Apostille Offices for Documents Used in Türkiye
Which office apostilles a foreign document before it is used in Türkiye, why it depends on where the document was issued, and where translation fits.
An apostille is never issued in Türkiye and never by a translation office. It comes from the competent authority of the state where the document was issued, and only that authority can attach it. Our part starts afterwards, with the sworn translation into Turkish in Ankara.
Which authority that is depends on the country, and in the United States on the individual state. Most states use their Secretary of State, but not all of them: in Utah the Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues apostilles, in Georgia the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, in New Jersey the Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, and in Michigan the Office of the Great Seal. The state pages in this section name the office and the steps that come before it.
Canada splits the work differently. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan apostille their own documents, while Global Affairs Canada handles federal documents and those issued or notarized in the other provinces and territories. The United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand each have one national office: the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Authentication Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs.
Documents from German-speaking countries
For Germany, Austria and Switzerland the rules are set out in German, on the German side of this site. The office there depends on the federal state or canton and on the type of document, and federal documents follow their own route.
What every route has in common
Whatever the country, the order is the same. First the document gets whatever certification the issuing state requires before the apostille, then the apostille itself, and only then the sworn translation in Türkiye. If the receiving Turkish authority asks for it, a Turkish notary certifies the translation. That authority decides whether it accepts the document.
Choose the country or state where your document was issued to see the office, the preliminary steps and the official sources.