What is an Apostille and How to Obtain it? 2025 Step-by-Step Guide

An Apostille is a certificate of authentication issued under the 1961 Hague Convention, to which Turkey is also a party. An apostille ensures that an official document issued in one country is automatically recognized in another country that is party to the convention. This eliminates the need for lengthy consular and sworn translation authentication chains for your documents; the apostille alone serves as sufficient proof of authenticity. More than 120 countries worldwide are party to the Apostille Convention.

The easiest way to understand an apostille is as follows: You want to use a notary document, diploma, or court decision issued in Turkey abroad. For this document to be valid abroad, it requires either consular legalization or an apostille. If the country where the document will be used is a party to the Apostille Convention, you can obtain an apostille directly from the competent authority in Turkey instead of dealing with the consulate. This process is both faster and less costly.

The relationship between apostilles and translation is also a frequently asked question. An apostille verifies the authenticity of the document; however, when the document is in a foreign language and needs to be understood in the official language of the recipient country, a sworn translation may be required in addition to the apostille. In other words, apostilles and sworn translations are often used together; they are not alternatives to each other but rather two separate, complementary procedures.

Where to Obtain an Apostille in Turkey?

In Turkey, the authorities authorized to issue apostilles vary depending on the type of document. For documents issued by a notary public, the apostille is obtained from the notary public association of the province or district to which that notary belongs. For court decisions and judicial documents, the relevant court of justice or regional court of justice is authorized. For educational documents such as diplomas and transcripts, the Ministry of National Education or the governor's office of the province where the university is located is the authorized authority. For civil registry documents, the relevant civil registry office issues the apostille.

It is generally necessary to go to the relevant institution in person for apostille procedures; however, a person you have authorized by issuing a power of attorney (lawyer, translation agency, etc.) can carry out this process on your behalf. 42 Dil Translation Agency provides full support to its clients in apostille procedures; it receives the document, delivers it to the relevant institution, and forwards it to you after the apostille is obtained. In this way, you do not have to deal with the technical details of the apostille process.

What Documents are Required for an Apostille?

• Original document to be apostilled (notarized or obtained from an official institution)
• Photocopy of the document holder's identity card (required by some institutions)
• Petition (may vary depending on the institution; some institutions require a standard petition)
• Apostille fee (fee varies depending on the institution)
• Power of attorney (notarized power of attorney is required if someone else will carry out the transaction)

The submission of the original document is an essential condition for an apostille application; photocopies cannot be apostilled. The document itself must be a certified civil registry or notary document. Some institutions may request additional time to examine the document; therefore, we recommend that you start the apostille process at least two weeks before your travel or application date, without rushing.

Which Documents Require an Apostille?

The document categories that most often require an apostille are: High school or university diplomas and transcripts of Turkish students who want to enroll in or apply for admission to schools abroad; professional qualification documents and diplomas of people applying for jobs abroad; civil status documents to be submitted to a government agency abroad for marriage purposes (certificate of unmarried status, birth certificate, etc. required for marriage); company registration documents and powers of attorney required for company establishment or commercial contracts.

In addition, an apostille and sworn translation are required together for the recognition of divorce or custody decisions issued by Turkish courts abroad. Turkish lawyers may need to apostille their professional documents in order to work abroad. Apostilles on official Turkish documents are also among the standard conditions in applications to the United Nations and the European Union.

Are Apostilles and Sworn Translations Required Together?

Yes, in most cases, a sworn translation is required in addition to the apostille. An apostille verifies the authenticity and official nature of the document; however, it does not make the content of the document understandable in the language of the target country. Therefore, when an institution abroad requests your apostilled Turkish document, you are expected to submit a sworn Turkish-English (or another language pair) translation along with it.

As 42 Dil Translation Agency, we carry out apostille and sworn translation processes simultaneously. When you submit your document to us, we start both the apostille follow-up and the sworn translation work in parallel, and we deliver all the documents completely and quickly. This integrated service approach saves our customers significant time and effort.

Apply to 42 Dil for Apostille Procedures

42 Dil Translation Agency, based in Konya, provides end-to-end support to its clients in apostille procedures. We examine your document and clearly state which institution to apply to, how long it will take, and what the cost will be. We carry out the necessary notary or institution visits on your behalf for the apostille, and our office takes over all document tracking. In addition, if you need a sworn translation after the apostille, you can receive service at the same time without going to an additional office.

We offer apostille consultancy and sworn translation services from every city in Turkey. Send your document via WhatsApp or e-mail; let our expert team explain the steps required for the apostille step by step and prepare a free quote. Contact 42 Dil, which has been the trusted choice since 2009, to ensure that your official documents are accepted smoothly abroad.