Documentation and legal requirements - Turkey
The information below is intended as a guide, as documentation and legal requirements change regularly. Please check with your Wedding Coordinator and with the relevant embassy before arranging your documentation.
Legal requirements
Minimum residency period prior to wedding: 1 day (excluding day of arrival, weekends and bank holidays). For Monday flight arrivals the minimum stay is one week. For Thursday or Saturday flight arrivals the minimum stay is two weeks.
Witnesses required: 2. Witnesses must not be related to the bride or groom. Witnesses can be arranged by the Wedding Planner if you are travelling alone.
Minimum Age: 18 (If under 18, see below).
Marriage Certificate issued in local language? Yes. In Turkish and French booklet form.
Other requirements: The wedding couple must be British passport holders in order to marry in Turkey. Other passport holders have a different procedure to follow.
Documentation requirements
The following documents must be obtained in the UK and sent to Sovereign no later than 12 weeks before departure. We need two photocopies of the following documents. All original documents must be taken to resort – photocopies of documents are not accepted in resort.
Full 10-year British passports? Yes
Birth certificates? Yes – full original.
If never previously married:
Single status statutory declaration? No.
Certificate of No Impediment? Yes. A certificate of no impediment must have been stamped and certified by a Solicitor and issued within 3 months of the intended date of marriage for both the bride and groom (a joint one will not be accepted).
If divorced: Decree absolute.
If widowed: Spouse’s death certificate and previous marriage certificate.
If adopted: Adoption Certicate.
If name changed: Proof of deed poll or statutory declaration. This is also required for divorcees or widows who have reverted back to their maiden name.
If under 18: Parental consent in the form of an affidavit or statutory declaration, stamped and signed by a solicitor.
Also required: 4 passport sized photos of the bride and groom (these must be taken to Turkey). Full name, address and occupation of the bride and groom and their parents.
Certification / Legalisation / Translation of all documents? Soon after you arrive you will need to go to Antalya to complete the paperwork necessary in order to marry and this will take one day out of your holiday. Antalya is approximately 3 hours away from the Sovereign hotels recommended on the previous page (transport is include in the wedding package).
The first stop is the British Vice Consul to whom the necessary paperwork will have been sent before your arrival. This visit will take about 20 minutes and you will pay approximately £115 per person (only payable in Turkish Lira, this must be changed the day before your trip to the city). This cost is for the translation of the documents into Turkish.
You and your driver will then make your way to the Town Hall where the government clerk verifies the translated documents and signature of the Vice Consul. This will take approximately 45 minutes and there is no charge.
Later, in Fethiye, a visit is made to the local registrar with the 4 passport pictures. Here the registrar verifies all documentation, which will take around 15 minutes. Next you will visit the health clinic to obtain a medical report. You will visit three small offices within the same building but you will not undertake any tests. Once these papers have been signed you will pay a small charge (approximately £12 per person).
