Glossary
Dövizle askerlik — meaning and English translation
Dövizle askerlik is the scheme allowing Turkish citizens who live and work abroad to discharge military service by paying a fee in foreign currency instead of serving.
A Turkish man who has lived abroad with a work or residence status for at least 1,095 days, or three years for dual citizens by birth, may apply through a consulate to complete his military obligation by payment. The fee is fixed each half-year in Turkish lira and paid in euros; for the second half of 2026 it is 472,653.60 TL, roughly €8,822. Applicants must be under 35, spend no more than six months a year in Türkiye and complete a short remote training programme. A UK employer letter and immigration documents are filed as evidence of employment and residence.
We translate it as “military service by payment in foreign currency (dövizle askerlik)”, or “foreign-currency military service” in short. “Buying out” is avoided as too informal for a legal file.
The scheme is a Turkish matter, but UK employers are asked for the letters it requires. See paying the military service fee from the UK.