Marrying a British citizen in Turkey

Why the British side takes the longest

A Turkish citizen marrying in Türkiye needs little more than an identity card, photographs and a health report. The British partner is the one with the paperwork, because the evlendirme memurluğu (the municipal marriage office) needs proof, in Turkish, that a foreign national is free to marry and who they are. Three things therefore have to be arranged in the UK before anyone books a hall: a certificate of no impediment, an apostille on it and on the birth certificate, and Turkish translations that the marriage office will accept. Start at least two months ahead; the notice period for the certificate alone runs to several weeks.

The certificate of no impediment

A British citizen gives notice at their local register office in the UK of the intention to marry abroad and, after the notice period, receives a certificate of no impediment (CNI). The CNI is what Turkish marriage offices treat as the equivalent of the evlenme ehliyet belgesi. It is a paper document signed by a registrar, so it goes to the FCDO Legalisation Office for a paper apostille (£45 at the time of writing, with postal turnaround measured in weeks; the e-apostille is not offered for register-office certificates). If the British partner was married before, the decree absolute or final order is apostilled too; a change of name by deed poll likewise. The birth certificate should be the full version and is also apostilled, because several marriage offices ask for it. Our FCDO legalisation page explains the options and our partner service for people who would rather not deal with the Legalisation Office themselves.

Turkish translations that a marriage office will accept

Turkish authorities do not accept a UK-style certified translation on its own. They accept either a translation done by a translator registered with the Turkish consulate in London and then certified by the consulate’s notary section (tercüme tasdiki), or a translation by a notary-sworn translator in Türkiye, notarised there. We provide the second: you send scans of the apostilled CNI, birth certificate and any divorce or name-change document, and our Ankara office produces the Turkish translation, has it notarised under the Turkish notary tariff and, if the marriage office asks for it, apostilled at the kaymakamlık. The sequence matters: apostille the English original first, then translate, because the apostille itself is translated as part of the document. The CNI page and the notarised translation service describe the format.

The Turkish formalities

Every marriage office publishes its own list, and it is worth phoning the one you will use, but the common elements are these. The British partner presents their passport (with a notarised Turkish translation), the apostilled and translated CNI and birth certificate, passport photographs, and a health report (sağlık raporu) from a Turkish hospital or family health centre confirming there is no impediment on medical grounds; the Turkish partner presents a kimlik kartı, photographs and the same health report. Both sign the marriage declaration (evlenme beyannamesi), the office sets a date, and after the ceremony a family record book (uluslararası aile cüzdanı) is issued. The Turkish partner’s nüfus record is updated automatically, since the marriage took place in Türkiye. Some offices also want a residence document for the foreign partner or a translation of their passport entry stamp; ask when you book.

What comes afterwards for the UK

The UK does not have a procedure for registering a foreign marriage; a marriage valid where it took place is recognised in the UK. What the couple will need is an English translation of the Turkish marriage record, because the moment the Turkish spouse applies for a UK partner visa, or the British spouse updates a passport or pension, the Turkish record is asked for. A Formül B multilingual extract obtained from the nüfus office or e-Devlet is the easiest document to translate, but it still needs a certified English translation, since the UK is not a party to the convention that created it. We translate it from £10 per page; see the Turkish marriage certificate page.

Fees and timing at a glance

• Register office notice in the UK: local fee; certificate issued after the notice period.
• FCDO apostille: £45 per document, paper route; allow several weeks including post.
• Notarised Turkish translation in Ankara: from £6.50 per page for the translation, plus the notary tariff (about £13.50 per page plus a £5 handling fee) and £15 for a Turkish apostille where required; two to four working days plus £30 courier to the UK if you want the paper set sent to you rather than to the marriage office or a relative in Türkiye.
• Health reports and photographs: local Turkish charges, usually modest.
• No UK VAT is charged on our invoice.

Common pitfalls

• Translating before apostilling, so the apostille is missing from the translated document and the office sends you away.
• Bringing a short birth certificate where the office asks for the full one.
• Using a UK translation agency’s certified translation, which the marriage office does not recognise.
• A CNI in a maiden name while the passport shows a married name, with nothing linking the two.
• Forgetting that the British partner will later need the Turkish marriage record in English.

We are not able to advise on the law of marriage or on the visa position of either partner; a solicitor in the UK and, where needed, a lawyer in Türkiye can do that.