Legal Requirements for Marriage in Turkey

Legal Requirements for Marriage in Turkey

Is it legal as a foreigner to get married to a Turkish citizen?

What are important marriage legislations as a foreigner you need to know?

What is the process of marriage in Turkey?

What is the legal document needed for official marriage in Turkey?

An old saying goes that love is beyond the boundaries and borders; therefore, many international marriages occur in every corner of the world. This article is about legal documents for marriage in Turkey for foreigners and Turkish citizens.

The marriage process in Turkey is simple and straightforward. The critical point about carrying out the issue is to be informed about the process and complete the required document at a determined time.

In this article, the writer endeavors to pass information about legal required documents for getting married in Turkey that paves the path to taking the necessary steps for official marriage in a short while time. Here is the right place with compiled information, useful for foreigners who want to get married to a Turkish citizen.

Before starting reading, take in mind that although the writer brings a complete overview of legal documents needed for a foreigner to marry a Turkish citizen, changes are possible at any time.

Also, if you consider buying property for sale in Istanbul, you can check the site.

Needed Paperwork for Foreigner to Get Married in Turkey 

First of all, it would be better to ask the registry office if it is a necessary document to prepare based on your special situation. Otherwise, the required documents are as follows.

Required Paperwork, Which Is Asked, From Turkish Partner to Get Official Marriage

  • Turkish identity card 
  • Copy of the identity card with a picture
  • Excerpt from the personal status register
  • Registration certificate
  • Five passport photos, not older than six months
  • Health certificate, issued by a state hospital in Turkey

Required paperwork, Which Is Asked from Farieng Partner to Get Official Marriage

  • Hand in a notarized translation of the passport
  • Hand in five photos that were taken at last in the previous six months
  • Health certification was proved and issued by a determined Turkish health center.
  • Admitted certification issued by a local registry office in the country of a foreigner that proves there is no impediment to marriage. In addition, all these documents could be 

Prepared easily. But note that a bit of a lead-time situation is expected from executives of both countries. Obtaining an international certificate of a non-impediment to marriage is almost a time-taking process.

Following, the writer explains the process of obtaining an international non-impediment to marriage.

Steps of Getting International Non-Impediment of Marriage

International non-impediment of marriage certification must be applied from a registry office of a foreign partner residence place in an official writing form. 

Whenever the foreign partner has not lived in his/her country for a long time, the international non-impediment of marriage can be issued by a registry office in the latest residence place of the foreign partner.

Remember that ,the registry office  takes responsibility for the details, claimed in admitted documents attached to the application. Following a standard procedure, required documents are mentioned below, but please consider that changes are possible at any time. 

Non-Impediment of Marriage

Required Documents Are Needed For Foreigner Partners to Get the International Non-Impediment of Marriage

  • Birth certification, family descent, or excerpt of family register of parents  
  • Certified copy of the passport that proves the citizenship
  • Proof of last place residence issued by the registration office
  • Notarized proof of marital status by the registration office  

Required Documents Are Needed For Turkish Partner to Get the International Non-Impediment of Marriage

  • Births certification, family descent, or copy of excerpt family register of parents
  • Certified copy of the passport that proves the citizenship
  • Proof of last place residence issued by the registration office
  • Confirmation of marital status, proof of isolation if previous marriage exists

All documents, whether from the registration office or civil status registration, should be translated into Turkish by an admitted translator. Moreover, an apostille of Turkish authorities is needed after translating documents. In the case of a divorce decree, an apostille document is critical.

Health Certification Before Marriage

One of the critical documents for official marriage is health certification. Some determined tests are obligatory to be done. The registry office is responsible for informing you about what tests must be done. From up to now, the vital tests that must be done to complete the required papers for official marriage are the following:  

  • Examine lungs with X-ray 
  • blood group determiner test
  • Special test to distinguish Syphilis
  • Special test to find out Hepatitis
  • Special test to examine Aids
  • An anemia determiner test is better to know an anemia test can be ignored if the applicant is over 50 years old.

According to Turkish law, Syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, leprosy, and tuberculosis are impediments to marriage, and a health certification will not be issued in these cases. 

The other important point is that regardless of which hospital you had the test, the final health certificate must be signed by your family doctor; thus, it would be better to get in touch with your family doctor before the test. Moreover, the test will be valid for six months.

After getting the necessary documents to marry, no one can stop you from getting married. You can set a time from the registry office whenever your documents are complete. Both partners should be present at the setting time, at the city hall. 

Witnesses at Turkish Ceremony 

After setting the ceremony date, the fun parts start, like nominating a witness for the ceremony. But you may ask what legal sequences of choosing witnesses for weddings are. It is easy, like a piece of cake. Two witnesses are enough, but it is possible to have four witnesses if you prefer. The witnesses must carry the following condition:

  • They must be at least 18 years old or above
  • They must present their identity card or passport
  • Witnesses should be familiar with bride and groom

Be careful that parents of couples are not accepted as witnesses. Also, some registry offices allow you to have four witnesses; it is better to ask before filling out your form.

Marriage in Registrar Office in Turkey

The wedding ceremony in Turkey’s registry office is usually held as fast as possible. Because of numerous appointments and closeness. It will be over in 10 minutes. It is customary for the bride to come to the registry office with a gown. 

Afterward, couples wait in front of the city hall to receive gifts and congratulations and take photos with guests. If couples decide not to have a ceremony after registry marriage, stopping in front of city hall will take longer because all guests want to take photos and give gifts. 

In contrast, if couples have a plan for the ceremony, they will wrap up quickly as fast as possible to present at the wedding party.

Marriage Certification

Immediately after the ceremony, the registry office gives the couples a red booklet in DIA 15 format, the official proof that they are newly married. 

The registry office issued the official proof, ” Aile cüzdanı,” based on the 15 th CIEC Convention of 1974. However, the official marriage proof is not recognized in this form in other countries.

Please ask for international marriage proof if you want a valid marriage certificate in every other country, such as your own country. Then ask your country’s embassy for the procedure to get your marriage proof in your birth country.

Name Declaration After Marriage in Turkey

In Turkey, a woman must take her husband’s surname after getting married. Many women want to have their husband’s surname next to their birth surname. 

If a woman wants to have her surname beside her husband’s surname, she should give an application to the marriage officer or later to the registry office. 

Sensitive couples can have a name declaration before the turkey register to be more precise about which surname will be used by couples. But the declared surname in the Turkish registry is not recognized in the foreign partner’s country.

If a foreigner wife wants to get a passport with a new surname, she should submit her name declaration at her foreign consulate. To do this, spouses should set an online appointment, with the presence of both personal appearances. 

Through this interview, some information will be asked. The questions cover personal information such as passport confirmation, excerpt of civil status register and citizenship. 

This information is sent to the foreigner registry office,if the confirmation is received from the foreign country registry and the new passport with the new surname will be issued.

Residence in Turkey After Marriage

Now you are married and wish to live in Turkey; you need a residency to apply. Please apply for it and obtain it like a piece of cake. 

Take it to heart that residency permission does not guarantee your work permit. Getting a work permit has other processes and depends on the company willing to employ you.

Citizenship in Turkey by Marriage

Citizenship in Turkey by Marriage

Neither in Turkey nor other countries marriage does not lead to citizenship automatically. But it is achievable under certain circumstances. As citizenship is a bit sophisticated and needs expertise to pass precise information, the writer prefers not to go through the citizenship process in detail. The writer recommends you study citizenship legislation through accurate sources.

In conclusion, the marriage process is not a complicated issue in Turkey, and you must take legal steps to get married.

But if you are time sensitive and under snow, there are legal companies that can prepare the required documents for your official marriage, and what you do is just getting ready for your wedding party in a relaxed mood.

Join The Discussion

Property State

Compare listings

Compare