How do I calculate my annual leave entitlement?
A step-by-step guide to working out the paid annual leave you have accrued from your hire date to today using your own records.
Short answer
Confirm your hire date from your SGK registration record, count how many full years of service you have completed, read the leave figure that matches your seniority bracket and age group in the annual paid leave article of the Labour Code, then compare it with the balance in your payslip or HR system. If the numbers differ, ask HR in writing for a copy of your leave card.
What you need
Step by step
Verify your hire date at SGK
Sign in to the e-Devlet Gateway and type "4A Tescil ve Hizmet Dökümü" into the search box. On the page that opens, press "Sorgula" and view the entry and exit dates listed per workplace. Seniority is counted from this date, so check that it matches the date on your contract.
Work out your uninterrupted service
Count how many full years have passed between the entry date on the statement and today. Periods spent with the same employer under different workplace numbers are added to your seniority; mark any exits in between separately. To qualify for annual leave at all, you must have completed the minimum service period the law requires.
Read the leave bracket in the law
Open the text of "Labour Code No. 4857" on mevzuat.gov.tr and go to the article titled annual paid leave entitlement and leave periods. Read off the number of days that matches your seniority range and age group. The age-based exceptions are written in the same article.
Check the contract and CBA difference
Read the leave clause in your employment contract and any collective bargaining agreement applied at your workplace. These texts may grant longer leave than the statutory minimum, but never shorter. The provision that favours you is the one that applies.
Compare with your employer's balance
Open the "Leave Request" or "My Leave Balance" screen in your HR portal. If there is no portal, ask HR for a copy of your annual leave record document, known as the leave card. Match the leave you have taken against your own list and see the balance carried forward.
File a written request if figures differ
If your calculation does not match the company record, email HR or submit a petition asking for their calculation breakdown. If no answer arrives, you can call ALO 170 to consult the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and if needed file a complaint with the Provincial Directorate of Labour and Employment Agency where you work.
Tips
Watch out
Annual leave cannot be traded for money while the employment contract is still running, so any "I will skip my leave and take the pay instead" arrangement is invalid. Payment for unused leave is only due when the contract ends. Documents you are asked to sign waiving your leave entitlement are not binding on you.
Frequently asked questions
+Does the probation period count towards annual leave?
Yes, the probation period is included in service time with the same employer. The count starts from your hire date, not from the end of probation.
+What happens to unused leave when I leave the job?
When the contract ends, the days you earned but did not use are paid out at your final wage rate. If they are not paid, you can pursue the claim through an application and, if needed, court.
+Can I split my annual leave into parts?
It can be split with employer approval, but the law requires one portion to be taken without interruption. Check the relevant Labour Code article for the number of splits and the minimum block.
+Do public holidays inside my leave count as leave days?
Weekly rest days and official holidays are not deducted from annual leave; the leave period is extended by those days. Confirm your payslip reflects it that way.
+What can I do if HR will not give me my leave card?
Repeat the request in writing so it is on record, then call ALO 170 for guidance. If that gets you nowhere, file a complaint with the Provincial Directorate of Labour and Employment Agency.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 13 Eylül 2026. tell us. Written for employees in Türkiye; references SGK, e-Devlet, ALO 170 and Labour Code No. 4857. Institution names and portal labels are kept in Turkish so you can find them on screen.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.