Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners

Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners is circulated in Türkiye. Employers will be held responsible for various expenses associated with employment of foreigners without any permit.

Introduction
After various discussions, the Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners was published in the Official Gazette dated 23 July 2025 and numbered 32964. Take a look at full text from here

This article will highlight core parameters of the new Regulation applicable in Türkiye as of the new year of 2026.

What is the objective of the Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners?

Article 1 highlights the core objective of the Regulation by stating that

The purpose of this Regulation is to clarify the procedures and principles regarding the recovery of expenses from the employer or the employer’s representative in cases where foreigners, who are found to be working without a permit and are reported to the provincial directorate of migration management for deportation, as well as their spouses and children (if any), have their accommodation expenses, repatriation costs, and, when necessary, healthcare expenses covered by the budget of the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior.

What is the meaning of a work permit?
Under International Labor Force Law Numbered 6735, it is prohibited for foreigners to work or to be employed in Turkey without a work permit or an exemption from the work permit. For more information take a look at our article:

Work Permit in Türkiye

What is the scope of the Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners?

The new Regulation covers three groups of people and one kind of expenses:

• foreigners who have been found to be working without authorization in violation of Law No. 6735 and have been reported to the provincial directorate of migration management and become subject to a deportation order;
• the employers and employer representatives who employed such foreigners without authorization;
• the spouses and children of such foreigners, if any;
• and the expenses incurred for these individuals from the budget of the Directorate General of Migration Management which could not be collected from the foreigner.

Scope of the Regulation

It necessarily follows that the Regulation applies to the following categories:

Foreigners working without authorization who are subject to deportation;

Employers and their representatives who employed such foreigners;

The spouses and children of such foreigners (if any);

Unrecovered expenses paid by Migration Management from its budget on behalf of these individuals.

Which expenses can be taken from employers or their authorized representatives?
Under the new Regulation, employers will be held responsible for :

• the accommodation expenses of the foreigners, the expenses required for their return to their countries, and, when necessary, healthcare expenses incurred for foreigners that will be deported,
• their return costs,

The provincial directorate of migration management shall notify the employer or the employer’s representative in writing that the costs, expenses, and expenditures made from the budget of the Presidency for the unauthorized foreign worker and, if any, their spouse and children — which could not be collected from the foreigner — must be paid to the relevant accounting unit within one month.

What is more, if these amounts are not paid within the specified period, the amount will be collected pursuant to Law No. 6183.

Conclusion
In the final analysis, the Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners introduces serious financial responsibilities to employers or their representatives.

The Regulation on the Employer Responsibility for Deportation Costs of Foreigners significantly raises the stakes for employing foreign nationals without proper authorization. Taking into account the Regulation’s effective date is six months later, employers should take necessary measures for the full alignment with the Regulation beforehand. With the Regulation taking effect from January 2026, employers should immediately review their compliance with applicable immigration and labor laws to mitigate financial and legal risks.