Turkish authorities and processes English → Turkish
Turkish citizenship for a British spouse
How a British citizen married to a Turkish citizen for three years applies for Turkish citizenship: the file (full birth certificate, DBS certificate with translation, naturalisation certificate, cohabitation evidence, two referees), timing and which translation route is accepted where.
What the receiving body requires
In summary of the consulate notes and the research on Law 5901 Article 16: the foreign spouse may apply after three years of marriage while living in family union; the file includes the spouse's full birth certificate, a criminal record certificate from the country of residence with Turkish translation, the certificate of naturalisation where applicable, evidence of cohabitation and two Turkish citizen referees; the consulate reads British documents itself but requires the criminal record certificate to be translated by a translator on its register.
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026Who qualifies
Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not confer citizenship by itself. Under Article 16 of the Turkish Citizenship Law (Türk Vatandaşlığı Kanunu, Law 5901) a foreign spouse may apply after three years of marriage, provided the couple live together as a family, the applicant has done nothing incompatible with the marriage, and there is no obstacle on grounds of national security or public order. The application is made abroad at the consulate general for your district or, if you live in Türkiye, at the provincial population directorate (il nüfus ve vatandaşlık müdürlüğü). Both are channels to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİGM) in Ankara, which decides.
The marriage must already be in the Turkish family register; if it was celebrated in the UK and never reported, register it first, as explained on registering a UK marriage at the consulate.
The file
- Application form and photographs, with the applicant's British passport.
- Full birth certificate of the British spouse, the long form naming the parents.
- Criminal record certificate from the country of residence: in the UK a DBS certificate (basic check) or an ACRO police certificate, recent, with a Turkish translation.
- Certificate of naturalisation or registration, if the British spouse acquired British citizenship rather than being born with it, so that the authorities can see the full nationality history.
- Evidence of living together: joint tenancy or mortgage, council tax bill in both names, utility bills, bank statements, children's birth certificates.
- Two Turkish citizen referees who know the couple and can confirm the marriage is genuine; they attend or give statements.
- The Turkish spouse's identity card and a current nüfus kayıt örneği showing the marriage.
Translation: two routes, two purposes
The consulate reads British passports, birth certificates and the naturalisation certificate itself; its notes say no outside sworn translation is requested for documents obtained from British authorities. The DBS or ACRO certificate is the exception the consulates single out: they want a Turkish translation, made by a translator on the consulate's register and attested at the notary unit. We are not on that register, so for a file lodged at the London, Manchester or Edinburgh consulate use the translator search at konsolosluk.gov.tr for the DBS certificate.
If you apply in Türkiye at the provincial directorate, which many couples do while living there on a family residence permit, every English document is presented with an FCDO apostille and a translation by a translator sworn before a Turkish notary, notarised in Türkiye. That is our service from Ankara: birth certificate, DBS certificate, naturalisation certificate, council tax bills and bank statements, each translated together with its apostille. A DBS certificate cannot be legalised electronically; it needs the paper apostille. See sworn translation for use in Türkiye for the difference between the two routes.
Interview and timeline
After the file is accepted both spouses are interviewed, together and separately, by a commission at the consulate or the provincial directorate. The questions cover how you met, your home, family and daily life, and are designed to detect marriages of convenience. The file then goes to NVİGM; there is no statutory deadline, and decisions have taken between about six months and two years in recent cases. Approval is published as a decision and the new citizen is entered in the family register, after which a T.C. kimlik kartı and Turkish passport can be applied for.
Documents you will need
- UK full birth certificate translation
- DBS certificate translation or ACRO police certificate translation
- Certificate of naturalisation translation
- Council tax bill translation and bank statement translation as cohabitation evidence
Common pitfalls
- Applying before the third anniversary; the file is refused on the date alone.
- A DBS certificate older than the consulate's currency limit by the time of the appointment; order it last.
- Cohabitation evidence in one name only.
- A translation of the DBS certificate from the wrong route for the office you are using.
- Referees who have not met the applicant.
How we help and what it costs
For an application lodged in Türkiye we translate the whole English bundle into Turkish with each document's apostille, sworn and notarised in Ankara. A typical bundle of birth certificate, DBS certificate, naturalisation certificate and two pieces of cohabitation evidence is five to seven pages of 1,000 characters, so £32.50 to £45.50 for translation, plus the Ankara notary tariff at cost (about £13.50 per page in 2026) and £5 handling per document; expect £120 to £170 in all before courier. Apostille of a translation is £15 where the directorate asks. You receive PDFs by e-mail and the wet-sealed originals by courier for £30, to the UK or to your address in Türkiye. No UK VAT is charged; we have no UK office and no collection. Our checklist is on checklist: Turkish citizenship by marriage.
What you receive
- Notarised Turkish translations of the full birth certificate, DBS or ACRO certificate, naturalisation certificate and cohabitation evidence, each with its FCDO apostille
- Notarial certificates from Ankara attached to copies of the apostilled originals
- Apostille of any translation the provincial directorate requests (£15)
- PDFs by e-mail; wet-sealed originals by courier, no collection
Frequently asked questions
We have been married four years but registered the marriage in Türkiye last year. Does the clock start at registration?
The three years run from the marriage itself, provided the marriage is now in the Turkish register. Bring the UK certificate to show the date.
Which DBS check is needed?
A basic DBS check, which any individual can order, has been accepted to date; some consulates ask for an ACRO police certificate instead. Confirm with the office you are applying to, and order it close to the appointment.
Can I keep my British citizenship?
Yes. Neither the UK nor Türkiye requires you to give up the other nationality in this process.
Does the consulate want my naturalisation certificate translated?
The consulate reads it in English. For an application in Türkiye it is apostilled and translated by a notary-sworn translator; see certificate of naturalisation translation.
Do the referees have to be in the UK?
They should be Turkish citizens who know you as a couple and can attend or make a statement where the application is lodged. Ask the consulate about its current practice for referee statements.
What happens if we divorce during the process?
The application lapses, because the condition of living in family union is examined up to the decision. A later divorce does not undo citizenship already granted.