What you need to know about Notary and Apostille

By Justin Mays:

A notary is a witness present to the signing of documents between different parties as a way to create a trustworthy environment between these parties. In Turkey, these are Government appointed lawyers who are responsible for verifying the authenticity of documents. Notaries can trace back to ancient Greek and they were referred to as scribes. When dealing with legal documents, it is important to know the authenticity of documents that you are dealing with henceforth the need for a notary.

A notary, who can also be referred to as notary public provide services such as foreign drafts, protesting notes and bills exchange, taking affidavits and statutory declarations. They are also required when there is the signing of a will, trusts and powers of attorney. A notary must be 18 years and above and he/she must reside in the country in which they are licensed. 

Duties of a Notary

Notaries are not allowed to refuse to sign documents based on nationality, sex, race, or religion. A notary must not participate in the authentication of documents that he/she is interested in. Before signing the documents, notaries will ask for photo identification from all the participating parties. It is permitted for them to refuse to authenticate a document if certain information is amiss, if there is evidence of fraud or they doubt the identity of the signing parties. If everything is in order, the documents or copies of documents receive the seal of the notary who witnessed the signings. 

Where to find a Notary in Turkey

In Turkey, every district has a notary, and in some towns and cities, there is more than one notary. One does not have to book an appointment to see a notary, you can simply walk in, get your number and wait for your turn to be called in. 

Finding a notary in Turkey is really easy. Visit the Turkey Notary Association website, https://portal.tnb.org.tr/Sayfalar/Noterbul.aspx, enter your district and neighborhood, and a list of Notary addresses, telephone numbers, and a map showing their office location will show. You simply have to choose the one closest to you. Notary fees defer with the type of document, number of pages, or number of words of the document. 

Apostille

An apostille is the verification of a document for use in another country. It attests to the authenticity of a document that is issued by a public institution. The apostille must contain 

-the name of the country in which the document  was issued

- the name of the person who signed the document

- the title of the person who signed the document

- the signature of the authority that issued the apostille

- the seal or stamp of the authority that issued the apostille

- the apostille number and the authority that issued the apostille

- the name of the authority to whom the seal printed on the paper belongs, the place where it is certified, and the date it was authorized.

The documents that are commonly apostilled include marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, power of attorney, passport copy and affidavit of legibility.   For a document to receive an apostille, it must be translated by a sworn Turkish translator.