Divorce Documents and Turkey

Divorce documents come up when someone remarries, applies for a residence permit or citizenship, or updates records in another country. They are among the documents where a small detail, such as whether the decision is final, decides whether the office accepts them.

A Turkish divorce decree for use abroad

Receiving offices abroad usually want the court decision that ended the marriage. Ask them exactly which document they need, because some want the decision itself and some want an extract or another civil registry document. Two points come up often:

• Finality. Many offices want proof that the decision is final and no longer open to appeal. In Turkish this is the note called kesinleşme şerhi. Ask whether the receiving office requires it.
• Certification and translation. If the destination is a Hague Convention country, the document needs an apostille, and if it isn't, it needs legalization. Many offices also ask for a translation. We cover this in Apostille or Consular Legalization?

A foreign divorce decree for use in Turkey

If a Turkish authority asks for a divorce decree issued in another country, the document needs to be certified in the country that issued it, either with an apostille or with legalization, and it needs a sworn translation into Turkish. We explain the certification part in Foreign Documents for Use in Turkey.

Separately, updating Turkish civil registry records after a foreign divorce can involve a court process in Turkey. That is a legal matter, and we don't handle court cases, so speak to a lawyer if your situation involves it. We prepare the documents.

Which documents to gather

• The divorce decision, with any finality note the receiving office requires.
• Your passport, so names can be matched.
• A note of which office will receive the documents, and what it asked for.

Mistakes that cost time

• Missing the finality note. A decision without it may be rejected where finality is required.
• Ordering the wrong document. The decision, an extract and a civil registry record are different things.
• Name mismatches. Names on the decree, the passport and the certificates should agree. See Names in Translation.
• Getting an apostille for a non-member country. It won't be recognized, and the document needs legalization.
• Assuming a translation or an apostille updates the records. It does not. Updating records is a separate process.

How we help

Tell us where the decree is going and who will receive it. We will confirm which certification applies, then handle the translation, notarization and apostille or legalization as needed. For checks beforehand, see Why Documents Get Rejected.