Documents: Turkish to English Turkish → English
Turkish employment contract (iş sözleşmesi) translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish employment contract (iş sözleşmesi), open-ended or fixed-term, with annexes and e-signature certificates, for Appendix FM sponsors returning to the UK, Skilled Worker evidence, UK employers and tribunals. From £10 per page.
What the receiving body requires
“Where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide the original and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer, Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State. The translation must be dated and include: (i) confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document; (ii) the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company; (iii) the translator or translation company's contact details; and (iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What a Turkish employment contract looks like
Employment in Türkiye is governed by the Labour Law No. 4857 (İş Kanunu), which requires a written contract for any engagement of a year or longer. Most employers use their own template, have both sides sign every page, and add the company seal (kaşe) next to the signature block. The heading states the contract type: open-ended (belirsiz süreli), fixed-term (belirli süreli), part-time (kısmi süreli) or on-call (çağrı üzerine). The clauses that follow cover the job title and workplace, the probation period (deneme süresi, at most two months), gross monthly pay (brüt ücret) with or without a net figure, weekly hours and the overtime rate, annual leave, the notice periods (ihbar süresi) counted in weeks, confidentiality and non-competition, and a reference to severance pay (kıdem tazminatı).
Since 2020 a growing number of employers sign through an electronic signature platform, so the file you hold may carry a certificate strip and a document ID rather than ink signatures. We translate the agreement from the first heading to the last annex, together with the seal, the parties' identifiers (a T.C. kimlik number for you, a MERSİS or tax number for the employer), the signature block and any e-signature certificate text.
Where a UK body will want to read it
- Spouse or partner visa. A British or settled sponsor who has been working in Türkiye and is returning to the UK with you can rely on that job under Appendix FM, provided there is also a confirmed UK job to come. The Turkish contract sits alongside payslips, an employer letter and bank statements in that evidence set. The sponsor's evidence set is described under translations for a spouse or partner visa.
- Skilled Worker and Global Talent applications. Sponsors and endorsing bodies ask for proof of previous roles, and a contract is the most direct evidence of title, dates and duties.
- UK employers and HR. Pre-employment screening, particularly the five-year history checks used in security and financial roles, often stalls when a Turkish employer cannot be reached by telephone; a translated contract fills the gap. Read translations for employers and HR.
- Employment tribunals and civil courts. Claims involving a Turkish employer, a secondment or a Turkish restrictive covenant.
- Mortgage lenders and HMRC. Lenders assessing overseas income, and HMRC when the start or end date of a foreign job matters for a residence question.
What the translation must contain
Where the contract is evidence for a family visa, paragraph 1(j) of Appendix FM-SE applies, quoted below: a dated translation confirming accuracy, with the name and signature of the translator or an authorised person of the company, contact details and, for leave to remain and ILR, the company's credentials. Our certificate covers each point and identifies Hacettepe Translation by its Ankara Trade Registry number. For employers and tribunals the shorter gov.uk certification wording is enough, and the same certificate satisfies it.
Figures are left in Turkish lira with the ISO code TRY, and we do not convert them to sterling, because the caseworker applies the exchange rate on the relevant date. Job titles that have no exact British equivalent, such as uzman, şef or müdür yardımcısı, are translated and given the Turkish title in brackets the first time they occur.
Points that raise questions
Three features of Turkish contracts confuse UK readers. A clause stating that pay is “the minimum wage in force” (asgari ücret) gives no figure, because the rate is reset by the government at least once a year; we add a translator's note giving the rate for the contract period, with its source. A fixed-term contract that has been renewed several times is treated as open-ended under Turkish law, so the original end date on the document does not mean the job has ended. And the contract date may differ from the start date recorded by the social security institution; if the reader will compare the two, send the SGK service record with the contract so both are translated consistently.
An employment contract is a private document, so an apostille cannot be attached to it unless it is first notarised. No UK body listed above has asked us for one.
Price and turnaround
A template contract is usually 3 or 4 pages of 1,000 characters, so £30.00 to £40.00; an executive contract with annexes runs to 6 to 10 pages. Certification costs nothing extra and no UK VAT is charged. We deliver within 2 to 3 working days as standard. The fast option halves that time for 60 per cent more, and the economy option doubles it for 20 per cent less. The certified PDF arrives by e-mail, a signed paper copy from Ankara by courier is £30, and because we have no UK office there is no collection.
What you receive
- Translation of the full contract, annexes, seal, signature block and any e-signature certificate text
- Certificate meeting Appendix FM-SE paragraph 1(j) and the gov.uk wording, dated and signed, with our registry number
- Translator's notes on the minimum-wage clause and job titles where needed
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy on request
Frequently asked questions
Do you translate the employer's standard clauses, or only the parts about me?
The whole document. A certified translation that omits the general conditions is incomplete, and a caseworker or HR screener has no way of knowing what was left out. If the contract is long, the economy option is the way to reduce the cost.
The contract was signed electronically. What should I send?
Export the signed PDF from the platform, not a screenshot. The exported file carries the certificate strip and the document ID, which we translate so the reader can check the signature. A screenshot loses both.
Can you show my salary in pounds?
No. The translation keeps the lira figure and adds the code TRY. Converting would mean choosing an exchange rate, and the receiving body applies its own. If you want to help the reader, add your own covering note with a conversion and its date.
My contract has been amended by a zeyilname. Do you need both?
Yes. The addendum only makes sense with the contract it amends, and the certificate covers the set. Send both files in the same order and they are counted together for the page total.
Is the contract or the SGK record better evidence of my employment?
They answer different questions. The contract shows terms and duties; the SGK service record shows that contributions were actually paid month by month. For a visa, caseworkers value the SGK record, and employers value the contract. Many clients translate both.