Diplomas and transcripts. The first requirement for almost anyone applying for a bachelor's, master's or doctoral programme abroad. Universities usually ask for an apostilled translation.
NOTARISATION AND APOSTILLE
Notarised Translation and Apostilled Translation
Sworn translation, notarisation and the apostille. We run all three in the correct order, as a single process, from our Kadıköy office in Istanbul.
- 120+ languages
- 24-48 hour delivery
- 20+ years of experience
- 10,000+ completed projects
What Is a Notarised Translation?
A notarised translation is a sworn translation that has additionally been certified by a notary. There is a common misunderstanding here: the notary does not check the content of the translation. What the notary certifies is the identity and the authority of the translator who produced it.
The distinction matters in practice. Notarisation is not a quality certificate, it is a verification of authority. The accuracy of the translation is still guaranteed by the translator's own stamp and signature. A notarised translation adds an official layer of verification on top of that guarantee.
Which Institutions Require Notarisation?
A sworn translation is accepted on its own by many institutions. A notary certified translation is generally requested in the following situations:
- Whenever the document will be apostilled, notarisation is a mandatory precondition
- Documents submitted to courts and enforcement files
- Land registry procedures
- Certain consulate and visa applications
- Part of corporate tender and trade registry procedures
Which certification is required for which document depends on the institution receiving it. To avoid paying an unnecessary notary fee, confirm what the institution asks for before the process starts. If you are not sure, we will work it out together at the quote stage.
For the full comparison between sworn and notarised translation, see our Sworn Translation page.
The Correct Order: Sworn Translation, Notarisation, Apostille
The order of these three steps is fixed and none of them can be skipped. When the order is broken the document comes back from the institution, the fees paid are lost, and the process starts again.
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The sworn translator translates the document, then stamps and signs it.
The document is translated by an authorised translator who holds an oath record. Every page carries a stamp and a wet signature.
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The notary certifies the translation.
The translation is certified at the notary office holding the translator's oath record. A notary cannot certify the signature of a translator who is not on its own register. This is where the process most often stalls.
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The competent authority issues the apostille.
Depending on the type of document, the notarised translation is submitted to a governorate, a district governorate or a judicial justice commission, and receives the apostille.
Three mistakes we see repeatedly:
- An apostille is not issued for a translation that has not been notarised.
- A notary will not certify the signature of a translator who is not on its register.
- The apostille certificate itself usually has to be translated as well. The number of documents rejected because the certificate was left untranslated is not small.
At EN Tercüme we manage these three steps end to end as a single process. We determine at the outset which notary office will certify the document and which authority will issue the apostille.
Apostilled Translation and Apostille Procedures
An apostille is an international certificate that allows an official document to be recognised in another country. It is valid between the countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention. A document carrying an apostilled translation does not need separate consular legalisation in the destination country, which brings the process down from weeks to days.
Where Is an Apostille Obtained?
In Türkiye the authority competent to issue an apostille changes according to the type of document. Applying to the wrong authority costs at least one working day.
| Type of document | Competent authority |
|---|---|
| Notarised translations, powers of attorney, letters of consent | The district governorate or governorate the notary is attached to |
| Administrative documents such as diplomas, transcripts and population registry extracts | The governorate or district governorate |
| Judicial documents such as court decisions, divorce decrees and criminal record certificates | The Judicial Justice Commission in a location that has a heavy penal court |
Apostille or Consular Legalisation?
The apostille is valid between more than 120 countries party to the Hague Convention. EU member states, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and Japan are all included. China joined in 2023 and Canada in 2024, so for those countries an apostille is now sufficient instead of consular legalisation.
For countries outside the convention the apostille does not apply. In that case your document goes through consular legalisation, which takes longer and varies with the mission of the destination country.
There Are Two Different Scenarios
Some countries want the apostille on the original document and treat the translation separately. Others want it on the notarised translation. The two require different sequences, and the wrong scenario gets the document rejected. Tell us the destination country and institution and we will set up the right sequence from the start.
Which Documents Require Notarisation or an Apostille?
Powers of attorney. If you are handling a matter in Türkiye from abroad, or the other way round, a notarised translation and an apostille are almost always required.
Company documents. For company formation abroad, branch openings and international tenders, articles of association, trade registry gazettes and signature circulars are submitted as apostilled translations.
Court decisions. Divorce decrees, custody rulings and inheritance documents require an apostille for use abroad. For these documents the apostille is obtained from the courthouse.
Civil status documents. Population registry extracts, marriage and birth certificates are the core paperwork for marriage abroad, dual citizenship and residence permit applications.
Timing and Pricing
We complete the translation stage within 24 to 48 hours for most documents. Notarisation and the apostille are added on top of that, and how much they add depends on how busy the notary is and which apostille authority is involved.
Our pricing is fixed and given upfront. The quote shows the total, including the translation fee, the notary fee and courier where applicable. No surprise line items appear halfway through.
Send us your document and we will confirm both the total time and the total cost.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The translation is completed within 24 to 48 hours. Notarisation is usually added the same day or the next day. If an apostille is required, a few more working days may be added depending on the authority involved.
It depends on the type of document. For notarised translations, powers of attorney and administrative documents the apostille is obtained from a governorate or district governorate. For judicial documents such as court decisions, divorce decrees and criminal record certificates it is obtained from the Judicial Justice Commission in a location that has a heavy penal court.
No. An apostille is only needed if the document will be used abroad and the destination country is a party to the Hague Convention. It is not requested for procedures inside Türkiye.
Yes. At the notarisation stage the original document or a certified copy is requested. The translation itself can be started from a digital copy.
In more than 120 countries that are party to the Hague Convention, including EU member states, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, China and Canada. For countries outside the convention, consular legalisation is required instead.
Yes. We manage the whole sequence of sworn translation, notarisation and apostille from start to finish. We determine at the outset which notary office will certify your document and which authority will issue the apostille, and we run the steps in the correct order. We accept documents by courier from anywhere in Türkiye.
In most cases yes. The number of documents rejected because the apostille certificate was left untranslated is not small. When we set up the process we determine whether the certificate needs translating based on the receiving institution.
The document must carry an apostille issued in the country it came from, then be translated by a sworn translator in Türkiye and, where required, notarised. Which steps are requested depends on the institution you will submit it to.
A divorce decree is a judicial document, so its apostille is obtained from the Judicial Justice Commission in a location that has a heavy penal court. It is then translated into the language of the destination country by a sworn translator.
Will Your Document Be Used Abroad?
Tell us which country and which institution it is going to. We will tell you the correct sequence and the total time upfront.
Kadıköy Office
Hasanpaşa Mah., İrfanbey Sk., No:10/39 Kat:5, 34722 Kadıköy/İstanbul