Short answer
Marrying a Turkish citizen in Turkey means applying together at a municipal marriage office or civil registry directorate with a certificate of no impediment, passport, health report and photos; foreign documents must be duly authenticated and translated. Without a choice, the default regime is usually participation in acquired property, and a prenup is made before a notary.
In this article
Marrying a Turkish citizen in Turkey is a civil procedure handled by Turkish officials; a religious ceremony has no legal effect on its own and may only follow the civil marriage (Turkish Civil Code art. 143). This guide explains where to apply in Türkiye (Turkey), which documents the foreign spouse needs, and why the property regime and a prenuptial agreement matter later, for example when you buy a home or divorce.
Where do you apply to marry in Türkiye?
The couple applies together to the marriage office where one of them lives (Civil Code art. 134; Marriage Regulation, Evlendirme Yönetmeliği, art. 16). When one spouse is a foreigner, only municipal marriage offices (belediye evlendirme memurluğu) and civil registry directors (nüfus müdürü) are authorised to perform the marriage (Regulation art. 12).
A representative with a special power of attorney can handle the application (Regulation art. 17), but the ceremony requires both of you. Capacity to marry, including the minimum age, follows each spouse's national law, while the form follows Turkish law (MÖHUK art. 13).
What documents does a foreign spouse need?
Typical documents for the foreign spouse
- Certificate of no impediment (evlenme ehliyet belgesi)Issued by your country's authorities or its consulate in Türkiye, showing your name, parents' names, date of birth and that nothing prevents the marriage (Regulation art. 20). Documents from honorary consulates are not accepted.
- PassportValid passport; offices usually ask for a notarised Turkish translation and may check that your visa or residence permit covers the application and wedding dates.
- Birth certificateOften requested if the certificate of no impediment lacks parents' names or birth details.
- Health reportFrom a public or private health institution; without it the marriage cannot take place (Regulation arts. 15 and 20).
- PhotographsRecent colour photographs taken within the last six months (Regulation art. 20); the number required varies by office.
- Proof of how a previous marriage endedDivorce decision or death certificate, if you were married before.
The Regulation requires foreign documents to be duly authenticated. In practice this means an apostille (Türkiye has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 29.09.1985) or legalisation by the Turkish mission, and marriage offices generally ask for a Turkish translation by a sworn translator, certified by a notary; confirm the current list with your municipality. Multilingual certificates issued under conventions to which Türkiye is a party are generally accepted without legalisation. Names must match exactly across passport, translations and certificates; even a one-letter difference can hold up the file. The marriage file stays valid for six months from the date the certificate of no impediment was issued (Regulation art. 42), so do not obtain it too early.
From application to marriage certificate
Collect documents
Obtain the certificate of no impediment and other civil status documents with an apostille or legalisation, then have them translated into Turkish.
Get the health report
Obtain the pre-marital health report from a public or private health institution; if you want to use a report issued abroad, check with the office first.
Apply together
Submit the declaration form (beyanname) and documents at the marriage office; you receive a date and time. No public notice of the marriage is required (Regulation art. 21).
Hold the ceremony
Bring two adult witnesses (Civil Code art. 141). If the foreign spouse does not speak Turkish, the couple brings an interpreter for that language (Regulation art. 27).
Receive the documents
You receive a family booklet (aile cüzdanı) and, on request, a multilingual marriage certificate for registering the marriage in your own country.
Which property regime will apply to your marriage?
MÖHUK art. 15 lets spouses expressly choose the law of either spouse's nationality or habitual residence at the time of marriage. Without a choice, their common national law at marriage applies; failing that, the law of their common habitual residence at marriage; failing that, Turkish law. Real estate is always liquidated under the law of the country where it is located (art. 15/2).
For a foreigner marrying a Turkish citizen and settling in Türkiye, this usually means Turkish law and its default regime, participation in acquired property (edinilmiş mallara katılma, Civil Code art. 202). Pre-marital assets, inheritances and gifts remain personal property (art. 220); assets acquired for value during the marriage, such as savings from salaries, are shared by giving each spouse half of the other's net surplus when the regime ends (art. 236).
| Regime | In short | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Participation in acquired property (edinilmiş mallara katılma) | Each spouse manages their own assets; the surplus of acquired property is shared half and half when the regime ends. | Automatically |
| Separation of property (mal ayrılığı) | Each spouse keeps management, use and disposal of their own assets (art. 242); no sharing claim arises from the regime. | By contract or declaration |
| Separation with sharing (paylaşmalı mal ayrılığı) | Assets stay separate, but assets devoted to the family's joint use and investments for its financial future are shared equally at the end (art. 250). | By contract or declaration |
| Community of property (mal ortaklığı) | Common assets belong to both spouses jointly, alongside each spouse's personal assets (art. 256). | By contract or declaration |
How do you make a prenuptial agreement in Turkey?
A property regime contract (mal rejimi sözleşmesi) can be made before or after the wedding, but only to choose, cancel or change a regime within the limits of the law (Civil Code art. 203). It is drawn up or certified by a notary and must be signed by the spouses (art. 205). Alternatively, you can declare in writing at the marriage application which statutory regime you choose.
According to the civil registry authority and the Marriage Regulation (additional art. 1), the marriage office can record the choice of a statutory regime but cannot accept tailored clauses; for those you need a notary. If a spouse does not speak Turkish, the notary works with a sworn interpreter (Notaries Law, Noterlik Kanunu, art. 74).
If you want your home country's law to govern your property, make an express choice of law under MÖHUK art. 15/1, ideally in the same notarial document. A prenup signed abroad can be valid in Türkiye if it follows the form of the place where it was made (MÖHUK art. 7), but it needs an apostille and translation and is read against Turkish public order. It covers property only; custody and child support are for the court.
What changes after the wedding?
- Residence: the foreign spouse may apply for a family residence permit, granted for up to three years at a time (Law No. 6458 art. 34).
- Citizenship: marriage does not give Turkish citizenship directly. After at least three years of continuing marriage you may apply, subject to conditions such as living together as a family (Law No. 5901 art. 16).
- Work: a residence permit does not give a right to work; you still need a work permit, although spouses of Turkish citizens may benefit from exceptions in the evaluation (Law No. 6735 arts. 12 and 16).
Further topics on marriage and divorce are covered on our family law page. For a prenup or a cross-border property plan, individual legal advice is recommended before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to marry a Turkish citizen in Turkey?
The foreign spouse typically needs a certificate of no impediment from their own authorities, a valid passport, a health report from a public or private health institution and recent photographs. Foreign documents must be duly authenticated, usually with an apostille or consular legalisation, and offices generally ask for a notarised Turkish translation. If you were married before, bring proof of how that marriage ended. Lists vary slightly, so confirm with your office.
Can we get married in Turkey on a tourist visa?
Turkish law does not require the foreign spouse to hold a residence permit in order to marry. Marriage offices may, however, check that you are legally present in Türkiye on the application and wedding dates, for example through a valid visa or visa-free stay. Practice varies between offices, so check the list of the office you will use.
Is a prenuptial agreement valid in Turkey?
Yes. Turkish law allows a property regime contract before or after the wedding, made or certified by a notary and signed by both spouses (Civil Code arts. 203 and 205). You can also declare a statutory regime in writing at the marriage application. The contract can only choose or adjust a regime within the limits of the law; it does not decide custody.
Does marrying a Turkish citizen give me Turkish citizenship?
Not automatically. Under Law No. 5901 art. 16, a foreigner married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years, with the marriage continuing, may apply for citizenship. The couple must live together as a family, the applicant must not act in a way incompatible with the marriage, and there must be no national security or public order obstacle.
Which property regime applies if we do not sign anything?
Under MÖHUK art. 15, without a choice your common national law at marriage applies; for a mixed couple, usually the law of your common habitual residence or, failing that, Turkish law. Turkish law's default regime is participation in acquired property: assets acquired for value during the marriage are shared half and half at the end, while pre-marital assets and inheritances stay personal.
Sources
- Legislation Marriage Regulation (Evlendirme Yönetmeliği), arts. 11, 12, 15–22, 27, 42 and additional art. 1
- Official source General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs: Marriage procedures
- Legislation Turkish Civil Code No. 4721, arts. 134, 141, 202–206, 220, 236
- Legislation Law No. 5718 on Private International and Procedural Law (MÖHUK), arts. 7, 13, 15
- Legislation Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 16