Is getting married in Turkey Legal in the UK?
Yes, marriages in Turkey are recognised in the UK if they follow Turkish legal requirements. It must also be a type of marriage permitted under UK law.
This means that your marriage ceremony is civil and completed at the designated civil authorities in Turkey. You must also meet the age and other legal requirements to be eligible to get married.
Religious marriages aren't legally recognised in Turkey. However, you can choose to:
Have a UK marriage, followed by a religious ceremony and celebration in Turkey.
Have a civil marriage in Turkey, followed by a religious marriage ceremony.
Either of these options still ensures your marriage is legally recognised in Turkey and the UK.
Legal requirements for marriage in Turkey
Both parties must be at least 18 years old. Marriages for 16- or 17-year-olds are permitted but require parental consent or a court order.
Both individuals must be of sound mind and capable of making decisions.
Polygamy is illegal. If you are currently married, you must terminate your marriage before applying to marry in Turkey.
Marriage between close blood relatives is prohibited.
A recently divorced woman cannot ordinarily marry again until 300 days after the termination date of the previous marriage. However, the 300-day waiting period isn’t required if she can obtain a medical report that proves she isn't pregnant.
Both parties must be able to provide the required documents to verify their identity and civil status.
Note: There are no residency requirements if you are getting married at the Town Hall or registry in Turkey. However, if you are getting married at the UK consulate or embassy, you must have been in Turkey for at least 7 days.
Step-by-step: How to get married in Turkey
UK citizens planning to marry in Turkey must follow these steps to ensure the marriage is recognised. This includes confirming your eligibility, selecting a location, obtaining the necessary documents, obtaining a certified translation, conducting the wedding ceremony, and receiving the certificate.
Step 1: Confirm eligibility
You must first confirm whether you meet the legal requirements to marry in Turkey, as outlined in Turkish civil law. This often includes age requirements, the ability to provide consent, the freedom to marry, and other relevant rules. You can confirm with the Turkish municipalities if there are local requirements for foreigners to avoid any issues.
Step 2: Decide where you’ll get married
UK citizens marrying in Turkey can have two options:
Get married at the Turkish Municipal Marriage Office (Evlendirme Memurluğu). This is often the preferred option for foreigners who wish to experience the local Turkish civil marriage process.
Marriage at the British embassy or consulate in Turkey: This option is available to UK citizens who may face restrictions on marrying legally in Turkey. Depending on the situation, the marriage might not be legally recognised by Turkish authorities, but it will be in the UK. It also has a residency requirement.
Note: Requirements may vary by location. You can confirm the UK government's consular marriage requirements on the website.
Step 3: Obtain an affirmation/affidavit of marital status
This step involves applying for an affidavit that confirms your legal marriage. If you’re in the UK, you can obtain it by
Downloading the affirmation template
Filling it in
Making an appointment with a UK notary or commissioner of oaths to swear your affirmation
Signing the document in front of them.
Paying the required fee.
Before travelling to Turkey, you must obtain your affirmation ‘legalised’ (certified with a stamped official certificate called an apostille).
Step 4: Collect required documents
Gather the necessary paperwork and confirm that it is in order. If the document is damaged or invalid, you should request a replacement from the issuing authority. Documents, such as birth certificates, may require translation or legalisation. Ensure you use an authorised translator in Turkey or the UK to ensure the translation is accepted for marriage proceedings.
Step 5: Submit documents and receive a marriage license
You must visit the town hall where you’ll marry and submit the documents to the marriage officer. In some cases, you can meet with the marriage officer immediately. However, if that's not possible, you must make an appointment for a later date. At your appointment with the marriage officer, you will complete and sign a marriage declaration (Evlenme Beyannamesi).
If the officer is satisfied with the application, an authorised officer will notarise and certify the document. You will receive a stamped and dated marriage declaration, which permits you to marry. This document is valid for six months. You will also be required to choose a date and pay the municipality an administration fee.
Step 6: Attend a civil ceremony and receive a marriage certificate
A marriage ceremony in Turkey is typically held at the Town Hall and lasts approximately 15 minutes. However, the officer can allocate a 30-minute to 1-hour time slot for the ceremony. Both partners must be present, accompanied by two witnesses, on the wedding day. You can get an interpreter if you or your partner does not speak fluent Turkish. After the ceremony, you’ll be issued a Turkish marriage certificate (Formül B), which is internationally valid, including in the UK.
Note: You don't have to register your Turkish marriage in the UK. However, you must have the marriage certificate translated and obtain consular legalisation or an apostille if you intend to use it abroad or in the UK.
Documents required to get married in Turkey
Valid passports (original and photocopies).
Birth certificates.
Petition of Marriage (Evlenme Beyannamesi)
Affidavit of Marital Status confirming you’re free to marry.
Divorce document or death certificate (if previously married or widowed).
Proof of address/accommodation is sometimes requested. You can submit a letter from the hotel where you are staying detailing your duration of stay and departure date.
Six passport-sized photos each.
Some municipalities occasionally require medical certificates. You must obtain it at a state medical institution in Turkey (Saglik Ocagi or Devlet Hastanesi).
Note: All foreign documents must be certified by the Turkish Consulate or Embassy or have an apostille.
Where to get a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) for marriage in Turkey
If you're planning to marry in Turkey, you can apply for a Certificate of No Impediment from your home country.
If you're a UK citizen, you apply for a CNI through a UK register office. You don't need to go to a specific office; you can usually apply at any register office in England or Wales, though Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate procedures. During the application, you'll need to give notice of your intention to marry, which involves filling out a form, providing proof of your identity and address, and paying the relevant fee. If you've been married before, you'll also need to show evidence that the previous marriage has legally ended, such as a decree absolute or a death certificate.
Processing times for a CNI can vary, but you should expect to wait at least 28 days from the date you give notice before the certificate can be issued. This waiting period is a legal requirement in the UK, designed to give time for any objections to the marriage to be raised. In some cases, processing can take longer if your local register office has a backlog or if your application needs extra checks, so it's wise to start this process well in advance of your travel dates.
If you're living overseas rather than in the UK, you have a couple of alternatives. You can apply for your CNI through the British Embassy or Consulate in the country where you reside. Alternatively, some UK citizens choose to return to the UK briefly to apply through a local register office if that's more practical.
Do documents need to be translated and notarised for marriage in Turkey?
Yes, most of the documents you bring for a Turkish marriage need to be translated, and several also need notarisation. Turkish marriage authorities work in Turkish, so any document issued in another language needs to be translated before they will accept it as part of your application.
The documents that typically require translation include
Turkey generally requires a sworn translation rather than a standard certified translation. A sworn translation is completed by a translator who has been officially authorised by a Turkish notary to produce legally valid translations. This differs from a certified translation, which typically includes a signed statement confirming accuracy. Turkish authorities specifically expect translations carrying this sworn status, so a standard certified translation alone usually won't meet local requirements.
Turkish notarisation is the next step after translation. Once your documents have been translated by a sworn translator, a Turkish notary typically needs to notarise the translation to confirm that it is official and legally binding. This step is usually completed in Turkey itself, since it requires a Turkish notary to review and stamp the translated documents.
Apostilles also play a role, but at an earlier stage. Before your documents are translated, the original versions, like your CNI or birth certificate, usually need an apostille from the country that issued them. This apostille confirms that the original document is genuine. Since Turkey is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille from another member country, such as the UK, will generally be accepted without further legalisation.
How to register a Turkish marriage in the UK
If you marry in Turkey, you don't need to formally register that marriage with a UK authority for it to be legally valid. The UK doesn't operate a system that requires couples to re-register foreign marriages, so once you've completed a legal marriage in Turkey, your marriage exists under UK law without any additional registration step.
This works because UK authorities generally recognise marriages that were legally performed abroad, provided the marriage was valid under the laws of the country where it took place.
Before you can use your Turkish marriage certificate in the UK, you'll generally need it apostilled.
Since Turkey is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you can have an apostille affixed to your original Turkish marriage certificate through the relevant Turkish authority. This apostille confirms that the certificate is genuine and was issued correctly, as UK institutions will expect, especially for more formal processes such as visa applications.
Translating your Turkish marriage certificate for use abroad
A certified translation is necessary whenever you're submitting your marriage certificate to an official body in a country where Turkish isn't an official language. This applies broadly, but a few situations come up most often.
Immigration applications: If you're applying to settle in your spouse's home country, or if you're sponsoring your spouse to join you elsewhere, immigration authorities will ask for your marriage certificate as proof of your relationship. They'll expect a certified translation alongside the original, since immigration decisions depend on accurate, verifiable documentation.
Name change procedures: If you're updating your name on your passport, driving license, or other official identification after marriage, the issuing authority usually needs documented proof of the name change, and your marriage certificate is the standard document used for this. A certified translation ensures they accept it without delays or requests for further verification.
Banking and other administrative purposes: Adding a spouse to a joint bank account, updating beneficiary details with a pension provider, registering for tax purposes, or sorting out inheritance matters can all require you to show proof of marriage. Financial institutions and government departments generally require certified translations before they'll process these changes, since they need confidence the document is accurate.
Common mistakes to avoid when getting married in Turkey
Obtaining documents too early: Many of the documents you need, such as your Certificate of No Impediment, have a limited validity period, often around 3 months. If you apply for these too far in advance of your wedding date, they may expire before you actually need to use them in Turkey, forcing you to start the application process over again.
Incorrect or incomplete translations: Turkish authorities expect sworn translations completed by an authorised translator, not just any certified translation. If your translation doesn't meet this standard, or if it's missing required details like official stamps or translator credentials, Turkish officials may reject it outright, forcing you to redo the translation and delaying your application.
Missing notarisation or apostille: Original documents typically need an apostille from their country of origin, and translations often need notarisation by a Turkish notary once you're in Turkey. Skipping either step, or assuming one replaces the other, can leave your documents incomplete when you submit them.
Municipality-specific document issues: Different Turkish marriage offices, or Evlendirme Daireleri, can have slightly different requirements depending on the municipality. What is accepted at one office might not be accepted at another, so assuming the requirements are identical across Turkey can lead to unexpected rejections or requests for additional paperwork.
Final checklist before getting married in Turkey
Check your passport validity: Make sure your passport won't expire soon, as many countries and Turkish authorities require at least 6 months of remaining validity.
Confirm you've obtained your CNI: Your Certificate of No Impediment should be in hand and within its validity period for your wedding date.
Obtain all required translations: This includes sworn Turkish translations of your CNI, birth certificate, and any other supporting documents, prepared by an authorised translator who meets Turkish requirements.
Make sure your documents are notarised or apostilled where necessary.
Arrange any required medical examination. Some Turkish municipalities ask couples to complete a health check before marriage, so confirm with your specific Evlendirme Dairesi whether this applies to you and book it with enough time before your wedding date.
Confirm your marriage appointment with the local marriage office: Double-check the date, time, and location, and make sure all your paperwork has been submitted within the required timeframe.
Prepare copies of all your documents: Keep both physical and digital copies of your passport, CNI, translations, and certificates, since having backups on hand can save you if anything goes missing or needs to be presented again later.
How can Translayte help?
Translayte is a reliable provider of sworn Turkish translation services for immigration, marriage and other processes. Here's how we can help:
We provide sworn translations accepted by the Turkish marriage registry, ensuring a smooth wedding process.
Our certified translation services are easy to order and offer expedited delivery options.
We offer additional notarisation and apostille services to eliminate delays.
Our translation rates are transparent, starting at $31.75 per page
We offer 24/7 multilingual customer support via WhatsApp, phone, and Email
Go ahead and request a free quote for certified translation of your Turkish marriage documents.
Cost of getting married in Turkey
Registry office fees: 100-300 Turkish Lira (varies by municipality).
Consular fees: £50-£100 for affirmations/declarations.
Translations and notarisation: £50 to £150, depending on the documents, language, and translation rates.
Don't let document translation delay your wedding plans. Request a free quote to receive high-quality translations from Translayte.
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