Company Formation & Setup
Company formation in Turkey — end-to-end for foreign investors
Set up your Turkish entity in 2–3 weeks with a single partner-led team. Atlas Partner handles legal structuring, incorporation, tax & social security registration, banking, work permits and post-setup compliance — bilingual, fixed-fee, no legal referrals bouncing you between firms.
100% foreign ownership
Foreign investors can own 100% of a Turkish company in almost every sector. No local partner required. Equal legal rights with domestic investors under the Foreign Direct Investment Law (Law No. 4875).
Strategic location
Bridge between EU, MENA and Central Asia. Customs Union with EU since 1996. Free trade agreements with 27+ countries. Access to 1.3B consumers within 4 hours flight.
Competitive tax framework
Corporate income tax 25% (2026), reduced to 20% for exporters. R&D and technology-zone incentives up to 100% tax exemption. Free Zone status available for export-oriented operations.
Skilled, cost-effective workforce
Young population (median age 33), high engineering-graduate density, English proficiency growing rapidly. Labour costs 30–50% below EU averages for equivalent skill levels.
What's included in a company-formation package
- Entity-type recommendation (A.Ş. vs LTD., branch, liaison office)
- Articles of Association drafting (bilingual TR + EN)
- MERSİS registration & Trade Registry filing
- Tax office registration & Turkish tax number (VKN)
- Social Security Institution (SGK) employer registration
- Municipality business licence
- E-signature (e-imza) issuance for company representative
- Corporate bank account opening (support with 3 banks)
- First-year registered address (İstanbul CBD)
- One work permit application (director / expatriate)
- Post-setup compliance calendar (12 months)
Process
- 1
Structuring & scoping (Week 0)
Free 30-min call. We advise on entity type, capital, shareholder structure, tax residency and work-permit route. Fixed-fee proposal within 3 days.
- 2
Power of attorney & document prep (Week 1)
Apostilled POA from shareholders, passport copies. We draft AoA, prepare MERSİS filing.
- 3
Incorporation (Week 2)
Notary signing, Trade Registry filing, publication in Trade Registry Gazette. Legal existence begins.
- 4
Registrations & bank (Week 2–3)
Tax office, SGK, municipality. Bank account opening with capital deposit. E-signature issued.
- 5
Handover & compliance calendar (Week 3)
You receive a full company file (digital + physical), operational checklist and 12-month compliance calendar. Optional: monthly bookkeeping + payroll.
Indicative setup fees (2026)
Limited Şirket (LTD) — standard package: EUR 2,500–3,800. Anonim Şirket (A.Ş.): EUR 4,500–6,500. Branch office: EUR 5,000–7,500. Liaison office: EUR 3,500–4,500. Includes all government fees, notary, translations, first-year registered address.
Add-ons: additional work permits EUR 800/each, R&D-zone application EUR 3,500, Free Zone entity EUR 6,000. Monthly bookkeeping & payroll from EUR 350/month.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I set up a Turkish company without visiting Turkey?
- Yes. With an apostilled power of attorney from your home country, we handle incorporation entirely remotely. You'll need to visit once to activate the bank account (some banks now offer video-KYC — we advise which bank fits your case).
- LTD or A.Ş. — which entity type should I choose?
- LTD (Limited Şirket) is faster, cheaper and fits most SME operations up to 50 shareholders. A.Ş. (Anonim Şirket) is required if you plan to issue shares, list on Borsa İstanbul, or need shareholder anonymity. A.Ş. also enables employee stock option plans.
- What's the minimum capital requirement?
- TRY 50,000 for LTD, TRY 250,000 for A.Ş. as of 2026. Capital must be deposited before Trade Registry filing (25% of subscribed capital for A.Ş., full amount for LTD). Capital is available for company use immediately after incorporation.
- How does corporate tax work for a Turkish subsidiary?
- Standard corporate income tax is 25% (2026). Exporters benefit from a 5-point reduction (20%). R&D-zone and technology-development-zone entities enjoy up to 100% tax exemption on qualifying income. Withholding tax on dividends to non-treaty countries is 15%; DTT rates typically 5–10%.
- Can foreign directors get Turkish work permits?
- Yes. Directors and expatriate employees can obtain work permits via the entity. Standard processing: 6–8 weeks. Investor residence permit available for foreign shareholders investing USD 200,000+. We handle the full application.
- Do you provide ongoing accounting after setup?
- Yes. Monthly bookkeeping, VAT & withholding filings, payroll, statutory financial statements from EUR 350/month depending on transaction volume. Same partner-led team continues post-setup — no handovers.
Ready to set up in Turkey?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. Entity-type recommendation, timeline, fixed-fee proposal within 3 business days.