Starting March 1, 2026, Uzbekistan will begin automatically issuing work permits for its citizens residing in Turkey for at least three years. This innovation was announced by the press service of the country's Migration Agency.
According to the information, the agreement was reached during a meeting between Behzod Musaev, head of the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan, and Vedat Işıkhan, the Minister of Labor and Social Security of Turkey.
Currently, foreigners wishing to work in Turkey must first find an employer, obtain a special visa at the consulate in their home country, and wait for approval through an information system. However, a more simplified procedure is being introduced for Uzbeks.
During the negotiations, it was also agreed to sign a special document under which the Turkish Employment Agency İŞKUR will centrally compile a list of the most in-demand professions in the labor market and send these requests to Uzbekistan.
Additionally, the parties agreed to continue the practice of legalizing Uzbek citizens in Turkey who are there without legal grounds, avoiding harsh measures such as deportation. It is important to note that this work will be systematic and aimed at protecting the rights of migrants.
At the end of the meeting, Musaev and Işıkhan emphasized that the negotiations laid the foundation for further cooperation in the field of labor migration and enhancing the protection of the rights of Uzbeks working in Turkey.
Later, it became known that the Migration Agency signed an agreement with the Turkish company KSK Tezimlik to attract 2,500 Uzbek builders to work on major projects in Ankara. The need for labor is expected to be met this year.
These contacts at the level of various ministries and agencies took place during the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Ankara, where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and participated in a number of joint events, including the opening of a residential complex built by Uzbek specialists in Hatay province, which was affected by a devastating earthquake three years ago.
