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Turkish certificate of activity (faaliyet belgesi) translation
Certified English translation of the Turkish certificate of activity (faaliyet belgesi) and the registry's certificate of registration (ticaret sicili tasdiknamesi), the nearest equivalents of a certificate of good standing, for UK banks, HMRC and Companies House.
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 the certificate is
A certificate of activity (faaliyet belgesi) is issued by the chamber of commerce or industry of which the company is a member, such as the Ankara or İstanbul chamber, and confirms that the company is registered with the chamber and its membership is active. It gives the company name, chamber and trade registry numbers, the MERSİS number, the date of registration, the capital, the registered address, the tax office and number, and the company's field of activity as a NACE code with its Turkish description. Many chambers now issue it electronically with a barcode and an e-signature, and it usually states how long it is valid. The registry office issues a parallel document, the certificate of registration (ticaret sicili tasdiknamesi), which confirms the entry in the trade register and shows the current status; a company in liquidation carries the words tasfiye halinde in its name. Sole traders are registered with the tradesmen's registry instead and rely on a tax plate rather than a certificate of activity.
We translate every field, keep the NACE code and translate its description, render the chamber's seal and the barcode caption, and translate the validity statement, which UK readers need in order to judge whether the document is current.
The good-standing question
UK banks and counterparties ask a Turkish company for a certificate of good standing because that is what Companies House issues for a UK company. Türkiye has no single document with that name. The faaliyet belgesi from the chamber and the tasdikname from the registry, read together, say what a good-standing certificate says: the company exists, is registered, is active and is not in liquidation. When a UK form demands good standing, these are the documents to translate, and a covering line on our certificate identifies them as the Turkish equivalents. Our guide to starting a UK business with Turkish company documents shows how they fit with the gazette and the articles.
Who asks for it
- Banks, for a UK business account or a first large payment from a Turkish company, typically wanting the certificate to be less than three months old.
- HMRC, as evidence that a business applying for UK VAT registration is established abroad.
- Companies House, alongside the constitutional documents when a UK establishment is registered.
- Home Office, for a sponsor licence where the UK sponsor is linked to a Turkish company, and for business visitors from Türkiye.
- UK customers and public bodies onboarding a Turkish supplier or assessing a tender.
What the translation must contain
None of these bodies prescribes its own wording for this document, and they accept the gov.uk certification standard quoted below, which our certificate follows with the date, a signature and our company details. Two rendering decisions are fixed. The NACE description is translated but the code is left as it is, because the reader can look it up. The company suffix Ltd. Şti. or A.Ş. is kept, with a note on what it means, rather than turned into an English form that would suggest a UK entity.
Freshness and verification
The certificate is dated and often carries its own validity period, and UK readers who see a document older than three months tend to ask for a new one. Because a chamber can issue a fresh electronic certificate in a day, order the translation when you have the current one rather than translating last year's. An electronic certificate can be verified on the chamber's or TOBB's site with the barcode, and we translate the instructions for doing so. Apostilles are not asked for by the bodies above; a paper certificate can be apostilled at the valilik if a foreign counterparty requires it.
Price and turnaround
The certificate is one page, £10.00, and the registry's tasdikname a second page, so the pair is £20.00, certification included, without UK VAT. We return the certified PDF the next working day, or the same day with the fast option for files received before 11:00 UK time; banks accept the PDF. Paper copies leave Ankara by courier at £30. We do not have a UK office, and collection is not offered.
What you receive
- Translation of the certificate with registry, chamber and MERSİS numbers, capital, address, NACE code and validity statement
- Translation of the registry's certificate of registration where supplied, with a line identifying the pair as the Turkish equivalent of a good-standing certificate
- Certificate in the gov.uk wording, dated and signed, with company details
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
A UK bank has asked for a certificate of good standing. Is the faaliyet belgesi the same thing?
It is the closest Turkish document, and with the registry's certificate of registration it covers the same ground. Tell the bank that Türkiye issues no document of that name; most accept the pair in translation.
Which is better, the chamber's certificate or the registry's?
Send both. The chamber's shows membership and activity; the registry's shows the legal status and is the one that reveals a liquidation. Together they cost £20.
The chamber issued it with an e-signature. Is that accepted in the UK?
Banks and HMRC have accepted electronic certificates with our translation to date. We translate the verification instructions so the reader can check the barcode online.
I am a sole trader with no chamber membership.
Then your registration is with the tradesmen's registry, and the documents that prove you trade are the tax plate (vergi levhası) and the registry's certificate. We translate those instead.
Does the certificate need an apostille for Companies House?
No. Companies House asks for certified copies and certified translations, not apostilles. Some foreign banks and counterparties do ask, and a paper certificate can be apostilled at the valilik.