Bringing a Car from West Virginia to Türkiye

To bring a car from West Virginia into Türkiye, you show the vehicle registration (ruhsat) and, depending on the case, proof of residence abroad to the customs directorate at the point of entry. The published entry list requires an embassy-, consulate- or notary-certified Turkish translation for a pension document of retirees from abroad and for proof that the driver is a partner or employee of the company that owns the car.

Which West Virginia office certifies what

The West Virginia Secretary of State, Business Division handles West Virginia birth or death certificates, divorce decrees, certified diplomas, notarized documents and commercial papers. Where the page states a condition, it differs by family. Birth or death certificates must be certified copies signed by the State Registrar or by the Clerk of the County Commission where the records are on file, bearing the stamp of the office. Divorce decrees must be certified copies signed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court that issued the decree, bearing the stamp of the office. Certified diplomas need an original signature of the appropriate school official and proper notarization in West Virginia. A notarized document must carry the proper notary affidavit (acknowledgment statement), the notary's original signature and the notary's rubber stamp seal. The Secretary of State names documents including powers of attorney, agreements and certificates of good standing as papers that may require authentication for use abroad. An FBI background check that needs an apostille must go through the U.S. Department of State, Authentications Office; the West Virginia page says not to send it to the Secretary of State's Office.

Order of steps and what stays open

Obtain the certified copy first. A certified copy from a County Clerk, Circuit Clerk or Registrar must carry an original signature of the clerk or a deputy and a raised impression seal. Then complete the Apostille and Certification Request (Form AC-1) to request the apostille from the Secretary of State. The apostille is a certificate in a standard format with the West Virginia State seal stamped in red ink. The page does not mention an electronic apostille.

The West Virginia page does not name vehicle titles among its document families. Whether a West Virginia title can receive an apostille is not settled by the quoted texts; confirm it with the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business Division. The Turkish customs texts we checked do not use the word "apostille" at all. Whether customs at the point of entry expects an apostille on your registration, or on a power of attorney notarized in West Virginia, is not settled by those texts either; confirm it with the customs directorate at your point of entry. Turkish customs decides whether a document is accepted.