Energy Market Licences in Türkiye: Foreign Documents

Energy market licences in Türkiye are issued by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK). Foreign companies and foreign shareholders take part through Turkish companies, and their documents from abroad must meet specific rules.

The applicant

A company applying for a licence must be set up as a joint stock or limited company under the Turkish Commercial Code. Applications are submitted through EPDK's online application system with the information and documents required by the procedures on preliminary licence and licence applications adopted by the Board. Where a regulated licence holder has foreign indirect shareholders, a Board decision sets out how they are entered in the licence; the rules on share transfers apply to foreign nationals by analogy.

Documents from abroad

The natural gas market licence regulation sets the rule most clearly. Where the applicant, including a branch of a foreign company, or its shareholders are foreign companies or foreign nationals, equivalents of all information and documents in its annex, and any others EPDK requests, are required. Documents obtained abroad for foreign shareholders are issued in line with the Apostille Convention if the country is a party to it; if not, documents issued by that country's authorities must be certified by the Turkish consulate there. Notarised translations by sworn translation offices of documents obtained from abroad are attached to the application. EPDK's guidance on natural gas distribution tenders also asks for equivalent documents for foreign shareholders.

The same annex asks for the original or certified copies of the power of attorney where a representative applies, the articles of association with all amendments, and documents showing the current shareholding structure.

We prepare notarised translations of foreign corporate documents in Ankara through translators sworn before a Turkish notary. EPDK decides on the licence; for electricity, petroleum and LPG licences, check the current application procedures.