Apostille in İstanbul: where it is issued, how long it takes, and why the stamp costs ₺0
An apostille is the stamp that makes a Turkish public document valid in the other 120+ Hague Convention countries. The state issues it free of charge. What we sell is the errand: checking the document is apostillable, taking it to the right office, queueing, collecting and returning it.
Price per document
The notarial tariff is paid by you directly to the notary. We are not a notary and receive no remuneration from any notary.
Last verified: 24.10.2026 · source: Apostille Convention via Law 3028; İstanbul Valiliği — istanbul.gov.tr; 2026 Noterlik Ücret Tarifesi — higm.adalet.gov.trPilot price, valid until 31.12.2026, incl. KDV. Three or more documents submitted at the same office on the same day: ₺450 each.
Which office issues it
| Document type | Issuing authority in İstanbul |
|---|---|
| Notarial acts, notarised translations, civil-registry extracts, diplomas, police and administrative documents | İstanbul Valiliği or the kaymakamlık of the district where the document was issued or notarised |
| Court decisions, documents from prosecutors, enforcement offices, judicial criminal-record extracts | Adalet Komisyonu Başkanlığı at the competent courthouse (İstanbul, Anadolu, Bakırköy…) |
| Certain e-Devlet-issued documents | e-Apostil via PTT — we check whether your document is in scope |
We confirm the exact office for your document before the errand starts; going to the wrong one is the most common wasted day.
How the errand works
Check
You send a scan and tell us the destination country. We confirm: Hague country or consular route; apostillable signature on the document; which office; whether notarisation must come first.
Authorisation
You sign a short authorisation letter (template provided, no notary needed for most offices). Where an office insists on personal attendance, we accompany you and handle the queue and forms.
Submission and collection
We take the original to the authority. Most İstanbul offices issue same day or next business day; some districts run a 2–5 day queue in peak season.
Return
Hand delivery, courier or collection from us. We photograph the apostille number for your vault so a lost document can be traced.
Typical cases
- Turkish document going abroad. Your child's Turkish birth certificate for a consulate, a Turkish diploma for a foreign university, a Turkish court decision for enforcement abroad. Apostille on the Turkish original; translation (if the receiving country needs it) usually done there.
- Notarised translation going abroad. Translation certified by a Turkish notary, then apostilled on the notary's certification. Common for Russian, Uzbek and Kazakh pension, inheritance and school matters.
- Foreign document used in Türkiye. The apostille must be put on it in the issuing country — Türkiye cannot apostille a foreign document. We tell you this before you spend money and help with the Turkish side (translation + notarisation) once it arrives.
- Non-Hague country (for example Iraq, Iran, most of the Gulf, parts of Africa): consular legalisation chain instead. Fees set by the consulate; longer timeline; we coordinate.
What can go wrong
- Wrong office. A notarised translation must be apostilled where the notary sits, not where you live. We check the notary's district.
- Signature not in the registry. The apostille authority verifies the signing official against its register. Old or unusual documents can be refused; the fix is a fresh extract.
- Apostille on a copy. Some countries insist the apostille be on an original, not a notarised copy. We ask what the receiving party has written.
- Order of operations. Translate then notarise then apostille — or apostille the original first, then translate? It depends on the destination. We settle this at step 1.
- Timing. Many receiving institutions treat apostilles older than six months as stale. Do not apostille documents you will not use soon.
Timeline
Check and quote: within 2 business hours. Standard errand: 5–7 business days door to door including a notarisation step; 2–3 business days for an apostille-only errand at a same-day office.
Questions
Does an apostille cost anything at the state?
No. In Türkiye the apostille is issued free of charge by the valilik or kaymakamlık (administrative documents) and by the adalet komisyonu at the courthouse (judicial documents). Anyone charging you a "state apostille fee" is charging for something that costs nothing.
Which documents can get a Turkish apostille?
Turkish public documents: notarial acts and notarised translations, civil-registry extracts, court decisions, diplomas issued by Turkish institutions, criminal-record extracts, and documents signed by Turkish officials. A foreign document cannot be apostilled in Türkiye; it must be apostilled in the country that issued it.
My country is not in the Hague Convention. What then?
Then consular legalisation applies instead: the document is certified by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs chain and then by your country's consulate. We coordinate the errand; consular fees are set by the consulate and paid by you.
Do I have to go myself?
Until Turkish counsel confirms the third-party submission rule for each office, you sign a short authorisation letter and we either accompany you or submit with that letter where the office accepts it. We tell you which applies at your office before you pay.
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Tell us the document and the destination country
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