Marrying a Foreign National in Turkey
For a marriage to a foreign national in Turkey, one of the key documents requested by the marriage office is a Certificate of Capacity to Marry (single-status certificate). It should be obtained from the person’s country and brought with an apostille or consular legalization.
In addition, birth certificates and passport translations must be translated into Turkish by a sworn translator and notarized.
A Turkish Citizen Marrying Abroad
If you plan to marry in a European country such as Germany, the Netherlands, or France, Form A (International Birth Registration) and Form B (Multilingual Certificate of Capacity to Marry) issued in Turkey can make the process easier. Because these documents are multilingual, some countries do not require an additional translation.
For countries that do not accept multilingual documents, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, or Russia, civil registry documents must be translated into the destination language, notarized, and apostilled by the district governorate.
When Is a Sworn Interpreter Required at the Ceremony?
If either spouse does not understand Turkish during the ceremony, the marriage officer may stop the proceedings. In that case, the law requires an officially approved sworn interpreter to be present and interpret orally throughout the ceremony.