Annual leave Turkey: entitlement and leave pay calculator

Start dateDay.month.year, for example 15.03.2022 (2022-03-15 also works); periods with the same employer count together

Calculation dateToday, or the date the contract ends, as day.month.year

Date of birthOptional; for the 20-day minimum at age 18 or under and at 50 or over

Underground work?Underground work adds 4 days to each year's leave

Leave already taken (days)Optional; all annual leave days used so far

Gross monthly pay (TRY)Optional; the last gross pay, for the value of unused days

Leave for the latest year of service—

Length of service—

Total leave earned—

Unused leave—

Pay for unused leave (gross)—

Next entitlement—

Statutory minimums under Labour Law No. 4857 only: extra days that a contract or a collective agreement gives are not included. The calculator assumes service without breaks; a gap that Article 55 does not count as work, such as unpaid leave, moves each entitlement date later. Pay for unused leave is the gross monthly pay ÷ 30 for each day, before tax and contributions.

How many days of annual leave do you get in Turkey?

Employees in Turkey earn paid annual leave (yıllık ücretli izin) once they have worked a year for the same employer, the probation period included. Article 53 of Labour Law No. 4857 sets the minimum days for each year of service:

Employees aged 18 or under and those aged 50 or over get at least 20 days, which lifts the 14-day years to 20. Underground work adds 4 days to each year; the law does not say how this combines with the age minimum, and the calculator adds the 4 days on top of the 20. These are minimums: a contract or a collective agreement can give more, and the right to annual leave cannot be waived. Seasonal or campaign jobs that by nature last less than a year are outside these rules.

How the calculator counts annual leave

Each anniversary of the start date completes one year of service and opens that year's leave. The calculator adds up the years completed by the calculation date:

Leave for year k = 14 days (k ≤ 5), 20 days (5 < k < 15) or 26 days (k ≥ 15), plus 4 for underground work

Age rule: at least 20 days if the employee is 18 or under, or 50 or over, on that anniversary

Unused leave = total leave earned − leave already taken

Pay for unused leave = unused days × gross monthly pay ÷ 30

The law does not say on which date age is measured; the calculator takes the age on each anniversary. Time in different workplaces of the same employer counts together (Article 54). A gap for a reason that Article 55 does not list, such as unpaid leave, extends the year and moves the entitlement date. Article 55 counts as worked, among others, weekly rest days and public holidays, maternity leave, illness or an accident up to a limit, and annual leave itself.

Worked example

Do weekends count, and can annual leave carry over?

Weekly rest days, national holidays and public holidays that fall within the leave are not counted as leave days (Article 56), so 14 days of leave take more than two calendar weeks. Other rules from Article 56 and the Annual Paid Leave Regulation:

• Splitting: the employer cannot split the leave. By agreement it can be taken in parts, one of them at least 10 days long.
• Travel days: an employee who spends the leave outside the town of the workplace gets up to 4 days of unpaid travel leave, on request and with proof.
• No offsetting: other paid or unpaid leave and sick leave given during the year cannot be deducted from annual leave.
• Requests: under the Regulation, the employee asks in writing at least one month ahead. The employer, or a leave board in workplaces with more than 100 employees, plans the dates and is not bound by the dates requested.
• Carry-over: the leave for each year of service is to be used during the next year of service (Article 54). The Labour Law contains no rule under which unused days lapse, and Article 59 pays every earned and unused day when the contract ends.

Pay for unused annual leave when the job ends

When the employment contract ends for any reason, earned and unused leave is paid at the wage on the termination date, to the employee or to the heirs (Article 59). The limitation period for this claim is five years from the end of the contract (Additional Article 3). While the job lasts, the employer pays the wage for the leave period before the leave starts, in full or as an advance (Article 57).

Pay for unused leave is wage income. Article 80 of Social Security Law No. 5510 does not list it among the payments outside the contribution base, and the Revenue Administration's wage income guide counts any payment for work as wages, so social security contributions, income tax and stamp tax are deducted from it; the Turkey salary calculator shows how those deductions work. If the employer ends the contract, the notice period cannot overlap with annual leave (Article 59).

Which values to enter

• Start date: the first day with the same employer, as day.month.year (15.03.2022); 2022-03-15 also works. A date typed with slashes, such as 05/03/2022, is read day first, and the page says how it read it.
• Calculation date: today, or the date the contract ends.
• Date of birth: optional; needed only for the 20-day minimum at 18 or under and at 50 or over.
• Underground work: choose Yes for underground work, which adds 4 days to each year.
• Leave already taken: annual leave days used so far, from the leave record the employer must keep; 0.5 for a half day.
• Gross monthly pay: optional; the last gross pay, for the value of unused days.

Other payments when a job ends are explained in Turkey severance pay and worked out by the Turkey notice pay calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How many days of annual leave do employees get in Turkey?

At least 14 days a year for 1 to 5 years of service, 20 days for more than 5 and less than 15 years, and 26 days from 15 years, under Labour Law No. 4857. Employees aged 18 or under or 50 or over get at least 20 days.

Do weekends and public holidays count as annual leave in Turkey?

No. Weekly rest days, national holidays and public holidays that fall within the leave are not counted as leave days, so the leave lasts longer on the calendar.

Can unused annual leave carry over in Turkey?

The leave for each year of service is meant to be used in the following year, and the Labour Law has no rule under which unused days lapse. Days still unused when the contract ends are paid at the last wage.

Is unused annual leave paid when you leave a job in Turkey?

Yes. Earned and unused leave is paid at the wage on the termination date, whatever the reason the contract ends, and the claim can be made for five years. With 34 unused days and a gross pay of TRY 50,000 a month, that is TRY 56,666.67 gross.

Do foreign employees in Turkey get the same annual leave?

Yes, where the job falls under Labour Law No. 4857 the same minimums apply whatever the employee's nationality. Contracts under foreign law and postings from abroad need legal advice for the specific case.

Sources

• Mevzuat: Labour Law No. 4857, Articles 53 to 60 and Additional Article 3, consolidated text (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
• Ministry of Labour and Social Security: Annual Paid Leave Regulation (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
• Mevzuat: Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510, Article 80, consolidated text (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
• Revenue Administration (GİB): 2026 guide to wage income (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)

This calculator is general information, not tax, legal or investment advice. Results depend on the values you enter; rates, ceilings and amounts in Turkey change often, so check the date of each figure and the official source, and ask a licensed adviser about your own situation. Sources, checks and corrections: see the editorial policy.