Consulate notary services (vekaletname, muvafakatname, azilname)

What the notary unit is

Every Turkish consulate general has a notary unit (noterlik birimi) with the powers of a Turkish notary for citizens abroad. A deed drawn up there is a Turkish notarial act and is used in Türkiye without any apostille or further certification, which is why so many people book it rather than going through a UK notary. The units in London, Manchester and Edinburgh draw up:

• Vekaletname (power of attorney) for property, inheritance, court cases, banking, vehicle sales and company matters.
• Muvafakatname, beyanname, taahhütname: consents, declarations and undertakings, for example a parent's consent to a child's passport or travel.
• Azilname: revocation of a power of attorney.
• Feragatname: waiver, typically of an inheritance share.
• Babalık tanıma senedi: acknowledgement of paternity.
• İmza sirküleri: specimen signature circular for a company.
• Attestation of a translation (tercüme tasdiki), a criminal record certificate (adli sicil belgesi), a residence or removal certificate (ikametgâh, eşya nakil belgesi) and a pension certificate.

The unit does not issue a certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı); that comes from a notary or civil court of peace in Türkiye.

The rules that catch people out

One appointment, one act. A power of attorney and a consent form are two appointments, even on the same day. Book each separately at konsolosluk.gov.tr.

Fees per page. The consular fee is charged per A4 page of the deed, roughly £30 to £40 per page as of 2026, so a long property power of attorney with several clauses costs more than a short one. Ask for the current tariff when you book.

New identity card for property. A vekaletname for a tapu transaction is drawn up only on the new-type T.C. kimlik kartı, not the old nüfus cüzdanı. Bring two passport photographs and the tapu details (province, district, parcel and the attorney's identity number).

Interpreter for non-Turkish speakers. A party who does not understand Turkish must be accompanied by a sworn Turkish interpreter; the officer records the interpreter's presence on the deed. A British father acknowledging paternity or a British spouse consenting to a child's passport are the everyday examples. See interpreting at consulate appointments.

The alternative when the consulate is too far or too slow

A power of attorney does not have to be made at the consulate. You can sign before a UK notary public (or, for some purposes, a solicitor), have the FCDO apostille the notary's signature, and then have the document translated into Turkish by a translator sworn before an Ankara notary and notarised there. Turkish tapu offices, courts and banks accept that route; for property the tapu office additionally requires that the Turkish translation be notarised in Türkiye, which is precisely what we do. The apostille comes first, the translation second, because the apostille must be rendered in the Turkish text. The steps are on giving power of attorney from the UK for Türkiye.

Which route is better depends on distance and urgency. Someone in Enfield with an appointment next week should use the consulate. Someone in Cornwall or Inverness, or someone who needs the deed in Türkiye within a few days, is often faster with the UK notary and the e-Apostille (£35, usually two working days) followed by our translation.

Documents you may need

• UK power of attorney translation (LPA or general POA drawn by a UK notary or solicitor)
• British passport translation for a non-Turkish party named in the deed
• Statutory declarations and affidavits where a UK sworn statement replaces a consular beyanname

Common pitfalls

• Turning up with the old nüfus cüzdanı for a tapu vekaletname; the appointment is lost.
• Booking one slot for two acts.
• Not naming the attorney's T.C. kimlik number, or misnaming the property, so that the tapu office rejects the deed.
• Translating a UK power of attorney before it has been apostilled; the translation has to be redone.
• Expecting the notary unit to issue a veraset ilamı.

What we do and what it costs

We do not act at the consulate. We translate the UK-notarised, apostilled power of attorney (or consent, declaration or affidavit) into Turkish, sworn and notarised in Ankara, from £6.50 per page of 1,000 characters plus the Ankara notary tariff at cost (about £13.50 per page in 2026) and £5 handling. A two-page power of attorney with apostille therefore comes to about £45 to £60 before courier. An apostille of the translation, which some tapu offices and courts ask for, is £15. The PDF arrives by e-mail and the wet-sealed original by courier for £30, usually straight to the attorney or lawyer in Türkiye. No UK VAT is charged; there is no collection.