For official documents to be valid abroad, obtaining an apostille annotation is an important part of bureaucratic procedures. The apostille is a single-step authentication system that ensures your document is also legally recognised in another country. In this article we cover the definition of the apostille, which documents it is applied to and how the process works.
What Is an Apostille?
An apostille is an annotation issued under the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, signed in The Hague in 1961 and entered into force in Turkey in 1985. Between countries that are party to this convention, an apostilled document is recognised as directly valid without the need for any additional certification.
The apostille annotation takes the form of a square stamp added to the bottom of the document. It bears the name and role of the official who signed the document, the authority that issued the seal and the certification date. This stamp does not confirm the authenticity of the signature on the document, but rather confirms that the relevant authority was competent to issue that document.
Which Documents Need an Apostille?
The apostille is most often requested for the following documents:
- Birth, marriage and death certificates
- Diplomas and transcripts
- Powers of attorney
- Court decisions
- Criminal record certificates
- Company documents (certificate of activity, signature circular, etc.)
- Official documents issued by a notary
In Turkey the apostille annotation is issued by the district governorship or the provincial governorship depending on the document type. Administrative documents fall under provincial governorships; court and notarial documents fall under the courthouse or district governorships.
The Apostille Process Step by Step
- Preparation of the document: The original or a notarised copy of the document to be apostilled is required.
- Sworn translation: If the document is to be translated into a foreign language, sworn translation is performed first.
- Notarisation: The translation is certified by the notary.
- Apostille application: The certified document is submitted to the district governorship or the provincial governorship depending on the document type.
- Apostille annotation: The competent authority applies the apostille stamp on the document.
Apostille Time and Cost
The apostille procedure is usually completed on the same day. Time can vary depending on document workload. The apostille fee is set annually by the Ministry of Finance and is a nominal amount.
If your document is to be submitted to a country that is not party to the Hague Convention, consular legalisation must be carried out instead of an apostille. This process is longer than the apostille and passes through both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate of the relevant country.
The Apostille Process with Corpus Tercüme
At Corpus Tercüme we manage every stage of the apostille procedure on your behalf. We complete the entire process — sworn translation, notarisation and apostille application — through a single channel. We complete applications to district and provincial governorships within Istanbul in an average of 1–2 business days and deliver your document to you both digitally and physically.