Virginia Teachers Working in Türkiye: Documents

To teach in Türkiye with a US degree, your bachelor's diploma in your teaching field and an official document showing your teaching service abroad are each submitted with a Turkish translation, and the original must be certified by a Turkish diplomatic mission or apostilled. The school, not you, sends the file for the pre-permit (ön izin belgesi) to the directorate of national education, and the Ministry of National Education issues the pre-permit.

What Virginia authenticates

In Virginia, apostilles are handled by the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Authentication Division. The quoted Virginia texts cover vital records, court records, notarized documents and business documents. They do not name university diplomas or documents showing teaching service. How a Virginia diploma or a teaching service document reaches the Authentication Division is not settled by the quoted texts. Confirm it with the Authentication Division before you order copies.

Each covered family has its own conditions. Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates must be issued by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (or a local DMV) within the past 12 months and cannot be notarized. Marriage certificates from a Circuit Court need the Certification of Official Record/Triple Seal. Court records must come from the appropriate Virginia Circuit Court within the past 12 months, cannot be notarized, and carry the two-page Certification of Official Record/Triple Seal with the date and the (Deputy) Clerk's signature and printed name. Federal court documents are not processed.

A notarized document must be notarized by a Virginia notary within the past 12 months, show all seven items required from the notary, and be notarized in English. Documents notarized in another state are not accepted, and neither are electronic notarizations (eNotary). Business documents are certified copies from the Virginia State Corporation Commission, issued within the past 12 months and signed by the Clerk of the Commission, without notarization.

Order of steps and how to apply

No county-level step is described. A document goes directly to the Secretary of the Commonwealth once it is properly notarized by a Virginia notary or issued by the eligible official: Vital Records, a Circuit Court clerk, or the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Before submission, it must carry the proper signatures (original signatures only) and/or the required certificates.

You can mail documents to the Authentication Division. In-person service is by online-booked appointment only, for individual constituents, Monday to Thursday. Couriers and authentication companies use a drop box.

The Turkish authority that receives your file decides whether the documents are accepted.