Which documents need translating for your application?

How to use this application guide

This application guide brings together, on a single page, the documents that most often need to be translated for the most common applications in Türkiye. The lists in the guide are based on general practice; each institution sets its own document list and updates it from time to time. That is why this application guide gives you a starting point, while the final decision rests with the institution you are submitting the document to.

Application guide: preparing your documents

• Check the current document list of the institution you are submitting to on its official website.
• Prepare all pages of every document that needs to be translated, including the back if there is one.
• For documents issued abroad, find out whether an apostille or consular legalization is required.
• Ask whether the institution requires a notarized translation.
• Make sure names are spelled the same way as in your passport across all documents.

You can follow up-to-date information on residence permit applications on the Immigration Administration website, and on higher education degree recognition on the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) website.

Sworn, notarized or apostille?

For most of the documents in this application guide, at least a sworn translation is required. Institutions such as the Immigration Administration, universities and notaries often require a notarized translation. If the document was issued abroad, it may need to have been apostilled in the issuing country, with the apostille certificate translated as well; for details, see our apostille translation page.

Application guide: the most common mistakes

• Uploading only the front of the document and forgetting the annotations on the back
• Not including the apostille page in the translation
• Spelling a name differently across documents
• Submitting only a sworn translation for an application that requires notarization
• Having a document translated that has expired or bears a date the institution does not accept

Translation orders and delivery

Once you have identified the documents you need using the application guide, you can upload them all in a single order. The price is calculated immediately based on the document type, language and additional services; see our translation prices page for details. The PDF of the translation is uploaded to your account, and the original copy is sent by courier or handed over at our office.

Quick tips by application type

Family residence permit

For family residence permit applications, marriage and birth certificates are the most commonly requested documents. If the documents were issued abroad, a notarized translation is often required together with an apostille or consular legalization. Make sure the names of spouses and children are spelled the same way in all documents.

Students

For university enrollment and degree recognition, the diploma and the transcript are required together. If your transcript has several pages, upload all of them; the grading system and course names are rendered faithfully to the original in the translation. If you are applying for degree recognition, check the current document list of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) or the Ministry of National Education (MEB).

Work permit

For work permit applications, professional qualification certificates may be required in addition to your passport and diploma. Since the application is usually filed by the employer, ask your employer or your accountant for the current document list.

Citizenship

For citizenship applications, birth certificates, marital status documents and criminal record certificates are often required. For documents such as criminal record certificates, institutions usually require a recently issued document, so it is safer to have the translation done close to your application date.

Marriage procedures

Foreigners who are getting married in Türkiye are usually asked for a passport, a birth certificate and a document showing that there is no impediment to the marriage. Those who have been married before may also be asked for a divorce decree. Ask the marriage office where you will apply in what form the documents are required.

Notary and power of attorney

If a power of attorney issued abroad is to be submitted to a notary in Türkiye, a notarized translation is usually required together with an apostille or consular legalization. If a power of attorney you have drawn up in Türkiye will be used abroad, plan your translation and apostille needs according to the destination country.

Document dates and validity

A translation itself has no general validity period; however, institutions may require the translated document to have been issued within a certain period. This application guide does not cover every institution's date requirement, so check the institution's current requirement before having the document translated.

The online translation process

Once you have identified your documents, upload them to the order form and select the language pair and, if needed, the notarization, apostille and courier options. The price is calculated immediately; after payment, you can track your order from your account. When the translation is complete, the PDF is uploaded to your account and the original copy is delivered to you.

If your application is not covered in this application guide, or if there is a document you are unsure about, send us a photo of it on WhatsApp or take a look at our frequently asked questions page.