Opening a Turkish company: a foreign founder document checklist
Foreign investors may set up companies in Turkey in the forms provided by the Turkish Commercial Code, and registration procedures run through MERSİS and the relevant trade registry. For a foreign individual founder, the official list includes a translated and notarised passport and a tax identification number; a residence permit is mentioned conditionally, for those residing in Turkey. For necessary registration documents executed abroad, Invest in Türkiye describes notarisation and an apostille or attestation by a Turkish consulate, followed by official translation and notarisation in Turkey. Registration, residence and work are three separate questions: before starting work, a foreigner within the scope of the law needs a work permit or the relevant exemption.
Who this guide helps
- A foreign individual entrepreneur preparing documents to register a company in Turkey.
- An owner who wants to separate the questions of registration, residence and work before planning travel and a role in the company.
Scope and boundaries
- This page does not state minimum capital, when it must be paid, whether a single foreign shareholder is permitted, or any numeric work-visa conditions: those need current primary texts and the applicant's profile.
- This page does not describe taxes, reporting, costs or registration timelines.
- If the founder is a foreign company, see the separate page on a corporate founder.
Three separate questions: registration, residence and work
Registering a company, residing in the country and being allowed to work are governed separately, and one does not follow automatically from another.
- Registration: foreign investors may set up companies in the forms provided by the Turkish Commercial Code; restrictions may apply to certain sectors. Procedures run through MERSİS and the trade registry.
- Residence: a residence permit is mentioned in the official list only conditionally, for those residing in Turkey; this page does not treat company registration as a basis for residence.
- Work: before starting work, a foreigner within the scope of the law needs a work permit or the relevant exemption.
Invest in Türkiye: company forms · Invest in Türkiye: MERSİS and trade registry · Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documents · ÇSGB: FAQ, question 1
Document matrix for a foreign individual founder
| Item | What the source states | What to check before filing |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | A translated and notarised passport | That the translation and notarisation meet what the notary and the registry require; that the spelling of your name is identical across documents |
| Tax identification | A tax identification is part of the official list | That its data match the passport |
| Residence permit | Mentioned conditionally, for those residing in Turkey | If you reside in Turkey, ask whether the document is needed in your case; this page does not state that a residence permit is required for registration |
| Address | The source mentions the company's registered address at the tax-ID step; the founder's personal address is a separate question | Ask the provider about company-address documents and, separately, any requested evidence of the founder's personal address |
| Company form and registration | Forms provided by the Turkish Commercial Code; procedures through MERSİS and the trade registry | The content of the constitutional documents depends on the form of company and the founders' decisions; no capital or shareholder-structure requirements are given here |
| Representation | The official list should not be read as a guarantee of registration without regard to residence, entry or representation constraints | The specific registry's requirements on the founder's presence or on a representative |
| Other foreign-issued documents | Apostille or consular attestation, official translation and notarisation in Turkey | The legalisation route is chosen by issuing country and type of document; not every document needs both kinds of attestation |
Invest in Türkiye: company forms · Invest in Türkiye: MERSİS and trade registry · Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documents · Invest in Türkiye: foreign-issued documents
Preparation, step by step
- Choose the company form from those provided by the Turkish Commercial Code and check whether sector restrictions could apply to you.
- Prepare the translated and notarised passport and the tax identification.
- For foreign-issued documents, choose the route: apostille or consular attestation, then official translation and notarisation in Turkey.
- Run the registration through MERSİS and the relevant trade registry.
- Treat work in the company as a separate question: before starting work, a work permit or exemption is needed if you fall within the scope of the law.
Invest in Türkiye: company forms · Invest in Türkiye: MERSİS and trade registry · Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documents · Invest in Türkiye: foreign-issued documents · ÇSGB: FAQ, question 1
Sources, check dates and limits of this page
Invest in Türkiye, Establishing a Business: foreign investors may set up companies in the forms provided by the Turkish Commercial Code; procedures run through MERSİS and the trade registry; for a foreign individual founder the official list includes a translated and notarised passport and a tax identification number, with a residence permit mentioned conditionally; foreign-issued registration documents go through an apostille or consular attestation, official translation and notarisation in Turkey.
Invest in Türkiye: company forms · Invest in Türkiye: MERSİS and trade registry · Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documents · Invest in Türkiye: foreign-issued documents
ÇSGB work-permit FAQ, question 1: before starting work, a foreigner within the scope of the law needs a work permit or the relevant exemption.
The dates on which the sources were checked relate to selected provisions; they are separate from the page's publication date and do not certify the whole page.
Common mistakes
- Treating company registration as the basis for residence or work.
- Filing foreign documents without choosing a legalisation route and an official translation.
- Assuming that both an apostille and a consular attestation are needed for every document.
- Different spellings of your name across the passport, the translation and the tax identification.
- Overlooking possible restrictions in certain sectors.
Invest in Türkiye: company forms · Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documents · Invest in Türkiye: foreign-issued documents · ÇSGB: FAQ, question 1
Discuss your documents and task
If you are preparing documents for registration, send us a list of what you already have (passport, tax identification, foreign-issued documents) and we will help identify the legalisation route and the questions to put to the registry.
Discuss the taskFrequently asked questions
Which documents does a foreign individual founder need?
The official list includes a translated and notarised passport and a tax identification number; a residence permit is mentioned conditionally, for those residing in Turkey. The list should not be read as a guarantee of registration without regard to residence, entry or representation constraints.
Are an apostille and a consular attestation both needed?
For foreign-issued registration documents, an apostille or a consular attestation is provided for, together with an official translation and notarisation in Turkey. The route is chosen by issuing country and type of document; not every document needs both kinds of attestation.
Does opening a company give the right to work in Turkey?
This page does not say so: before starting work, a foreigner within the scope of the law needs a work permit or the relevant exemption. A work permit is not promised in connection with registering a company.
Is a residence permit mandatory for registering a company?
This page does not state that. In the official list a residence permit is mentioned conditionally, for those residing in Turkey. The requirements of the specific registry should be checked.
How is this page different from the page on a foreign company as founder?
This page covers the document set for an individual founder; a corporate founder needs different documents and a chain of authority, which is covered separately.
Primary sources
Prepared by RelocationTR. The dates below refer to checks of the cited source provisions.
- Invest in Türkiye: company formsProvision checked: 2026-10-01
- Invest in Türkiye: MERSİS and trade registryProvision checked: 2026-10-01
- Invest in Türkiye: individual shareholder documentsProvision checked: 2026-10-01
- Invest in Türkiye: foreign-issued documentsProvision checked: 2026-10-01
- ÇSGB: FAQ, question 1Provision checked: 2026-10-01