FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Applying for Turkish Nationality
• Divorce Procedure for a Marriage in Turkey
• Obtaining a certified copy of marriage / death certificate
• Filming in Turkey
• Marriage Between Turkish and Foreign Nationals in the UK
• Marriage Between Turkish and Foreign Nationals in Turkey
• Marriage Between Two Foreign Nationals in Turkey
• Police Clearance Report
• Purchasing Real Estate for Private Use in Turkey
• KEGY- Acquisition of Immovable Property
• Overstaying in Turkey
• The Acquisition of Legacy in Turkey
• To Take a Pet into Turkey Temporarily
• Transfer of a Deceased Turkish National to Turkey
• Turkey's Customs Regulation
• Turkish Community in the UK & Local Press in Turkish
• Using your mobile phones with SIM cards bought in Turkey (Turkish Networks Only)
• Visit of a Turkish National to the UK

APPLYING FOR TURKISH NATIONALITY:

According to Turkish Nationality Act (numbered 403), a foreigner should meet the following requirements in order to apply for Turkish nationality.

*He/She should be at the age of consent according to his/her national law (if he/she is not a citizen of any country, Turkish law is taken into consideration which requires 18 years old as the age of consent).
*He/She should reside in Turkey for the last five years and should have the intention of settling in Turkey (This condition may not be applicable to those who are married to a Turkish national or those who are with Turkish origin).
*He/She should be in good health.
*He/She should speak Turkish.
*He/She should have enough financial resources to support himself/herself and his/her family in Turkey.

If you meet the conditions above, you can apply to obtain Turkish nationality. Application can be made through this Consulate General or the local Governor's office in Turkey with the following documents.   

*A document revealing the present nationality of the applicant, i.e. passport or birth certificate.
*If married to a Turkish national, the official documents confirming the identities and family ties of the spouse and the under aged children.
*Certification of applicant's ability to speak Turkish (a certificate will be issued by this Consulate General upon a successful interview of the applicant).
*A medical certificate confirming the applicant's good health and being free from any infectious diseases that may endanger the public health (this certificate can be obtained from the local GP or family doctor).
*4 photographs
*Completed application forms which can be obtained from this Consulate General.
*Certification and translation fees.
*Administration fee.

Completed dossiers are transferred to the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey, which in turn will consider and process the applications on their merits. The applicants will be informed of the outcome by this Consulate General in due course.

For working hours & address of this Consulate General please click here. For any further information please call this Consulate Genera

DIVORCE PROCEDURE FOR A MARRIAGE REGISTERED IN TURKEY:

If a marriage between a Turkish and a British national was solemnized in the UK and then registered in Turkey or if a marriage between a Turkish and a British national was solemnized and registered in Turkey, regardless of divorce degree that may be a obtained in the UK, a suit of divorce should be filed in Turkey as well. To this end the following steps should be taken by the foreign national:

* A solicitor in the UK will give Power of Attorney to an appointed solicitor in Turkey. The Power of Attorney should be apostilled by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 
* Upon receipt of this Power of Attorney the appointed solicitor in Turkey will commence with divorce proceedings.

You may also contact the British Consulates in Turkey (for the addresses of British Consulates in Turkey please click here)

OBTAINING A CERTIFIED COPY OF MARRIAGE / DEATH CERTIFICATE:

If you wish to obtain a certified copy of your Turkish Marriage Certificate, or death certificate of a deceased relative in Turkey, you are required to contact the relevant British Diplomatic Mission in Turkey. Please click here to see the contact details of British Missions in Turkey.

FILMING IN TURKEY:

If you wish to prepare documentary films related to scientific research and observation, make commercial and promotional films or conduct conduct archeological excavations within Turkey you must obtain prior permission from Turkish authorities. You will thereafter be issued with the appropriate visa. Please contact the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in London for commercial and promotional films and the Turkish Embassy in London for all other permissions. Filming make by tourists for personal use does not require prior permission.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN TURKISH AND FOREIGN NATIONALS IN THE UK:

Procedure and documents for registration of a marriage between a Turkish and foreign national in the UK are as follows:

First, you need to get in touch with the local registration office in the UK.

Turkish citizen needs to obtain a certificate of no impediment from his/her local registration office in Turkey through this Consulate General. To this end, s/he needs to apply to this Consulate General with his/her ID card (nüfus cüzdanı).

Following the marriage ceremony and having the marriage registered at the local registration office in the UK, Turkish national has to inform this Consulate General of his/her marriage within one month just after the marriage.

For the registration of marriage at this Consulate General, following documents have to be produced:

Please note that foreign women marrying Turkish men in the UK may apply for Turkish citizenship after 3 years of marriage, if she intends to live in Turkey. The Republic of Turkey accepts dual nationality as long as bride's country does not object it.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN TURKISH AND FOREIGN NATIONALS IN TURKEY:

Required Documents:

Procedure:

Notes: Normal marriage age under Turkish law is 18. However, under special circumstances men and women below that age can get married with the permission of their parents, legal guardians or the relevant court.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO FOREIGN NATIONALS IN TURKEY:

Required Documents:

Procedure:

Notes: Foreign nationals in Turkey can also get married in their respective consulates if it is possible under their national law. However, if one of the parties is a Turkish citizen, marriage can only be solemnized by the Turkish authorities.

Please also contact with your country's consulate(s) in Turkey. (For the addresses of British Consulates in Turkey please click here).

POLICE CLEARANCE REPORT

Foreign nationals who worked/lived for certain period of time in Turkey can obtain “police clearance report” from the relevant authority in Turkey through this Consulate General by sending the following documents & information by post to this Consulate General:

1. A copy of your passport

2. Application form filled in full (please click here to download the form)

3. A self-addressed envelope

4. A brief letter specifying the reasons as to why do you need this report.

5. 6 GBP Postal Fee (as a Postal Order made payable to the “Turkish Consulate General)

British employers who intend to employ Turkish nationals in the UK can also apply to this Consulate General to obtain police clearance report for their prospective employees. They need to provide Turkish ID card, instead of passport, in addition to the preceeding ones.

PURCHASING REAL ESTATE FOR PRIVATE USE IN TURKEY:

Rules: Citizens and commercial corporate entities of the countries with which reciprocity agreements have been signed and companies established in line with Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875 in Turkey may purchase a real estate in Turkey on their own names provided that the property is not located in military and security zones.

The acquired property may be resold or rented out and the proceeds of the sale or the rental income may be transferred out of Turkey freely.

Procedure: The sale procedure for foreigners is the same as Turkish citizens except a search for the abovementioned military and security zones restriction. Once a sale agreed with the owner, an application has to be made to the local Land Registry Office. The Land Registry Office then carries out a search for the abovementioned restriction through correspondence with the military authorities in the area. As soon as the search is completed, the Land Registry Office then transfers the title and issues the new deed.

Taxes: Both purchaser and seller are liable for a 1.5 per cent property transfer tax, based on the declared price of the property. There is also a municipal property tax, again, based on the declared value of the property, at the rate of 0.1 per cent for residential properties and 0.3 per cent for land annually. One fourth of the tax value (minimum YTL 2,500) of newly built residential properties is exempt from the municipal real estate tax for the first five years.

Please click here to see the note on Constitutional Court's decision.

For further enquiries kindly apply to the Turkish Embassy, Office of the First Economic Counsellor, 43 Belgrave Square , London , SW1X 8PA ,

Tel: 020 7235 2743; Fax: 020 7235 1020; e-mail: london@turkisheconomy.org.uk

Web: http://www.turkisheconomy.org.uk

ACQUISITION OF IMMOVABLE PROPERTY BY FOREIGN REAL PERSONS IN TURKEY LEGAL FRAMEWORK

1. Turkey unequivocally recognizes and protects property rights. 
Article 35 of the Turkish Constitution reads as follows: "Everyone has the right to own and inherit property. These rights may be limited by law only in view of public interest. The exercise of the right to own property shall not be in contravention of the public interest."

Acquisition of immovable property by foreigners in Turkey is regulated by the Article 35 of the Law on Title-Deeds dated 22 December 1934 and numbered 2644. This article was amended by the Law numbered 5782 and dated July 3, 2008, which came into force on July 15, 2008.

Along with the above mentioned article of the Turkish Constitution, Article 35 is the main piece of legislation which lays down the terms and conditions under which foreigners may acquire immovable property in Turkey.

2. Overview of the main provisions of Article 35
-On the basis of the principle of de facto and de jure reciprocity and in compliance with legal restrictions, foreign real persons may acquire immovable property for either residential or business uses in Turkey, provided that these properties are designated and registered for the said purposes in the zoning plans or local zoning plans.
-The sum total area of immovable property and limited real rights that may be acquired by foreigners in Turkey shall not exceed 2,5 hectares, per person.
-Companies with legal personality established in foreign countries in accordance with their respective national legislation may acquire immovable property and limited real rights according to the provisions of special laws (namely the Law on Encouragement of Tourism numbered 2634, Petrolium Act numbered 6326, Industrial Zones Act numbered 4737, etc.).
-The conditions and restrictions set out in the Law shall not apply to the immovable property inherited through intestate succession by a foreign real person provided that reciprocity criterion is fulfilled.
-The conditions and restrictions set out in the Law shall apply to the immovable property inherited by means of testamentary dispositions.
-In cases where reciprocity is not established, immovable property of the deceased shall be liquidated. (In practice, immovable properties in question are liquidated either by the successors or, if be needed, by the state, and the price is paid to the inheritor.)
-The Council of Ministers is authorized to declare restricted areas where foreigners are not allowed to purchase immovable property for reasons of public interest and state security upon the proposal of a Commission to be established under the chairmanship of Ministry of Public Works and Settlement.
-The sum total area of immovable property that shall be owned by foreign real persons must not exceed 10 % of the zoning plans or local zoning plans of any given county. Lower limits may be proposed to the Council of Ministers by the aforementioned Commission

OVERSTAYING IN TURKEY:

Until now,  the citizens of  the EU/OECD countries  who have  overstayed in Turkey  have been imposed  an entry ban into Turkey upto five years. It was possible to lift this ban  by paying the fine at the port of entry.

According to the new regulation and a recent announcement  by the Turkish  Ministry of Interior, this entry ban will only be  lifted in case the overstayed person applies to the Turkish missions  abroad  for the relevant type of visa such as work, family reunion, study, long term residence, meeting, conference, cultural activity etc. The visa applications will be forwarded to the  Turkish Ministry of  Interior  for approval and the relevant type of visa  will be issued after the Ministry’s instruction.   

Once the visa  be granted,  then it is possible to travel  to Turkey and pay the fine  at the port of entry.

THE ACQUISITION OF LEGACY IN TURKEY:

-The acquisition of any legacy in Turkey after the death of its owner, could be made through the courts by probate action upon the application of his relatives /heirs.

-The heritage /estate/ property could only be passed to the heirs after a probate issued by the court of the province where the property is located.

-Any legal action taken at the Courts of the UK (or any other country), could be applicable in Turkey only after the decision of a Turkish Court which recognizes and enforces the decision of the UK courts. Hence, a will could gain validity in Turkey after a decision issued by a court in Turkey. .

A will is going to be valid in Turkey after some legal steps.

1. If one notifies his legal heirs (according to the will) about the existence of such a will, then they could follow up the matter after the death.

1. The probate letter /decision required to enforce a will in the UK, should be certified by the Legalization Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (apostille) and then in the Turkish Consulate before being presented to the relevant authorities in Turkey.
2. After its certification process, the probate should be presented to the Court in Turkey in order to enforce it. Once the decision from the Turkish Court is taken, the will also be valid in Turkey and could become applicable.

TO TAKE A PET INTO TURKEY TEMPORARILY:

In order to take a pet into Turkey for a temporary period, the following documents should be legalised .

TRANSFER OF A DECEASED TURKISH NATIONAL TO TURKEY:

If you like to transfer a deceased Turkish national to Turkey, please contact immediately with a company providing funeral services and then contact this Consulate General with the following documents (in order to find a company of funeral services, you can contact the the Turkish-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBCCI, 2nd Floor, Bury House, 33 Bury Street, St James's, London, SW1Y 6UA, Tel:020 7321 0999):

TURKEY'S CUSTOMS REGULATION:

Information on Turkish Customs Regulation is available at the the official website of Turkish Customs Administration on http://www.gumruk.gov.tr You can also call the following telephone numbers: Tel: 0090 312 3117971, Fax: 0090 312 3245979  e-mail: bis@gumruk.gov.tr

MOBILE PHONES NEED TO BE REGISTERED FOR USE WITH SIM CARDS BOUGHT IN TURKEY

Turkish and foreign visitors are entitled to bring one mobile phone into Turkey within one calendar year for use during their stay in Turkey. A personal mobile phone brought in to Turkey in this manner is exempt from tax and duty.

It is necessary to register the mobile phones in order to use them with SIM card bought from a Turkish network operator. (In order to use such a mobile phone with a SIM card bought in Turkey from a Turkish network operator, the mobile phone number assigned to the SIM card needs to be correlated with the IMEI number of the mobile phone. The handset can only be registered with one line. Phones not registered in this way will be blocked and unable to receive or make calls. There is no charge levied for this registration.)

No customs documents are required for the registration of mobile phones.

Mobile phones to be brought into Turkey are to be registered with the Telecommunication Institution or with the mobile phone shops of Turkish Network Operators (Avea, Turkcell or Telsim).

Documents required for the registration of mobile phones are:

• TR Citizenship Number or Passport number
• Passport (Identity details indicated on the passport)
• Copies of all Turkish entry/exit stamps in the passport

No more than one mobile phone per person can be registered in one calendar year.

VISIT OF A TURKISH NATIONAL TO THE UK:

Please note that before traveling to the UK, Turkish citizens are required to obtain visa through the British Consulate General in Istanbul/Turkey. For any inquiry regarding the visit of a Turkish national to the UK, you are kindly requested to contact with the British Consulates or British Embassy in Turkey. 

For the addresses of British Consulates in Turkey, please click here.