This page is for anyone opening a gym or fitness studio in Türkiye and thinking about a website for it. The rules come from the Ministry of Youth and Sports regulation on private physical education and sports facilities.
01Which documents you need
Under Articles 6 and 7 of the regulation, you apply to the provincial directorate with:
- A petition. The facility's name, address and the sports it will offer.
- Details of the person in charge. Full address and a criminal record declaration.
- Coach contract. A certified copy of a one-year contract with the coach for each sport, certified by the federation or the provincial directorate.
- Facility plan. A certified plan at 1/100 scale.
- Documents from other bodies. The workplace opening permit from the municipality, a fire brigade report, a provincial health directorate report and the police opinion.
- Certificate of competence. From the relevant federation, for each sport.
For fitness and bodybuilding gyms the certificate is issued by the Turkish Bodybuilding, Fitness and Arm Wrestling Federation. You apply through the system on the federation's website.
02How to get the opening permit
- Hand in the documents to the provincial youth and sports directorate.
- A commission of at least five people inspects the facility on site. It includes the provincial directorate, a federation representative and someone from the provincial health directorate.
- If the facility is found suitable, it goes to the governor for approval and the registration fee is paid.
- The provincial directorate issues the operating permit. The facility counts as open from this permit.
After opening, the commission checks the facility every year and suitable facilities get a yearly approval. Each sport needs its own certificate and its own registration fee.
03Coach requirements
- Certificate. At least a second-level coaching certificate. In sports that do not have a second level yet, the first level is enough.
- Being there. Apart from special cases such as illness, the coach must be at the facility during opening hours.
- Two facilities at most. A coach may not have contracts with more than two facilities in the same province or district.
- Certificate on display. The coach's certificate is hung where everyone in the gym can see it.
04Conditions in the gym
- Changing room. At least 8 m². Where women and men train together, at least two changing rooms, each with at least two showers and two toilets.
- Rest room. At least 15 m².
- Temperature. The training area may not fall below 18 degrees, and the showers need hot water.
- Safety. Fire extinguishers, protective covering on sharp edges and a first aid cabinet.
- Price list. The price list approved by the provincial directorate is hung where it can be seen in the gym.
If your website shows prices, keep them the same as the price list approved by the provincial directorate and hung in the gym.
05What a gym website needs
- A trial class. A button that lets a visitor book a first class with one tap, by a WhatsApp message that is already written.
- Class timetable. Which class runs on which day and at what time, easy to read on a phone.
- Coaches. Photo, speciality and coaching level.
- Memberships and prices. The same as the approved list in the gym.
- Real photos of the gym. Equipment, changing rooms, class areas.
- Location and parking. Map and opening hours.
06Finding customers
- Open a Google Business Profile. You need it to appear on the map for searches like "gym near me". The steps are in our Google Business Profile guide.
- Ask your members for reviews. With a short WhatsApp message at the end of the first month. How to do it is in How to Get More Google Reviews.
- Give each type of class its own page. It helps you appear in searches such as "Kadıköy pilates".
- Make the trial class easy. Use the same booking link on the site, the Google profile and Instagram.
