Glossary
Apostil — meaning and English translation
Apostil is the Turkish term for the apostille: the certificate under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates a public document for use in another member state.
Türkiye joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 1985, and “apostil” is simply the Turkish spelling of apostille. For administrative documents (civil registry extracts, diplomas, notarial deeds) the apostille is issued by the kaymakamlık or valilik; for judicial documents (court decisions, criminal record certificates) by the justice commission at the courthouse. There is no fee in Türkiye, and since 2019 some documents can be apostilled electronically through e-Devlet. An apostille confirms the signature and seal of the issuing officer; it says nothing about the content.
In translations we write “apostille” and translate the certificate in full, including its ten numbered fields, because a receiving body that sees an untranslated apostille treats the translation as incomplete.
Most UK bodies, including the Home Office, do not require apostilles on Turkish documents; some courts, HM Land Registry and probate cases do. Our apostille guide for Turkish documents covers when to obtain one.