What is a notarized translation in Türkiye and how is it done? 2026 fees

A notarized translation in Türkiye is a translation made by a translator sworn in at a notary's office and then certified by the notary. The notary writes a certification under the translation showing the translator's identity and address, then dates, signs and seals it (Notaries Law, Art. 103). Under the 2026 Notary Fee Schedule, the notary charges a translation fee of ₺667.67 for each translated page. For pages of 10 lines or fewer, half this fee applies. Fees (harç) and other notary charges are added to this amount.

Sworn translation vs. notarized translation

Both are done by the same person: a translator sworn in at a notary's office. The difference is whether the translation goes through the notary. Translating documents from one language into another is listed among the duties of notaries in the Notaries Law (Noterlik Kanunu) (Art. 60).

A sworn translator is a person whose language skills the notary is satisfied with and who has taken an oath before the notary. The notary must establish this “beyond any doubt” through diplomas or other documents (Regulation on the Notaries Law (Noterlik Kanunu Yönetmeliği), Art. 96). The oath is recorded in a report signed by both the notary and the translator. Under the Regulation, the report states:

• The translator's name, surname and date of birth
• Work and home address, level of education
• The language or languages and scripts the translator knows
• How the notary was satisfied of these language skills
• The form of the oath and the date of the report

The notary keeps the oath reports of the translators it uses on a special card at the office. A person whose oath report is not held at a notary's office cannot translate for that office. Sworn translator status is therefore tied to an oath report at a specific notary's office; a language degree or certificate alone does not confer it.

There is no single list of which translations require notarization. Check the application requirements of the institution that will receive the document; if they are not stated, ask. Unnecessary certification adds cost. Missing certification, on the other hand, can get the application returned.

How is a notarized translation done?

1. Find out the requirementGet in writing from the requesting institution the language, the type of certification (sworn or notarized) and whether an apostille is needed.
2. Prepare the whole documentThe translation covers the entire document, including reverse sides, annotations, and descriptions of seals and barcodes. If a missing page is noticed later, the translation and certification may have to be redone.
3. Choose the right notary's officeA notary cannot have a translation done by someone whose oath report is not on its card (Regulation, Art. 96). Certification is therefore done at the notary's office holding the translator's oath report.
4. Translation and certificationThe sworn translator prepares and signs the translation. The notary writes a certification under the text. The certification shows the translator's identity and address, and is then dated, signed and sealed (Law, Art. 103).
5. Apostille if neededIf the translation will be used abroad and the destination country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille can be placed on the notarization. Authorities and steps in the apostille guide.

If a translation cannot be done at the notary's office where you are, that office can have it done through a notary's office elsewhere (Law, Art. 104). In that case an intermediation fee is also charged.

Notarized copy of a document in a foreign language

If the paper to be copied is written in a foreign language, it is translated first. The copy is then made and its translation is attached to each copy (Law, Art. 99). If you will use a copy of a document from abroad in Türkiye, plan for this order.

Notarized translation fees in 2026: what the schedule says

Notary fees are set by the Ministry of Justice's annual fee schedule. The 2026 Notary Fee Schedule (2026 Yılı Noterlik Ücret Tarifesi) was published in Official Gazette (Resmî Gazete) No. 33123 of 30 December 2025 and has applied since 1 January 2026. The translation-related items are:

The notary's office determines which of these items apply to your transaction. Fees (harç) are calculated separately under the Fees Law (Harçlar Kanunu).

Example, translation fee only: If a document's translation runs to 3 pages and the last page has 8 lines, two pages are charged in full and one at half. The translation fee is 2.5 × ₺667.67, or about ₺1,669. The notary fee, harç and other items are added on top; the notary's receipt shows the exact amount.

The schedule only sets the notary's own fees. If you have the translation prepared by an agency or a freelance sworn translator, agree their fee with them. Translation fees are often calculated per 1,000 characters; you can find your document's character count with the free character counter.

Notarization, apostille or both: which do you need?

The decision always rests with the institution that will accept the document. Still, it helps to distinguish three situations so you ask the right question:

Getting the institution's requirement in writing is the safest route. An institution asking for a “sworn translation” may not require notarization. An institution asking for a “notary certified” translation, however, will not accept the sworn translator's signature alone.

How long is a notarized translation valid?

The translation provisions of the Notaries Law and its Regulation (Law, Arts. 103–104; Regulation, Art. 96) set no separate validity period for notarized translations. The period is usually determined by two things: the time limit of the translated document itself, and the rules of the requesting institution.

For example, civil registry records become invalid if not used within 180 days of issue. The Ministry can shorten this period to as little as 30 days depending on the intended use (Law No. 5490, Art. 43). When planning the translation of such a document, factor in the original document's time limit; details in the guide to the civil registry record with full history of events.

Notes for agencies and freelance sworn translators

• Names and numbers exactly as in the source. Personal names are carried over with their Turkish characters; ID numbers, dates and amounts exactly as in the source. An error found after certification may require the translation and certification to be redone.
• Annotations are translated too. The apostille, certification annotations, and descriptions of seals and barcodes are part of the document.
• Document-specific terminology. For equivalents of the authority clauses in a power of attorney, see the power of attorney terminology page; for abbreviations in documents, see the official abbreviations guide.
• The right notary's office. Certification is done at the notary's office holding the translator's oath report. Factor in the notary appointment when you give the client a delivery date.

Before delivering the document

• Does the spelling of the name in the source document match the passport? The translation carries over the source spelling; it does not correct differences. If there is a difference, the source document is corrected first.
• Have all pages, reverse sides and attachments of the document been provided?
• Is the language variant the institution wants clear (for example British or American English)?
• Will the document's own time limit (such as 180 days for a civil registry record) leave enough time for translation, certification and apostille?

For agencies that want to speed up the draft translation, Sealingo prepares the document as a DOCX in the original page layout, with a quality control report in Turkish. Translations are prepared to sworn translator standards; this does not make them sworn translations. The statement and signature come from the sworn translator, and certification from the notary.

Within İstanbul, you can also order sworn & notarized delivery: Sealingo prepares the translation, the partner agency's sworn translator signs and stamps it, a notary certifies it if needed, and a courier delivers it.