Schmidt & Schmidt offers the legalization of documents from Turkey by apostille.
Turkey joined the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents in 1985. Documents from Turkey can therefore be easily authenticated for use in over 100 countries by means of a so-called Apostille.
The Apostille or "Hague Apostille" is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g. a birth, marriage or death certificate, a court judgment, a commercial register extract or a notarial certification). It confirms the authenticity of the signature and the authority of the official who signed the public document.
The legalisation of documents in Turkey involves the verification of a document's authenticity by an authorised official. Following this procedure, the document is affixed with a special stamp — an Apostille. As a rule, the Apostille is placed on the reverse side of the document or on a separate sheet, after which the document is bound together.
The Apostille in Turkey is a square stamp in Turkish with the mandatory heading "Apostille" and a reference to the Hague Convention of 1961 in French (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961). The sides of the Apostille stamp must be at least 9 centimetres long.
For states that are not party to the Hague Convention, consular legalisation is required.
Competent apostille authorities in Turkey
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The competent Apostille authority in Turkey depends on the type of document:
- For administrative documents — including civil status records, notarial certifications and powers of attorney — the Governor's Office (Valilik) at provincial level or the District Governor's Office (Kaymakamlık) at district level is responsible;
- For court documents such as judgments, the Presidency of the Judicial Commission (Adli Yargı Adalet Komisyonu Başkanlığı) at locations with assize court districts is responsible;
- For certain court documents at central level, the Ministry of Justice is responsible.
The authorities verify signatures, stamps and seals against their own records. If the verification is successful, the Apostille is affixed on the reverse side or on a firmly attached additional sheet.
Since January 2019, Turkey has offered an e-Apostille system via the state postal service PTT. The list of eligible document types — originally including criminal record extracts and court decisions — is continuously being expanded; the current status is listed on the official website.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Types of documents
| Can be apostillized | Cannot be apostillized |
|---|---|
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Private documents — such as contracts between individuals, commercial agreements, or financial statements prepared by private companies — cannot be apostilled directly, as the Hague Convention applies only to public documents.
There is, however, a standard solution: the document can first be certified by a Turkish notary public. This transforms it into a notarial act — a public document bearing the notary's official signature and seal — which can then be submitted for apostille through the standard process.
This two-step approach (notarization followed by apostille) is the accepted method for authenticating private documents for international use in Turkey.
In the following cases, documents are exempt from any form of authentication:
- International civil status certificates issued under the Convention of 08.09.1976 on the Issue of Multilingual Extracts from Civil Status Records, i.e. birth certificates, marriage certificates and death certificates
- International certificates of capacity to marry issued under the Convention of 05.09.1980 on the Issue of Certificates of Capacity to Marry
- Documents issued by Turkish diplomatic or consular missions.
Specific aspects and document requirements for the apostille in Turkey
An Apostille may only be issued on an original document. The document must be in good external condition, all stamps and signatures must be clear and legible. Furthermore, it must not contain any foreign markings or inscriptions.
The Apostille procedure may vary depending on the country of origin and the receiving country. As a rule, however, you must go through the following steps to obtain an Apostille in Turkey:
- Obtaining the original document to be apostilled;
- Verification of the signature on the document by the competent authority;
- Issuance of the Apostille by the competent authority;
- Submission of the document together with the Apostille in the receiving country.
As a rule, the authentication of documents takes 5 to 14 days.
Through us, you can order commercial register extracts from Turkey with Apostille, including their translation into German. Courier services are charged and invoiced separately according to the courier service's rates.
e-Apostille
Turkey also issues electronic Apostilles for certain documents. PTT is the intermediary company that carries out the transaction. Currently, the electronic Apostille is only issued in Turkey for criminal record entries and court decisions.
Documents for which an e-Apostille is processed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior are transmitted electronically via PTT. These documents can be accessed by the applicant worldwide. Consideration should be given to what form the Apostille should take in the country where the document is to be used. If you have any questions regarding the validity of the e-Apostille, we recommend that you enquire with the authorities of the foreign country in question.
Reasons for rejection or delay
The most common reasons for rejection or delay when applying for an apostille in Turkey:
- Submitting a photocopy or unofficial copy instead of an original or certified official copy. The court will not apostille anything other than an authoritative original.
- Applying at the wrong court. The court must be in the same judicial district as the authority that issued the document.
- Submitting a private document without prior notarization. Without the notary's signature and seal, the document does not qualify as a public document under the Convention.
- Failing to correct errors in the document before apostillation. Any inaccuracy — a misspelled name, wrong date — must be resolved through the civil registry before the apostille is obtained. Correcting it afterwards requires repeating the entire process.
Processing time
Apostille processing times in Turkey are not standardized — each court manages its own workload independently, and waiting periods vary considerably depending on the court's location and case volume at the time of application.
At smaller courts in less-populated districts, a straightforward apostille application may be processed within a few hours. At high-volume courts in major cities, the same application typically takes three to seven business days. During particularly busy periods, processing can extend to two weeks or longer.
There is no official expedited or priority processing service available at Turkish courts. If you have a fixed deadline — such as an immigration appointment or a commercial transaction closing — it is strongly advisable to submit your apostille application well in advance rather than leaving it to the last moment.
Turkey is also gradually introducing electronic apostille (e-apostille) issuance as part of the Hague Conference's e-APP programme. Where available, this format can reduce processing times significantly. However, not all foreign authorities and institutions currently accept Turkish e-apostilles — always confirm with the receiving party whether an electronic format is acceptable before using it.
Recognition of the authenticity of public documents
Multilingual documents (under CIEC Convention)
Civil status certificates and certificates of marriageability, which are issued by one of the contracting states according to the model of the Convention of the International Commission (CIEC Convention) for Civil and Civil Status Affairs (CIEC), are exempt from any formality in Turkey.
Contracting states of the Vienna CIEC Convention of 08.09.1976 (issuance of multilingual extracts from civil status registers: birth, marriage, and death certificate) are:
- Austria, Germany , Belgium Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Italy, Cape Verde,, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.
Contracting states of the Munich CIEC Convention of 05.09.1980 (issuance of multilingual certificates of marriageability) are:
- Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey.
Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey have specific exemptions from legalization, which apply only to judicial and certain personal status documents.
These exemptions are based on special bilateral or multilateral agreements, such as the Convention on the Exemption of Certain Documents from Legalization within the framework of CIEC (Commission Internationale de l'Etat Civil), to which Turkey is a Contracting State. Varying areas of validity of these agreements explain the difference in legalization requirements for different types of documents, such as Turkish birth certificates not requiring legalization while Turkish higher education diplomas require apostille legalization.
Legalization of Turkish educational documents for use abroad
In order for educational documents issued in Turkey — such as school transcripts, university degrees, academic transcripts, enrolment certificates and other school or university certificates — to be recognised and valid abroad, they must undergo an authentication procedure. This is done through legalisation.
For the authentication of diplomas and similar educational documents in Turkey, applicants are generally required to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Even if the destination country is a signatory to the Hague Convention, there may be cases where legalisation of educational documents is still required. In such situations, additional authentication is necessary. Before submission, it is advisable to enquire with the relevant authority in the destination country or to seek professional assistance.
This approach ensures that educational documents have the required legal validity and can be recognised and used in various countries. These procedures are of a general nature; however, the specific requirements may vary. It is therefore recommended to confirm the exact steps with the competent authorities.
Apostille for a Diploma or ÖSYM Certificate
The original document is required for this process. The original document is translated by a sworn translator. It is then certified by a notary at the place of the certified translation. Subsequently, an Apostille is obtained from the competent authority. The competent authorities for this purpose are the Governors (Valilik) in the provinces and the District Governors (Kaymakamlık) in the districts.
Consular legalization of Turkish documents for use abroad
Consular legalization is the process of authenticating or certifying a legal document so a foreign country's legal system will recognize it as with full legal effect that is carried out by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document is to be used.
This procedure is required when the destination country does not recognize or accept the apostille certification. One needs to submit the original document, along with any required copies or supporting materials, to the respective consular office. The consular officials will review the document, verify its authenticity, and affix their seal or stamp to certify its validity.
The consular legalization process may require additional steps like obtaining translations of the document into the language of the destination country or providing additional supporting documentation as requested by the consular office.
It is up to the diplomatic mission to decide about the authentication procedure. The specific requirements and procedures for consular legalization may vary depending on the regulations of the destination country.
What is consular legalization?
In our video we are explaining what consular legalization is and where to apply for it.
Schmidt & Schmidt will assist you in all issues concerning the legalization.
Schmidt & Schmidt offers legalization in more than 80 countries all over the world.
The main differences between an apostille and consular legalization of documents
The common feature between apostille and consular legalization is that they authenticate an official document for presentation to institutions in another country. However, they have many differences.
| Apostille | Consular legalization | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal effect | Can be used in all countries that are party to the Hague Convention on the Simplified Legalization of Documents. | Use between States one or both of which is not a member of the Hague Convention, or where one of the contracting States has protested the accession of the other. |
| Difficulty | Moderate. To obtain an apostille, contact the competent apostille authority of the state of origin of the document. | High. For consular legalization, various inland authorities and a diplomatic mission of the state of destination must be involved. |
| Pre-certification | Usually not required. | Is obligatory. |
| Attestation at the state of destination embassy in the state of origin of the document | No need to contact the Consulate of the country of destination. | Is the final step of legalization. |
Apostille and consular legalization in all cities of Turkey
Schmidt & Schmidt provides apostille and consular legalization services for public documents originating from all regions across Turkey. We handle the entire process, from document review to obtaining the necessary certifications, ensuring that your documents are valid and recognized internationally. With our reliable services, you can confidently use your Turkey public documents abroad.
Procurement of documents from Turkey
If the important documents are lost or damaged, or current copies of the documents are needed, the re-issue of the documents is required. It is not unusual for people outside Turkey to encounter difficulties with obtaining new documents when abroad. Our consultants will help you procure new documents from Turkey remotely, and we can arrange for your documents to be sent by courier anywhere in the world.
Certified translation of documents from Turkey
Copies and transcripts of civil status documents can be translated into any language by a sworn translator in Turkey or the translation can be done in the country of destination. We offer certified translations of civil status documents with further certification. The cost of the work is calculated according to the volume of the document in question.
Does the translation have to be legalized?
Any foreign document issued in one country and used in another country must be legalized for use abroad. Therefore, the authenticity of a certified translation from Turkey needs to be certified by an apostille. Consequently, many authorities may not accept certified translations from Turkey if the translation has not been properly authenticated in Turkey for use abroad. To avoid this confusion, translations should better be made in the state of the destination of the document.
It is important to understand that apostillation and sworn translation are two entirely separate processes. The apostille authenticates the original Turkish document; the sworn translation makes its content accessible to a foreign authority that does not read Turkish. Both are typically required, but they must be completed in the correct order.
The correct sequence is: (1) obtain the original document; (2) obtain the apostille on that original; (3) have the apostilled document translated by a qualified sworn translator; (4) have the translation notarized if required by the receiving authority. The apostille is always placed on the original document — never on the translation.
One additional point worth noting: foreign authorities often have their own requirements regarding translator qualifications. A translator recognized as a sworn translator in Turkey may not hold that status in the destination country. It is advisable to confirm the specific translation and certification requirements of the receiving institution before commissioning any translation.
