Documents: Turkish to English Turkish → English
Turkish divorce decree (boşanma kararı) translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish divorce judgment (boşanma kararı) with its certificate of finality (kesinleşme şerhi), for register offices, spouse visas, the family court and recognition under the Family Law Act 1986. Typically £40–100.
What the receiving body requires
“Where an affidavit, a witness statement or an exhibit to either is in a foreign language – (1) the party wishing to rely on it – (a) must have it translated, and (b) must file the foreign language document with the court, and (2) the translator must sign the original statement and must certify that the translation is accurate.”
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· checked 29 August 2026What a Turkish divorce decree contains
A divorce in Türkiye is granted by a family court (aile mahkemesi) or, in districts without one, by a civil court of first instance (asliye hukuk mahkemesi). The document you hold is the reasoned judgment (gerekçeli karar). It opens with the court name, the case and decision numbers in the Turkish format (for example 2024/312 Esas, 2025/87 Karar), the judge and clerk, and the parties with their T.C. kimlik numbers. It then sets out the claim, the evidence, the reasoning and the operative order (hüküm): the divorce itself, custody (velayet), contact, maintenance (nafaka), compensation (tazminat) and costs. In an uncontested divorce (anlaşmalı boşanma) the parties' settlement protocol is attached and forms part of the order.
Two further items are essential. The certificate of finality (kesinleşme şerhi) is a stamp or annotation, signed by the clerk, stating the date on which the judgment became final; without it a Turkish divorce is not yet effective. Decisions obtained from the UYAP court system through e-Devlet carry an electronic signature note and a verification code instead of wet stamps. We translate the whole judgment, the protocol, the finality certificate, every stamp and the UYAP note, and we keep the case numbers in their Turkish form so the court file can be traced.
When a UK body asks for it
- Register office. When a divorced person gives notice of marriage in England or Wales, the registrar needs evidence that the earlier marriage has ended, and a foreign divorce is checked for recognition. The registrar may refer the documents to the General Register Office. See translations for giving notice of marriage.
- Spouse, partner or fiancé(e) visa. Appendix FM requires proof that any previous relationship has permanently broken down; the decree with its finality certificate is the standard evidence.
- Family court. Financial remedy applications after a foreign divorce, child arrangements where a Turkish custody order exists, and disputes over recognition.
- HM Passport Office and banks, where a person reverts to a pre-marriage surname after a Turkish divorce.
Recognition itself is governed by section 46 of the Family Law Act 1986: a divorce obtained by proceedings abroad is recognised if it is effective under the law of the country where it was obtained and either party was habitually resident, domiciled or a national there. The finality certificate is what shows the decree is effective in Türkiye. Read our guide to getting a Turkish divorce recognised in the UK.
What the translation must contain
For a court, Practice Direction 32 to the Civil Procedure Rules, quoted below, requires the party relying on a foreign-language document to file it with the court, and the translator to sign and certify that the translation is accurate. The family court applies the equivalent rule under the Family Procedure Rules. Our translation carries a signed certificate of accuracy, the date and our full company details, which also satisfies the gov.uk wording used by registrars and the Appendix FM-SE items used by the Home Office. We translate the full text: a translation of the operative paragraph alone is not a full translation and has been refused.
Terminology follows a fixed style so that different Turkish orders read consistently in English: velayet is rendered as custody, kişisel ilişki as contact, iştirak nafakası as child maintenance, yoksulluk nafakası as spousal maintenance, and the Turkish term is kept in brackets at first use. Read how we render Turkish legal terms in English.
Apostille and the e-Apostil
The Home Office does not require an apostille on a divorce decree. Registrars and courts in England and Wales generally do not either, but a registrar assessing a foreign divorce may ask for confirmation that the document is genuine, and an apostille is the simplest answer. Court decisions have been available with a Turkish e-Apostil through e-Devlet since 2019, so you can obtain an apostilled copy from the UK without a trip to the courthouse. If the decree was issued before UYAP, a paper apostille from the judicial commission at the courthouse (adalet komisyonu) is required and a relative or a lawyer in Türkiye can collect it.
Price and turnaround
Reasoned judgments are long. An uncontested divorce with its protocol is usually 4 to 6 pages of 1,000 characters, a contested one 6 to 10, so the certified translation costs £40.00 to £100.00, with certification included and no UK VAT. Standard turnaround is 2 to 3 working days; the economy option, at 20 per cent less, suits long judgments where the hearing date is weeks away, and the fast option delivers in half the time for 60 per cent more. You receive a certified PDF, and a signed hard copy by courier from Ankara is £30. We do not have a UK office and cannot offer collection.
What you receive
- Full translation of the reasoned judgment, settlement protocol, certificate of finality, stamps and UYAP electronic-signature notes
- Signed certificate of accuracy with date and company credentials, meeting CPR PD32, the gov.uk wording and Appendix FM-SE
- Copy of the original decree attached, page for page
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
My decree has no kesinleşme şerhi. Can you still translate it?
We can translate the judgment, but a registrar or caseworker will ask when it became final. Obtain the finality certificate first: it is added by the court clerk on request, or download the decision through e-Devlet, where the finality note is included. Translating both together avoids a second certification fee.
Can I send only the last page with the order?
No. UK bodies ask for a full translation, and a court judgment translated in part can be rejected as incomplete. If cost is a concern, choose the economy option rather than cutting the document.
Is the copy from e-Devlet (UYAP) acceptable?
Yes, to date. The UYAP copy shows an electronic signature statement and a verification code, which we translate so the reader can check the document online. It is also the version that can carry an e-Apostil.
Does the register office need the divorce to be recognised before I can marry?
The registrar assesses whether the Turkish divorce is recognised under the Family Law Act 1986 and may refer it to the General Register Office. A translated decree with the finality certificate is what the assessment is based on. Give notice early, since referrals take time.
The judgment also decides custody and maintenance. Is that translated too?
Yes, everything in the document is translated, including the protocol. If you later need the custody order for a separate UK family case, the same translation serves; see custody and maintenance orders.
How is the court's case number shown?
As on the original, for example 2024/312 E. and 2025/87 K., with the abbreviations expanded once in a note (Esas: case file number; Karar: decision number). We do not convert them into an English format.