The Republic of Turkey is a popular destination for foreigners to move here for permanent residence. Long-term residence in the country, of course, involves the issuance of a residence permit, which in turn often requires documents to be apostilled. What is an apostille and why is it needed in Turkey today?
In 1961, an international agreement (the Hague Convention) was adopted in The Hague, which simplified the procedure for legalizing documents abroad. Documents issued by state bodies are affixed with the international Apostille stamp, thanks to which foreigners can submit the necessary documents at the place of demand abroad.
This stamp contains the following information about the document:
- Name of the state in which this document was issued
- State in which the document was legalized
- Information about the signer
- The name of the institution that performed the apostille of the document
Where an Apostille is required in Turkey
When applying for a residence permit or citizenship, one of the required documents is a marriage certificate, birth certificates of children, a notarized permission of one of the parents in case the other parent moves abroad with a common minor child. To obtain, for example, a work or student visa, it is necessary to affix an apostille on a certificate of no criminal record, diplomas of education, certificates.
Where is the apostille affixed
The following state bodies have the right to apostille documents:
- Ministry of Science and Education
- Ministry of the Interior
- Ministry of Justice
- General Prosecutor's Office
It is important to note that for Turkey, the apostille of identity documents, work books, military IDs, etc. is prohibited.
