Our translation quality process

What quality means for a sworn translation

Quality in a sworn translation rests on three things you can check yourself: who translated the text, how names and details were carried over, and what the notary's endorsement says. This page explains each one and what you can do before you order.

Tuna Translation is a private translation office, not a public authority. We prepare the translation. We do not issue the notary's endorsement, and we do not issue the apostille. Both come from other bodies, and we explain below who they are.

If you want the wider picture first, read our overview of sworn translation in Ankara. If you want to know more about the office itself, see the page about our company.

The sworn translator behind your text

A sworn translator takes an oath before a Turkish notary. The notary records the oath in a report that both of them sign. The report stays on file at that notary's office.

This rule has a practical effect. A notary may not have a translation made by a person whose oath report is missing from the office file. The person who translates your document must therefore already be known to the notary who will endorse the work.

The notary must also be satisfied that the translator knows the language correctly. The notary can reach that view through diplomas, other documents or other means. A diploma is a certificate of completed study. It is one way to show language knowledge, but not the only one.

If you need to know whether a specific institution accepts a given translation, ask us before you order.

Names and details in the translated text

Names cause most of the practical problems in translated civil documents. Two rules cover nearly every case.

• A name written in Latin script goes into Turkish civil records letter for letter. It is not translated, and accents and other diacritics stay in place. A name such as José keeps its accent.
• A name written in another script is transliterated letter by letter. If your documents spell the name in different ways, the documents issued by the state of your nationality prevail.

You can help the translator with one simple step. Tell us if two of your documents spell your name differently. Send a copy of the document issued by your state of nationality, such as your passport, so the spelling can be checked against it.

A clear copy helps in the same way. Dates, numbers, stamps and seals are part of the document, and the translator can only work from what is legible. If a scan is faint or cut off at the edge, send a better one.

The notary's endorsement and the apostille

Translating documents from one language into another is one of the duties that the Notaries Act gives to Turkish notaries. A notarised translation is the notary's translation act. The notary adds an endorsement under the text, then dates, signs and seals it.

When the notary works with a sworn translator, the endorsement must state the translator's identity and address. In this way the notary completes the translation act with an endorsement that identifies the person who made it. You can read that identity directly on the page.

A notarised translation counts as valid until someone proves otherwise. That is the standard for notarial acts other than deeds and signature certifications.

The endorsement is a separate step from the translation. You attend the notary yourself, or you arrange this with a notary. The translation office does not issue it. We explain the order of steps on our page on placing an order.

An apostille is a different kind of check. It certifies the signature, the capacity of the signer and, where relevant, the seal or stamp. It does not certify the content of the document, so it says nothing about the quality of the translation.

You need an apostille only when you use a Turkish notarial act, such as a notarised translation, in another country. For that act, the governor's office (valilik) or district governor's office (kaymakamlık) of any province or district certifies the notary's signature and seal. A notarised translation that you use inside Türkiye needs no apostille.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dışişleri Bakanlığı) adds nothing to a document that already carries an apostille. Present it directly.

Questions to settle before you order

A few answers at the start prevent most corrections later.

1. Which institution will read the translation, and does it ask for a notarised translation? Each institution decides this in its own list.
2. Which language is the original in, and which language must the translation use?
3. Do you have the original? A Turkish notary cannot certify a foreign authority’s document as a true copy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication FAQ), so the original document is needed.
4. Will you use the translation inside Türkiye or abroad? This decides whether an apostille is relevant.

Send us a copy and these answers. We reply by email with a quote and a delivery date, and a sworn translator then prepares the translation.