Registration of a child in the Turkish civil registry and identity card/passport procedures (consulate)

A child whose mother or father is a Turkish citizen is also a Turkish citizen, even if born in the United States. The child's birth is reported to the Turkish consulate in the United States. On this page, you will find the birth registration, Turkish identity card, and Turkish passport procedures in order, along with the required documents, 2026 fees, and the addresses and telephone numbers of the consulates. The fees and document lists are based on the New York Consulate General's 2026 announcements; also check your own consulate's website.

• A child born in or outside Türkiye to a Turkish citizen mother or father within a marriage is a Turkish citizen.
• A child born out of wedlock to a Turkish citizen mother is also a Turkish citizen.
• A child born out of wedlock to a Turkish citizen father and a foreign mother acquires Turkish citizenship once a parentage relationship is established. For this, the father acknowledges the child (acknowledgment of paternity).
• The child also being a U.S. citizen does not affect Turkish citizenship. A "multiple citizenship" note is added to the civil registry record.

• The birth of a child born abroad must be reported to a Turkish representative office within 60 days.
• Those who do not register the birth may face difficulties when registering the child after returning to Türkiye.
• The New York Consulate General accepts this application for children under 18.
• The procedures are carried out in the following order. The next step cannot begin before the previous one is completed:
  1. If the parents' marriage is not registered in Türkiye, first complete the marriage registration. See 7.3 Registration of a Marriage in Türkiye.
  2. Birth registration and multiple citizenship registration in the same application
  3. Turkish identity card (TCKK)
  4. Turkish passport. The child must have an identity card to apply for a passport.

• Birth documents issued by the United States are "local" documents. Therefore, you apply to the representative office responsible for the state where the child was born.
• Applications made with an international birth registration sample (Form A) may be submitted to any representative office in that country. U.S. birth documents are not of this type.
• For in-person applications, make an appointment through konsolosluk.gov.tr. For appointments, see 11.2 Consular appointments and e-Government.

Turkish representative offices in the United States and their jurisdictions:

• Embassy of Washington (Consular Section) — Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland
  • Address: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008
  • Telephone: +1 202 612 6700 · Emergency (outside business hours): +1 202 304 3889
  • Email: embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr
• New York Consulate General — New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
  • Address: 821 United Nations Plaza, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017
  • Telephone: +1 212 351 7200 · Emergency: +1 646 204 0011
  • Email: consulate.newyork@mfa.gov.tr
• Chicago Consulate General — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
  • Address: 455 N. Cityfront Plaza Dr. (NBC Tower), Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60611
  • Telephone: +1 312 263 0644 · Emergency: +1 773 386 3213
  • Email: consulate.chicago@mfa.gov.tr
• Houston Consulate General — Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
  • Address: 5333 Westheimer Road, Suite 1050, Houston, TX 77056
  • Telephone: +1 346 439 6560 · Emergency: +1 832 774 1861
  • Email: consulate.houston@mfa.gov.tr
• Los Angeles Consulate General — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa
  • Address: 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
  • Telephone: +1 424 313 8800 · Emergency: +1 310 779 3288
  • Email: consulate.losangeles@mfa.gov.tr
• Boston Consulate General — Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut
  • Address: 31 Saint James Avenue, Suite 840, Boston, MA 02116
  • Telephone: +1 857 250 4700 · Emergency: +1 857 207 9284
  • Email: consulate.boston@mfa.gov.tr
• Miami Consulate General — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Puerto Rico
  • Address: 80 SW 8th St., Suite 2700, Miami, FL 33130
  • Telephone: +1 786 655 0315 · Emergency: +1 305 646 8208
  • Email: consulate.miami@mfa.gov.tr
• Consular Call Center (24/7): From the United States and Canada +1 888 566 7656, from other countries +90 312 292 29 29
• For detailed information about the representative offices, see 11.1 Turkish representative offices in the United States.

• Either the mother or father may apply. If the marriage took place after the birth, both parents apply together.
• The New York Consulate General accepts this application in person or by mail.
• Required documents (New York, 2026):
  1. Completed application petition and multiple citizenship form
  2. Original and photocopy of the U.S. birth certificate. The document must list the names of the mother and father.
  3. Originals and photocopies of the parents' Turkish identity cards. For the foreign parent, a passport or driver's license.
  4. If one of the parents is a foreign national, a Turkish or English translation of the birth certificate. No translation is required for documents in English.
  5. If available, the original and photocopy of the international family booklet or the marriage certificate issued in the United States
  6. A petition signed jointly by the mother and father if you want the religion field left blank
• Application by mail: Notarized photocopies certified by a U.S. notary public may be sent instead of the original documents. Include a prepaid, trackable return envelope bearing your address so the documents can be returned.
• Names must match: The names of the mother and father on the birth certificate must match the Turkish records. If they do not, correction of the birth certificate will be requested. If a name has changed, attach a document showing the change.
• Surname: A child born within a marriage takes the father's surname. A child born to a Turkish mother and a foreign father is registered in the household where the mother's record is located, with the father's surname.
• Fees (New York, 2026):
  • Postage for sending documents to Türkiye: $31
  • Translation fee for the multiple citizenship notification: $11.46
  • If an identity card is also requested in the same application, TCKK fee: $10.20 (or $5 if applying within 60 days after the birth)
  • Cash is accepted for in-person applications; for applications by mail, a money order payable to "Turkish Consulate General" is accepted. Checks are not accepted.

• The New York Consulate General accepts this application only in person.
• If the child will be registered under the father's household, the mother and father apply together in person. The father executes an acknowledgment of paternity deed at the consulate.
• If the father made the acknowledgment before a local authority in the United States, that document and its Turkish translation are required.
• If the child will be registered under the mother's household with the mother's surname, the mother's sole application is sufficient. In this case, application by mail is also possible.
• If the mother is a foreign national, a document showing that she was unmarried on the date of birth is required (e.g., a "Certificate of No Marriage Record").
• The fees are the same as for registration of a child born within a marriage.

• The name is written using Turkish letters and may contain no more than three given names.
• Symbols such as slashes, hyphens, and periods are not used; abbreviations are not made.
• The circumflex (^) is used only over the letters "a" and "u" upon written request (e.g., Kâzım, Lâle).
• The place of birth of persons born abroad is recorded together with the place name and country name.

• An appointment is mandatory; applications by mail are not accepted.
• For a child under 15, the mother or father applies in person. A child aged 15–18 attends together with the mother or father.
• If the parents are divorced, the parent designated by a Turkish court applies.
• Required documents: application form, 1 biometric photograph (taken within the last 6 months, white background), and the valid identity document and photocopy of the applying parent. For ages 15–18, a photo ID for the child.
• A photograph is not mandatory on the card of children under 15. A card with a photograph may be issued upon request.
• Fee: $10.20 (cash). Fee for a replacement card due to loss and penalty: $15.30.
• The card is printed in Türkiye and sent to the consulate. A temporary identity document is issued at the application. You will be notified by email when the card arrives; it may be collected in person, through an authorized representative, or by mail using a return envelope.

• The application is submitted in person by appointment; applications by mail are not accepted.
• Required documents: the child's Turkish identity card, previous passport if available, and 1 biometric photograph.
• Children under 18 may receive a passport valid for no more than 5 years.
• As a rule, both parents (or the guardian) must be present with the child at the application.
  • An absent parent provides a notarized consent letter and a photocopy of their identity document. You may also have the consent letter prepared at the consulate; see 11.4 Power of attorney, notarial procedures, apostille.
  • A consent letter obtained from a U.S. notary public must have an apostille and Turkish translation.
  • If custody was granted to one parent by a court decision, the decision is presented. If the U.S. court decision has not been recognized by a Turkish court and entered into the civil registry, the other parent's consent letter is still required.
• Passport fees (New York, 2026, cash):
  • 6 months: $52.88
  • 1 year: $60.40
  • 2 years: $75.45
  • 3 years: $91.79
  • 4–10 years: $114.38
• The passport is printed in Türkiye and sent to the consulate. It may be collected in person, through an authorized representative, or by mail. For mailing, send a return envelope or a $31 money order payable to "Turkish Consulate General".

• Failing to report the birth within 60 days and postponing the process until the child grows up.
• Applying to a consulate that is not responsible for the state of birth.
• Going to register the birth without first registering the parents' marriage in Türkiye.
• The parents' names on the U.S. birth certificate differing from the Turkish records.
• Failing to include a return envelope or sending a check with an application by mail.
• Making a passport appointment before the identity card has been issued.
• Failing to add an apostille and translation to a consent letter obtained from a U.S. notary.

• Is there a fee for birth registration? According to the New York Consulate General's 2026 list, a postage fee ($31) and a translation fee for the multiple citizenship notification ($11.46) are charged. An additional fee is payable if an identity card is requested.
• Can I complete the identity card, registration, and passport on the same day? No. Birth registration is completed first, followed by the identity card application. The child must have an identity card for a passport application.
• Can I add my child to my Turkish passport? No. Children are not entered in a parent's electronic passport; a separate passport is issued for each child.
• Will I get the original birth certificate back? According to the consulate's explanation, the original birth certificate may be returned to the applicant; its certified translation remains in the file.
• I live abroad; can I benefit from Türkiye's birth assistance? No. Since residence in Türkiye is required for birth assistance, citizens living abroad and Blue Card holders cannot benefit from it.
• My child is over 18, and we never registered the birth. A different procedure applies after age 18. Consult your consulate.

• Consular appointment system (konsolosluk.gov.tr)
• Birth registration, child born within a marriage – New York (PDF, 2026)
• Birth registration, child born out of wedlock – New York (PDF, 2026)
• TCKK application and form – New York (PDF, 2026)
• Passport application and form – New York (PDF, 2026)
• Multiple citizenship application – New York (PDF)
• Information notes from the New York Consulate General's civil registry department
• Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 (PDF)
• Population Services Law No. 5490 (PDF)