For foreign enterprises expanding into Türkiye, establishing a local legal entity requires significant lead time and capital. The Employer of Record (EOR) model provides a strategic alternative, allowing companies to hire local talent while the vendor assumes the legal responsibilities of employment, payroll, and tax administration.
For this scenario, the key choice is usually:
* Owned-entity vs. partner models: Vendors that operate their own legal entities in Türkiye generally offer more direct control over data protection and compliance, while partner-dependent models may introduce third-party handoffs. * Global scale vs. local specialization: Broad platforms support multi-country European and Middle Eastern expansions, whereas localized specialists offer deeper, single-market expertise. * Pricing structures: The market is divided between transparent flat-fee providers and enterprise solutions that require custom quoting.
The optimal EOR software balances transparent pricing, direct infrastructure, and strict adherence to Turkish labor and currency laws.
> Trust & Verification Note > * Pricing accuracy: Vendor pricing and fee structures reflect official documentation and verified vendor data as of mid-2026. > * Compliance note: Turkish labor law strictly mandates TRY-denominated contracts and local bank disbursements; vendors must support multi-currency funding to manage this. > * Unverified: General SGK mandatory contribution scope (pensions, health insurance, work accidents) requires official verification against current Turkish statutory guidelines.
* EU and Middle East expansion teams scaling operations into Türkiye. * Startup founders needing compliant local employment without entity setup costs. * HR and People Ops leaders managing cross-border onboarding and benefits. * Finance and Payroll leads requiring predictable, flat-fee cost modeling.
* Direct legal employment: The vendor acts as the registered employer with the SGK, managing all mandatory social security registrations. * Currency compliance: The platform generates TRY-denominated contracts and executes salary disbursements directly to Turkish bank accounts. * Data protection: The software architecture and data processing procedures align with KVKK standards. * Transparent pricing: The vendor provides a clear, flat monthly fee without obscuring costs behind enterprise sales walls. * Automated offboarding: The system structurally supports statutory severance (Kıdem Tazminatı) calculations and notice periods.
Enterprise transparency and direct EMEA coverage.
Automated TRY payroll and explicit KVKK compliance.
Budget-conscious startups needing SGK registration support.
Intellectual property protection and localized benefits.
Fixed budgeting and multi-currency payments.
Enterprise-grade compliance across 180+ countries.
Unified multi-country payroll integration.
Transparent, tiered pricing without setup fees.
Deep, hyper-localized expertise in Turkish HR.
Comprehensive managed EOR services and fast onboarding.
| Vendor | Best for | Countries | Entity model | Typical EOR price | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Enterprise transparency | 160+ | 100% direct-owned | $599 / month | Base fee applies before statutory taxes |
| Automated TRY payroll | 150+ | Wholly-owned in Türkiye | $599 / month | Employer burden (~20.5%) applies atop fee | |
Skuad (Payoneer WFM) | Budget-conscious startups | 160+ | Direct SGK registration | $199 / month | Lowest rate requires annual billing |
![]() | IP protection | Global | Owned-entity | $699 / month | Premium pricing for month-to-month |
![]() | Fixed budgeting | 150+ | Mixed (Owned & Partner) | $459 / month | Relies on partners for some EU coverage |
![]() | Enterprise compliance | 180+ | Global entity infrastructure | Quote-based | Lack of published pricing |
Oyster | Multi-country payroll | Global | Mixed | $699 / month | Highest publicly listed flat fee |
![]() | Tiered pricing | 110+ | Mixed | $199 / month | Slightly restricted country footprint |
Team Up | Localized Turkish HR | Türkiye only | Direct local | €299 / month | Lacks global software infrastructure |
![]() | Managed EOR services | 187+ | Mixed | $499 / month | Less self-serve SaaS orientation |
Operating in Türkiye requires strict adherence to local statutory frameworks. Setting up a local Turkish legal entity can require significant lead time and substantial upfront capital, with some estimates suggesting costs can reach up to TRY 1,299,967 for entity setup, legal, and tax infrastructure.[25]
When utilizing an EOR, the vendor must navigate Labor Law No. 4857, which mandates that employment contracts lasting one year or more must be executed in writing and in the Turkish language.[26] Furthermore, all monetary values in an employment contract must be specified in Turkish Lira (TRY), and salary payments must be disbursed directly to the employee's Turkish bank account in TRY.[27]
Employers and employees are reportedly required to make mandatory contributions to the Social Security Institution (SGK). Employer contributions typically amount to approximately 20.5% to 22.5% of the gross salary.[28] EOR providers must also demonstrate that their software architecture complies with the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK) standards.[29] Finally, vendors must manage statutory severance pay (Kıdem Tazminatı) and notice periods, noting that the standard maximum probationary period is generally 56 days.[30]
The EOR market for Turkish expansion is predominantly structured around a flat monthly fee per employee. Published platform fees generally range from $199 to $699 per month, depending on the vendor's global footprint, entity model, and billing cycle (annual vs. monthly).
Rule of thumb: * Platform fees: Expect to pay between $199 and $699 per employee per month for the core EOR service. * Statutory costs: The platform fee does not cover mandatory employer taxes. Expect to pay an additional ~20.5% to 22.5% of the employee's gross salary for SGK contributions. * Billing cycles: Many vendors offer significant discounts (e.g., dropping to $199/month) if you commit to an annual billing cycle, while month-to-month flexibility commands a premium.
This page is a scenario-specific ranking based on the shared research and the criteria most relevant to this buying situation.
We weighted: * Turkish Employment Law Compliance (25%): Capability to act as the legal employer, register workers with the SGK, draft TRY-denominated contracts, and adhere to KVKK. * Entity/Partner Transparency (20%): Preference for direct "owned-entity" models over indirect "partner-entity" models. * Pricing Model and Tier (20%): Clarity of the monthly management fee and availability of published pricing. * Regional EOR Coverage (15%): Breadth of presence across Europe and the Middle East. * Payroll, Tax, and Benefits Administration (10%): Competency in gross-to-net calculations and tax withholding. * Onboarding Timeline and Termination Support (10%): Speed to market and structural support for severance calculations.
Fit Score: * The Fit Score (0.0 - 1.0) synthesizes the vendors' feature sets, pricing transparency, entity models, and Turkish compliance capabilities based on the weighted criteria above.
Important limitations: * Pricing and feature availability may change based on headcount volume and specific contract negotiations. * This is not legal advice.
Next step: personalize this to your exact Turkish expansion plan. When evaluating these EOR platforms, factor in your target hiring speed, pricing sensitivity, and required regional footprint across the broader EMEA market. Request a demo from your top two or three shortlisted vendors to verify their multi-currency funding workflows and confirm how they handle SGK registrations and KVKK compliance for your specific use case.
Our experts continually monitor the HR software space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.