Document Translation Requirements in Turkey
Official bodies in Turkey generally require a notarized translation of foreign-language documents, and many documents also need an apostille or legalization before they are translated. Below: who can translate, when an apostille is needed, and where the official rules are published.
Turkey uses a notarized-translation system: a sworn translator (yeminli tercüman) registered with a notary translates the document and the notary (noter) certifies it. For a Turkish document used in the United States, a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy is what USCIS and universities accept. Turkey has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 1985, so a Turkish document is apostilled by the Governorship (Valilik) — not consularized.
Turkey requirements at a glance
| Translation standard | Notarized translation (Notarised) · yeminli tercüme + noter onayı |
|---|---|
| Who can translate | Translator registered with a Turkish notary (yeminli tercüman) |
| Apostille | Yes, for foreign public documents issued in Hague Convention countries. Otherwise, consular legalisation is required. |
| Apostille authority | The Governorship (Valilik) for administrative documents; the local Justice Commission (Adli Yargı Adalet Komisyonu) for judicial documents. |
Who can translate documents for use in Turkey?
What makes a translation official in Turkey?
How does Turkey treat documents from abroad?
Legal basis
Apostille & legalization for Turkey
Turkey is part of the Hague Apostille Convention (since 1985), so public documents are authenticated with a single apostille — no consular legalization.
Documents from Turkey
The Governorship (Valilik) for administrative documents; the local Justice Commission (Adli Yargı Adalet Komisyonu) for judicial documents.Turkey has been a party to the Convention since 1985.
U.S. documents going to Turkey
A U.S. document going to Turkey is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into Turkish by a sworn translator and notarized.
The apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the apostille certificate is translated too. See how apostilles work, or order a translation with e-apostille.
How to get a Turkey document translation accepted
- 1
Request the nüfus kayıt örneği if you need full family data
Turkey's population-registry extract carries more detail than a bare certificate.
- 2
Order a certified English translation of the full document
Cover the registry data, the notary and sworn-translator stamps, and any apostille, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
- 3
Submit the original plus the certified translation
File them with USCIS, the university, or the credential evaluator.
Ready to translate your Turkish documents?
Certified for USCIS, universities, and credential evaluators — from $24.95/page.
Which direction are your documents going?
Translating Turkish documents for the U.S.?
Turkish birth certificates, diplomas, and transcripts submitted to USCIS, universities, or credential evaluators need a certified English translation — that is exactly what we do — backed by our revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee.
Sending U.S. documents to Turkey?
U.S.-issued documents usually need an apostille before they can be used in Turkey — and the apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the certificate itself gets translated too. We offer e-apostille processing as an add-on to any order.
Popular certified translations
The Turkish documents we translate most often — each with its own pricing and requirements page.
Why Turkey document translations get rejected
The mistakes we see most often on Turkish documents — and what a correct certified translation does instead.
Turkish letters ı, ğ, ş, ç, ö, ü mishandled
These letters change a name's spelling; a dotless ı read as i, or ş read as s, breaks the match with the passport.
Nüfus kayıt örneği confused with a birth certificate
The population-registry extract and a birth certificate carry different fields; translating one as the other misstates the record.
Only part of the document translated
The whole document, including the notary and translator stamps, must be rendered.
Real Turkish translation cases we've handled
Anonymized Turkish-to-English orders. Each case shows the exact translation problem and how we solved it for the receiving authority.
RecentJun 2026name-mismatchTurkeyWhen the Civil Register Records a Legal Name Change
A Turkish population registry record (nüfus kayıt örneği) was filed as a birth certificate for a USCIS case. The register recorded an official correction: the holder's given name had been legally changed by court order. We translated the correction in full — both the former and current name, the registry action, and the court reference. The certified translation was delivered for the applicant's USCIS packet.
Handled by Natalia Vega, Senior Certified Translation ReviewerUSCISRead case →
RecentMay 2026credential-evaluationTürkiyeWhen a Turkish Hukuk Lisansı Is Not a US J.D.
A Turkish four-year undergraduate law diploma (Hukuk Lisansı) from Ankara University Faculty of Law was translated for WES credential evaluation. The translation kept 'Hukuk Lisansı' as a retained foreign credential name rather than substituting 'J.D.' or 'LL.B.', because the Turkish degree is an undergraduate law qualification with no exact US equivalent. A Translator's Note documented the credential, and the certified translation was delivered for the application packet.
Handled by Tariq Al-Hassan, Middle Eastern Legal & Academic TranslatorWES credential evaluationRead case →
Cost & turnaround
A one-page belge is priced as a single page; multi-page records are priced by their page count. Standard delivery is 24–48 hours, with notarization and e-apostille available as add-ons. See full pricing.
Turkey translation requirements — FAQ
Do I need a notarized translation for a Turkish document used in the U.S.?
No. U.S. authorities do not require Turkey's yeminli tercüman and noter system. A certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy is what USCIS, WES, and ECE accept.
certified Turkish translationIs Turkey in the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes, since 1985. A Turkish public document used abroad is apostilled by the Governorship (Valilik) for administrative documents, or the Justice Commission for judicial documents.
how apostilles workWhat is a nüfus kayıt örneği?
It is the Turkish population-registry extract, which carries fuller family data than a bare certificate. For a U.S. submission it is often the more complete source document.
birth certificate translationHow are Turkish university grades translated for WES?
Turkish transcripts use a 4.0 scale and percentages. A certified translation preserves both so WES or ECE can map them, rather than converting to a U.S. GPA.
WES translationWhich languages do you translate?
We translate Turkish and 60+ other languages into English, each with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, for USCIS, universities, and evaluators.
Turkish translation servicesHow much does a Turkish document translation cost?
Pricing is per page. A one-page belge is a single page; multi-page records are priced by page count.
see live pricingCan I translate my own Turkish documents?
No. USCIS and universities reject self-translation; an independent translator must complete and certify it.
what a certified translation isRequirements in related countries
Neighbors and countries with a similar translation standard.
Sources
- Document and translation requirementsPresidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi), Turkey
- Apostille Convention — specialised sectionHague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)
Information verified against official sources. Last verified June 2026.
Need a certified Turkish translation?
Signed Certificate of Accuracy with every order, a revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee, optional notarization and e-apostille — delivered in 24–48 hours.