Can the Recognition and Enforcement of a Foreign Court Judgment Be Completed Without Filing a Lawsuit? (2026 Guide)
If you were divorced abroad but are still recorded as married in Turkey, it is normally necessary to file a recognition and enforcement lawsuit in Turkey. However, an exception has been introduced under Article 27/A of the Population Services Law. Pursuant to this provision, it is possible to register the divorce with the Civil Registry Office without filing a lawsuit.
❗EXCEPTION: A Foreign Divorce Judgment May Be Registered in Turkey Without Court Proceedings
-If both parties are Turkish citizens, they must apply to the Civil Registry Office together.
-If one party is a Turkish citizen and the other is a foreign national, the divorced Turkish citizen may register the divorce alone at the Civil Registry Office by submitting the required documents.
Required Documents for Registration of a Foreign Divorce Judgment
In order to register a foreign divorce judgment in Turkey through the administrative procedure under Article 27/A of the Population Services Law, the following documents are required:
1- Original divorce judgment and its notarized Turkish translation (apostilled).
2- Original document confirming that the divorce judgment has become final and its notarized Turkish translation (apostilled).
3- Copy of the spouse’s residence permit card or passport (if the spouse is a foreign national).
4- Application form/petition to be completed at the Civil Registry Office.
5- If the application is made through a lawyer, a power of attorney. The lawyer may attend the Civil Registry Office alone and submit the application on behalf of the client (the power of attorney must contain a photograph and specific authorization for civil registry matters).
6- This application cannot be made if there is already a pending divorce lawsuit or recognition and enforcement lawsuit in Türkiye. However, the application may be submitted if documentation proving withdrawal of the court case is provided.
7- Certificate of residence obtained through e-Government (for the applicant spouse). Address registration is mandatory. Please read the relevant section below for detailed information.
8- Copy of the Turkish identity card of the applicant spouse.
❗Note 1: The documents must be translated in Turkey. Even if the documents were translated abroad and approved by a Turkish Consulate, they are generally not accepted. Documents translated and certified abroad should be translated again in Turkey before submission.
❗Note 2: For lawyers, the power of attorney must contain a photograph and must expressly authorize the lawyer to carry out procedures before the Civil Registry Office and the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs regarding recognition and enforcement matters.
❗Note 3: The spouses do not have to attend the Civil Registry Office together. One spouse may submit the application, and the other spouse must also apply within 90 days. This rule applies where both parties are Turkish citizens.
❗Note 4: Applications submitted through lawyers require a bar association stamp
Where Should the Recognition Application Be Filed? Authorized Provincial Directorates and Foreign Missions
Province Where the Recognition Application Will Be Submitted
As a general rule, the applicant must submit the application in the province where his or her registered residential address is located.
Example: If a person’s registered residential address is in Istanbul and this address appears as Istanbul in the e-Government system, the application may be submitted in Istanbul.
However, if the person does not have a registered residential address in Turkey, he or she must have a registered address abroad.
Pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation on the Registration of Decisions Issued by Foreign Judicial or Administrative Authorities in the Civil Registry, persons who do not have a residential address in Turkey but have a registered address abroad may submit their application in any of the following provinces:
* Adana
* Ankara
* Antalya
* Bursa
* Diyarbakır
* Erzurum
* Gaziantep
* Istanbul
* İzmir
* Kayseri
* Konya
* Kahramanmaraş
* Samsun
* Siirt
* Sivas
* Trabzon
* Şanlıurfa
* Van
❗Important Warning: If you do not have a registered residential address either in Turkey or abroad, you cannot submit an application.
During the application process, the applicant must be able to prove his or her residential address through official records. Therefore, before applying, you should verify whether you have a valid registered address either in Turkey or abroad.
In Conclusion;
✅ If you have a registered address in Turkey, you should apply in the province where your address is located.
✅ If you do not have a registered address in Turkey but have a registered address abroad, you may apply in any of the provinces listed above.
✅ If you do not have a registered address either in Turkey or abroad, you cannot apply.
FOR APPLICANTS IN ISTANBUL
Applications are processed at the Administrative Unit of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs located on Vatan Avenue. Administrative Building – 1st Floor – Administrative Unit Office. (İstanbul Valiliği İl Nüfus Müdürlüğü Vatan Caddesi Binası)
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Should I Obtain Legal Assistance During This Process?
While the registration of foreign divorce judgments in Turkey may be relatively straightforward in some cases, the process may become more complicated due to missing documents, lack of an apostille, issues regarding the certificate of finality, or rejection of the application by the Civil Registry Office.
As a law firm, we provide legal assistance regarding the registration of foreign divorce judgments in Turkey. We review the documents, identify missing paperwork, prepare applications to the Civil Registry Office, and, when necessary, initiate recognition and enforcement lawsuits on behalf of our clients.
Particularly for individuals living abroad, we can handle the entire process on your behalf through a power of attorney issued without requiring you to travel to Turkey. This allows the process to be completed more efficiently and without the need for repeated travel.
If you would like professional legal assistance to have your foreign divorce judgment recognized in Turkey and recorded in the Turkish civil registry, please feel free to contact us.
Lawyer Cihat BALTAŞ
Lawyer Cihat BALTAŞ graduated from Police College in 2006, Police Academy in 2010, Yalova Law Faculty in 2016 with a degree and has worked and specialised in foreign law throughout his professional life. Cihat BALTAŞ, who is currently working as a lawyer in Kadıköy, Istanbul, is the founder of BaltaşGlobal law and consultancy office.