If you apply for a residence permit in Turkey, a document in a foreign language has to be presented with a Turkish translation, and a document issued abroad usually also needs an apostille and a notary-approved translation. The exact list depends on the permit type and on the provincial migration office, so treat the checklist on e-ikamet as the authority and this page as a guide to the translation side.
What usually has to be translated?
- Passport: a passport in Latin script is generally not translated, while a passport in another script needs a sworn translation. The office also asks for a notarized copy of the passport.
- Marriage and birth certificates (family residence permit): apostille from the issuing country and a notary-approved Turkish translation.
- Income and bank documents issued abroad: a notary-approved translation by a sworn translator.
- Diplomas, transcripts and student documents (student residence permit): translation, with apostille where the document was issued abroad.
- Criminal record certificate: requested for some permit types, with apostille and translation if issued abroad.
- Health insurance policy issued abroad, if it is in a foreign language.
Not every document is asked for every permit type. Check the list for your type on e-ikamet before you order anything.
The usual order of steps
- Open the document list for your permit type on e-ikamet and note which documents come from abroad.
- For documents issued abroad, get the apostille in the issuing country (or legalization, if that country is not a party to the Apostille Convention).
- Have the documents translated by a sworn translator in Turkey. Check that every name, date and number matches your passport.
- Add notary approval to the translations if the office asks for it.
- Upload the scans in your e-ikamet application and keep printed copies ready for the appointment.
Start before you book your appointment. The apostille from your home country is often the slowest step, and a missing document can mean waiting for a new appointment.
Mistakes that cost a second appointment
- Names written differently in the passport, the certificate and the translation, especially when moving from Arabic or Cyrillic script to Latin letters
- A document from abroad without its apostille
- A translation without notary approval when the office requires it
- A document that is older than the office accepts
- Starting the translation only a few days before the appointment
Can I order the translation from abroad?
Yes. Upload a clear PDF or photo of the document on our online order page. The signed sworn translation reaches you first by e-mail as a PDF, and a paper copy can be collected at our Şirinevler office or sent by courier within Turkey. If you need notary approval, contact us by phone or WhatsApp first and we will tell you how to proceed.
How the apostille and the translation fit together is explained in Apostille and Translation for Turkish Documents.