Notarised translation in Türkiye

A notarised translation is a translation that goes through a Turkish notary. Translating documents from one language into another is one of the duties the Notaries Act gives notaries. The notary adds an endorsement under the text. That endorsement identifies the sworn translator. Institutions in Türkiye ask for this form when they want a Turkish text of a foreign document. Tuna Translation is a sworn translation office in Ankara; see sworn translation in Ankara for foreigners for the whole range of work.

What a notarised translation in Türkiye is

A notarised translation is the notary’s translation act. The notary adds an endorsement under the translated text, then dates, signs and seals it. When the notary uses a sworn translator, the endorsement must state the translator’s identity and address.

Behind the endorsement stand a few steps that the notary controls. The sworn translator takes an oath before a notary. The notary records the oath in a report that both sign, and the report stays on file at that notary office. A notary may not have a translation done by anyone whose oath report is missing from the file.

Before using a translator, the notary must also be satisfied that the translator knows the language correctly. Diplomas, other documents or other means can show this.

A notarised translation counts as valid until proven otherwise. That is the standard for notarial acts other than deeds and signature certifications. For the sworn translator’s role in general, read sworn translation in Türkiye.

Who needs a notarised translation in Türkiye

You need one when a Turkish institution asks for a Turkish text of a foreign document in this form. The common cases are these:

• a foreign civil-status document, such as a birth or marriage certificate, for a Turkish civil registry;
• a foreign driving licence or a foreign education certificate when you exchange the licence at a nüfus müdürlüğü (civil registry office);
• papers for a residence permit at the Göç İdaresi (Directorate of Migration Management), where the short-term residence list names such documents;
• papers for the equivalence of a foreign diploma, where YÖK asks for a Turkish translation approved by a Turkish notary or Turkish mission abroad, and MEB asks for a translation only if its office has no staff for the language;
• a foreigner’s passport for a municipal marriage office, where some municipalities ask for a notarised Turkish translation;
• a document in a court file, where the court decides the form it expects.

Each institution decides in its own list. A sworn translation without a notary’s endorsement is not accepted everywhere. Ask the institution, or ask the office for the current list.

The usual order of steps

The order below fits most cases. Your institution may add or drop a step.

1. Ask the institution which form of translation it wants and in what language.
2. Gather the original documents. A Turkish notary cannot certify a foreign authority’s document as a true copy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication FAQ), so the original is needed.
3. For a foreign civil-status document from an Apostille state, make sure the original carries the apostille from its issuing state.
4. Order the sworn translation. The sworn translator prepares the text.
5. Have the notary add the endorsement, then collect the notarised translation.
6. If the document goes abroad, add the apostille from a governor’s or district governor’s office.

Without an apostille, a foreign document needs more steps. Approval comes from the issuing country’s authorities, then its consulate or embassy chain, and then a Turkish authority. The notarised Turkish translation is still needed.

Multilingual CIEC civil-status extracts need no legalisation. Municipal practice does not ask for a translation of them, although the regulation is silent. Turkish civil registries do not act on documents issued by honorary consulates.

Notarised translation, sworn interpreter and apostille

These terms are easy to mix up. Keep them apart.

A sworn translator works on paper. A sworn interpreter (andlı tercüman) works orally, for example when a person who does not know Turkish makes a notarial act. Interpreters have their own rules, so ask the notary’s office before you bring one.

A notarised translation made in Türkiye and used in Türkiye needs no apostille. The Apostille Convention covers documents executed in one state that must be produced in another. If a notarised translation goes abroad, the governor of any province or district certifies the notary’s signature and seal. That certificate is the apostille. Read apostille and consular legalisation for the full chain, including destinations outside the Convention. For those destinations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs unit in Ankara adds its approval, and it works by appointment.

A translation office issues neither the notary’s endorsement nor the apostille. The endorsement is a notarial act, and the apostille comes from a Turkish authority. A private translation office prepares the translation only.