Internship and placement

Turkey-flag-140Work experience

Placements give university students the opportunity to spend a period in an enterprise or organization as an intern or trainee. Many university programs require an placement to be completed either during a summer term or winter term. Internships are increasingly becoming compulsory and being added to the curriculum for many programs. Therefore, universities and colleges have developed closer links with leading businesses and organisations to assist their students’ with internship opportunities. Foreign students are also eligible to be placed in a host company in Turkey and given specialized training in an area of relevance to their studies or experience Many students find work placements either independently by having direct contact with an employer in Turkey through personal contacts or through responding to offers for work placement applications from employers on university websites.

The International Cultural Exchange Program Scholarship Foundation (ICEP) is a not-for-profit organisation, which was established in 1995 by the Turkish Prime Ministry Department of Charitable Foundations in order to offer cultural exchange opportunities for young people and students around the world; also aiming to introduce Turkey, its history, heritage and culture to young foreigners. ICEP has links with a range of Turkish companies and acts as an intermediary offering placement positions:  http://www.icep.org.tr/english/

Turkish students find placement opportunities mainly through the universities’ international affairs offices or Erasmus student placement offices. There are also websites which show placement opportunities in other countries.

Links for student incoming and outgoing internships in Turkey:

Internship and placement advice

There are many practical issues that must be looked into before committing to a work placement. All arrangements must be made with the training organization, home and host universities. It is advisable to plan ahead of time since Turkey is a rather bureaucratic country and you may need more time than usual for paperwork to be completed.

Erasmus grants are provided for students who would like to do their work placement in another EU country. These grants are given to students through their home University and their University Erasmus coordinator should take care of all the practicalities.

Social security and European Health insurance card

All trainees and interns are responsible for having adequate health insurance. As a foreign student, it is advisable to get private health insurance for the duration of any stay in Turkey.

Safety

Turkey is generally considered to be a safe destination. Nevertheless, pickpocketing and thefts are common in the popular tourist areas of Turkey. You should be cautious in overpopulated or remote areas, in order to minimise the risk of being a victim of such crimes.

You should be aware that it is illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, the government or the founder of modern-day Turkey, Mustafa Kemel Ataturk. Penalties for such behaviour carry fines and possible imprisonment of up to two years.

Emergency numbers:

  • 100 (police),
  • 101/112 (ambulance),
  • 102 (fire service)

Useful links:

Do I need a visa?

All foreigners entering Turkey must have a visa. For most countries, a three-month tourist visa can be obtained on entry into Turkey, without prior application.

If you are going to study or work in Turkey, you should get an appropriate visa from the Turkish embassy before travelling. Usually, if you have been offered a job, your employer will arrange the required visa.

Citizens of the following countries only require a passport for entry into Turkey: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland.

Students from European Union member states, who will be studying in Turkey as Erasmus Exchange Students, may enter Turkey with a tourist visa.

Students from outside of the European Union are required to have a student visa for the duration of their academic stay. It is the exchange student’s responsibility to apply for a student visa prior to entering Turkey, using the acceptance letter from the University.

To work in Turkey, the following are required:

  • work permit and visa
  • passport
  • visa application form
  • a letter from your future employer

The work permit is valid for one year. If extended, the new permit is issued in three year increments. Permanent work permits are available to individuals who have held a valid work permit  for six years and have been a resident for eight years.

Internship and placement salary

Internships are usually unpaid depending on the organisation. According to ICEP, “students are provided with free accommodation in student Halls of Residence and offer an amount of pocket money which will depend on your position and the length of your internship: for a period of 3-6 months you can expect to receive around $250 per month”.

Internship and placement accommodation

Accommodation for student placements in Turkey is usually provided by Universities and there may be a meal allowance, depending on the internship program.

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