Articles on documents and translation in Türkiye
Articles on documents and translation in Türkiye for foreigners: apostille, notarised translation, foreign civil-status papers, names. How to use them.
In 30 seconds
- The articles explain documents and translation for foreigners and foreign-owned companies in Türkiye.
- They cover sworn and notarised translation, the apostille, foreign documents used in Türkiye and names.
- Read an article first, then send us a copy of your document for a quote and a delivery date.
- Pick the article that matches your document
- Check the rules with the receiving institution
- Send a copy and tell us language and purpose
- Receive a quote and delivery date by email
Articles on documents and translation in Türkiye
The articles in this section explain, in plain language, how translated documents work for foreigners and foreign-owned companies in Türkiye. Each article takes one document or one step, such as a notarised translation or an apostille, and tells you what to do next. The list of articles appears below this text.
Tuna Translation is a private translation office in Ankara. The articles cover the document and translation side only. They do not give immigration, tax or company-law advice. If you want a general introduction before you read them, start with our overview of sworn translation in Ankara.
| If you want to | Look for articles on | Key point they explain |
|---|---|---|
| Use a foreign civil-status document in Türkiye | Foreign documents used in Türkiye | The apostille sits on the original; a notarised Turkish translation goes with it |
| Use a notarised translation in another country | The apostille | A governor's or district governor's office adds it; it certifies the notary's signature and seal |
| Understand the notary's role | Notarised translation | The endorsement under the text identifies the sworn translator |
| Use a document in a country that does not accept the apostille | Longer authentication chains | Governor's office, then the Ministry's Authentication Unit, then the destination mission |
| Spell your name correctly in a translation | Names and details | Latin-script names go in letter for letter, with accents |
| Use a court document abroad | Court documents | The route differs for the original and for a translation of it |
Topics the articles cover
The articles fall into five groups of topics.
- Sworn translators and notarised translations. Who a sworn translator is, what the notary's endorsement shows and what a notarised translation can be used for.
- The apostille. What it certifies, who issues it in Türkiye and when you need it.
- Foreign documents used in Türkiye. How civil-status documents travel into a Turkish civil registry, with or without an apostille.
- Turkish documents used abroad. The route for a notarised translation, an administrative document or a court document.
- Names and details. How names in Latin and other scripts appear in a translation.
Read more than one article if your case combines steps. A foreign marriage certificate used in Türkiye, for example, touches the apostille, the notarised translation and the spelling of names, so three groups of topics apply. The articles give Turkish terms beside the English explanation, such as valilik (governor's office), so that you recognise them on forms.
We add articles over time.
Each article names the kind of document it covers in its title, so you can find yours quickly.How to use the articles
Use an article as a checklist before you order. A short routine works well.
- Find the article that matches your document. If your document has a specific use, such as a civil registry or a residence file, look for the article on that use.
- Read the steps and note which of them belong to you. The notary's endorsement is one example. You attend the notary yourself or arrange it with a notary.
- Check with the institution that will receive the document. Each institution decides in its own list what it wants.
- Send us a copy of the document, the languages and the purpose.
Read the whole article before you act. A step that looks optional in one situation can be required in another.
Reading an article together with your own document
The articles describe rules in general terms. Your document may not match them exactly, so keep these points in mind.
First, find out where the document will be used. A notarised translation that you make and use inside Türkiye needs no apostille. The same translation used in another country may need one.
Second, find out who issued the original. A foreign civil-status document from a state that accepts the apostille needs the apostille on the original and a notarised Turkish translation. Without an apostille, the document needs a longer chain of approvals.
Third, keep the original. A Turkish notary cannot certify a foreign authority’s document as a true copy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication FAQ).
The articles also explain where Turkish authorities differ. For a notarised translation or an administrative document, a governor's office (valilik) or district governor's office (kaymakamlık) of any province or district issues the apostille. An article on another kind of document names the correct authority for that kind.
If an article leaves a question open, ask us. For background on the translators, see how sworn translators work in Türkiye.
What the articles do not do
The articles do not replace the rules of the institution that receives your document. Lists of required documents, fees, appointment systems and opening hours change, and we do not state them in general articles.
They do not describe how a particular office treats your file. When an article says that an institution decides, believe it: the institution, not the article, has the last word on its own list.
They do not name a fixed price or a fixed turnaround time. Each order receives a quote and a delivery date by email.
They also do not tell you whether a given country accepts the apostille. Ask the institution that will read your document.
To learn more about the office behind the articles, visit the page about our company.
Articles
- 2 November 2026 Five myths about the apostille Five common apostille myths for foreigners in Türkiye: what it certifies, which papers qualify, which office issues it, and what to do next.
- 30 October 2026 Reading the notary’s endorsement on your translation Learn what the notary’s endorsement on a translation contains, how to check it, and when the translation also needs an apostille.
- 27 October 2026 Seven mistakes people make when ordering a sworn translation Seven mistakes people make when ordering a sworn translation in Türkiye: the form, the order of apostille and notary, names and interpreters.
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Send us a legible copy of your document and tell us the language, where it will be submitted and when you need it. We will reply by email with a quote and a delivery date.
