Can Foreigners Marry in Turkey

Yes, foreigners can also get married or divorce in Turkey if they fulfill certain legal procedures and comply with certain conditions. In addition, getting married in Turkey can be a dream for many foreigners that they want to realize one day.

Depending on their wedding venue preferences, Turkey offers many different and fascinating opportunities to married couples with its many idyllic areas, beaches, mountain and promenade places, resorts and wonderful city halls. The best and most beautiful aspect of getting married in Turkey is that couples can start their honeymoon right after the wedding by reaching the nearest holiday facilities in a very short time, without wasting any time. Maybe taking a private tour or a Gulet cruise in the Aegean can be one of the honeymoon options.

What are the Marriage Procedures in Turkey for Foreigners?

According to the Turkish Marriage Law and regulations, a Turkish citizen and a foreigner of the opposite sex of different nationalities or foreigners of two different sexes can marry each other, and this process is carried out only by the authorized Turkish authorities. It is possible for two foreigners of the same nationality to get married in Turkey at the embassy or consulate offices of their own country or at Turkish Marriage Offices operated by local municipalities. Foreigners with two different nationalities can also get married in Turkey. It should be noted that religious weddings held in accordance with beliefs are not recognized by the state, and the legal one should be a civil wedding.

All marriages in Turkey, whether foreign or Turkish, are conducted by the Turkish authorities and are carried out in accordance with the Turkish Civil Code and relevant regulations.

Foreigners who want to get married in Turkey (or foreigners with Turkish citizenship) must present a document from the competent authorities of their home country proving that they are not currently married. Otherwise, it is not possible for the Turkish authorities to make a new marriage. This means that currently married couples cannot remarry in Turkey under Turkish law.

Documents required to marry a foreign national

• Foreign nationals must have the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved the Turkish Celibacy Certificate (excluding Apostille and multilingual documents) from the consulate they are affiliated with.
• Passports must be notarized together with their Turkish translation.
• If the couples do not speak Turkish, they will have a sworn translator during the application. Statements will be filled in accompanied by an interpreter. They will also have an interpreter available during the wedding.

In celibacy certificates,

• Name, surname, date and place of birth, parents’ names
• Nationality, passport or ID number
• The appropriate marital status (single, divorced or widowed) will be written.

Important

• If the woman is widowed, the date of her husband’s death will be written, and if she is divorced, the date of divorce will be written.
• A divorced or widowed woman will bring a Birth Certificate indicating her maiden name.
• There will be an expression on the celibacy documents stating that there is no objection to the marriage of the person.
• Legal validity period of all documents is 6 months (180 days)

Some of the conditions that must be met for a valid marriage by Turkish law consist of the following:

Marriage competence: Only those with discernment and sufficient mental capacity are allowed to marry. Mental illness therefore creates an obstacle to marriage. In addition, a person must be at least 18 years of age to be able to marry.

Degree of kinship: Marriage between close relatives is prohibited.

Existing marital status: Monogamy is one of the basic principles of Turkish family law. If there is, it is not possible to make a second marriage before the previous marriage ends.

Waiting period: Married women whose marriage has ended cannot marry before the end of three hundred days (nine months) from the date of termination. Also, the decision to divorce may specify a waiting period during which the spouse cannot remarry.

Disease: Epilepsy, hysteria, etc. Some diseases, such as these, constitute an obstacle to marriage.

What are the Documents Required for Marriage?

Marriage Application Petition

Foreign couples who decide to get married and want to start the marriage proceedings must first apply to the municipality of their place of residence and submit the application petition called “Marriage Declaration” in person.

Passport and Identity Card

Passport and identity card must be translated into Turkish by the relevant authorities. Foreigners can do this at the Turkish Embassy of their country of citizenship or at a certified notary public in Turkey.

Health report

A health report must be obtained from a state health institution called “Health Center” or “State Hospital”. No reports from private hospitals or clinics will be accepted.

Passport photo

Six passport size photographs of the bride and groom are required.

Certificate of Celibacy

The “Certificate of Celibacy” stating whether a person is single, divorced or widowed must be obtained from the relevant authorities of the foreign person’s home country. If this document is to be issued in the foreigner’s country, it must be certified or apostilled by the Turkish Consulate or Embassy there. It should also be translated into Turkish and notarized, otherwise it will not be valid for marriage transactions in Turkey. The Certificate of Celibacy of foreigners in Istanbul can also be issued by the Consulate of the country authorized by the Governorship of Istanbul. If the document is issued by the Embassy of the foreign country in Ankara, it must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey in Ankara.

Accommodation Certificate

If both spouses to be married are foreigners, a letter must be written by the accommodation facility (hotel, hostel, etc.) they are staying in Turkey. In this letter, the length of stay of the persons at the facility and the date of departure should be stated.

Marriage licence document

For foreigners, the “Marriage License Certificate” to be obtained from the Population Directorate, with a duly approved document issued by the competent authorities in a way that shows the person’s name, surname, parents’ name, date of birth and place of birth, marital status (whether there is a state of preventing marriage or not), “If there is no name of the parents in the Marriage License Document, a valid document showing the name of the parents is sought. (Birth Certificate)

Marriage License Documents

1. The document is processed (by notarized translation) after the governorship of the city in which the consulate issued the document has verified the signature and seal on the document.
2. Documents issued in their country, whose signature and seal are verified by our Consulate in the country of issue, are processed with a notarized translation.
3. The document is processed together with the Turkish translation made by the notary public after it is approved by the representative office of that country in Turkey and the relevant office of the governor confirms the signature and seal.
4. If an annotation of approval (Apostill) has been issued from the country, it is processed with a notarized Turkish translation.
5. The “International Marriage License Certificate” and “International Birth Certificate” brought from his/her country do not need to be certified separately.
6. Passport and visa must not be expired.

Validity Period of Files

The validity period of the marriage files is six months from the issuance date of the “Marriage License Certificate”. If the marriage contract is not made within this period, the file will be cancelled.

Residence permit after marrying a foreigner
Marriage Permission

If it is determined that there is no obstacle to their marriage and the documents are complete, a marriage license is given if they wish. Couples who receive such a document can get married without the need for a separate document in the presence of the competent authority to marry in the country or abroad.

The “Marriage Permit” is valid for six months from the date of issue.

DESCRIPTION

1. Wedding Hall is primarily used for weddings. Therefore, a wedding hall is allocated for use other than its main purpose.
2. It is up to the administration to refuse.
3. Wedding Hall cannot be allocated to real persons.
4. Wedding Hall cannot be allocated for more than 3 hours.
5. The Registrar’s Office carries out the provisions of this tariff.
6. This tariff enters into force on 01.01.2021.

Citizenship by marrying a foreigner

Source: https://besiktas.bel.tr/sayfa/1094/nikah-islemleri