Moving back to Turkey (kesin dönüş): checklist

Who this is for

Turkish citizens, Mavi Kart holders and their British spouses who are leaving the UK to live in Türkiye permanently. The phrase kesin dönüş means different things to different offices: to customs it is the trigger for bringing household goods in duty-free, to SGK it is a condition attached to certain pensions, to the consulate it is a certificate. This guide separates those meanings and lists what to do about each. The kesin dönüş page explains the İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi in more detail and the printable checklist lets you tick things off.

Six months before: the consulate certificate

The İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi (certificate of transfer of residence) is issued by the consulate for your area and is the key to importing used household goods without duty. The consulate’s notary section issues it on evidence that you have lived abroad for at least 24 months and have not spent more than 180 days in Türkiye during that period; the evidence is British: an employer letter or, for the self-employed, an accountant’s letter; for students, a school or university letter; council tax bills or a tenancy showing the address; passports for the day count. The consulate reads these in English. Book the appointment early, because the certificate has a validity period within which the goods must be shipped and customs cleared, and the shipping company will want it before the container leaves.

Four months before: SGK, pension and tax

• If you intend to buy back your UK years, start the SGK borçlanma file now while HMRC records and employer letters are easy to obtain.
• If you receive or will receive a UK state pension, tell the International Pension Centre and read the state pension guide.
• Tell HMRC that you are leaving: GOV.UK explains the P85 form and the self-assessment route. Keep your last P60 and P45; Turkish tax offices and SGK sometimes ask to see them, translated.
• Ask your GP surgery for a copy of your medical records or a summary letter, and obtain the children’s vaccination records; Turkish family doctors and schools want these in Turkish.

Three months before: children and school records

Children moving into the Turkish system need their UK schooling recognised. Primary and secondary years are matched by the İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü on the basis of school reports and a letter stating the year completed; GCSEs and A-levels go through the MEB lise denklik process described on the MEB denklik page, which can also be started through the education attaché in London before you leave. The documents, school reports, attendance letters, GCSE and A-level certificates, are British and require a Turkish translation notarised in Türkiye or certified by the consulate; certificates may also need an FCDO apostille, and that must be done in the UK. University graduates who want a Turkish equivalence for a UK degree start the YÖK denklik application on the same basis.

Two months before: the car and the licence

Decide whether the car comes. The rules on bringing a UK vehicle in permanently are restrictive and right-hand-drive cars face a registration problem; read taking your car to Türkiye before paying a shipper. If you passed your test in the UK and hold no Turkish licence, plan to convert the GB licence at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü within the permitted period after you settle, with a notarised Turkish translation of the licence and proof of education; the licence guide has the file.

The last month and the first month back

• Update your address in the Turkish population register (adres beyanı) at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü once you arrive; many other offices key off this date.
• Register the children at school with the translated records.
• Open or reactivate a Turkish bank account; British spouses need a tax number and a notarised translation of the passport.
• Apply for the British spouse’s residence permit with translated evidence of income and the marriage.
• Register with a family health centre with the translated GP summary and vaccination records.
• Keep your UK documents (NI number, P45, pension letters, birth and marriage certificates) together; Turkish offices ask for them years later.

Translations: the rule for all of it

Every Turkish body on this list accepts either a translation by a translator on the Turkish consulate’s list with the consulate’s certification, or a translation notarised in Türkiye by a notary working with a sworn translator. The consulate itself does not need outside translations for the passports, birth and marriage certificates it handles. We produce the notarised form in Ankara from scans, from £6.50 per page for the translation plus the notary tariff of about £13.50 per page and a £5 handling fee, with a Turkish apostille on the translation for £15 where an office asks, and deliver the paper set in Türkiye or by courier to the UK for £30. A family’s kesin dönüş set (school reports, two certificates, GP letter, employer letter, P60) typically comes to £120–200 and takes three to five working days. No UK VAT is charged. Where a UK certificate needs an FCDO apostille, that comes first and is obtained in the UK.

Frequent mistakes

• Shipping the container before the İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi is issued.
• Spending a long final summer in Türkiye that breaks the 180-day condition.
• Leaving the UK without GCSE certificates in hand, then trying to obtain replacements from exam boards by post.
• Translating documents in the UK with a certified translation that Turkish offices then reject.
• Forgetting to tell HMRC and the Pension Service.