Criminal record certificate in Türkiye: e-Devlet, the courthouse, and the apostille

The Turkish criminal record certificate (adli sicil kaydı, also called adli sicil belgesi) shows convictions registered in Türkiye under Law 5352. Foreigners need it for the family residence permit, work and citizenship files, some employers, and, for use abroad, for visas and residence in a third country. It is free, usually instant, and increasingly issued with an electronic apostille. This guide covers how to obtain it, what it shows, how long it is accepted and how to prepare it for a foreign authority.

Two ways to obtain it

1. e-Devlet. Log in with your foreigner identification number (YKN) and open "Adli Sicil Kaydı Sorgulama" (Ministry of Justice). Choose the purpose (kurum) from the list, for example Göç İdaresi, work permit, or "yurt dışı" for use abroad, and the certificate is generated as a PDF with a barcode and verification code. The office that receives it verifies the code online. See our e-Devlet guide for the password.
2. The courthouse. Foreigners without e-Devlet, including visitors without a permit, apply at the criminal records desk (adli sicil bürosu) of any courthouse (adliye) with their passport; a tax number is recorded. The certificate is issued on the spot and signed and sealed by the clerk. A person abroad may apply through a Turkish consulate or by a notarised power of attorney.

There is no fee at either place. The certificate shows the record as of the date of issue, both the current record (adli sicil) and the archive record (arşiv kaydı) where the purpose requires it.

What it shows and what it does not

The certificate covers final convictions by Turkish courts and certain security measures. It does not show foreign convictions, pending cases, investigations, or administrative fines. For the family residence permit the Directorate reads it for domestic-violence convictions; for citizenship and work files the authorities read it in full. A foreigner who has been in Türkiye only a short time will normally receive a clean certificate; this does not replace the criminal-record extract from the home country, which the Directorate or the consulate may ask for separately, apostilled and translated.

How long it is accepted

The certificate has no legal expiry, but every receiving office applies its own freshness rule. The Directorate of Migration Management and most Turkish authorities accept a certificate up to six months old; foreign consulates and immigration authorities often want it within three months, sometimes one. Because the e-Devlet version is instant and free, obtain it last, after the rest of the file is ready.

For use abroad: apostille and translation

A foreign authority needs the certificate apostilled. Two routes:

• e-Apostille. On e-Devlet, the criminal record certificate can be issued with an electronic apostille under the Ministry of Justice's e-Apostil service; the recipient verifies it online. It is free. Not every country accepts electronic apostilles yet; ask the receiving authority first.
• Paper apostille. Print the e-Devlet certificate or obtain it at the courthouse, then have it apostilled: the courthouse-issued version is apostilled at the courthouse's judicial commission, the e-Devlet printout at the kaymakamlık or valilik. The stamp is free; the queue is the cost.

Most destinations also want a translation into their language. The order is: certificate → apostille on the certificate → sworn translation → notarial certification of the translation (≈ ₺884 per page at the 2026 tariff, paid by you to the notary) → in some cases a second apostille on the notarial certification. Ask the receiving authority whether it wants the translation made in Türkiye or locally before you pay for the chain; see our translation levels guide.

State fees and notarial tariffs are paid by you directly to the state or to the notary; they never pass through us and we receive nothing from any notary. The figures above are the official 2026 tariff, last checked 24.10.2026.

Common mistakes

• Choosing the wrong purpose on e-Devlet: a certificate generated "for a public institution" may be refused by a consulate that wanted "for abroad" with the archive record.
• Apostilling the translation but not the certificate, or the other way round.
• Obtaining it first and letting it age past the receiving office's limit.
• Assuming the Turkish certificate replaces the home-country extract for the residence permit; both may be required.

Sources

• adalet.gov.tr — Ministry of Justice: criminal records directorate, e-Apostille
• turkiye.gov.tr — e-Devlet: Adli Sicil Kaydı Sorgulama
• mevzuat.gov.tr — Law 5352 on Criminal Records
• goc.gov.tr — Presidency of Migration Management: criminal record requirement for family permits

Questions