UK spouse visa: which Turkish documents need translating

The principle behind every line below

Appendix FM-SE says that a document not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a full translation that the decision maker can independently verify, and lists what the translation must contain. Two consequences follow. First, anything you choose to submit in Turkish must be translated completely, not summarised. Second, anything you do not need to submit does not need translating at all. The skill is therefore in deciding what goes into the application, which is a question for you and your adviser, and then translating exactly that. The spouse and partner visa page sets out the rule and our certification; the step-by-step guide covers the whole journey. This page is the sorting exercise.

Relationship evidence

• Nüfus kayıt örneği (vukuatlı) — translate in full. This is the single most useful Turkish document in the file: it shows the marriage, previous marriages, children and name changes on one page. Obtain the version with event history; the short version omits the marital past that caseworkers look for. Details.
• Evlenme cüzdanı or Formül B extract — translate in full. The multilingual Formül B carries printed English headings, but the UK is not a party to the convention behind it and caseworkers treat it as Turkish. Details.
• Boşanma kararı with kesinleşme şerhi — translate in full if either of you was married before. The finality endorsement is the part that proves the marriage ended; a translation that stops at the ruling is the most frequent cause of a request for more. Details.
• Former spouse’s death certificate — translate if a previous marriage ended by death.
• Photographs, messages, call logs, flight tickets — translate only what your adviser decides to submit. Screenshots of Turkish messages are usually submitted as a selection with a translated index rather than page by page; we can prepare either.
• Wedding invitations, hotel bookings in Turkish — optional; translate if submitted.

Financial requirement

• Turkish bank statements — translate in full, every page, for the whole six-month period, if savings in a Turkish account are being counted. Statements from internet banking or e-Devlet are acceptable; we reproduce the verification code. Details.
• Tapu and sale contract — translate if the savings came from a property sale within the period and the source of funds needs explaining. Details.
• Turkish payslips, employment letter, SGK hizmet dökümü — translate only where the sponsor has been working in Türkiye and is returning to the UK with a job offer; the rules allow that income to count in a defined way. If the sponsor works in the UK, none of this applies.
• Turkish pension statement — translate if a Turkish pension is part of the income relied on.
• UK payslips, P60s, employer letter, UK bank statements — no translation; they are in English.

Accommodation and English

• Tenancy, mortgage, property inspection report — UK documents, no translation.
• Approved English test certificate — issued in English, no translation.
• Turkish degree used to show English — rare on this route; if used, the degree needs translating and a UK ENIC statement confirming the level and the language of teaching.

Identity and children

• Turkish passport — the data page is bilingual and is not translated. Stamped pages are translated only if an adviser wants travel history shown; this is uncommon at entry clearance.
• TC kimlik kartı — not normally submitted; the passport covers identity.
• Children’s birth certificates or the family nüfus record — translate if a child is applying with you.
• Custody order, muvafakatname from the other parent — translate if a child of a previous relationship is applying; the consent letter is often notarised in Türkiye and the notary’s attestation is translated with it. Details.
• Adli sicil kaydı (criminal record) — not part of the partner route; do not translate it unless asked.
• TB test certificate — issued in English by the clinic where required; no translation.

What full translation means in practice

Every page you upload in Turkish is rendered: the front and back, the stamps and seals (in square brackets), the QR or barcode verification block, handwritten notes and marginal entries. Names are spelt as in your passport, with a translator’s note where the Turkish record differs, which happens when a surname changed at marriage or when ş, ğ, ı or İ were simplified in one document and not another. Each page of the translation carries the accuracy statement, the date, the signatory’s name and signature, and our company name, Ankara trade registry number and contact details, which also covers the credentials item for the later in-country applications. The original is attached behind the translation in the PDF so the caseworker reads them together.

Cost of a typical set and how to order

Send everything in one batch with the passports. A vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği (one to three pages) is £10–30, a marriage record £10–20, six months of bank statements £30–80 depending on the bank’s layout, a divorce judgment £40–100, a child’s birth certificate £10. Most entry-clearance sets fall between £60 and £150 and are delivered as certified PDFs in one to two working days; economy service is 20% less with double the turnaround. No UK VAT is charged. Print the spouse-visa checklist and mark each item as translate, submit in English, or leave out, before you send anything.