Getting a Turkish divorce recognised in the UK

No registration, only proof

People arriving from Türkiye often look for the UK counterpart of the 27/A procedure and do not find one, because there is none. The UK has no central register of foreign divorces. A divorce obtained in Türkiye is recognised in England and Wales if it meets the conditions in section 46 of the Family Law Act 1986: it was obtained by means of proceedings, it is effective under Turkish law, and at the relevant date at least one of the former spouses was habitually resident or domiciled in Türkiye or was a Turkish national. Almost every divorce granted by a Turkish family court to Turkish citizens satisfies that test. What you actually have to do is show the divorce, in English, to the body that needs it, and satisfy that body that the judgment is final. This guide is about presentation; if recognition is disputed, for example by a former spouse or in a financial claim, a family solicitor is needed.

The two Turkish documents that do the work

The first is the divorce judgment, the boşanma kararı, with the finality endorsement (kesinleşme şerhi) on it. A Turkish judgment becomes final only after the appeal period has passed or the appeal has been decided, and the court then stamps or annexes a note giving the finality date. A judgment without that note proves that a divorce was pronounced, not that the marriage has ended, and UK registrars in particular notice the difference. The second is the nüfus kayıt örneği, which after the registry has processed the judgment shows the marital status as divorced (boşanmış) with the date. Both are available through e-Devlet; the judgment can be downloaded from the court system and, since it is a court document, can carry a Turkish e-apostille from the same portal, at no state fee.

Is an apostille needed?

Not by rule. GOV.UK’s guidance for giving notice of marriage asks for evidence that a previous marriage has ended and a translation of any document not in English; the Home Office rules ask for the original and a certified translation. Neither mentions an apostille. Some registrars nevertheless ask for one when a foreign divorce document is unfamiliar, and because the Turkish e-apostille on a court decision is free and quick, obtaining it removes the question. Our e-Apostil page shows how.

Who you will be proving it to

• The register office, when you give notice to marry again. The registrar examines the foreign divorce and may refer it to the General Register Office for a view on whether it is recognised; a fee can apply and it can add weeks, so give notice early. Bring the judgment with finality note, the certified translation and the originals.
• The Home Office, in a partner visa or settlement application where either of you was married before. The judgment and translation go in as specified evidence; caseworkers are used to Turkish judgments but need the finality note.
• HM Passport Office, when a passport is applied for in a reverted or new name after divorce.
• Pension schemes, banks, HMRC and the DWP, where marital status affects a benefit or a survivor’s pension.
• The family court, in a later financial or children matter, where the translation is filed under the court’s practice direction on translated documents.

The translation itself

Turkish divorce judgments run from four to ten pages and contain the parties, the court’s reasoning, orders on custody (velayet), maintenance (nafaka) and property, and the finality note. UK bodies expect a full translation: the ruling section alone is not enough, and the finality note and court seals must be rendered. Our certified translation is complete, follows the judgment’s numbering, keeps names as in your passports with a note where the judgment spells them differently, and carries the GOV.UK certification elements on each page. Typical cost is £40–100 depending on length, in one to two working days, as a PDF with a courier copy for £30 where a registrar wants paper. No UK VAT is charged. Translation of the custody and maintenance orders within the judgment is covered on the custody and maintenance page.

Where recognition gets complicated

Three situations are worth taking to a solicitor rather than handling alone. A divorce obtained in Türkiye while both spouses were habitually resident in the UK for the year before, which can still be recognised but attracts closer scrutiny. A financial order in Türkiye that one party wants enforced in the UK, which is a separate process. And a religious-only divorce, which is not a divorce by proceedings and is not recognised. None of these change what we translate; they change who you should ask first.