Glossary
Apostille — explained for Turkish readers
A certificate under the 1961 Hague Convention confirming that the signature, seal or stamp on a public document is genuine, so the document can be used abroad.
An apostille is a standard certificate attached to a public document so that it can be used in another country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Convention. In the UK the FCDO Legalisation Office issues it, on paper or as an e-Apostille. The apostille confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine; it says nothing about the document's content and nothing about any translation.
Turkish readers know the same instrument as apostil, issued by a valilik or kaymakamlık for administrative papers and by the courts for judicial ones, and increasingly online as e-Apostil. Because both countries use the same convention, no consular step is needed in either direction.
An apostille is asked for when a UK document goes to Türkiye, and rarely when a Turkish document goes to a UK public body. Our decision tree on whether you need an apostille walks through the common cases.