Documents: Turkish to English Turkish → English
Turkish name-change court decision translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish court decision changing a first name or surname (ad veya soyadı değişikliği kararı), with the newspaper announcement and the annotated registry extract, for HM Passport Office, the Home Office, DVLA, banks and employers. From £20.
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 2026How a name is changed in Türkiye
Article 27 of the Turkish Civil Code allows a person to change a first name or surname for a justified reason (haklı sebep), and the decision belongs to the civil court of first instance (asliye hukuk mahkemesi). The judgment records the old and new names, orders the population register to be corrected, and is announced in a newspaper (gazete ilanı). The registry office then adds a remark to the family register, so a fresh civil registry extract shows the change in its remarks column with the court, file and decision numbers. For several years after 2017 a simplified administrative route also existed for certain corrections, such as spelling and offensive names, ending in a decision of the provincial administrative board rather than a court. Surnames changed by marriage or divorce are not court decisions at all; they are register entries, and the marriage or divorce record is the evidence.
We translate the judgment with its case numbers and finality note, the operative order with both names printed exactly as in the original, the newspaper notice with the paper's name, date and page, and the remarks column of the registry extract. The T.C. kimlik number, which never changes, is copied with care because it is the thread that ties the old documents to the new.
Where the decision is needed in the UK
- HM Passport Office. A British passport in the new name requires evidence of the change; for a change made abroad, that is the foreign court decision with a translation. What HMPO asks for is set out under translations for HM Passport Office.
- Home Office. Updating an eVisa or a biometric residence permit, and explaining why a diploma, a marriage certificate and a passport in the same application carry different names.
- DVLA, banks, HMRC, employers and the NHS, each of which holds your record in one name and needs a reason to change it.
- UK ENIC and universities, where the diploma is in the old name.
A Turkish citizen in the UK can also change name for UK purposes by deed poll, but the Turkish passport keeps the old name and the documents then disagree. The Turkish court route keeps every document consistent, which is why it is worth the wait.
What the translation must contain
HMPO and the other bodies above apply the gov.uk certification wording quoted below, and our certificate meets it with the date, a signature and our company details. The point of a name-change translation is exactness of the names, so both are reproduced with every Turkish letter, and where the change adds or removes a diacritic, say from Ayse to Ayşe, we show both forms and explain the difference in a note. Our page on names, Turkish characters and transliteration covers what happens to those letters in a British passport.
Apostille and supporting documents
The decision can be obtained with a Turkish e-Apostil through e-Devlet, although HMPO and the Home Office have not asked for one. What they do want is a document showing the change has taken effect, which is the annotated civil registry extract, and a Turkish passport or identity card issued in the new name. Translate the decision and the extract together; the newspaper notice is rarely asked for but harmless to include.
Price and turnaround
The decision is 2 or 3 pages of 1,000 characters, £20.00 to £30.00, and the newspaper notice and registry extract one page each. The price covers certification and carries no UK VAT. The certified PDF is delivered in 1 to 2 working days, the same day with the fast option for files received before 11:00 UK time. A signed hard copy from Ankara by courier is £30; collection is not possible as we have no UK office.
What you receive
- Translation of the judgment with case numbers, both names exactly as printed, and the finality note
- Translation of the newspaper announcement and the registry extract's remarks column where supplied
- Certificate in the gov.uk wording, dated and signed, with company details; note on Turkish letters where relevant
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
My name was changed at the nüfus müdürlüğü, not by a court. What do I translate?
The decision of the provincial administrative board that the registry office gave you, and a fresh civil registry extract showing the remark. The two together do the job of a court decision.
HMPO asks for evidence of the name change. Which document is that?
The translated court decision, with the annotated registry extract to show it was recorded. If your Turkish passport has already been reissued in the new name, send that as well.
My diploma is in my old name. Will UK ENIC accept it?
ENIC and universities accept the diploma with evidence linking the names, and the translated decision is that evidence. See our guide to getting a Turkish degree recognised in the UK.
Do I need the newspaper notice?
Rarely. It proves the announcement step in the Turkish procedure. UK bodies look at the decision and the register, but if you have the cutting we translate it for £10.
Would a UK deed poll be quicker?
Quicker, but it changes only your UK records, and your Turkish passport and identity card keep the old name. Most people with documents in both countries prefer the Turkish decision so that everything matches.