What is unemployment benefit?

Unemployment benefit is a social security payment made by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), for a limited period, to people who worked as insured employees at a workplace and become unemployed through no choice of their own, if they meet the conditions.

Conditions for Receiving Unemployment Benefit

1. Becoming unemployed through no wish or fault of one’s own. The employee must not be at fault for the end of the employment contract.
2. Having been subject to a service contract for the last 120 days before the end of the service contract.
   Insurance premiums must have been paid for the last 120 days before leaving the job, and the work during that period must have been uninterrupted.
3. Having paid unemployment insurance premiums for at least 600 days within the last three years before termination of the service contract.
   The worker must have worked as an insured employee and paid unemployment insurance premiums for at least 600 days within the last 3 years before leaving the job.
4. Applying in person or electronically to the nearest İŞKUR office within 30 days of termination of the service contract.

How do you apply for unemployment benefit?

You must apply, within 30 days of termination of the service contract, to the nearest İŞKUR office in person or electronically (through www.iskur.gov.tr, e-Devlet or the İŞKUR Mobile app).

Duration of unemployment benefit

The duration of unemployment benefit is graded according to the period for which unemployment insurance premiums were paid. Accordingly;

• 180 days for insured unemployed persons who worked as insured and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 600 days,
• 240 days for insured unemployed persons who worked as insured and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 900 days,
• 300 days for insured unemployed persons who worked as insured and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 1080 days,

unemployment benefit is paid for these periods.

Do Foreign Workers Receive Unemployment Benefit?

Foreign workers who started working in Türkiye with a work permit and who meet the conditions listed above can also benefit from unemployment benefit.