Turkish authorities and processes English → Turkish

Buying property in Turkey from the UK (tapu)

How a buyer in the UK completes a purchase at a Turkish land registry (tapu müdürlüğü) without attending: a power of attorney from the consulate or a UK notary, the sworn-interpreter and two-witness rule, and the passport and POA translations. Translation from £6.50 per page.

Last reviewed 31 August 2026

What the receiving body requires

Summary of the Turkish Consulate General in London's notary-services note: powers of attorney for land-registry transactions require the new-type Turkish identity card; each appointment covers a single notarial act; fees are charged per A4 page (about £30 to £40 per page at the time of our check). Summary of the land-registry practice recorded in our research: a foreign notarial POA is accepted with its original, an apostille and a Turkish translation by a sworn translator certified by a notary in Türkiye; a party who does not speak Turkish must be assisted by a sworn interpreter and two witnesses.

Source:

Turkish Consulate General in London — notary services information note

· checked 29 August 2026

Who transfers title and what they insist on

Ownership of land and flats in Türkiye changes hands only at the land registry directorate (tapu müdürlüğü) of the district, part of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM). The buyer and seller, or their attorneys, sign before the registry officer, the fee is paid and the new title deed (tapu senedi) is issued the same day. Most of the paperwork is Turkish already: the seller's deed, the municipality's valuation, the earthquake insurance policy. The foreign element is you, the buyer in the UK, and the registry has two firm rules for that.

First, if you are not attending, your attorney needs a power of attorney (vekaletname) in a form the registry recognises. Second, if you attend and do not speak Turkish, the officer will not proceed without a sworn interpreter and two witnesses, so that the record shows you understood what you signed. British buyers also need a valuation report (ekspertiz raporu) and a foreign exchange purchase certificate (döviz alım belgesi) from a Turkish bank; Turkish citizens and Mavi Kart holders do not.

Power of attorney: consulate or UK notary

The London consulate's notary unit prepares tapu POAs, and its note sets the conditions we summarise below: the person giving the POA must hold the new-type Turkish identity card, bring photographs and the property details, one appointment covers one notarial act, and the fee is charged per page. A consulate POA is a Turkish notarial act and goes straight to the registry. The alternative for a British buyer, or a Turkish citizen who cannot get an appointment, is a POA before a UK notary public. The registry then requires the original with an FCDO apostille and a Turkish translation made by a sworn translator and certified by a notary in Türkiye; the POA must carry the grantor's photograph and describe the property and the powers to buy, pay, sign and collect the deed. TKGM has announced overseas land-registry desks at consulates, starting with Berlin and with London on the list; until then, these remain the two routes.

Order of steps for a UK-based buyer

Ask the lawyer or estate agent for the exact POA wording and the tapu details (il, ilçe, ada, parsel).
Consulate route: book the notary appointment with the new kimlik kartı. UK notary route: sign before the notary, obtain the FCDO e-Apostille (£35, usually two working days), and send us the scan.
We translate the POA and its apostille; a translator sworn before an Ankara notary signs, the notary certifies, and the original goes by courier to your attorney. The British buyer's passport identity page is translated and notarised at the same time for the tax office, the bank and the registry.
The attorney obtains a tax number, opens the bank account, orders the valuation and DAB, and completes at the registry. If you attend in person instead, the lawyer books a sworn interpreter and arranges the two witnesses; see interpreting at notary and registry appointments.

Documents you will need

UK power of attorney, apostilled and translated, unless made at the consulate
British passport identity page, translated and notarised (foreign buyers)
UK marriage certificate where spouses buy together and the marriage is not in the Turkish register
UK bank statements where the Turkish bank asks about source of funds for the DAB
Turkish identity card or Mavi Kart for Turkish and former citizens; tax number, valuation report and earthquake insurance obtained in Türkiye

Common pitfalls

A POA that says “all property transactions” without the property details or the power to receive the deed; registries read POAs narrowly.
Old-style nüfus cüzdanı at the consulate; the note requires the new identity card.
Translating the UK POA before the apostille is attached.
Attending without an interpreter and expecting a bilingual relative to translate; the officer will stop the transaction.
Paying before the DAB is issued. A Turkish lawyer, not a translator, should check the contract and the tapu record for charges (şerh) before you pay anything.

How we help and what it costs

A UK POA with apostille is 2 to 3 pages of 1,000 characters and a passport page is one: £6.50 per page, so £20 to £26 for the translations, plus the Ankara notary tariff of about £13.50 per page and £5 handling per document at cost. An apostille of the notarised translation, which some registries ask for, is £15. No UK VAT is charged. Scans arrive within 1 to 2 working days; the notarised originals, which the registry keeps with the file, go by courier for £30, usually straight to the attorney in Türkiye. We have no UK office and no collection. The checklist at power of attorney for tapu lists the wording lawyers ask for, and buying property in Türkiye while living in the UK covers the whole sequence.

What you receive

Notarised Turkish translation of the apostilled UK power of attorney with the property details and powers rendered in the registry's own terminology
Notarised translation of the passport identity page for the tax office, bank and registry
Apostille of the notarised translation where the registry requires it
PDF scans by e-mail; originals by courier to your attorney in Türkiye or to the UK

Frequently asked questions

Which is safer, a consulate POA or a UK notary POA?

Both are accepted by registries. The consulate POA needs no apostille or translation but requires an appointment and the new identity card. The UK notary POA is quicker to obtain and costs the notary's fee, the e-Apostille and our notarised translation.

My British husband will attend the registry himself. Does he still need anything translated?

His passport, for the tax number and the bank. At the registry the officer will require a sworn interpreter and two witnesses, which the lawyer arranges; the interpreter's fee is separate from translation.

Does the POA translation need an apostille as well?

Some registries ask for the notarial certificate on the translation to be apostilled; most accept the Turkish notary's seal. We add the apostille in Ankara for £15 if the lawyer asks.

Has the TKGM desk at the London consulate opened?

TKGM has announced desks in twelve locations with London on the list, and the Berlin desk is operating. As at our check date we have not seen confirmation that London is open; ask the consulate.

Can you check the tapu record or the sale contract for me?

We can translate them so you understand them, but checking for charges, mortgages or planning problems is legal work for a Turkish lawyer. Our translation of the deed is at tapu title deed translation.