Power of attorney, notarial services, apostille

While living in the USA, you often need a power of attorney to have someone handle a matter in Turkey on your behalf (title deed, inheritance, bank, vehicle, lawsuit, retirement). You can have the power of attorney prepared at a Turkish consulate or, for certain matters, sign it before a US notary and obtain an apostille. This page explains both methods, other notarial procedures carried out at consulates, the 2026 fees, and the approvals required for using US documents in Turkey.

• powers of attorney and revocations of powers of attorney
• consent forms, undertakings, waivers
• signature circulars and signature declarations
• certification of copies of Turkish documents ("true copy of original")
• translations of civil registry records, driver's licenses, and international family booklets
• authentication of signatures and seals on documents issued by US authorities
• certificates of residence, certificates of transfer of residence, health report authentication, criminal records
• certification of translations made by sworn translators

Under Article 89 of the Notary Law, the following documents must be prepared in "official deed form". You can have them prepared in person only at Turkish diplomatic missions, not before a US notary:

• contracts and powers of attorney requiring a transaction at the land registry
• wills and inheritance partition agreements
• sales made with retention of title and real estate preliminary sales contracts
• foundation deeds and acknowledgment deeds

Photograph requirement: Your photograph is affixed to powers of attorney issued for title deed transactions, wills, vehicle purchases and sales, divorce cases, and registration of foreign divorce judgments. Bring two identical color passport-size photographs taken within the last 6 months. Color photocopies and scanner printouts are not accepted; photographs are not taken at consulates.

1. Make an appointment under the Notarial Services heading at konsolosluk.gov.tr. Each person who will have a transaction carried out must make a separate appointment.
2. Prepare the agent's information: first name, surname, Turkish ID number, and date of birth (day/month/year). If the agent is a lawyer, their bar association, bar registration number, and business address are also required.
3. Prepare information about the matter:
   • title deed transactions: a photocopy or photograph of the title deed and current block and parcel numbers
   • vehicle purchases and sales: registration details
   • banking: bank and branch name and account information
   • on behalf of a company in Turkey: the original trade registry gazette and signature circular
4. If you already have a power of attorney draft, send it to the mission by email in Word format before the appointment. New York and Chicago state that they do not process handwritten or photograph-format drafts.
5. Bring your identification. For title deed transactions, only a Turkish ID card or a new Blue Card issued after April 12, 2013, is accepted; an old identity card and passport are not sufficient.
6. If you do not speak Turkish, go with a sworn interpreter at the mission. For persons who cannot read or write, two literate Turkish citizens who are not first-degree relatives are required as witnesses.
7. Read the text carefully before signing. Immediately tell the officer about any error you notice.
8. Delivering it to the agent: You can send the power of attorney by mail or deliver it by hand. Alternatively, you can send the agent a photograph of the QR code (barcode) on the power of attorney; the agent can obtain a copy from any notary in Turkey by paying the fee. Since April 6, 2019, notarial documents prepared by consulates can be viewed at notaries in Turkey.

• New York:
  • 1-page power of attorney: $27.22
  • 1-page power of attorney in official deed form: $40.44
  • document fee of $14.00 for each additional page
  • cash or Visa/Mastercard
• Chicago:
  • 1-page power of attorney: $27.57
  • in official deed form: $40.94
  • $14.20 for each additional page
• Los Angeles: The fee varies according to the type of transaction and number of characters; the Consulate General states that it is generally between $60–400 and is collected in cash.
• Washington and Houston: The amount is finalized during the transaction according to the subject matter and number of pages.
• Whether it is issued for a fixed term or indefinitely does not change the fee (New York, Chicago).

• A power of attorney remains valid until the agent is dismissed unless a term or the phrase "one-time only" is included in the text. If you want it to be for a fixed term, say so at the beginning of the transaction.
• At the beginning of the transaction, request that the text include authorization for the agent to obtain a copy from a notary in Turkey.
• In powers of attorney for purchases and sales, the agent cannot be the same person as the buyer or seller.
• A power of attorney is not "canceled"; the agent is dismissed. A revocation is prepared at a consulate abroad. The following are required:
  • your identification
  • the name, date, and number of the notary where the power of attorney was prepared (a photocopy, if available)
  • the first name, surname, Turkish ID number, and current address of the agent to be dismissed
• The driver's power of attorney issued to take your foreign-plated vehicle to and from Turkey is valid for one trip only and must be issued again each year.
• No report is requested from persons over 65. The officer handling the transaction evaluates whether the person has legal capacity.
• If you wish to renounce an inheritance, you can have a waiver prepared at the mission.

• Turkish consulates general do not authenticate the signature and seal on a power of attorney, consent form, or waiver prepared before a US Notary Public.
• After these documents receive approval from a Notary Public, where required, a County Clerk, and the state’s apostille authority, they are submitted directly to the Turkish authorities. In some states, County Clerk approval is not required for an apostille.
• Steps described by Los Angeles:
  • Prepare the document in English and affix your passport-size photograph to the upper-right corner of the page.
  • Sign in the presence of a local notary with the original and a copy of your Turkish ID card. If there is more than one page, sign each page separately and request the notary's seal on each page. Request that the photograph also be sealed.
  • Request a "true copy of original" certification on your copy of the identification.
  • Send the documents in person or by mail to the Secretary of State’s office of the state where the notary is commissioned and obtain an apostille.
  • Send the apostilled documents directly to your agent in Turkey. The agent has a certified translation of the apostilled document prepared by a notary in Turkey.
• You do not need to visit the consulate or obtain additional approval under this method.
• Los Angeles states that powers of attorney other than those for title deed transactions can be prepared using the apostille method. Since title deed powers of attorney must be in official deed form, they are prepared at the consulate.
• Apostille authorities (addresses provided by the Consulate General of Turkey in New York for its jurisdiction):
  • New York Department of State
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Delaware
  • You can find apostille authorities in other states on the USA.gov page. The US Department of State issues apostilles for federal documents.

• An official document issued in the US (such as a birth, marriage, or divorce document or a diploma) can be used in Turkey without any further authentication after obtaining an apostille. Both countries are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
• Instead of an apostille, you can also obtain signature and seal authentication from the consulate general:
  • This authentication confirms only that the signature and seal belong to the authorized US authority; it does not authenticate the content of the document.
  • Each consulate general authenticates only documents from the states in its jurisdiction. New York handles only documents from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
  • The document first goes through a Notary Public and then a County Clerk. For export documents, the company official’s signature is authenticated by the Chamber of Commerce after notarization.
  • In New York, the fee is $18.70. Applications may be made in person or by mail. An additional $85 is paid to send the document to an address in Turkey.
• Mothers who give birth in the New York jurisdiction and register the birth at the Consulate General can obtain signature and seal authentication directly for the US birth certificate to be submitted to SGK, without Notary Public and County Clerk approval.
• A Turkish translation is required for a foreign-language document you will submit to an institution in Turkey. You can have it translated by a notary-certified translator in Turkey or by the mission’s sworn translator in the US; the translator list is available at konsolosluk.gov.tr.

• An apostille annotation is obtained from the governor’s office for a notarized translation into a foreign language of a document issued in Turkey. For countries that are not parties to the Apostille Convention, certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is additionally required; this step is not necessary because the US is a party.
• e-Apostille can be used for civil registry records, Forms A/B/C, criminal records, and court decisions.
• You can have copies of Turkish documents certified ("true copy of original") at the consulate.
• A criminal record certificate is issued free of charge by the consulate (New York). It can be issued in Turkish and English. It can also be obtained through e-Devlet.
• For Turkish documents, translation, and apostille rules in US immigration applications, see 1.10 Passports and documents.

• If a court or institution in Turkey sends you service of process through the consulate, the mission will send you an invitation letter.
• After receiving the invitation letter, you must apply and receive the documents within 30 days. If you do not apply within 30 days, service is deemed to have been completed.
• Applications for an e-Service address can also be made at consulates.

• Signing a power of attorney for a title deed sale before a US notary and obtaining an apostille. A title deed power of attorney must be in official deed form and must be prepared at the consulate.
• Going to a title deed power of attorney appointment with an old identity card or passport.
• Going to the appointment without knowing the agent’s Turkish ID number and date of birth.
• Bringing the power of attorney draft handwritten or as a photograph.
• Bringing a color photocopy or scanner printout for a transaction requiring a photograph.
• Sending a document signed before a US notary to Turkey without obtaining an apostille.
• Issuing a new power of attorney without dismissing the former agent.
• Failing to respond to the consulate’s invitation letter for service of process within 30 days.

• Is a power of attorney I made at the consulate valid in Turkey? Yes. Since 2019, notarial documents from consulates can be viewed directly at notaries in Turkey.
• How long is a power of attorney valid? Until the agent is dismissed, unless a term or one-time-only provision is written.
• Can my US-citizen spouse grant a power of attorney at the consulate for matters in Turkey? Yes. Foreign nationals can also have powers of attorney prepared at Turkish consulates. The power of attorney is prepared in Turkish; those who do not speak Turkish must come with a sworn translator and bring a certified Turkish translation of their identity document.
• Can I grant a power of attorney with a Blue Card? Yes. New Blue Cards issued after April 12, 2013, are accepted as valid identification for notarial transactions.
• Does the consulate issue a "life certificate"? No. Except at missions in Spain, life certificates are not issued; you can obtain a civil registry record. See 11.6.
• Can I give my testimony as a witness in my case in Turkey to the consulate? No. Missions have no authority to take testimony. The court may request that testimony be taken by US authorities through judicial assistance.

• Consular services – Notarial services
• New York – Power of attorney application and form 2026 (PDF)
• Chicago – Power of attorney application (PDF)
• Los Angeles – Power of attorney application 2026 (PDF)
• Los Angeles – Power of attorney by the apostille method 2026 (PDF)
• New York – Revocation application (PDF)
• New York – Consent, undertaking, and waiver forms (PDF)
• New York – Authentication of signatures and seals on US documents 2026 (PDF)
• New York – Criminal record certificate 2026 (PDF)
• Sworn translator search
• e-Apostille
• USA.gov – State apostille authorities