Recognition of Foreign Divorces in Turkey – Registration in the Turkish Civil Registry

Anyone who has been divorced abroad must have the divorce judgment recognized by a Turkish court before it can be registered in the Turkish Civil Registry (Nüfus).

This article provides an overview of how the recognition procedure for foreign divorce judgments in Turkey works and which steps are required to have a divorce obtained abroad officially registered in Turkey.

Table of Contents

• Why must a divorce obtained abroad be recognized in Turkey?
• Which court in Turkey is competent for the recognition of the foreign divorce?
• How does the recognition procedure work?
• Which documents must be submitted to the court?
• What are the legal consequences of recognising a foreign divorce decree?

Why must a divorce obtained abroad be recognized in Turkey?

Foreign court judgments in civil matters do not automatically have legal effect in Turkey. According to Articles 50–59 of the Turkish Act on Private International and Procedural Law (Law No. 5718 – MÖHUK), such judgments must first be recognized by a Turkish court.

Only after recognition does a foreign divorce judgment become legally valid in Turkey, enabling its registration in the Civil Registry (Nüfus).

This recognition is particularly important for:

• subsequent marriages,
• inheritance and maintenance issues,
• updating identity cards and other official documents.

Which court in Turkey is competent for the recognition of the foreign divorce?

In principle, according to Article 51 of Law No. 5718, Turkish civil courts of first instance have jurisdiction in recognition proceedings. However, in family matters such as divorce or maintenance, Family Courts are competent. Jurisdiction lies with the court of the domicile of the respondent spouse (the one against whom the recognition application is filed). If the respondent is not resident in Turkey, the courts in Ankara, Istanbul, or Izmir are competent.

How does the recognition procedure work?

The recognition process is a regular court procedure involving both spouses. This means that if one spouse applies for recognition of the foreign divorce judgment, the application is served on the other spouse, who then has the right to respond.

In accordance with Articles 53 and 54 of MÖHUK, the Turkish court examines in particular:

• whether the foreign judgment is final and binding (the legal validity of the foreign decision),
• whether due process was observed (fair hearing of both parties),
• and whether the judgment is compatible with Turkish public order (ordre public).

Which documents must be submitted to the court?

The following documents must be submitted to the court for recognition of a foreign divorce judgment in Turkey:

• Original divorce decree from the foreign court, bearing an apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention
• a certificate of finality of the foreign judgment (certificate of legal validity),
• a notarized Turkish translation of the divorce decree.

What are the legal consequences of recognising a foreign divorce decree?

Once the foreign divorce judgment is recognized by a Turkish court, and the Turkish court’s recognition decision becomes final, the foreign divorce acquires legal effect in Turkey. The divorce is then registered in the Civil Registry (Nüfus) of both spouses.

Upon successful entry in the civil registry, the individuals concerned are officially considered “divorced” in Turkey.