Documents: English to Turkish English → Turkish
Certificate of good standing translation into Turkish
Turkish translation of a Companies House certificate of good standing, the UK counterpart of a faaliyet belgesi, apostilled and notarised in Ankara for Turkish trade registries, work permits, tenders and banks. Certificate £22 from Companies House; translation from £6.50.
What the receiving body requires
“The summary statement wording says that a company has been in continuous, unbroken existence since its incorporation and that no action is currently being taken to strike the company off the register.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What Companies House certifies
A certificate of good standing (faaliyet belgesi karşılığı, iyi durum belgesi) is issued by Companies House on request for a company that is up to date with its filings. Companies House's guidance describes the summary statement wording: that a company has been in continuous, unbroken existence since its incorporation and that no action is currently being taken to strike the company off the register. Optional wording can add the current directors and secretary, the registered office, the issued share capital and the objects, and you should ask for those additions, because they are what a Turkish officer expects a faaliyet belgesi to contain. The standard service costs £22 and the certificate is signed on behalf of the registrar.
A company that has overdue accounts or a confirmation statement cannot get the certificate; file first.
Where it stands in for a faaliyet belgesi
Turkish companies prove their existence with a faaliyet belgesi from the chamber of commerce or the trade registry, and every Turkish body that would ask a domestic company for one asks a UK company for the nearest equivalent. In practice that is the certificate of good standing, often filed together with the certificate of incorporation and a current appointments report.
- Trade registry (ticaret sicili müdürlüğü). Founding a Turkish subsidiary or joining an existing company as a corporate shareholder; also share transfers and capital increases where a UK company is a party. Practitioners summarise the requirement as an apostille plus a notarised Turkish translation for every foreign document. See setting up a company in Türkiye with UK documents.
- Work permits. The Ministry of Labour's online system asks for the foreign parent's registration documents when the Turkish employer is foreign-owned.
- Public tenders. Kamu İhale Kurumu rules require a bidder to prove registration; foreign bidders file the legalised, translated certificate.
- Banks and customs. Corporate account opening, letters of credit and customs registration for a UK exporter's Turkish operation.
- Ticaret Bakanlığı for branch and liaison office applications, where the certificate proves the parent is active.
Apostille directly, then Ankara
The certificate is signed on behalf of the registrar, so the FCDO legalises it without a solicitor. Companies House itself notes that its documents and certificates can be legalised with the FCDO for Hague Convention countries. Choose the e-Apostille at £35 (up to two working days) if the certificate was issued as a PDF, or the paper service at £45. Our UK partner can order the apostille for the FCDO fee plus £20 handling. We translate the certificate and the apostille as one document; the translator sworn before an Ankara notary signs, the notary attaches the translation to a copy of the apostilled certificate, and the kaymakamlık apostilles the notarial certificate for £15 if the registry asks for a legalised translation, which several directorates do. The whole sequence is on apostille and legalisation.
Wording that Turkish officers check
The registry officer looks for three things: that the company exists, that it is not being dissolved, and who its directors are. We translate continuous, unbroken existence and no action to strike off with the phrases Turkish faaliyet belgeleri use, list directors with their exact English names and roles, and add a translator's note explaining that a UK company secretary is not a Turkish şirket müdürü. Share capital stays in pounds.
Price and timing
A certificate of good standing with optional wording and apostille is 1 to 2 pages of 1,000 characters, £6.50 to £13.00, plus the Ankara notary tariff of about £13.50 per page and £5 handling, and £15 for an apostille of the translation. No UK VAT is charged. Translation takes one working day and the notary signs within a day. Registries want a recent certificate, so we prioritise these orders; the PDF is e-mailed and the wet-sealed original, which the registry keeps, goes by courier for £30 to the UK or to your adviser in Türkiye. There is no collection option.
What you receive
- Turkish translation of the certificate of good standing and the FCDO apostille, with directors, registered office and capital reproduced exactly
- Notarial certificate from an Ankara notary attached to a copy of the apostilled certificate
- Apostille of the notarised translation where the registry requires it
- PDF by e-mail; wet-sealed original by courier to the UK or to Türkiye
Frequently asked questions
How old can the certificate be when it reaches the Turkish registry?
Registries have asked for certificates issued within the last three to six months, and some officers apply a shorter limit. Order the certificate, the apostille and the translation in one sequence rather than months apart.
Do I need the directors listed on the certificate?
Yes, ask Companies House for the optional wording with directors and registered office. Without it the registry will ask for a separate current appointments report, which is another document to apostille and translate.
Is a certificate of good standing the same as a faaliyet belgesi?
Not identical, but it is the document Turkish registries have accepted in its place to date. We head the translation with the English title and note the Turkish counterpart so that the officer can match it to the checklist.
Can the apostille be an e-Apostille?
Yes. Companies House certificates issued as PDFs are eligible, and Turkish registries have accepted printed e-Apostilles to date. Check with your accountant in Türkiye if the local directorate has a paper-only habit.
We also need a good standing certificate for the Turkish work permit portal. Same document?
Same document; the portal accepts an upload of the notarised translation with the apostille. Keep the original in case the ministry asks to see it later.