Published: 22 September 2026 · Reading time approximately 7 minutes
An apostille is a certification that allows an official document issued in one country to be recognised in another. Türkiye is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention and now issues this certification electronically for certain groups of documents. The practice is called the e-Apostille.
When did the e-Apostille start and where is it obtained?
According to the information note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated 21 January 2026, the electronic apostille has been in use since 2 January 2019. Applications are made through the e-Government portal (e-Devlet) or directly through the e-Apostille portal; the user signs in with their e-Devlet account and submits the request online. e-Devlet integration for criminal record certificates came into use on 11 April 2022.
Which documents can receive an e-Apostille?
The document groups listed in the same information note are as follows:
- Criminal record certificate
- Court decisions
- Multilingual birth, marriage and death certificates (formulas a, b and c) — since 28 December 2023
- Documents issued by governorships and district governorships
The issuing authority varies with the document: for criminal record certificates and court decisions the apostille is issued by the Ministry of Justice, and for population records by the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs.
Which documents still go the paper route?
For documents outside the four groups above, the classic apostille route applies: the document is issued, and the apostille is obtained on paper from the competent authority. The most common mistake here is not asking, before obtaining the document, whether an e-Apostille is available for it. For documents such as a diploma, a trade registry certificate or a power of attorney drawn up before a notary, you need to confirm at the outset with the institution issuing the document whether an e-Apostille is available.
The scope is widening over time. For that reason we do not give a fixed "not available" list on this page; we check the current position for the documents in your file before starting work.
Countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention
The apostille is a system that works only between countries that are parties to the Hague Convention. The information note states that documents created in this way are treated as valid in more than 120 party countries. If the country you are sending the document to is not a party, a chain of consular certification is required instead of an apostille: the document is certified first by the relevant Turkish authority and then by that country's mission in Türkiye. The e-Apostille does not shorten this chain.
Verification: how does the receiving party check the document?
Documents bearing an e-Apostille carry a digital signature and a time stamp. The institution receiving the document can check its authenticity online using the verification details it carries. In practice this gives both a faster and a more reliable result than sending a wet-signed document by post for examination.
Where does translation come in?
There is a misunderstanding we come across often: the apostille does not translate the document. The apostille only certifies that the signature and seal of the authority issuing the document are genuine. If the document is to be submitted to a foreign institution, having it translated into the language that institution requires is a separate task.
The order matters too. At most institutions the expected chain is this: the document is obtained first, then the apostille is affixed, and the apostilled version is translated last. When it is done the other way round — translation first, apostille afterwards — the document can be sent back, because the apostille does not appear in the translation. Multilingual formula certificates have a further advantage: because the document is already drawn up in several languages, some institutions do not ask for an additional translation — this too is worth asking about at the outset.
What do we do?
For every document in your file we work out at the outset which route applies: e-Apostille, paper apostille or consular certification. We clarify the language and certification requirements of the institution asking for the document and carry out the translation in the right order. Sworn translation, notarial certification and the whole apostille chain are handled from the same office. Send us your documents and we will tell you in writing which steps are needed and how long it will take in total.
Legal basis
The Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Hague Apostille Convention); the provisions of Notaries Act No. 1512 concerning translation work; the e-Apostille information note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated 21.01.2026.
Legislation and administrative practice may change. The information on this page is for general guidance only; an assessment specific to your case requires a consultation.