Registering your UK-born child as a Turkish citizen

What registration does

Turkish citizenship passes to a child born abroad to a Turkish mother or father from birth; registration does not create the citizenship, it records it. Until the birth is entered on the family’s civil record (nüfus kaydı) the child has no Turkish identity number, cannot be issued with a kimlik kartı or Turkish passport, and does not appear on the parents’ nüfus kayıt örneği. For families who travel to Türkiye, own property there or expect their sons to deal with military service one day, an early registration saves complications. The consulate note asks parents to register within two months of the birth; later registration is possible but involves extra steps, so it is better done promptly.

The documents the consulate wants

• The child’s full UK birth certificate, the long version naming both parents. The short certificate and hospital letters are rejected.
• Both parents’ identity documents: kimlik kartı or nüfus cüzdanı for the Turkish parent, passport for a non-Turkish parent.
• The parents’ marriage evidence where the marriage is not already on the Turkish record; a UK marriage certificate can be registered at the same appointment (see our marriage registration page).
• For an unmarried Turkish father, a paternity acknowledgement made at the consulate’s notary section, with a sworn interpreter if he does not speak Turkish.

The consulate’s own note is clear that no outside sworn translation is requested for documents issued by British authorities, and it names passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates. Parents are often told by well-meaning friends to get the birth certificate translated into Turkish before the appointment; for the consulate route, that is unnecessary. The checklist puts the items in order.

Names, letters and surnames

Names are entered as they appear on the UK birth certificate, with an adjustment the consulate applies for letters that are not in the Turkish alphabet: Q, W and X are adapted. Parents who want a name to read identically in both countries choose one without those letters. A more common problem is the mother’s surname. If she changed her surname in the UK by deed poll (rather than through the marriage itself) and her Turkish record shows a different name, the consulate asks for the deed poll to be apostilled by the FCDO so it can be recorded. The FCDO apostille on a deed poll costs £45 on paper or £35 as an e-apostille where the document was certified by a solicitor or notary. Where a Turkish translation of the deed poll is required for a nüfus office in Türkiye, we produce a notarised one in Ankara; see the deed poll page and our explainer on names and Turkish characters.

The other route: registering in Türkiye

Parents who are in Türkiye for a long stay sometimes register the birth at the nüfus müdürlüğü of their registered district instead of at the consulate. That office does not have the consulate’s arrangement for English documents: it expects the UK birth certificate to carry an FCDO apostille (paper route for GRO certificates, £45) and to be accompanied by a Turkish translation notarised in Türkiye. We provide that translation from £6.50 per page plus the notary tariff, and can apostille the translation in Ankara for £15 if the office insists. Apostille the certificate first, then send it for translation, because the apostille is translated too.

After registration

Once the entry is made, the child has a Turkish identity number and the family can download an updated nüfus kayıt örneği from e-Devlet. A kimlik kartı and Turkish passport can then be applied for at the consulate; consular fees and appointment rules are on the consulate site. Children of Mavi Kart (Blue Card) holders were, in 2025, freed from the previous conditions for acquiring citizenship; if a parent gave up Turkish citizenship and holds a Blue Card, the Mavi Kart page explains the changed position. For boys, registration starts the clock that will matter for military-service deferment and the paid exemption; dual citizens by birth have their own rule for the residence period abroad, set out on the dövizle askerlik page.

Where families get stuck

• Turning up with the short birth certificate or the hospital notification.
• A mother’s name on the UK certificate that matches neither her Turkish record nor a deed poll on file.
• Paying for a Turkish translation of the birth certificate for a consulate appointment that does not need one.
• Leaving registration for years, then finding a passport is needed for a family emergency.
• A non-Turkish father attending the notary section without an interpreter and being turned away.

What we can do

For the consulate route, usually nothing is needed from us, and we say so. Where a Turkish nüfus office, court, school or bank in Türkiye later asks for the child’s UK birth certificate, a deed poll, a UK custody order or a school letter, we translate and notarise it in Ankara and courier the paper set to you for £30. If the non-Turkish parent needs help at a consulate notary appointment, our consulate interpreting page explains what can be arranged.