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UK employer letter translation into Turkish
Notarised Turkish translation of an employer's letter confirming employment, dates, role and salary, for dövizle askerlik, worker deferment, kesin dönüş (İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi), SGK and Turkish bank or residence applications. One page, £6.50 plus the Ankara notary fee.
What the receiving body requires
“Çalışma Belgesi, Maaş Bordrosu (Fiche de Paie) en az 3 yıllık. (Türkiye'de izin dahil geçirdiği süreler hariç)”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What the letter must say
An employer letter (çalışma belgesi, işveren yazısı) is written by the employer's HR department or a director on company letterhead and confirms that you are employed, the date you started, your job title, whether the post is full-time or part-time, your gross salary and, where the Turkish procedure needs it, that the employment is continuing. It is signed and dated, names the signatory and gives the company's registration number and contact details. Turkish consulates and offices read letters that cover the full period at issue, so ask the employer to state the start date rather than just “currently employed”, and to mention any earlier posts with the same company. Self-employed people provide an accountant's letter instead; that is a different document and priced in the same way.
Turkish procedures built on this letter
- Dövizle askerlik. The fee-based military service option requires 1,095 days of work or residence abroad with a valid status. The Nantes consulate's note for France lists an employment certificate and at least three years of payslips as the file for employees, and the UK consulates ask for the same in substance. Read dövizle askerlik from the UK.
- Worker deferment (tecil). Employees abroad defer in two-year blocks up to the age of 35 on evidence of a work-permitting status and employment.
- Kesin dönüş. The certificate of transfer of residence (İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi) issued by the consulate for duty-free import of household goods needs proof of at least 24 months' residence and work in the UK, and the employer letter is the primary evidence. See kesin dönüş: moving back to Türkiye.
- SGK yurtdışı borçlanması. The HMRC record is the main evidence of UK employment, but the employer letter fills gaps and supports the hizmet belgesi issued by the labour attaché.
- Residence permit for a British spouse, Turkish mortgage applications and court maintenance cases, where income is at issue.
Where the consulate reads English
When the letter is handed in at the Turkish Consulate General for a dövizle askerlik, deferment or kesin dönüş application, the consular officer usually reads it in English and the published document lists do not mention a translation. Confirm with the consulate before ordering. The notarised translation is for the offices in Türkiye that follow: the askerlik şubesi that finalises the fee-based service, the customs office that clears the household goods, SGK, the Göç İdaresi, a bank or a court.
Legalising a private letter
An employer letter is not a public document, so the FCDO apostilles it only after a UK notary or solicitor certifies the signature or a copy. That certified letter qualifies for the e-Apostille (£35, around two working days) or the paper apostille (£45); our UK partner arranges either for the FCDO fee plus £20 handling. Customs offices handling kesin dönüş imports and courts are the bodies that have asked for an apostille in our experience; the askerlik şubesi and SGK have accepted the notarised translation of the letter without one. We translate the letter, the certification and the apostille together, a translator sworn before an Ankara notary signs, and the notary attaches the translation to a copy of the letter. An apostille of the notarised translation at the kaymakamlık costs £15 if required.
Job titles, salary and dates
UK job titles are translated descriptively with the English kept in brackets, since Turkish offices care about the category of employment rather than the title. Gross annual salary is copied in pounds without conversion; where a Turkish office needs a lira figure it applies its own rate on the date of application. Start and end dates are written in full. If the letter mentions a visa sponsorship or a certificate of sponsorship number, that is translated too, because askerlik officers use it to link the employment to the immigration status.
Cost and delivery
The letter is one page: £6.50 for the translation, the notary tariff at about £13.50 and £5 handling, roughly £25 in total, with no UK VAT. Translation is done the next working day and the notary signs the same or the following day. We e-mail a scan and courier the wet-sealed original for £30 to the UK or at a lower rate to the office or relative in Türkiye handling your file. Payslips and P60s that accompany the letter are priced on P60, P45 and payslips translation. Collection is not offered.
What you receive
- Turkish translation of the employer letter with job title, dates, salary and sponsorship details rendered in full, English titles in brackets
- Notarial certificate from an Ankara notary attached to a copy of the letter
- Translation of the solicitor's certification and FCDO apostille where customs or a court required legalisation
- PDF by e-mail; wet-sealed original by courier
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask my employer to include?
Your full name as in your passport, start date, job title, hours, gross salary, that the employment is continuing, the signatory's name and position, the company number and a contact e-mail or phone number. A letter with those items has satisfied consulates and Turkish offices to date.
I changed employer twice in the 1,095 days. Do I need a letter from each?
Yes, or an HMRC employment history covering the whole period. Each letter is one page; we notarise them together in one act.
My employer refuses to write a letter. What else works?
HMRC's employment history letter, P60s for each year and payslips show the same facts. See HMRC tax documents translation.
Does the letter need an apostille for dövizle askerlik?
The consulate has not required one in files we have seen; it reads the letter and checks the status. If the askerlik şubesi asks later, a solicitor-certified copy can be legalised electronically.
Can the salary be shown in lira?
Not on the translation. We copy the pound figure; Turkish offices apply their own exchange rate on the date of the application, and a converted figure on a notarised translation is treated as an alteration.