Documents: English to Turkish English → Turkish
Certificate of incorporation translation into Turkish
Turkish translation of a Companies House certificate of incorporation, apostilled and notarised in Ankara, for founding a Turkish company or branch with a UK shareholder, Turkish banks, tenders and work permits. Certified copy £44 from Companies House; translation from £6.50.
What the receiving body requires
“The standard service costs £22. Orders for incorporation documents cost £44” … “You can get a document or certificate legalised with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO). In countries who have signed up to the Hague Convention of 1961, this gives the document the same authenticity it has in the UK.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026The certificate and the copy that can be legalised
A certificate of incorporation (kuruluş belgesi, şirket tescil belgesi) is issued by the Registrar of Companies at Companies House when a company is formed. It states the company name, the registered number, the date of incorporation, the type of company (private limited by shares, limited by guarantee, PLC, LLP) and the jurisdiction of registration, England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The version printed at incorporation carries the registrar's facsimile seal; a company that has changed its name also holds a certificate of incorporation on change of name.
For use abroad Companies House recommends a certified copy of the document held on the register rather than the original print-out, because the certified copy bears the registrar's certification that the FCDO recognises. Its guidance prices the standard service at £22, with orders for incorporation documents at £44, and the same-day service at £65 or £130 for incorporation documents. The certified copy is what goes to the FCDO.
Turkish bodies that need it
- Ticaret sicili müdürlüğü. When a UK company becomes a founder or shareholder of a Turkish limited or joint-stock company, the trade registry directorate wants proof that the UK company exists and who may sign for it. A Turkish practitioner's summary of the rule is that documents issued abroad must carry an apostille and a notarised Turkish translation. Read setting up a company in Türkiye with UK documents.
- Ticaret Bakanlığı. A branch (şube) or liaison office (irtibat bürosu) of a UK company needs the parent's incorporation documents in the application.
- Turkish banks. Opening the capital deposit account for the new company and, later, corporate accounts for the UK parent.
- Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı. Work permit applications where the Turkish employer is owned by a UK company, or where a UK company posts staff to Türkiye.
- Tender authorities and customers. Public procurement files and large private contracts routinely ask a foreign bidder for its registration certificate in Turkish.
- Courts and enforcement offices. A UK company suing or being sued in Türkiye proves its existence with the certificate.
Legalisation without a solicitor
Companies House documents are among those the FCDO legalises directly; the guidance says you can get a document or certificate legalised with the FCDO and that in Hague Convention countries this gives the document the same authenticity it has in the UK. No solicitor step is needed for a Companies House certified copy. The e-Apostille at £35 within two working days is the practical choice, since the certified copy is issued as a PDF; the paper apostille costs £45 and takes up to 25 working days. We can arrange either through a UK partner for the FCDO fee plus £20 handling. Then we translate the certificate, the registrar's certification and the apostille together; the translator sworn before an Ankara notary signs, and the notary binds the translation to a copy of the apostilled document. Trade registry directorates in cases we have handled have also asked for an apostille of the notarised translation, done in Ankara for £15.
Points of translation
The company type is the term the registry officer reads first. We render private company limited by shares as sermayesi paylara bölünmüş limited şirket with the English term in brackets, distinguish LLP from a Turkish limited company in a translator's note, and keep the company number exactly as printed because it becomes the foreign registry reference in MERSİS. The date of incorporation is written out in the Turkish order to avoid confusion between day and month.
Cost and delivery
A certified copy of the certificate with 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; an apostille of the translation is £15. Most company formation files also include the certificate of good standing and a registry extract, and we price the bundle by the page; the legalisation steps for the whole set are on apostille and legalisation. No UK VAT is charged. Translation takes 1 to 2 working days and the notary signs within a day. The PDF comes by e-mail; the registry keeps the wet-sealed original, so it goes by courier for £30 to the UK or, more usually, to the accountant or lawyer in Türkiye filing the formation. No collection.
What you receive
- Turkish translation of the certified certificate of incorporation, the registrar's certification and the FCDO apostille
- Notarial certificate from an Ankara notary attached to a copy of the apostilled certificate
- Apostille of the notarised translation for the trade registry where asked
- PDF by e-mail; wet-sealed original by courier to the UK or to your adviser in Türkiye
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the original certificate I received at incorporation?
The FCDO's practice is to legalise Companies House certified copies, and registries in Türkiye expect the apostille to sit on a document certified by the registrar. Ordering the £44 certified copy avoids a refusal.
Which other documents does the Turkish trade registry want with it?
Typically a certificate of good standing, a registry extract or current appointments report showing the directors, a board resolution to found the Turkish company, and a power of attorney for the person signing in Türkiye. Each is apostilled and translated in the same way. See certificate of good standing translation.
Is the e-Apostille accepted by Turkish registries?
Turkish registries have accepted printed e-Apostilles from the FCDO to date, and Türkiye operates its own e-Apostil system, so officers are familiar with the format. A few directorates still ask to see a paper apostille; your Turkish accountant will know the local practice.
How recent must the certificate be?
The certificate itself does not expire, but registries want the accompanying good standing certificate and extract to be recent, generally within a few months. Order the whole set at once.
Do you translate the incorporation documents of an LLP or a charity?
Yes. An LLP's certificate and a charity's Companies House or Charity Commission registration are handled in the same way, with a translator's note on the entity type, since Turkish law has no direct equivalent to either.