In brief
The phrase "machinery licence" mixes up three separate documents: the operator certificate issued by the MEB (Ministry of National Education) or institutions it authorises, the vocational qualification certificate issued by MYK (Vocational Qualifications Authority) after an exam, and the class G driving licence for public roads. For excavator operators the MYK certificate is mandatory from 23 March 2027. Before starting the operator, the employer should check the machine type on the certificate, its source and validity; in addition to the certificate, the pre-employment medical examination and site-specific training must also be completed.
Construction machinery operator certificate: three documents, three different questions
When a site manager asks "does the operator have a licence?", they may mean any one of three different documents. The construction machinery operator certificate, the driving licence and the MYK certificate do not replace one another; each answers a different question:
| Document | Issued by | What does it show? | When is it required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction machinery operator certificate | The MEB or institutions authorised by the MEB | Operator training and exam for a specific machine type | On site, in work requiring vocational training |
| MYK vocational qualification certificate | Certification bodies authorised by MYK | That competence has been measured by a theoretical and practical exam | In occupations made mandatory by communiqué, e.g. excavator operator |
| Class G driving licence | Units authorised to issue driving licences | Authority to drive a construction-machinery-type vehicle on public roads | When the machine goes onto a public road |
This article explains the types of certificate, the course and exam process, and the check the employer should make when hiring. For safe use of the machine on site and the risks of tip-over and blind spots, see our article on the construction machinery operator.
Which certificate is required for which job?
Under Art. 17/3 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety, in hazardous and very hazardous jobs that require vocational training, a person who cannot document vocational training related to the work they will do may not be employed. The list of these jobs is in Annex 1 of the Regulation on vocational training. The lines that directly concern construction machinery operators are:
- Construction work: Building, road, bridge, infrastructure and similar work, together with the use of the vehicles, materials, fixed installations and equipment needed for this work.
- Excavation: Excavation of the ground, cutting and filling work.
- Cement plants and quarries: Excavator work is listed separately in this line.
Art. 6 of the Regulation lists the documents accepted for these jobs. The most common one for construction machinery operators is the operator certificate issued by the MEB or institutions authorised by the MEB (Art. 6/1-c). Diplomas and mastership certificates issued under Law No. 3308 and MYK vocational qualification certificates are also among the valid documents. Art. 42 of Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 also states that the training of construction machinery drivers, and the certificates of those who pass the exam, are provided by the MEB or institutions authorised by the MEB.
Not every document sold on the market as a "heavy machinery certificate" falls within this scope; check whether the issuing institution is authorised by the MEB. For the general method of matching a job to an Annex 1 line, see our article on the vocational training certificate requirement.
The excavator licence and the MYK requirement
What is commonly called an "excavator licence" is usually the MEB operator certificate. From 2027 an important layer is added: MYK Communiqué No. 2026/1, published in the Official Gazette of 23 March 2026, added the Excavator Operator (Level 3) qualification to the occupations for which a certificate is mandatory. Under the Communiqué, persons without an MYK certificate may not be employed in this occupation from twelve months after publication, that is, from 23 March 2027. The same list also includes Construction Machinery Maintenance and Repair Technician (Level 4); assess your site machine maintenance team with this in mind as well.
The Communiqué also provides an exception: holders of a mastership certificate under Law No. 3308, and graduates of the relevant programmes of vocational and technical schools under the MEB and of universities, may work without an MYK certificate, provided they work in the field, branch or programme stated on their diploma or certificate.
The course and exam process: how is the certificate obtained?
For the MEB operator certificate:
- Identify the machine type. There are separate programmes for excavators, loaders, backhoe loaders, graders and rollers. Choose the machine the employee will actually use.
- Choose an institution with an MEB-approved programme. The certificate must come from the MEB or an institution authorised by the MEB. Ask before enrolment whether the institution is authorised to run the relevant course programme.
- Complete the theoretical and practical training. The MEB operator course programmes combine theory lessons with practice at the machine; the duration varies by programme.
- Take the exam. At the end of the course a theoretical and practical exam is held; those who pass receive the operator certificate.
- Check the certificate. Note the machine type, the issuing institution and the date on the certificate; place a copy in the personnel file.
For the MYK certificate:
- Choose the national qualification and level corresponding to the employee's job (e.g. Excavator Operator Level 3).
- Find the certification body authorised by MYK for this qualification and apply.
- Take the theoretical and practical exam. The MYK certificate is obtained by exam, not at the end of a course; a course is useful as exam preparation.
- Note the certificate's validity period and surveillance requirements; these are set in the relevant national qualification.
The class G driving licence is a separate process. Under Art. 75 of the Highway Traffic Regulation, the class G licence is issued to those who will drive motor vehicles of the construction machinery type; the applicant must be at least 18 years old (Art. 76). A class B licence does not authorise driving construction machinery (Art. 85).
The employer's check when hiring
Carry out the following checks before the operator goes on site and record the result in the file:
| Check | What to look at | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Type of document | Is it one of the documents listed in the legislation? | Accepting a "certificate" without MEB approval |
| Machine type | Is the machine on the certificate the same as the one to be used? | Letting a loader certificate holder operate an excavator |
| MYK | For excavators, is there an MYK certificate or an exempting diploma? | Relying only on a course certificate |
| Driving licence | If the machine goes on the road, class G and expiry date | Assuming a class B licence is enough |
| Health | Pre-employment examination and fitness-for-work report | Starting work without a report |
| Training | Induction training and site-specific practical training | Skipping training because a certificate exists |
| Authorisation | Written designation of who will operate the machine | Leaving the key in the machine |
In hazardous and very hazardous jobs, an employee may not start work without a fitness-for-work report. Under the 2026 training regulation, induction training is given before starting work, for at least 2 hours, face to face and in practical form, and documented with a signed record; you can find its content in our article on the induction training programme. If the operator is an employee of a subcontractor or a hire company, in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces they may not start work without a document showing they have been trained on the risks (Law No. 6331, Art. 17/5); for the documents to request, see our article on OHS documents to request from subcontractors.
Also verify the authenticity of the certificate. Ask the candidate to show the MYK certificate from its record on e-Devlet (the government's online services portal); if the record of the MEB certificate is not visible, obtain written confirmation from the issuing institution. The 2026 base administrative fine for breaching the vocational training obligation by employing someone without a certificate is 8,980 TL per employee; for current amounts, use our OHS administrative fines tool.
Operator certificate validity and renewal
- MEB operator certificate: The vocational training regulation does not set a general renewal period for the documents it accepts.
- MYK certificate: The validity period and surveillance requirements are set in the relevant national qualification; add the date stated on the certificate to your calendar.
- Class G driving licence: Valid for 10 years (Highway Traffic Regulation, Art. 87).
A certificate without an expiry date does not mean the operator's follow-up can be left open-ended. Many construction jobs, such as site preparation, are in the very hazardous class; in workplaces in this class the periodic medical examination is carried out every year and refresher OHS training is given every year. The machine the operator uses must also undergo a periodic inspection at least once a year. Training is repeated when switching to a new machine type, after an accident and after an absence of more than six months.
For infrastructure, construction site and quarry work in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we can match operators' duties to certificates with you before hiring and plan site-specific training. We plan vocational training through our solution partners working under protocols with Public Education Centres: MEB-approved, 40-hour modules are selected together with the business according to its line of production. For details, see our vocational training and construction sector pages, and for crane operators our article on the crane and overhead crane operator certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there such a document as an excavator licence?
There is no single document by that name in the legislation. What is required on site is the operator certificate issued by the MEB or institutions authorised by the MEB and, from 23 March 2027, the MYK Excavator Operator certificate. If the machine goes on the road, a class G driving licence is also required.
Can an excavator be operated with a backhoe operator certificate?
Look at the machine type on the certificate. Operator certificates are obtained through programmes organised by machine type; a loader or backhoe loader certificate does not show competence to operate an excavator. If in doubt, ask the issuing institution for written confirmation.
Can construction machinery be driven with a class B licence?
Not on public roads. Under Art. 85 of the Highway Traffic Regulation, a class B licence does not authorise driving construction machinery; vehicles of the construction machinery type require a class G licence. On the construction site, the decisive factors are the operator certificate and vocational training.
Can an excavator operator without an MYK certificate work after 23 March 2027?
Not unless they fall within the exception. Persons with a mastership certificate or a vocational and technical education diploma in the relevant field, working in the field stated on their diploma, are exempt from this requirement. For other operators, apply for the exam well before the date.
Position-by-position certificate checks for hazardous and very hazardous work, and MEB-approved 40-hour vocational training modules provided through our solution partners.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.