My country doesn't accept apostilles. What do I do?

Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention — such as the UAE, Qatar, Iran and Iraq — may require a different legalisation chain. Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are Contracting Parties; covered public documents use the apostille route, subject to document and receiving-authority requirements.

📌 Quick summary

Hague apostille on a Turkish public document. Kaymakamlık or valilik for civil records, National Education for diplomas, Ministry of Justice for court decisions. Full chain in Ankara: typically 2–4 business days for Hague destinations; 7–12 for non-Hague including embassy legalisation.

Who Issues an Apostille in Turkey?

Updated August 2026

Civil records (birth, marriage, family registry): district governorship (kaymakamlık) or provincial governorship (valilik). University diplomas: Provincial Directorate of National Education. Court decisions: Ministry of Justice. Notarised documents: local governorship. Full chain in Ankara: typically 2–4 business days for Hague destinations (sworn translation, notarisation and apostille). Non-Hague destinations such as the UAE, Qatar, Iran and Iraq take 7–12 business days including embassy legalisation.

If you need a Turkish document accepted in another country — a diploma, birth certificate, criminal record or notarised contract — you almost certainly need an apostille. Here is exactly how the process works in Turkey, who issues apostilles, and what happens when your country is not in the Apostille Convention.

Turkey apostille specimen — public document

Hague apostille issued in Turkey for a public document used abroad: place, date, number, and seal.

Turkey apostille specimen for public document — Hague ribbon, place, date, number and seal — Turkey apostille specimen for public document: place, date, number, and official seal.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a standardised certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. It was established under the 1961 Hague Convention and is accepted in 120+ countries. When a Turkish document carries an apostille, the receiving country recognises the signature and seal of the Turkish authority without any further legalisation.

Turkey joined the Hague Convention in 1985. Turkish apostilles are accepted in all member states — including Germany, France, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia.

Who issues apostilles in Turkey?

Unlike many countries where a single authority issues all apostilles, Turkey distributes apostille authority by document type:

Document type	Issuing authority
Birth, marriage, death certificates	District or provincial governorship
Notarised documents	District or provincial governorship
University diplomas	Provincial Directorate of National Education
Court decisions	Ministry of Justice
SGK / social security documents	Ministry of Labour and Social Security
Ministry-issued documents	Relevant ministry

The full process — step by step

Sworn translation

If the receiving country needs the document in its own language, a sworn translator prepares a certified translation. In Turkey, sworn translators are court-appointed and their translations carry legal weight.

Notarisation (if required)

Some countries require the sworn translation to be notarised — stamped and signed by a Turkish notary public. This confirms the translator's identity and seal.

Apostille

The relevant Turkish authority affixes the apostille certificate. This is a single-page attachment that certifies the document's authenticity for all Hague Convention member states.

Delivery

The apostilled document is ready to be submitted to the foreign institution — embassy, university, court or government office.

Countries that do NOT accept apostilles

Some major destinations are outside the Hague Convention. For these countries, the process is longer and requires Ministry of Foreign Affairs approval plus embassy legalisation:

Country	Required chain	Timeline
UAE	Translation → Notary → MFA → UAE Embassy	6-10 business days
Qatar	Translation → Notary → MFA → Qatar Embassy	6-10 business days
Iran	Confirm the current legalisation chain with the Iranian mission and receiving authority	Varies

Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are Contracting Parties. For public documents covered by the Convention, an apostille replaces consular legalisation; the receiving authority may still impose translation or document-specific requirements.

Official Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a translation before or after the apostille?

Translation first, then apostille. The translated document is also notarised and can receive its own apostille if the receiving institution requires it.

How long does the whole process take?

For apostille-member countries: typically 2-4 business days for translation, notarisation and apostille. For non-member countries: 7-12 business days including embassy legalisation.

Can you handle everything from abroad?

Yes. Send us a scan or photo of your document via WhatsApp. We complete the translation, notarisation and apostille in Ankara, then courier the certified documents to your address anywhere in Turkey or abroad.

Need an apostille on your Turkish document?

Send us a photo of your document. We'll confirm what's needed and how long it takes — usually within the hour.

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