The Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry has introduced the Tech Visa program, which provides international people with accelerated work visas for up to three years to create start-up companies in Turkey.

At the program’s inaugural event at Istanbul Airport on September 16, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that the initiative seeks individuals with innovative business concepts and remarkable technological expertise. The idea, which was developed in partnership with the Labor and Social Security Ministries, has been in the works for more than two years.

Under the program, the ministry will provide six months of legal, financial, and technical consulting services to entrepreneurs selected into the scheme for the businesses they establish in Turkey.
Turkish authorities will help international entrepreneurs take use of the country’s public incentives and assistance programs, according to Kacır.

He highlighted that this Tech Visa initiative is an important step in the direction in Country’s aim of becoming a global technology powerhouse. The minister also stated that by 2030, the government hopes to have 100,000 tech-driven start-ups, with at least 100 of them worth more than $1 billion.

“To fulfill this ambition, we must develop Turkey into a worldwide attraction hub. We are in the process of building the world’s largest technopark at Istanbul Airport. With the future activation of Terminal Istanbul, both the city and Turkey will strengthen their position as a global hub for technology entrepreneurship.”
According to Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan, the Tech Visa program aims to attract new ventures and talent to the country while also leveraging their knowledge and experience to strengthen the local workforce and contribute to the innovation ecosystem.