minutes, 80 questions. Results 22.06.2026.
- Fee
- 5,600 TL in 2026.
- Pass mark
- 40 of 100. The score is the net count of correct answers divided by the valid questions, times 100; each wrong answer takes away a quarter of a correct one.
- Appeals
- Against questions and the exam: 15 to 16.06.2026. Against results: 22 to 23.06.2026. 500 TL per kind. Access to the questions: 2,000 TL.
What the test covers, by branch. Each bar sums to 100 percent; the guide says the shares may vary. Physics, mathematics, chemistry and differential equations are common to all four.
Civil test
Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Water resources 7, Hydromechanics 7, Structural statics 7, Steel structures 7, Geotechnics 7, Transportation 7, Materials science 7, Reinforced concrete 7, Construction management 7, Dynamics 7.
Mechanical test
Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Manufacturing and design 10, Machine theory, vibrations and control 10, Strength of materials 10, Thermodynamics 10, Fluid mechanics 10, Heat transfer 10, Statics and dynamics 10.
Electrical test
Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Linear algebra 7, Circuit analysis 7, Electromagnetics 7, Electronics 7, Electrical machines 7, Control theory 7, Logic circuits 7, Power distribution and transmission 7, Power electronics 7, Communications 7.
Computer test
Physics 11, Mathematics 11, Chemistry 5, Differential equations 3, Web design and programming 5, Computer networks 6, Formal languages and automata 6, Object-oriented programming 6, Data structures 8, Digital circuits 6, Computer architecture 5, Algorithms 6, Operating systems 6, Databases 6, Optimisation 5, Software engineering basics 5.
The language of the exam
The sample questions YÖK publishes for civil engineering are written in Turkish, with five options each. The kılavuz (guide) is the rules booklet for the whole round.
The work permit in short
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security decides. The permit has its own page with the kinds, papers, fees and steps: Work Permit in Turkey. For engineers the rules add these:
- Pay: at least 4 × the gross minimum wage for engineers and architects: 132,120.00 TL a month in 2026, with the gross minimum wage at 33,030.00 TL.
- Papers: an equivalence certificate for a degree earned abroad. A company that takes on a foreign engineer, architect or city planner shows a payroll slip of a Turkish employee in the same profession.
- Opinion: the Ministry sends the file to TMMOB. The chamber answers within 10 days. If it and TMMOB’s review commission differ, TMMOB’s board decides, and the decision reaches the Ministry within 30 days.
- One job: the foreigner may work only in the job named in the permit application.
- Exempt from a permit: engineers, architects and city planners who stay over one month and practise still register as temporary members.
TMMOB’s regulation is dated 01.02.2005 (amended 13.03.2005). Where the Ministry’s current pages differ, the Ministry’s pages apply. For the wider job search: Finding a Job in Turkey.
The chamber: temporary membership
TMMOB has 24 chambers, one for each profession. The four in the title block are the İnşaat Mühendisleri Odası for civil engineers (İMO), the Makina Mühendisleri Odası for mechanical engineers (MMO), the Elektrik Mühendisleri Odası for electrical engineers (EMO) and the Bilgisayar Mühendisleri Odası for computer engineers (BMO). Temporary membership (geçici üyelik) is the foreign engineer’s registration at the chamber of the branch.
- When
- Within 30 days of the permit date. Also for engineers exempt from a permit who stay over one month and practise.
- Without it
- The person is barred from professional activity.
- Papers
- The permit; the diploma with a notarised Turkish translation and the YÖK certificate; a notarised passport copy with translation; the marriage record if married to a Turkish citizen; earlier permits; a professional liability policy. After acceptance: the pay contract and the latest payroll and tax papers.
- Ends
- With the permit. The card goes back to the chamber within 15 days. An extension of the permit renews the membership.
- Rights
- No vote at general assemblies and no office in the chamber’s bodies. The same duties, professional ethics and inspection as full members.
İMO, first half of 2026
100,000 TL first registration, then 125,000 TL a year.
İMO ties foreign members’ registration to the project-based civil-engineering work permit.
Foreigners of Turkish descent pay the citizens’ dues on showing the document.
The fee is set by the TMMOB General Assembly and the dues are yearly.
Signature and responsibility (imza yetkisi)
TMMOB’s regulation names signature authority in the permit file: its papers apply to foreigners who will practise the profession, including those who take project responsibility and use signature authority. It sets these conditions.
- The job lies within the engineering, architecture or city-planning field named in the bachelor’s diploma.
- The pay is not below the yearly minimum that the chambers set.
- A further internship or training, where Turkish practice asks for one after the bachelor’s degree: the chamber sets the equivalent obligation.
- The foreigner meets the authority and competence certificate conditions that engineers in Türkiye meet under their professional rules.
- Work outside the fields of the permit ends the temporary membership, and an application goes to the Ministry to cancel the permit.
Limited to the permit
The foreigner works only in the job named in the permit. Temporary membership ends when the permit ends.
Words and questions
Fourteen words
mühendis engineerdenklik equivalence of a foreign degreetanıma recognition of the foreign institutionSeviye Tespit Sınavı level exam (STS)kılavuz the guide, the exam’s rules bookletçalışma izni work permitoda chamber of TMMOBgeçici üye temporary memberimza yetkisi signature authorityantet title block of a drawingrıza beyanı consent formtranskript transcriptYürütme Kurulu YÖK’s Executive Boardmesleki sorumluluk poliçesi professional liability policyDo I have to take the level exam?
Only if YÖK decides so. YÖK’s Executive Board decides to accept, reject, or send the applicant to the Level and Qualification System. An accepted degree has no exam. Rejected applicants cannot sit.
Is the exam in Turkish?
The civil-engineering sample questions YÖK publishes are written in Turkish, with five options each.
Who runs the exam?
For the engineering fields, YÖK’s guide places it with Anadolu University in Eskişehir.
How long does equivalence take?
YÖK gives no fixed time. It varies with the country, the programme, correspondence and the subject commissions.
When do I join the chamber?
Within 30 days of the date of the work permit, as temporary member of the chamber of the branch.
Sources and limits
- Tanıma ve Denklik Hizmetleri Daire Başkanlığı — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Denklik Başvurusu — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Bilgi Bankası — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Seviye ve Yeterlik Belirleme Sistemi — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- 2026 Seviye Tespit Sınavı Kılavuzu — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- 15 Mart 2024 Usul ve Esaslar — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Soru-Cevap — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- İnşaat Mühendisliği örnek soruları — YÖK (denklik.yok.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- TMMOB Yabancı Mühendis, Mimar ve Şehir Plancılarının Çalışma İznine Esas Değerlendirilmesi ve Geçici Üyelik Müracaatları Hakkında Yönetmelik — TMMOB (tmmob.org.tr), published 01.02.2005, checked 31.10.2026
- Odalar — TMMOB (tmmob.org.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Yabancı Üye İşlemleri — İMO (imo.org.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Çalışma İzni Başvurusu Değerlendirme Kriterleri — Ministry of Labour and Social Security (csgb.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Belgeler — Ministry of Labour and Social Security (csgb.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Asgari Ücret — Ministry of Labour and Social Security (csgb.gov.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Makina Mühendisleri Odası — MMO (mmo.org.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Elektrik Mühendisleri Odası — EMO (emo.org.tr), checked 31.10.2026
- Bilgisayar Mühendisleri Odası — BMO (bmo.org.tr), checked 31.10.2026
Limits: the figures are those of the date checked. The 2026 fees, the 2026 level-exam round and İMO’s first-half amounts change; the regulation is dated 2005. The gross minimum wage of 33,030.00 TL is the 2026 figure on the Ministry’s minimum-wage page, checked 31.10.2026. The page names no agency, translator or adviser. Picture credits sit in each caption.
