Occupations Requiring an MYK Certificate and the Exam Process

Where does the MYK certificate requirement come from?

Occupations requiring an MYK certificate are determined by communiqués issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on the basis of Additional Article 1 of Vocational Qualifications Authority Law No. 5544. The scope of these communiqués is clear: occupations that are hazardous or very hazardous work, for which a national standard has been published by the Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK), and which are listed in the annex to the communiqué. In these occupations, people without an MYK Vocational Qualification Certificate may not be employed once the period given in the communiqué has expired.

This requirement is different from, but intertwined with, the vocational training certificate rule in Art. 17 of Law No. 6331. Many types of certificate are accepted for the work on the Annex 1 list of the vocational training regulation; however, in occupations made mandatory by MYK, a course certificate alone is not enough. We set out this distinction in a table in our article on the vocational training certificate requirement.

Inspections are carried out by labour inspectors. An employer or employer's representative acting contrary to a communiqué is subject to the sanction in the fourth paragraph of Additional Article 1 of Law No. 5544.

Occupations requiring an MYK certificate: communiqués and the latest list

The requirement is not gathered in a single list. Communiqués with different serial numbers (e.g. 2019/1 and 2021/1) cover different occupational groups, and the list has been extended over time. The latest addition is Communiqué No. 2026/1, published in the Official Gazette No. 33202 of 23 March 2026. The annex to this Communiqué contains 40 occupations, and in these occupations people without a certificate may not be employed twelve months after the publication of the Communiqué, that is, from 23 March 2027.

Examples from the 2026/1 list that directly concern the industrial structure in and around Bursa:

The full list is in the annex to the Communiqué. For occupations made mandatory by earlier communiqués, check the lists in force on MYK's website; treating a position as "out of scope" by looking only at the latest communiqué is a common mistake.

How does the MYK exam work?

An MYK certificate is obtained not at the end of a course but through an exam. The process is generally as follows:

1. Identify the qualification. Select the national qualification and level corresponding to the work the worker does. For example, for a boiler operator, "Steam Boiler Operator Level 4" and "Hot Water Boiler Operator Level 3" are different qualifications.
2. Find the certification body. Exams are run by certification bodies authorised by MYK for that qualification. You can see the authorised bodies in the search section of MYK's website.
3. Apply. The candidate applies to the body with identification and the required documents; the exam date and location are set by the body.
4. Sit the theory and practical exams. The knowledge and skills defined in the national qualification are assessed through a written (theory) exam and a performance exam reflecting real working conditions. Which exams are mandatory varies by qualification.
5. Obtain the certificate and monitor its validity. A successful candidate is issued an MYK Vocational Qualification Certificate. The certificate's validity period and surveillance requirements are set in the relevant national qualification; add the date on the certificate to your calendar.

How to check an MYK certificate at recruitment

Checking a certificate is not just a matter of looking at the paper the candidate holds. Complete the following steps before the personnel file is opened:

1. Match the position against the list. Does the work the candidate will actually do correspond to an occupation subject to the requirement? What counts is the work done, not the job title.
2. Compare the qualification name and level. The national qualification name and level on the certificate must match the work. A certificate obtained in another field does not cover this work.
3. Check validity. The certificate may have expired.
4. Verify via e-Devlet. Ask the candidate to open the "MYK Vocational Qualification Certificate Inquiry" service on e-Devlet (the government's online services portal) from their own account and show you their certificates.
5. For exemption documents, check the field. For a candidate who will work with a master craftsman certificate or a diploma, the field of the document and the work they will do must be the same.
6. Keep a record. Put a copy of the certificate and the date of the check in the personnel file.

Example: A textile finishing business in Bursa that uses a steam boiler is looking for an operator for its boiler room. Steam Boiler Operator is on the 2026/1 list. One candidate applies with a "Hot Water Boiler Operator Level 3" certificate. This is a different qualification and does not cover steam boiler work. The second candidate graduated from the furniture department of a vocational high school; since the field on the diploma is not related to boiler operation, the exemption does not apply. The third candidate holds a "Steam Boiler Operator Level 4" certificate that shows as valid on the e-Devlet screen. The right choice is to start the third candidate after putting a copy of their certificate and the date of the check in the personnel file. The certificates of the existing operators in the same boiler room should also be checked at the same time.

Carry out the same check for existing workers. If someone is working without a certificate in an occupation covered by 2026/1, planning the exams now, before 23 March 2027, protects you against the backlog that may build up at certification bodies in the final months.

MYK incentive: exam fees and employment support

Two separate arrangements are discussed under the heading "MYK incentive"; do not confuse them:

• Support for exam fees and certificate costs. Additional Article 3 of Unemployment Insurance Law No. 4447 provides for the certificate costs and exam fees of those who pass the exam in occupations listed in the communiqués to be covered by the Fund, up to half of the gross minimum wage; individuals may benefit from this support once. The Law states the period of this support as 31/12/2021. Do not make plans relying on this support without confirming from MYK and İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) announcements whether it is currently in force.
• Employment support for employers. Provisional Article 10 of the same Law provides for up to 48 months of premium support for hiring holders of a vocational qualification certificate. The Law states the implementation period as 31/12/2025, and the President is authorised to extend it until 31/12/2026. Check the eligibility conditions and whether the period has been extended with the SGK.

How to fit it into your vocational training plan

The MYK requirement should be handled as part of the business's vocational training plan. A practical order is as follows:

1. Match all positions against the Annex 1 list of the vocational training regulation. You can find how Annex 1 reads by sector in our article on the list of occupations requiring vocational training.
2. Separate out the positions among these that are subject to the MYK requirement.
3. For MYK-mandatory positions, draw up an exam timetable for those without a certificate, master craftsman certificate or relevant diploma.
4. Plan suitable training modules for Annex 1 work not subject to the MYK requirement.

We plan vocational training through our solution partners working under Public Education Centre protocols: MEB-approved 40-hour modules are chosen together according to the business's production activity. Since these courses are not sufficient on their own for positions subject to the MYK requirement, we clarify the plan separately for each position. For details, see our vocational training page, and for metal and automotive businesses, our metal and machinery and automotive supply industry pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can the list of occupations requiring an MYK certificate be seen?

The list for each communiqué is published in the Official Gazette as an annex to the communiqué. The list for Communiqué No. 2026/1 is in the Official Gazette of 23 March 2026. To see the occupations in all communiqués together, use MYK's website.

What is the deadline for the occupations in Communiqué 2026/1?

The Communiqué states that people without a certificate may not be employed twelve months after the date of publication. As the Communiqué was published on 23 March 2026, this date is 23 March 2027.

Does a worker with a master craftsman certificate have to obtain an MYK certificate?

A person holding a master craftsman certificate under Law No. 3308 is not required to have an MYK certificate if they work in the field and branch stated on their certificate. If they will work in a different field, this exemption does not apply.

What should be done if the worker fails the exam?

Once the period given in the communiqué has expired, a person without a certificate may not be employed in the occupation subject to the requirement. So do not leave exams to the final months; leave time for the worker who fails to identify the topics they fell short on and prepare to resit the exam. Until the certificate is obtained, it may be necessary to assign the worker to a job not covered by the requirement.

How is an MYK certificate verified?

The certificate holder can view their certificates through the "MYK Vocational Qualification Certificate Inquiry" service on e-Devlet. At recruitment, you can ask the candidate to open this screen and show it to you, and put a copy of the certificate in the personnel file.