What is Apostilled Translation?
The Hague Convention signed between the countries in 1961 has removed the requirement for its member countries to legalize the documents. With this agreement, official documents issued in a country and destined for use in another would no longer required certification by consulate but apostillization would be sufficient.
Which Documents are Apostilled?
Official documents requiring Apostillization:
- a) Including document issued by the prosecutor, clerk or office of the court, documents issued by an authority or a competent office working for a judicial body or court of the state;
- b) administrative documents;
- c) Notary deeds;
- d) Official declarations for certifying via official authority or notary that private documents signed by persons are registered or existent at a particular date and that the signatures on them are authentic.
Source: The Official Gazette dated 16.9.1984 and numbered 18517
All kinds of documents issued by state authorities can be apostilled immediately.
Documents requiring apostillization:
Education documents: school, lyceum, university diplomas, etc.;
Documents showing marital status: certificates of birth and marriage, marriage permit certificates, etc.;
Powers of attorney, letters of consent;
Documents of civil, family and penal lawsuits and court rulings;
Incorporation documents issued by state institutions, articles of association, patents and other documents.
Specific applications for apostillization:
Health Reports: They are certified by Apostille seal after being approved by authorized Health Directorates.
Commercial Documents: They are certified by Apostille seal after being approved by the pertinent Chamber of Commerce or Industry.
Diplomas issued by High or Academic Educational Institutions: They are certified by Apostille seal after being approved by the Central Management Authority of the university institution.
The correctness of the unofficial documents are certified by a Turkish Notary and these are later apostilled.
As each signature placed on documents issued by companies or real persons require notarization, such documents are apostilled after their notarization.
Diplomacy and consulate instruments, bank documents, commercial correspondences or documents pertinent to commercial or customs transactions (powers of attorney for the shipment of off-border goods, dispatch notes, agreements for the goods or services, work completion or progress payment certificates covered by agreements) are not apostilled. Generally, consulate approval is taken.
How and where Apostillization or Certification is made?
Certification is made by the Legal Departments of City Governorships or Provincial Governorships.
It is mandatory that the document pending apostillization bear wet official seal and signature (e-signature, ready seal signatures by persons other than the apostillization officer are not accepted).
Documents issued by Prosecutor’s Offices are apostilled in Republic Head Prosecutor’s Offices.
Documents issued by countries not members of the Hague Convention are certified by by the Legal Departments of City Governorships.
A document is certified within a few minutes. Apostillization of documents is free of charge.
Documents demanded for certification:
- The official document to be certified.
- The identity card of the person bringing the documents, which includes his/her Turkish ID Number.
- The passport or the residence permit of the person bringing the document, if he/she is a foreigner.
- If documents belonging to different persons are brought by companies or visa firms, then the list printed on the company’s annotated paper and including the persons names.
