Moving to Turkey for Permanent Residency
Moving to Turkey from Abroad: How does one find themselves when they decide to immigrate and start a new life in a foreign country? Is it easy?
Can foreigners open their own business in Antalya? What is required for that? Should one become a sole proprietor or open a limited liability company (LLC)?
Is it possible to open your own business in Antalya, and what do you need to do for that? How easy or difficult is it to gather and submit the documents? Should one become a sole proprietor or open an LLC?
We met with four representatives from various professions in Antalya to talk to them about everything in order..
The first person we met was a businessman named Arseniy, who opened a coworking space called "Portakal" in the center of Liman, Konaklı, Antalya.
He shared with us that the most challenging part for him was finding the right license for his business. Since coworking is still not widely developed in Antalya, determining the appropriate license caused some difficulty. However, after consulting with lawyers, it became clear that an internet cafe license would be the most suitable.
"Opening a business here is not difficult in principle," Arseniy explains. "You just need to obtain a residence permit, obtain a tax number, get a passport, find a reliable accountant, provide them with the requested documents, and then the opening procedure will take one day!"
Arseniy is a sole proprietor, so opening a company did not pose any difficulties.
"I handed over the documents to the accountant in the morning, and the next day, around noon, I received my sole proprietorship card."
The representative from the tax office was a little surprised when he came to inspect the premises. "If you have an internet cafe, where are the computers?" But Arseniy explained to him that people bring their own computers to the coworking area, and they handle everything themselves. He took it calmly and didn't encounter any problems.
There were other nuances when Arseniy started gathering information on how to start his own business and found different sources interpreting the law slightly differently. One company advised Arseniy to open an LLC, but in that case, he would have had to employ 5 workers, which, along with other expenses, would lead to a monthly cost of nearly 30,000 lira.
But Arseniy didn't give up; he continued to investigate, consulted other unbiased lawyers, and called Istanbul. It turned out that by registering as a sole proprietor, he could significantly reduce taxes, include expenses in tax deductions, and hire just one employee instead of 5. As a result, the cost part dropped several times.
There was also a language-related nuance. When Arseniy was looking for workers to paint the walls, do wiring, make furniture, and other tasks, he invited different people and found a team of workers who agreed to perform specific jobs.
Overall, these workers did a good job, but they significantly exceeded the estimated deadlines. What was supposed to be completed in 2 weeks took about a month and a half.
Here's how Arseny commented: "When they tell you here that everything will be ready tomorrow, don't believe it! 'Tomorrow' is a stretchable concept. Yes, they can do everything well, but 'tomorrow' can be pushed back, maybe by a week or so."
But there were also pleasant moments: Turks are quite easy to communicate with, a smiling nation. They are friendly and talkative. This, of course, sometimes prolongs the process, but it creates some lively communication and interaction. You can negotiate with them; they even offer discounts or gifts when the relationship is good.
What else is pleasant about Turkey?
For example, when the tax authorities come - a serious person with a tablet, takes photos of everything but doesn't try to find something to catch onto. They simply ask questions and have conversations without taking bribes. In general, bribery is not accepted here. You must never even offer it; otherwise, it will only make things worse, and they may initiate a case against you and arrest you.
Arseny also answered a question: if a foreigner opens a business in Turkey as an individual entrepreneur, according to the law, they are not allowed to work without obtaining a visa. What is the right course of action in such a case?
Hire an employee with Turkish citizenship!
However, one must approach this carefully because some people try to save money and, for example, hire an employee for an hour. But if someone complains about your company, and an inspection comes and asks the employee about their duties that they fulfill within an hour, if the employee indeed confirms that they can complete their duties within an hour, the commission may leave satisfied, and everything will be fine.
But if it turns out that it's not the case, it can result in significant fines. Therefore, it's necessary to comply with the law here and hire for the actual time the person spends at work.
What advantages does freelancing offer, and how convenient is it to have a flexible schedule instead of working in an office?
We discussed these questions with the following hero - Olga Emrullah, a well-known photographer in Antalya.
"It all depends, of course, on a person's self-organization," Olga believes. "Especially for those who get easily engrossed!
That's why the better schedule I create for myself, the easier it becomes. It's great to engage in your favorite work, meet interesting people from different parts of the world. At the same time, you're always "on call" at home, staying connected, planning your own schedule, choosing clients, helping your daughter with her studies, and taking care of the house.
Olga is also an individual entrepreneur, so we asked if she contributes to a pension fund.
And how many years does one have to work to receive a Turkish pension?
To be eligible for a Turkish pension, you need to have Turkish citizenship, and if you work for yourself, the pension will start accruing minimally after 25 years of work in Turkey.
Alternatively, by presenting a work record book from another country, but then you would have to pay taxes to the Turkish treasury, and only then would you be entitled to pension benefits.
If you work as an employee, then you need to work for only 15 years.
However, laws change here in Turkey, they are complex, so having an accountant is a mandatory requirement. There are many accountants here called Mali Müşavir, and their monthly fees are around 300 liras. They can guide you on tax matters and contributions.
Another hero is Roman, a businessman who lived in Germany for 30 years, moved to Antalya, and opened a company called "Russian Ice Cream" that supplies
Roman created a limited liability company and explained that as an ethnic German, he moved from Russia to Germany with his parents as a teenager. He already had experience opening companies and running his own business in another country.
Therefore, when he arrived in Turkey, he understood that without knowing the Turkish language, he realized that the director of the company should be a Turk, that is, a local resident.
"I have a more European mentality. I spent 30 years in Germany," Roman shared with us. "So, for me, the system, like a worked-out product, had already formed a certain system. But here it didn't work.
The mentality of an Eastern person is more like... on the go. They are constantly on the move and with a chessboard. And the soul of an Eastern person - it always needs to be nurtured, always enticed with some presents... But my Russian origin helped in the end - in general, I managed to negotiate with everyone!
What difficulties can you expect in working in Turkey?
Here's Roman's experience: "One contract that you sign is worthless, absolutely nothing. So you sign a piece of paper that doesn't help you at all.
You think it's some kind of guarantee for you, that your product will be sold and you will either receive a certain power of attorney or something else. No! If your partner wants to leave somewhere, move, sell today, they're gone, you understand?
These are the difficulties, but we still try to adapt and integrate into this system."
Advantages of doing business in Turkey
The good thing is that they initially allow you to develop. So if you submit documents, write an application stating that you are opening a company, describe your concept, they observe you but don't throw sticks in your wheels. They don't exist, you understand?
It's much easier than in Germany. If you have all these documents, that's it, you have the green light.
The company "İcePlombirr" has grand plans: it has currently opened 125 points in Antalya, reached Mersin, and is now expanding its market in major cities such as Ankara, Istanbul, and Bursa - these three cities are currently under negotiation. And from February 2022, they will enter Tahtakale, creating a large network throughout Turkey.
They want to collaborate with the supermarket chain "Migros." They also plan to open their own factory.
"I think we will accomplish this within two to three years," Roman summarized. "Because we already have the factory. We won't reinvent the wheel. We will simply dismantle the factory there, in Ukraine, and transport it here."
When asked about the difficulty of the procedure, paperwork, and documentation, Roman replied that in Turkey, it is really great, a huge advantage for all foreigners - if you bring your capital, your innovations, your ideas, they simply adore you here!
And our final hero of the review is the owner and founder of the SanArt Dance Studio, Alexandra Alp.
The opening of her dance studio was based on her love for her work, the desire to create, teach, personal professional fulfillment, the enthusiastic eyes of the students, their results, and achievements.
The most challenging part for Alexandra was finding a suitable space, as not all premises are intended for choreography classes.
An accountant helped with the necessary documents for the opening.
A good accountant guides you step by step, telling you where to go, what to do, so the process went relatively smoothly.
Alexandra has a higher pedagogical education. She graduated from Kherson State University, specializing in contemporary choreography as a pedagogue-choreographer.
When they inquired with Beledie about the documents required to open the studio, Beledie responded that an internationally recognized diploma is sufficient.
Since Alexandra's studio does not fall under national education and issues certificates of training, her diploma is suitable.
Both children and adults attend their classes. Children start at the age of five. There is no specific Turkish group, but when Turkish children who do not know the Russian language come, Alexandra conducts classes in both Turkish and Russian, with Russian being the main language of instruction.
The easiest part was starting their beloved activities, the long-awaited ones, once the space was found, all the paperwork was done, and the renovation was completed - it's the creative path, which is the easiest because it's their passion!
Future plans include developing the studio in choreography and other creative directions, as well as participating in festivals, and self-improvement. Which festivals? The Ballet Festival, Stars of Turkey festival.
These are festivals in which they have already participated directly in Antalya, as well as the Festival of Friendship of Nations, various concerts dedicated to thematic holidays such as St. Nicholas Day, International Women's Day, Victory Day, and so on.
The plans involve bringing positive emotions to all studio participants, thanking and delighting parents of children, and developing further.
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