Is my German divorce recognised in Turkey?

Until registered in Turkey, you remain married in the Turkish civil registry. Three questions show you the right route: administrative or court.

Is the German divorce decree final?
Is your ex-spouse cooperating?
Do ancillary matters from the decree need to be enforced in Turkey (e.g. maintenance)?

The administrative route suffices (Art. 27/A)

You need a recognition action (tanıma davası)

Without the other side's cooperation, the court route under the MÖHUK remains: a recognition action before the Turkish family court (Aile Mahkemesi). You do not have to travel to Turkey — a power of attorney (vekaletname) for a lawyer is sufficient.

You need a declaration of enforceability (tenfiz davası)

Wait for finality first

Without finality, neither the administrative nor the court route is possible. The German family court issues the certificate of finality once the appeal period has expired — then come back here.

Documents you will need

  • Copy of the divorce decree with certificate of finality
  • Apostille (issued by the German court or competent authority)
  • Certified Turkish translation by a sworn translator (notarised or certified by the consulate)
  • Passport / Turkish ID of the applicants
  • If applicable, power of attorney: it must be a "fotoğraflı özel vekaletname" (with photo and specific authority) — notarised with apostille or issued directly at a Turkish consulate; a generic power of attorney will be rejected

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Frequently Asked Questions

You remain married in the Turkish civil registry: no remarriage in Turkey, your ex-spouse still appears as your spouse and can assert inheritance claims (the other heirs would then have to obtain recognition retroactively through the courts), and matrimonial property consequences stay unresolved.

Tanıma = recognition of the status (divorced), tenfiz = declaration of enforceability for enforceable claims such as maintenance. For the status alone, tanıma or the administrative route suffices — as soon as something must be enforced, tenfiz is required.

No. Both routes work by proxy: the administrative route can be handled by an authorised representative or the consulate, and a Turkish lawyer conducts the court case with a vekaletname.

The apostille is issued by the competent German authority for the final decree. The Turkish translation must come from a sworn translator and be certified — at a notary or a Turkish consulate.

The administrative route is usually completed within weeks. A tanıma/tenfiz case takes considerably longer — if the non-cooperating party must be served abroad, 6 to 18 months is common. The two-week appeal period only starts upon service of the reasoned judgment; then the registry is corrected.

Not legal advice. Non-binding orientation (as of 2026) on Art. 27/A of the Civil Registry Act and the MÖHUK — administrative and court practice may differ. A lawyer provides binding advice.