What Is an Apostille, Which Documents Need It and Where Is It Obtained?

Published: 11 September 2026 · Reading time approximately 6 minutes

An apostille makes an official document issued in one country valid in another country; it is a single-step certification note. Among the countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention it replaces the long chain of consular certification that used to be required.

A frequently confused point: an apostille does not certify the document's content , nor does it translate it. The only thing it does is confirm that the signature and seal on the document genuinely belong to a competent authority.

Where is an apostille obtained in Türkiye?

• Documents of an administrative nature: governorships (district governorships are also authorised on the governor's behalf) — civil registry records, educational documents, medical reports and trade registry records, for example.
• Documents of a judicial nature: the judicial commission presidencies at courthouses that host a heavy penal court — court judgments, criminal record certificates and notarial acts, for example.

Whether the document counts as “administrative” or “judicial” determines which authority you go to. Going to the wrong one means losing a whole day.

Which documents need an apostille?

• Birth, marriage and death records; civil registry extracts
• Certificate of no impediment (certificate of capacity to marry)
• Criminal record certificate
• Diplomas, transcripts and student certificates
• Powers of attorney and notarial acts
• Trade registry records, articles of association, signature circulars and resolutions of authorised bodies
• Court judgments (including divorce decrees)

Apostille or translation first?

The correct order is almost always this: apostille first, translation afterwards. The reason is simple — the apostille note is itself part of the document and has to be translated too. If you have the translation done before the apostille, you will need it done a second time once the note is added.

For documents coming into Türkiye from abroad the chain runs like this: apostille in the country that issued the document → in Türkiye, a sworn translation → and, if required, notarisation. We have explained the difference separately: the difference between notarised translation and sworn translation.

If the receiving country is not party to the Hague Convention

In that case an apostille is of no use; the classic chain of consular certification applies instead. The document is certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country and then by the Turkish mission in that country (or, in the opposite direction, first by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Türkiye and then by the consulate of the receiving country). This route takes longer, so the timetable has to be built accordingly.

Where does it come up?

• Marriage to a foreign national: certificate of no impediment and birth certificate — detailed article
• Company and branch office formation: the parent company's registry record and body resolution
• Citizenship application: civil registry and criminal record documents
• Work permit: diploma and equivalence documents
• Acting through a power of attorney: all powers of attorney executed abroad

Common mistakes

• Having the translation done before the apostille and paying twice
• Trying to get an apostille on a photocopy (the note is issued on the original official document or on a duly issued copy of it)
• Missing the document's validity period — certificates of no impediment and criminal record certificates are valid only for a limited time
• Going to the courthouse for an administrative document, or to the governorship for a judicial one
• Not confirming whether the receiving country is party to the Hague Convention

We handle the apostille, the consular certification and the translation steps that follow from a single point — you can review our apostille and consular certification service.