Translations for banks and mortgage lenders

When a UK bank needs Turkish documents

Opening a current account as a Turkish resident of the UK rarely needs a translation: your passport, eVisa share code and a UK proof of address do the work. Translation starts when money or income has a Turkish origin. A mortgage lender assessing affordability wants to see rental income from a flat in İzmir, a Turkish pension, or self-employed income from a business in Türkiye. Anti-money-laundering checks on a deposit ask where the funds came from: the sale of Turkish property, a gift from parents in Ankara, an inheritance, or savings moved from a Turkish account, and each has a paper trail in Turkish. Business banking teams onboarding a UK company with a Turkish parent or Turkish shareholders ask for the trade registry entry and the signature circular. And a bank asked to act on a power of attorney signed in Türkiye needs to read what it permits.

What banks and lenders require

There is no common rule. Banks and building societies publish their own document lists and change them, and none we could find sets out a translation format for Turkish documents; the box on this page states that plainly rather than pretending otherwise. In practice underwriters ask for a certified translation and accept the standard UK form, which GOV.UK describes for its own departments: a complete translation, a written statement that it is a true and accurate translation of the original document, the date, and the name and contact details of the translator or company. Some private banks and lenders ask for notarised translations of powers of attorney; we provide those through an Ankara notary with an apostille. Brokers tell us the practical test is whether the underwriter can match every figure on the translation to the original, so we mirror the statement layout line by line.

Turkish documents that come up

• Turkish bank statements, typically three to six months, and bank reference letters.
• Payslips (maaş bordrosu) and employer letters for expatriate or remote employees paid in Türkiye.
• Tax returns and vergi levhası for the self-employed.
• Tapu, sale contracts and valuation reports for property sale proceeds and assets.
• Gift letters (hibe beyanı) from relatives and the relative’s bank statement showing the transfer.
• Certificates of inheritance for inherited funds.
• Powers of attorney and Turkish company documents for business banking.

Common reasons underwriters push back

• Statements are downloaded from a mobile app without the bank’s stamp or a verification code. Lenders want stamped statements from the branch or e-statements with a verification number, and the translation reproduces whatever authentication appears.
• Lira figures are converted in the translation. The underwriter applies the bank’s own rate; we leave the currency as printed.
• The account holder’s name on the statement uses Turkish characters and the mortgage application does not, and nothing reconciles them.
• A gift letter is translated but unsigned, undated or silent on whether repayment is expected.
• The tapu shows a share (hisse) rather than sole ownership and the translation implies full ownership.
• The deadline passes. Offers expire and rate locks lapse; a translation delivered two days late can cost more than the fee.

How we prepare bank documents

Financial translators translate; a second linguist checks every figure, date, IBAN and name against the original. Statement layouts are mirrored so columns line up, Turkish number formats are explained once, and verification codes are reproduced. Each page carries our certification statement with the company’s Ankara registry details, the date, stamp and signature, and the original is attached. Brokers and banks accept the PDF; where a lender wants paper we send it by UK Special Delivery (£8) or courier from Ankara (£30). Turkish statements are dense, so a month often runs to 2–3 pages (£20–30) and a three-month set to £60–90; a tapu is one page (£10); a gift letter £10; a valuation report 4–8 pages (£40–80). Turnaround is 1–2 working days, and we work to offer deadlines. No UK VAT is charged. Financial translation explains how statements and tax terms are handled; for the Turkish side of a property sale see selling property in Türkiye from the UK.