TRNC Ministry of Works and Social Security information relating to working

By Chris Elliott….

For English speaking people who live or wish to work in Northern Cyprus, it has always been difficult to gain knowledge as most information is published in Turkish but times are changing.

On our CyprusScene website home page we have links to many TRNC Ministry web pages which increasingly have English language pages which are most helpful and we recently visited Minister Zeki Çeler at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security  to seek information and we were delighted to learn from the Minister that their web site is now also in English.

Naturally there are interesting news articles being published on this website but also there is a section relating to working with questions and answers, some of which, we are showing under for the benefit of our international readers and if they wish to read all, they can click here.

HOW TO OBTAIN FOREIGN WORK?

I AM AN INTERNATIONAL. WHAT CAN I DO FOR WORKING IN THE TRNC?

For internationals who want to come to TRNC in order to work, before coming; the employer must go to The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and make an application to get prior authorization for the employee. Apart from the information of the ministry; if you have entered and exited before the date of the prior authorization issued by the Ministry of the TRNC, the prior authorization obtained by the employer on behalf of you does not constitute any provision. If this situation is detected, the prior authorization to be made for you is not processed and rejected. According to the Law on Work Permits for Foreigners, Internationals who will work in an employer’s place of business or businesses, they must have entered the TRNC with their passports and they must have stamp the entrance visas to the TRNC ports of entry. Foreign nationals with prior permission, are allowed to enter the TRNC in order to work at the indicated place of work (in the workplace, next to the employer) and in the pre-specified occupation.

CAN I WORK IN THE TRNC WITHOUT PRE-AUTHORIZATION?

Foreign nationals entering the country without the prior authorization given by TRNC Ministry of Labour and Social Security, cannot be employed in any workplace. Such persons may not be present in the application of Work Permit. If a pre-authorization worker fails to start work at the workplace where the pre-authorization has been issued after the entry into the TRNC, Pre-authorization will be cancelled and the right to apply for a work permit fails.

I CAME WITH PRE-AUTHORIZATION, WHAT CAN I DO TO GET WORK PERMIT?

If a foreign worker wants to come to TRNC in order to work, the employer must obtain a prior authorization from the Ministry on his /her behalf. The employer receiving the pre-authorization on behalf of the employee must apply to the relevant department of the Ministry (Labour Office Regional Authority) within the latest 15 days from the date the employee enters TRNC and complete the work within 30 days at the latest in order to complete the work permit. If the work permit application assessed by the Ministry is found appropriate, the work permit is issued for foreign nationals. The work permit issued by the Ministry is processed in the passport of the employee. This process, which is called stamping, is carried out at the Work Permit Centre (Near the Binbir Çeşit Store -Lefkosa)

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA OF THE MINISTRY TO GIVE THE WORK PERMIT?

Employers who want to employ foreign workers with a work permit; with the approval of the Ministry, in order to obtain the work permit for the workers brought from abroad, they have to apply and get the necessary permits within the time stipulated in the Work Permits and Regulations of Foreigners. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security grants work permits for foreign nationals, taking into account the employer’s workplace or job, the workplace of the worker, the needs of the job and profession, and the need for staff. Also, the work permit granted is confined to that workplace.

CAN I WORK IN MULTIPLE JOBS AT THE SAME TIME WITH MY WORK PERMIT?

If you are working in a workplace with a work permit, you cannot work in another workplace or with another employer.

WHAT IS THE DURATION OF WORK PERMIT?

Work permit is issued for a minimum period of 6 months and maximum 1 year. After the 6 month or 1 year work permit expires, if you continue to work with the same employer in the same workplace – enterprise and profession, the Work Permit must be renewed. 

WHAT IS CANCELLING THE WORK PERMIT?

Even if you have a work permit; if you will not start work on the date you are granted permission, if you do not resume work after commencing, if the service contract is terminated by the employer or you, the Work Permit will be null and void by the Ministry.

WHAT IS THE WORK PERMIT FEE ?

By the year 2018:

1- Term Work Permits;

1. For 6 Months ………… 195 TL
2. For 1 Year (12 Months) ……….422 TL

C.For 2 Years (24 Months) ………………..844 TL

2- Permission To Do Business …………899TL

3- Student Work Permits;

1. For 6 Months ……………117 TL
2. For 1 Year (12 Months) ………….234 TL

4- Permission To Establish A Business;

1. For 6 Months …………….1,176 TL
2. For 1 Year (12 Months) ……………2,324 TL
3. For 2 Years (24 Months) ……………………4,632 TL

5- Permission for the foreign public servants from Republic of Turkey and countries abroad who are employed temporarily at the institutions in TRNC…………..128 TL

WHO PAYS THE WORK PERMIT FEE?

Any payment to be made in connection with obtaining a work permit shall be paid by the EMPLOYER. For this purpose, the employer cannot be deducted any cost of the employee for the expenses and payments of the employer. The employer cannot request any payment from the employee.

MY WORK PERMIT HAS FINISHED. WHAT CAN I DO TO EXTEND ITS TIME?

We call this process ‘Extension of Work Permit’. In order to make an application for Working Permit Extension, the worker who has permission to work must not have spent more than 135 days of his / her 1-year work permit expired abroad. For the extension of the work permit, it is necessary to apply for an extension within 3 months (90 days) at the latest from the date of ending. You can also apply 2 months before the date of the ending.

INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN STAFF SHOULD BE KNOWN!

• Keep track of whether your employer has applied to obtain a Work Permit for the required time and has completed the authorization process.
• If the employer has not completed the work related to your Work Permit at the end of the period specified in the law, please do not continue to work and make a complaint about the situation to our Ministry.
• Be sure to have a valid entry visa or work permit when you are in the TRNC.
• it is a law that Work Permitted foreign nationals must work in the job or work place specified in the Labour Permit, and work with the employer in the specified profession.
• if you are continue working in the same work place, the expired Work Permit must be renewed within three months.
• If you cut your employment relation in any way, you have to apply to the Ministry and cancel your work permit.
• You may be subject to fines due to any situations above and/or you may fall to the position of an illegal worker. The employer is responsible for all kinds of financial damages that foreigners will suffer other than the own faults of foreigners.
• Foreign employees are employed according to the current Working Law in TRNC. Employees who have fallen into fugitive status in the TRNC, have to pay a penalty every day at the daily minimum wage amount (109.15 TL) from the date they have been punished under the Law and the penalty for working illegal workers in TRNC is 5 times the minimum wage.
• Foreign workers affiliated to our Ministry may apply to the following institutions to get information or make their complaints:
• For Work Permits, apply for Work Permit Centre – Within the scope of labour law; for transactions such as, wages, working hours, annual leave and unjust termination, apply for Labour Office – For Insurance investments under the Law of Social Insurance, apply for Directorate of Social Security Institution – For investments under the Law of Provident Fund apply for Provident Fund Directorate * You can also forward your complaints to the ALO 102 help line and our website.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR CONVERTING VISITOR’S PERMISSION TO WORK PERMIT………… (There 17 categories of documents required and full details may be found under this section on the Ministry of Works and Social Security website)  click here.