Ankara Agreement

The Ankara Agreement:

The Ankara Agreement which was signed in 1963 between the European Economic Community and Turkey allows for Turkish nationals to enter the European Union for the purpose of establishing a business. This also meant that Turkish nationals with a specific skill or qualification could establish themselves as an independent freelancer to provide their services. In 1970 an additional protocol (known as the Stand Still Clause) was added to the agreement prohibiting EU member states from introducing any new laws that could restrict Turkish nationals from entering and working in the EU. In 1973 when the UK joined the European Economic Community, they became bound by the Ankara Agreement. As a result any Turkish national wishing to enter the UK can do so under the immigration provisions that were in force in 1973 by virtue of Ankara Agreement.

Who Can Enter:

To state the obvious any Turkish national who has a viable business idea and the necessary capital to invest in the business may enter UK under the terms of the Ankara Agreement. However if you are a tradesman or a qualified specialist in a particular field you may still qualify under the Ankara Agreement provided that you can demonstrate that there is a demand for your service and that you have sufficient funds to invest in the business whilst maintaining and accommodating yourself. The funds required for investment can vary depending on the business you plan to establish. For instance if you are planning to open a restaurant you might require and investment of over £200,000/- even for a very small restaurant. On the other hand if you an IT specialist intending to provide your services as a freelancer investing in a good laptop may be all that you require.

Assistance with Entering and Remaining in UK:

In addition to providing expert immigration advice and representation for entry clearance and visa extensions we can also assist qualifying Turkish nationals with the following:

  • An impartial assessment and advise on the viability of the proposed business
  • Assistance with preparing a business
  • Marketing your services
  • Invoicing and collecting payments from your clients
  • Factoring services
  • Filing of tax returns
  • Managing the relations with the tax authorities
  • Company accounts
  • Assistance with finding suitable accommodation

Ongoing Immigration Support and Advice

Mepco will provide the necessary immigration support services and representation, if necessary, for the following immigration processes:

Entry Clearance

Entry clearance is the initial application process for a visa to enter the UK. For this process Mepco will provide advice and support for filing of the entry clearance application form, preparation of supporting information and guidance on how to draft a business plan.

In the unlikely event that an application is unsuccessful, Mepco UK will also arrange for representation for the appeals process. Once an application is approved the Turkish national will be given permission to enter the United Kingdom under the provisions of the Ankara Agreement for a period of twelve months.

For the duration of the twelve months Mepco will continue to give support and advice to ensure the Turkish national remains compliant with the conditions of their visa and that they comply with the formalities of working in UK as a self-employed person.

Further Leave to Remain (FLR)

At the end of the first twelve month period the Turkish national can apply for an extension of their visa. This process is called applying for Further Leave to Remain (FLR).

To meet the requirements of the visa extension the Turkish national must demonstrate that:

  • They are still a independently self-employed chef;
  • They have not taken up any form of employment (including part time employment) to supplement their income from self-employment.
  • They are still able to bear the costs and liabilities of working as a self-employed person in UK
  • The profits from self-employment will continue to be sufficient to support the Turkish national (and any dependants) without needing to taken up any form of employment (including part time employment) to supplement their income.

For this process Mepco would have already prepared the Turkish national with the support and advice given to them over the year. In the addition, Mepco will provide further advice and support for filing of the FLR application form and preparation of supporting information that will demonstrate evidence of the above four.

In the event that an application is unsuccessful, Mepco UK will arrange for the decision to be appealed and legal representation for the appeals process. If the application is successful the Turkish national will normally be given an extension for a further three years. Mepco will continue to give immigration support and advice to the Turkish national for the duration of the three years to ensure they that remain compliant with the conditions of their visa and that they comply with the formalities of working in UK as a self-employed person.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

After completing four years in the UK the Turkish national can apply for permanent residence in the UK. This is known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

To meet the requirement of ILR the Turkish national will have to demonstrate the following:

  • They are still a self-employed chef;
  • They have not taken up any form of employment (including part time employment) to supplement their income from self employment.
  • They are still able to bear the costs and liabilities of working as a self-employed person in UK
  • The profits from self-employment will continue to be sufficient to support the Turkish national (and any dependants) without needing to taken up any form of employment (including part time employment) to supplement their income.
    • In addition to the above the Turkish national will also have to demonstrate that:
  • They have been in the United Kingdom for a continuous period of four years spent as a Turkish ECAA businessperson, i.e. a self-employed chef under the provisions of the Ankara agreement.

Mepco will provide advice and support for filing of the ILR application form and preparation of supporting information that will demonstrate evidence of the above. Over the course of the four years Mepco would have already prepared the Turkish national for this with immigration advice to ensure that they had remained compliant with the terms of their visa.

In the unlikely event that the application is unsuccessful Mepco UK will arrange for the decision to be appealed and legal representation for the appeals process. If the application is successful then the Turkish national will be granted settlement in the UK for an indefinite period. This also means that the Turkish national will no longer be subject to any form of immigration restrictions and if they wish, they can take up full time employment as a chef or in any other field. They will also have a right to public funds.

List of Professions that may qualify under the Ankara Agreement
  1. ERP & CRM Specialists
  2. Websites & Ecommerce
  3. Programming & Databases
  4. Graphic Design & Multimedia
  5. Network & Telecommunication
  6. Engineering & CAD
  7. Photography & Videography
  8. Residential Building & Maintenance
  9. Other professions
    • Hair dressers
    • Auto mechanic
    • Sound/lighting technicians for media
    • Media Makeup artists/Hair dressers
    • Mobile Phones Computing
    • Data Entry & Admin
    • Accounts & Small business book keeping
    • Nursing support & personal care workers
    • On call doctors
    • On call vets
    • Dentistry

Please feel free to contact us even if your profession is not listed. Tell us your profession and what your business would like to establish and we will give you a free, impartial assessment of both the success of visa application and your business.



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