Documents: Turkish to English Turkish → English
Muvafakatname (consent letter) translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish notarised consent (muvafakatname): a parent's consent for a child to travel, live abroad or obtain a passport, and other notarial consents, for the Home Office, HM Passport Office, Border Force, schools and the family court. £10.
What the receiving body requires
“If you need to certify a translation of a document that's not written in English or Welsh, ask the translation company to confirm in writing on the translation: that it's a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’; the date of the translation; the full name and contact details of the translator or a representative of the translation company.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What a muvafakatname is
A muvafakatname is a consent recorded by a notary (noter) in Türkiye or by the notary section of a Turkish consulate abroad. The most common is a parent's consent for a child to travel abroad with the other parent or a third person (yurt dışı seyahat muvafakatnamesi). Turkish border police do not demand it on exit, but airlines, foreign border officers and the UK Border Force may ask for it, so parents make one anyway. Other consents cover a child's passport application, a child living or studying abroad with a relative, a spouse's consent to a dealing with the family home, and a parent's agreement to a change of the child's surname. The document names the person consenting with their T.C. kimlik number, the child with date of birth and passport number, the person the child will be with, the destination and often a date range; the notary adds the attestation, seal and journal number.
We translate the consent word for word, keep passport and identity numbers exactly, translate the notary's block and seal, and describe any photograph. A consent made at the consulate in London is still a Turkish-language document and needs the same translation for a UK reader.
Who asks for it in the UK
- Home Office. A child applying to come to or stay in the UK with one parent must show either that this parent has sole responsibility or that the other parent consents to the arrangement. A notarised consent from the parent in Türkiye is the usual evidence. See translations for child and dependant visas.
- HM Passport Office. A child's first British passport needs the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, and where one parent lives in Türkiye a notarised consent is the practical way to give it. Read translations for HM Passport Office.
- Border Force. Gov.uk advises a parent travelling alone with a child to carry a letter from the other parent; a translated muvafakatname answers the question before it is asked.
- Schools and local councils, where a child lives with a relative and the arrangement has to be notified.
- Family court, as evidence of what the parents agreed.
What the translation must contain
The Home Office and HMPO apply the gov.uk certification wording quoted below, and our certificate meets it with the date, a signature and our company details. Two phrases need precision. A consent that recites velayeti bana ait olan (the child whose custody is vested in me) tells the reader that the consenting parent holds custody under Turkish law, and we translate it that way rather than as parental responsibility, which is an English concept with a different scope. And the verb muvafakat etmek is consent, not permission or approval, since the UK forms use that word.
Details that cause trouble
A consent that says only yurt dışına (abroad) is fine for Border Force, but a caseworker deciding a settlement application prefers one that names the United Kingdom and the person the child will live with. A date range that has expired is a weak document; ask for one with no end date or a distant one. The other parent's identity has to match the child's birth record, and where the parent has remarried and changed surname we add a note pointing to the marriage record. None of the bodies above asks for an apostille on a consent, and we have not seen one required.
Price and turnaround
A consent is one page of under 1,000 characters, £10.00, certification included and without UK VAT. It is short enough for us to return the certified PDF the next working day, and the same day with the fast option for a scan received before 11:00 UK time, which parents about to fly find useful. A paper copy signed in ink comes by courier from Ankara for £30, and since we have no UK office there is nothing to collect.
What you receive
- Translation of the consent with identity and passport numbers, destination, dates and the notary's attestation and seal
- Certificate in the gov.uk wording, dated and signed, with company details
- Copy of the original consent attached
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
Does Türkiye require a consent letter for a child to leave the country?
Not at the Turkish border. The document exists for the other end of the journey: airlines, the UK Border Force and any UK body that later asks whether the absent parent agreed.
Will HM Passport Office accept a notarised muvafakatname as the other parent's consent?
HMPO asks for consent from everyone with parental responsibility and has accepted notarised Turkish consents with our translation to date. It may still contact the parent directly, so make sure the consent gives a telephone number or e-mail address.
The other parent lives in Türkiye and cannot come to London. Where does he sign?
At any notary in Türkiye, the same day, with his identity card. He then sends you a scan and we translate it. A consent made at a Turkish consulate is only for parents who are outside Türkiye.
Is an apostille needed?
Not by the Home Office, HMPO or Border Force in our experience. If a court or a foreign authority asks for one, the kaymakamlık of the notary's district issues it free of charge.
How recent must the consent be?
No rule fixes it, but a consent dated within a few months of the application reads as current. For a settlement application, a consent with no expiry date avoids the question.