Seven mistakes people make when ordering a sworn translation

The seven most common mistakes are these: not asking which form of translation the receiving office wants, expecting a translation office to notarise or apostille, getting the steps in the wrong order, relying on a copy where the original is needed, spelling names loosely, mixing up a translator and an interpreter, and assuming every document follows the same route. Each one can cost you a second trip to an office. Here is how to avoid them.

Mistakes about the form of a sworn translation

1. Ordering a translation without asking for the form

Offices use different words for what they want. A civil registry office asks for a notarised Turkish translation. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) asks for a Turkish translation approved by a Turkish notary or a Turkish mission abroad. The private international law act uses the term authenticated translation for foreign court judgments and does not name the notary.

These are not the same thing. Read the wording on your list, or ask the receiving office, before you order. How these terms differ in Türkiye is explained on a separate page.

2. Expecting the translation office to notarise or apostille

A sworn translator is a translator who took the oath at a Turkish notary's office. That office keeps the oath record. Our page on who counts as a sworn translator covers the oath in more detail.

The notary then completes the translation act with an endorsement. The endorsement names the sworn translator and gives the translator's address. The notary dates, signs and seals it. A notarised translation counts as valid until proven otherwise.

Tuna Translation is a private translation office, not a public authority. It does not issue the notary's endorsement or the apostille. The notary adds the endorsement; the apostille comes from the issuing state, or in Türkiye from a governor's office (the justice commission for original court documents). For the general picture, read about how sworn translation works in Türkiye.

Mistakes about apostille, originals and the order of steps

3. Getting the order wrong

For a foreign document used in Türkiye, the usual order is this. First the apostille goes on the original in the country that issued it. Then a notarised Turkish translation is made in Türkiye. You do not need a second apostille on that translation.

A notarised translation that is made and used inside Türkiye needs no apostille at all. The apostille certifies only the signature, the signer's capacity and the seal. It says nothing about the content or about the translation.

Check the issuing country's status in the HCCH status table on the day you apply, because the list changes. If the country is not a party, the chain is longer. The issuing country's foreign ministry approves the document, then the Turkish mission there approves it, and the notarised translation follows in Türkiye. A document that already carries an apostille gets nothing further from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The other direction works differently. A notarised translation of a Turkish document, used abroad, gets its apostille from a governor's or district governor's office in any province or district. Ask the destination whether it also wants a particular language.

4. Relying on a copy where the original is needed

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication FAQ, a Turkish notary cannot certify a copy of a document issued by a foreign authority as a true copy. For the Ministry's authentication, the original is needed.

So keep your foreign originals safe. Ask the receiving office whether it wants the original, a copy, or both, and whether it returns them.

Mistakes about names, interpreters and document types

5. Spelling names loosely

Names in Latin script go into Turkish civil records letter for letter. They are not translated, and accents and other diacritics stay. Names in other scripts are transliterated letter by letter. If your documents spell a name differently, the records of your state of nationality prevail.

Some marriage offices want the passport, residence permit and certificates to match exactly. Send the translator a clear copy of your passport so every document follows it.

6. Confusing a sworn translator with a sworn interpreter

A sworn translator works on paper. A sworn interpreter works orally. If you do not speak Turkish and you sign a notarial act, a sworn interpreter must be present. The notary administers the interpreter's oath, and the interpreter's identity and address go into the record.

At a wedding, the marriage regulation speaks of an interpreter whom you bring. It does not say the interpreter must be sworn. Some municipalities, such as Melikgazi, ask for a sworn one. Check with your own marriage office.

7. Treating every document alike

• Private papers. A bank letter, payslip, employer letter or board resolution cannot take an apostille directly. The apostille goes on an official certificate placed on it, such as a local notary's certification. Arrange that before the translation.
• Court documents. The original of a Turkish court document or a criminal record certificate gets its apostille from the justice commission, and the e-Apostil system takes applications. A foreign court judgment is used in Türkiye through recognition or enforcement by a Turkish court, not through apostille and translation alone. A foreign divorce can also be registered under Article 27/A.
• Multilingual extracts. A CIEC multilingual civil-status extract is accepted by the civil registry without legalisation. Some municipal offices report accepting it without a translation when Turkish is one of its languages. Confirm with your office.
• Honorary consulates. Civil registries do not act on documents issued by honorary consulates.

A short checklist before you order a sworn translation

• Find the exact wording on the receiving office's list.
• Say whether the document is for use in Türkiye or abroad.
• Confirm that the original carries any apostille it needs.
• Send your passport copy so names match.
• Ask whether you need an interpreter as well as a translation.