Getting married or registering a civil partnership abroad: Information based on your answers

Marriage in Turkey

Before you start

Contact the local municipality registry office (‘evlendirme memurluğu’) where you want to get married to find out about local marriage laws, including what documents you’ll need.

Prove you’re free to get married

You need to swear an affirmation that says you’re legally allowed to get married. It’s valid for 6 months.

An affidavit is a religious document. If you do not want to swear a religious oath, you can sign an affirmation instead.

Your partner will also need to swear an affirmation if they’re British. If they’re not British or Turkish, they’ll still need to prove they can get married.

Download an affirmation.
Print it out but do not sign it.
Make an appointment to sign it - where you do this depends on where you are.

Affirmations must be filled in using black ink only.

If you’re in the UK

Make an appointment with a UK notary or commissioner of oaths to swear your affirmation. They’ll charge you a fee.

You’ll need to get your affirmation ‘legalised’ (certified as genuine) by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) before you travel to Turkey.

If you’re in Turkey

Make an appointment to swear your affirmation at:

It costs £50 per person to swear an affirmation. You can pay in the local currency in cash or with a credit card or UK debit card.

You’ll need to get your affirmation ‘legalised’ (certified as genuine) by the local authorities. The embassy or consulate will help you with this.

What you need to bring to your appointment

You need to bring:

your passport
your affirmation
proof of your address, for example a utility bill or driving licence
evidence if you’ve changed your name by deed poll

If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before, you’ll also need:

your original decree absolute or final order (this could be a PDF and covering email from the court) - if you’re divorced
your annulment certificate - if your marriage or civil partnership was annulled
your civil partnership dissolution - if your civil partnership was dissolved
your partner’s death certificate and marriage certificate - if you’ve been widowed

If your divorce, civil partnership dissolution or annulment took place outside the UK, you’ll need evidence that you or your ex partner lived in or were a national of that country at the time of the divorce.

If your documents are not in English or Turkish, you’ll need to bring certified translations as well as the originals.

Get married

Take your signed legalised affirmation to the marriage office nearest to where you live or are staying. They’ll tell you how to apply to get married and book your ceremony.

If you want to get married in a different district, the marriage officer will give you a permit (‘izin belgesi’). They might charge a fee for this.

After you get married

Your marriage will be recognised in the UK if:

you follow the correct process according to the law in Turkey
it would be allowed under UK law

You do not need to register your marriage in the UK.

If your partner is not a British citizen, they can apply for British citizenship once they’ve lived in the UK for 3 years.