Bride and groom's hands resting together beside a bouquet

Getting Married in Turkey as a Foreigner: Documents, Procedure and Legal Effects

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 14, 2026 · 13 min read

Foreigners can marry in Turkey (Türkiye) — to a Turkish citizen or to another foreigner — in a civil ceremony before a marriage officer, and only a civil ceremony creates a legally valid marriage. The couple apply together to the marriage office with identity documents, a certificate from each foreigner's own country showing that they are free to marry, and a health report; the officer then sets the date or issues a marriage licence valid for six months. Each person's capacity to marry is governed by their own national law, while the form of the ceremony is governed by Turkish law (Law No. 5718, Art. 13).

This guide covers who can marry, the documents, the procedure, what happens at the ceremony, the legal effects of marriage — property, surname, residence and citizenship — and how the marriage is recognised in your own country.

Only civil marriage is valid; a religious ceremony alone has no legal effect and may be held only after the civil one (Civil Code, Art. 143).
Minimum age: 18; 17 with the legal representative's consent; 16 only by court permission in exceptional circumstances (Art. 124, 126).
Where to apply: the marriage office of the place where either party lives, together (Art. 134).
Core documents: identity document, proof that any earlier marriage has ended, health report (Art. 136); for foreigners, a certificate of capacity to marry.
Ceremony: before the marriage officer and two adult witnesses; the marriage exists the moment both say yes (Art. 141–142).
Licence: valid for six months before any marriage officer (Art. 139).
Marriage does not give residence or citizenship automatically.

Legal status of this guide. It reflects the Turkish Civil Code (No. 4721) and Law No. 5718 as currently in force. The detailed document list for foreigners is set by the Marriage Regulation and applied by municipal marriage offices, whose requirements differ slightly; confirm with the office where you will apply. Last updated: October 2026.

Who can marry in Turkey

A foreigner and a Turkish citizen — before a Turkish marriage officer.
Two foreigners of different nationalities — before a Turkish marriage officer.
Two foreigners of the same nationality — before a Turkish marriage officer, or at their own country's embassy or consulate if that country's law allows its representatives to celebrate marriages.

A man and a woman who intend to marry apply together to the marriage office of the place where one of them lives. The marriage officer is the mayor or an official appointed by the mayor in places with a municipality, and the village headman in villages (Art. 134). Turkish law provides for marriage between a man and a woman only.

Residence in Turkey is not a legal condition for a foreigner to marry there, but the foreign party must be able to prove identity and must be in the country lawfully; marriage offices commonly ask to see the entry stamp, visa or residence permit.

Capacity and impediments

Which law applies. Capacity to marry and the conditions of marriage are governed, for each party, by that party's national law at the time of the marriage; the form of the marriage is governed by the law of the country where it is celebrated; and the general effects of the marriage by the spouses' common national law or, if they have different nationalities, the law of their common habitual residence, failing which Turkish law (Law No. 5718, Art. 13). In practice, a foreigner must satisfy the capacity rules of their own country — which is why a certificate from that country is required — and the marriage office also applies the Turkish impediments as a matter of public order.

Turkish rules on capacity and impediments:

Rule	Content	Basis
Age	No marriage before completing 17; a judge may permit marriage at 16 in exceptional circumstances and for a very important reason. A minor needs the legal representative's consent.	Art. 124, 126
Capacity of judgment	Those lacking it cannot marry	Art. 125
Kinship	No marriage between ascendants and descendants, siblings, uncles or aunts and nephews or nieces; between a spouse and the other's ascendants or descendants even after the marriage ends; or between adopter and adopted	Art. 129
Existing marriage	A person wishing to remarry must prove that the previous marriage has ended	Art. 130
Waiting period for women	A woman may not marry within 300 days of the end of a previous marriage; the period ends on giving birth, and the court lifts it where it is shown that she is not pregnant from the previous marriage or where the former spouses remarry each other	Art. 132
Mental illness	Only with an official medical board report that there is no medical objection	Art. 133

The 300-day waiting period catches many recently divorced women by surprise. It is lifted by a short application to the family court supported by a medical report showing no pregnancy. If your divorce was granted abroad and you or your former spouse is a Turkish citizen, the divorce must first be recognised in Turkey; see recognition of a foreign divorce in Turkey.

Documents

The Civil Code requires each party to submit an identity document and civil registry extract, a document showing that any previous marriage has ended, the legal representative's notarised consent if a minor or under guardianship, and a health report showing no illness that prevents marriage (Art. 136). For a foreigner these translate into:

Passport, with a notarised Turkish translation where the office requires it, and proof of lawful entry or stay.
Certificate of capacity to marry (certificate of no impediment, single-status certificate) issued by the competent authority of your own country or by its consulate in Turkey, showing your full name, date and place of birth, parents' names, nationality and marital status — single, divorced or widowed. A document from your home country needs an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn Turkish translation; a document issued by your consulate in Turkey is usually certified by the provincial or district governorate.
Birth certificate, where the capacity certificate does not contain the birth and parentage details.
Proof that a previous marriage ended — final divorce decree or death certificate — if not shown on the capacity certificate.
Health report from a family health centre or public hospital in Turkey.
Photographs of each party.
Accommodation or address information, if requested.

The Turkish party submits an identity card, a civil registry extract, the health report and photographs. If either party does not speak Turkish, a sworn interpreter must be present at the application and at the ceremony.

Some countries do not issue certificates of capacity to marry, or issue them only to residents. In that case ask your consulate for the nearest equivalent — a sworn declaration of single status made before the consul, or a civil status extract — and check in advance that the marriage office will accept it.

The procedure, step by step

Gather the foreign documents with apostille and translations before travelling; certificates of capacity are normally accepted only if recently issued — commonly within the last six months.
Health report in Turkey for both parties.
Joint application to the marriage office of the place where one of you lives, in writing or orally (Art. 134–135).
Examination. The officer examines the application and documents and has any deficiency completed. If the application is not properly made, one of the parties lacks capacity or there is a legal impediment, the application is refused and the parties are notified in writing at once (Art. 137).
If refused, either party may apply to the court, which decides on the file (Art. 138).
Date or licence. If the conditions are met, the officer notifies the day and time of the ceremony or, if the parties wish, issues a marriage licence that entitles them to marry before any marriage officer within six months (Art. 139). The ceremony cannot be held if six months have passed since the documents were submitted (Art. 140).
Choice of property regime can be declared in writing at the time of application (Art. 205).

There is no statutory waiting period between application and ceremony; with complete documents, a date can often be obtained within days.

Bride signing the marriage register at a table with flowers — The marriage exists the moment both parties say yes before the marriage officer and two witnesses.

The ceremony

The ceremony is held in public at the marriage office, before the marriage officer and two adult witnesses with capacity of judgment; at the couple's request it may be held elsewhere if the officer agrees (Art. 141).
The officer asks each party whether they wish to marry the other. The marriage comes into existence at the moment both give an affirmative oral answer; the officer then declares that the marriage has been concluded by mutual consent in accordance with the law (Art. 142).
Both parties must be present in person. Marriage by proxy is not possible.
Immediately afterwards the officer gives the spouses a family booklet (aile cüzdanı) (Art. 143). This, and the international marriage certificate that can be requested from the civil registry, are your proof of marriage.
The marriage is entered in the Turkish civil registry where one spouse is a Turkish citizen.

Religious ceremonies

The validity of a marriage does not depend on a religious ceremony, and a religious ceremony may not be performed unless the family booklet is shown (Art. 143). A religious ceremony on its own — an imam marriage, a church or synagogue wedding without the civil act — creates no marriage in Turkish law: no status as spouse, no inheritance rights, no matrimonial property regime, no family residence permit and no basis for citizenship. Children of such a union are legally born out of wedlock, with the consequences that has for paternity and custody.

Since 2017, provincial and district muftis have also been authorised to act as marriage officers. A marriage they conclude in that capacity is a civil marriage under the Civil Code, with the same documents and effects; it is not a separate religious form of marriage.

Legal effects: property, surname, home

Matrimonial property. Unless the spouses choose otherwise by contract, the statutory regime of participation in acquired property applies (Art. 202). A different regime can be chosen before or after the wedding by a contract made before a notary, or by written declaration at the marriage application (Art. 203, 205). For international couples the governing law may be a foreign one or may be chosen expressly (Law No. 5718, Art. 15).
Surname. Under the Civil Code a woman takes her husband's surname on marriage and may add her own surname before it by declaration. The provision has been the subject of Constitutional Court rulings and legislative debate; ask the marriage office what options are currently available. For a foreign wife, whether and how her name changes in her passport is a matter for her own country's law.
The family home. A spouse may not terminate the lease of the family home, transfer it or limit rights over it without the other's express consent; the non-owner spouse may have an annotation entered on the land register (Art. 194).
Inheritance. Spouses become each other's statutory heirs, with a reserved share.
Divorce is available only through the courts; see divorce in Turkey for foreigners.

Residence permit and citizenship

Residence. Marriage does not itself confer a right to stay. The foreign spouse of a Turkish citizen, or of a foreigner holding a residence permit, may apply for a family residence permit of up to three years at a time, subject to the sponsor's income, housing and health insurance conditions and to the requirement that the marriage was not contracted for the purpose of the permit (Law No. 6458, Art. 34–37). Apply while your visa or visa-exempt period is still running.
Work. A family residence permit gives no right to work; a work permit is required, though the criteria are relaxed for spouses of Turkish citizens living with them in Turkey (Law No. 6735, Art. 16(1)(g)).
Citizenship. Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not give citizenship directly. After at least three years of continuing marriage, the foreign spouse may apply, and must show family unity, no conduct incompatible with the marriage and no national security or public order obstacle (Law No. 5901, Art. 16).
Scrutiny. Where there is reasonable suspicion that a marriage was contracted solely for a permit, the authorities investigate — particularly where the wedding closely follows a refusal or a deportation order. See marriage of convenience investigations in Turkey.
Entry bans. Marriage does not cancel an existing entry ban; it is a basis for requesting entry despite it. See married to a Turkish citizen and facing deportation.

Planning to marry in Turkey? Tell us both partners' nationalities and marital status and where the foreign partner currently lives. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. Sorting out the documents and the property regime before the wedding avoids most later problems.

Recognition in your own country

A marriage validly celebrated in Turkey is generally recognised abroad, since most countries accept a marriage that complied with the formal requirements of the place of celebration. To make it effective in your home records:

obtain an international (multilingual) marriage certificate from the civil registry directorate;
have it apostilled at the governorate or district governorate, or legalised by your consulate if your country is not a party to the Apostille Convention;
register the marriage with your consulate or your home civil registry, following your country's procedure and deadlines.

Check beforehand whether your country imposes its own conditions — for instance prior notification, or a minimum age above the Turkish one.

Marriages that are void or voidable

A marriage is absolutely void where, at the time of the marriage, one spouse was already married, permanently lacked capacity of judgment, suffered from a mental illness of a degree that prevents marriage, or was related to the other within the prohibited degrees (Art. 145). The Code also provides grounds of relative nullity — such as temporary incapacity, mistake, deception and duress — which must be invoked within set time limits.

Nullity does not operate automatically: the marriage produces all the effects of a valid marriage until a court declares it void. This matters for foreigners because citizenship acquired through marriage is kept if the marriage is later annulled, provided the person entered it in good faith (Law No. 5901, Art. 16(3)).

Frequently asked questions

Can two foreigners get married in Turkey?

Yes. Two foreigners can marry before a Turkish marriage officer with their passports, certificates of capacity to marry from their own countries, health reports and photographs. If they share a nationality they may also be able to marry at their own consulate.

What documents does a foreigner need to marry in Turkey?

A passport with proof of lawful entry, a certificate of capacity to marry showing civil status and parentage, proof that any previous marriage has ended, a health report obtained in Turkey and photographs. Foreign documents need an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn Turkish translation.

Is a religious marriage valid in Turkey?

No. Only a civil marriage concluded before a marriage officer is legally valid. A religious ceremony may be held only after the civil ceremony and has no legal effect on its own.

How long does it take to get married in Turkey?

There is no statutory waiting period. Once the documents are complete, the marriage office sets a date, often within days. Obtaining and legalising the foreign documents usually takes longer than the Turkish procedure.

Do I need a residence permit to marry in Turkey?

A residence permit is not a legal condition for marriage, but you must be able to prove your identity and lawful presence; marriage offices ask to see the entry stamp, visa or residence permit.

What is the minimum age for marriage in Turkey?

Eighteen without any consent; seventeen with the consent of the legal representative; and sixteen only with a court's permission in exceptional circumstances. A foreigner must also meet the age rule of their own national law.

Do I get Turkish citizenship or residence by marrying a Turkish citizen?

Not automatically. You may apply for a family residence permit, and after three years of continuing marriage for citizenship. Both are subject to conditions, and the genuineness of the marriage is examined.

Can a divorced woman remarry immediately in Turkey?

A woman may not marry within 300 days of the end of her previous marriage unless she has given birth or the court lifts the period on proof that she is not pregnant from the former marriage. The application to lift it is quick.

Will my Turkish marriage be valid in my country?

Generally yes, as a marriage celebrated in the form required by the law of the place. Obtain an international marriage certificate with an apostille and register it with your consulate or home registry.

Legal basis and sources

Turkish Civil Code No. 4721, Articles 124–145, 194 and 202–205 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Act on Private International and Procedural Law No. 5718, Articles 13 and 15.
Marriage Regulation (Evlendirme Yönetmeliği).
Law No. 6458, Articles 34–37; Law No. 5901, Article 16; Law No. 6735, Article 16.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Document requirements vary between marriage offices and between nationalities; confirm them before you travel.