Marriage Registration
Only those marriages which are registered in a civil order have legal force in Turkey. It is possible to hold a religious wedding ceremony, but it will not have legal force.
Turkish law allows two foreigners to marry, as well as register a marriage between Turkish citizens and foreigners. The marriage must be concluded by competent authorized authorities. Two foreigners of the same nationality can marry either in the Turkish registry offices or in the embassies or consulates of their country.
There are some kinds of marriages that are forbidden in Turkey:
- same-sex marriage is banned in Turkey
- marriages between close relatives are prohibited
- a person who is already married cannot get married
- the minimum age of marriage is 18 years (kids over the age of 16 can apply for marriage with the consent of a parent or guardian)
- divorced women can remarry only after 300 days from the date of divorce
- people who suffer from certain mental illnesses, such as epilepsy, and hysteria, cannot get married
To make an application for a marriage registration you should collect documents as follows:
- birth certificate and passport with translation into Turkish, notarised in Turkey or at the Turkish Embassy
- certificate of absence of obstacles to marriage
- petition filed by the bride and groom in the municipality in Turkish
- six passport photos of the bride and groom
- a health certificate obtained at a state medical institution, Sağlık Ocağı or Develet Hastanesi (certificates from private hospitals and clinics are not accepted)
- residency/work/study permits (foreign couples who do not live in Turkey must provide a letter from the hotel where they are staying, indicating the length of stay and the date of departure)
If you want to make the procedure of marriage registration easier and be sure that everything will be alright, just contact COSy Life by sending us a request through the webpage or messengers. We are here to hear and help you with such a beautiful event of your life as marriage.