Marriage Registration in Turkey
Marriage Registration in Turkey
Updated on Thursday 26th January 2023 Rate this article
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Under the Turkish Civil Law, marriage registration is possible between Turkish citizens or between a foreign citizen and a Turkish one. It must be noted, however, that only civil marriages are acknowledged by the law, meaning only marriages concluded within the marriage offices in the city one of the spouses lives.
Civil marriages registered abroad are legally recognized in Turkey and must meet certain conditions. Our Turkish lawyers can ease the marriage registration procedure in Turkey and can provide you with information, details and guidelines about the necessary documents you need to provide. Please take into consideration that if the marriage is not allowed in your home country for different reasons, the same thing is available in Turkey, and officials cannot perform such marriage. You can also rely on our Turkish law firm if you need legal assistance related to other family law matters.
The validity of marriage registration in Turkey
Under the Turkish Family Law, in order to be valid, the individuals seeking to register their marriage must comply with a few requirements. These are:
- both spouses must have the mental capacity to enter a marriage and must give their consent;
- both spouses must be at least 18 years old at the moment they request the registration of their marriage;
- persons coming from the same family are not allowed to get married in Turkey, their marriage will not be recognized even if it was registered abroad;
- in case one of the spouses was married before, a waiting period is imposed under the Turkish legislation;
- there are certain illnesses which do not permit the registration of marriage in Turkey.
Our Turkish lawyers can explain all the requirements imposed under the Family Law for those who want to register their marriages here.
The no impediment marriage certificate in Turkey
One of the most important documents to be obtained when registering a marriage in Turkey, no matter if the spouses are foreigners or Turkish citizens, is the no objection or no impediment certificate. This is a document issued by a Turkish court in the case of Turkish nationals, or by the relevant authorities in the country of residence of foreign citizens.
Foreigners interested in registering their marriages in Turkey can also obtain the no impediment certificate in Turkey from the local authorities, however, they should know the following:
- - they must arrive in Turkey at least 2 months before the marriage takes place in order to complete the formalities;
- - they must reside in Turkey for at least 21 days in order to be allowed to apply for the no impediment certificate;
- - they must then wait another 21 days for the certificate to be issued by the Turkish authorities;
- - if they have obtained the no objection certificate in their home country, they will only need 3 or 4 days to have it translated and authenticated.
Our law firm in Turkey can offer more information or assistance with the procedure of obtaining the no impediment certificate.
Necessary documents for marriage registration in Turkey
If you wish to get married in Turkey, there are specific documents to prepare and certain conditions to meet, such as:
• a certificate that proves you are eligible for marriage (affidavit);
• a medical certificate;
• the valid passports;
• the identification cards;
• the divorce papers if the case requires.
If the future spouse is under 19 years old then a parent consent will be mandatory. Turkish women who have divorced in the past will need to wait for about 300 days until they marry once again, according to the rules and regulations of the country. Besides the marriage registration procedure, it is good to know that our lawyers in Turkey can provide you with important guidance and legal services if you want to obtain a divorce certificate.
The marriage between two foreigners in Turkey
Foreign citizens interested in getting married in Turkey should know that they don’t need to make any previous preparations for the marriage, however, they are advised to obtain the eligibility certificates in their home countries and have them translated and notarized in Turkey in order to reduce the waiting period.
It is also advisable to book the appointment with the Turkish marriage office a few weeks before and arrive in Turkey at least 3 or 4 days before the marriage takes place.
Foreigners who live in Turkey can register their marriage at the Consulate of their home country if they’ve prepared a certificate of eligibility in such matter or a statement from the Embassy of their country in Turkey. You should know that you will need a translator if you and your spouse have no Turkish language knowledge. Our lawyer in Turkey can help you in this matter and can offer assistance when preparing the documents.
There are no residence permit requirements for foreign citizens seeking to register their marriages in Turkey if they have the no impediment certificates issued by the authorities in their home country. If one or both spouses are foreign citizens, they will only need tourist visas for traveling to Turkey.
Besides preparing the certificate of eligibility for marriage, the valid passports, the birth certificates, and other significant documents, the two spouses will need to give notice of their marital status at the register office in their home country.
The marriage registration ceremony in Turkey
For both nationals and foreigners, the Turkish marriage registration procedure will imply the same steps. The spouses will submit the documents required by the marriage office in person. Both spouses will also be required to submit declarations on their intentions of registering the marriage. The spouses must have at least two witnesses, who cannot be family members.
Our lawyers in Turkey can offer more information on the registration procedure of a marriage.
The application for a residence permit in Turkey can also involve family members, and those interested can make an investment of USD 250,000 to gain this status. As for the formalities, you must present both a valid passport and proof of your new residence. In other situations, proof of an employment contract will be needed to receive both residence and also work permit. contact us today to discover and benefit from the legal services offered and the free case evaluation.
Recognition of marriages registered in Turkey
One of the most important aspects of marriage registration of foreign citizens in Turkey is that of the recognition of the marriage in their home countries. It is good to know that most countries recognize marriage registration in Turkey without any other additional action. However, foreign spouses can have the marriage certificate issued by the Turkish authorities translated, authenticated and sent to the marriage registration office in their home countries.
This is also available for foreign citizens marrying Turkish citizens and who want to have the marriage recognized in both countries.
People who wish to get married in Turkey may ask for guidance and legal assistance from our law firm in Turkey, so please feel free to contact us. You can rely on us for various legal services if you are a foreign citizen coming for the first time in Turkey.