According to the Turkish Marriage Legislation and regulations, a Turkish national and a foreigner or two foreigners with different nationalities can get married in Turkey, Civil marriage in Turkey can be done only by the competent Turkish authorities.

Civil Marriage in Turkey for Foreigners

Citizens of any country can get married in Turkey; there are absolutely no restrictions on the citizenship or religion of people who marry in Turkey. Besides, most countries of the world recognize the legitimacy of the civil marriage concluded in Turkey.

Two foreigners from the same nationality can also marry in Turkey in the Turkish Marriage Offices run by local municipalities.

A foreigner who is not legally allowed to marry in his country of residence can’t marry also in Turkey.

In order to register for a marriage in Turkey, the foreigner will need to provide documents attesting that he or she is not married in another country. In this sense, the local legislation requires a formal document issued by a competent authority in the country of origin of the respective person. 

Please note that religious marriage is not recognized in Turkey, there has to be a Civil Marriage in Turkey.

A foreigner who wants to get married in Turkey should know that only civil marriages are legally recognized in Turkey. Additionally, any foreign or local citizen can have a religious ceremony but only after the civil marriage registration is recognized.

All the marriages in Turkey, whether they are foreigners or Turkish, have to be conducted by the Turkish authorities and should be regulated according to the Turkish Civil Code and its related regulations.

Requirements for Registration of Civil Marriage in Turkey

1. Petition of the Marriage:

To start an action, the groom and bride must file a petition of the marriage in person at the Municipality (Belediye), called as “Evlenme Beyannamesi” in Turkish,

2. Passport and Birth Certificate:

which has to be translated into Turkish by a certified notary in Turkey

3. Health Certificate:

which has to be taken from a State medical institution in Turkey, and must be in Turkish, based on the results of blood test

4. Passport Size Photos:

6 photos of the bride and another 6 photos of the groom must be printed in standard passport size

5. Certificate of Capacity to Marry:

(Certificate of Celibacy), which states if a person is single, divorced, or widow. To be taken from the proper Civil Status Register of his/her own country. If this Certificate is to be issued in the country of the foreigner then it should be certified by his/her Consulate in Turkey. It should also be translated into Turkish and notarized, otherwise it will not be valid for Civil Marriage in Turkey.

The Certificate of Celibacy can also be issued by the Consulate of the country of the foreigner located in Ankara or in Istanbul which has to be certified by the Governor of Ankara/Istanbul. Or if it’s issued by the Embassy of the country of the foreigner in Ankara then it has to be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, and

6. Accommodation Document:

If both partners are foreigners planning to register their Civil Marriage in Turkey then a letter should be written by the hotel that they’re staying. In this letter, the duration of stay and date of departure will be written.

Get in touch if you need any assistance in Planning your Civil Marriage in Turkey

Frequently Asked Questions About Marriage In Turkey

Read our comprehensive guide: the required Documents For Marriage In Turkey