Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What Turkey Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Country requirements change. This page is re-checked periodically, and nothing on it replaces confirming the position with the Turkish office that will receive your document.

Türkiye is a Convention country, so Australian documents go to DFAT for an apostille rather than to the Turkish consulate for legalisation. For Australians of Turkish background, though, most paperwork runs through the Turkish consulates here, and their instructions are more specific than the general rule. Registering an Australian divorce in the Turkish civil registry needs two apostilles: one on the court order and one on its Turkish translation. Registering a marriage by post, by contrast, needs only copies certified by a Justice of the Peace.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Türkiye has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 1985. Confirm its status, and any objections, against the HCCH status table on the day you start.

Türkiye and the Apostille Convention

The HCCH status table records Türkiye's ratification in July 1985, with the Convention in force from 29 September 1985. For an Australian document within the Convention's scope, the certificate is an apostille from DFAT.

Australian registry certificates and court documents may go to DFAT directly, without a notary. Confirm with DFAT for your document.

Turkish consulates in Australia

The Turkish Consulate General in Sydney says its district covers New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT; other states are served by another Turkish mission. It works by appointment only, booked through the Turkish consular portal, with a separate appointment for each person and each transaction. Turkish citizens are asked to bring a Turkish identity card or passport to every appointment.

Registering an Australian marriage in Türkiye

The Sydney consulate's instructions for registering a marriage that took place in Australia ask for the originals and two photocopies of:

• the Australian marriage certificate
• both spouses' Turkish identity documents, or the birth certificate of a foreign spouse
• if either spouse was born outside Australia, a Turkish translation of their birth certificate by a sworn translator
• passport photographs and the foreign spouse's passport

Two points stand out. The list does not ask for an apostille on the Australian marriage certificate. And registration can be done by post, in which case the consulate asks for photocopies of all documents certified by a Justice of the Peace. For this procedure, the consulate is the receiving authority, and it has said a JP will do. You do not need a notary.

Use the standard certificate from the state or territory registry, not the decorative certificate from the day of the wedding.

Registering an Australian divorce in Türkiye

This is the procedure where people most often go wrong, and the consulate's notice is detailed. It explains that, under a 2018 Turkish regulation, consulates can record a foreign divorce in the Turkish family register directly, without a Turkish court case, provided:

• the Australian decision is final
• it is not clearly contrary to Turkish public order
• no case about the same divorce has been decided, rejected or is pending in a Turkish court

Consular registration covers only the divorce itself, or a finding that a marriage was void or annulled. If the Australian orders also deal with custody, child support, contact, property or compensation, the consulate says those parts need a separate enforcement case in the competent Turkish court.

The documents it lists include:

• the original final divorce order from the Australian court, with an apostille
• a Turkish translation of the order, with its own apostille. The consulate says the translation must be done by a NAATI translator so that it can be apostilled.
• copies of the parties' Turkish identity cards and passports; for a foreign former spouse, a Turkish translation of their identity document certified by NAATI and DFAT
• for dual citizens, Australian passports, birth certificates and citizenship certificates
• if a representative applies, the original of a special power of attorney with photograph, made before a notary

A former spouse who is not Turkish and does not speak Turkish must bring a NAATI interpreter to the appointment. Applicants have ninety days to fix any gaps the consulate identifies. If the consulate refuses the application, the route is recognition through a Turkish court.

The consulate also warns dual citizens: if your Turkish records do not show your other citizenship, the application can be refused, and that must be fixed first.

Powers of attorney for Türkiye

The Sydney consulate notes that a Turkish identity card is required when preparing a power of attorney for use at a Turkish land registry office (tapu). That applies to powers of attorney made at the consulate by Turkish citizens.

For someone who is not a Turkish citizen, or who prefers not to use the consulate, the usual route is an Australian notary, a DFAT apostille and a Turkish translation. Whether a particular land registry, bank or court in Türkiye accepts that form, and whether the translation must be done in Australia or in Türkiye, is for the Turkish side to say. Ask the Turkish lawyer who will use it before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Turkish consulate need to legalise my Australian document? Not for a document within the Convention's scope. A DFAT apostille replaces consular legalisation.

Can a Justice of the Peace certify documents for Türkiye? For registering a marriage by post, the Sydney consulate asks for JP-certified copies. For documents that need an apostille, no: a JP certification cannot be apostilled.

Does my divorce translation really need its own apostille? The Sydney consulate says so, and says the translation must be by a NAATI translator so that it can be apostilled.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT processing, consular appointments and the Turkish authorities. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.