British National Getting Married in Turkey: Marital Status Affirmation, British Embassy or Consulate Appointment and UK Divorce Document Support

British Nationals Getting Married in Turkey

If you are a British national planning to get married in Turkey, you must follow the Turkish marriage process.

Your marriage will usually be recognised in the UK if:

you follow the correct process under Turkish law;
and the marriage would be allowed under UK law.

The Turkish local authority, marriage office, venue or person conducting your ceremony can confirm which documents you need.

British nationals may need a marital status affirmation from a British embassy or consulate in Turkey.

If you have been told to provide a marital status affidavit, you can follow the same application process. The main difference is that an affidavit uses a religious oath.

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Marital Status Affirmation or Affidavit

A marital status affirmation confirms your marital status for the Turkish marriage process.

If the Turkish authority asks for a marital status affidavit, you should select religious when the online form asks which type of declaration you want to make.

The embassy or consulate will then prepare the affidavit for you to check and sign at your appointment.

You should check with the Turkish authority before applying. They can confirm whether they need an affirmation, an affidavit, an apostille, a translation or other supporting documents.

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British Embassy or Consulate Appointment in Turkey

To get a marital status affirmation, you must:

apply online;
pay the £50 fee;
book an appointment at a British embassy or consulate in Turkey;
bring the original documents you uploaded;
check the information in your affirmation;
make corrections where needed;
make your declaration;
sign the affirmation or affidavit.

You should choose an appointment at least 7 days after you apply online. This gives consular staff time to check your documents.

Once issued, the affirmation will usually be accepted by Turkish local authorities for 6 months.

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Marriage Registration in Turkey

If you marry in Turkey, your marriage will be registered in Turkey.

It will not be added to UK marriage records.

You cannot register the marriage later at a UK register office, British Embassy or British Consulate.

You should keep your Turkish marriage certificate as evidence of your marriage.

If you want to use the certificate outside Turkey, you may need a translation or apostille.

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Documents Needed for the Online Application

To apply online for a marital status affirmation, you usually need:

your UK passport;
your full birth certificate showing your parents’ details;
proof of permanent address;
your partner’s passport or national identity card;
your partner’s proof of address;
proof that any previous marriage or civil partnership has ended;
proof of any previous name changes;
a credit or debit card for payment.

If you cannot find your UK birth certificate, you can order a UK birth certificate.

If any document is not in English or Turkish, you may need a certified translation. You should also bring the original document and translation to your appointment.

Prepare everything before you start. The online application may time out if you are inactive for 20 minutes.

The online application usually takes about 35 minutes.

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地址证明

Your proof of address must show the same name as your passport.

You may use:

a residence permit, residence certificate or residence card;
a DVLA driving licence;
a bank or mortgage statement;
a letter from your bank;
a utility bill;
a Council Tax bill;
a tenancy agreement;
a Housing Association rent card or equivalent;
an HMRC tax demand;
or a self-assessment statement.

Your proof of address must usually be dated within the last 3 months, unless it is a residence permit or DVLA driving licence.

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If You Were Previously Married or in a Civil Partnership

If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you must show that the previous relationship has ended.

The UK Government guidance lists documents such as:

a Decree Absolute or Final Order;
a death certificate for your husband, wife or civil partner;
an annulment certificate.

For England and Wales divorce cases, you will usually need a Decree Absolute or Final Order.

A Decree Absolute is the older final divorce order. It usually applies to divorces completed before 6 April 2022.

A Final Order is the current final divorce order. It usually applies to divorce cases issued on or after 6 April 2022.

Both documents prove that the previous marriage has legally ended.

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If You Do Not Have the UK Divorce Document

Many British nationals no longer hold the original Decree Absolute or Final Order.

Some only have:

an old scan;
a downloaded PDF;
a court email attachment;
a blurred photo;
an electronic divorce order;
or an unclear copy from an old file.

The UK Government guidance says you can order a UK Decree Absolute or Final Order from a divorce, dissolution or annulment record.

This matters because your Turkey marital status affirmation application may require proof that a previous marriage or civil partnership has ended.

Ginkgo Advisory can help with this UK document stage.

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Digital Divorce Documents Need Further Evidence

The Turkey guidance includes an important point.

If you only have a digital document showing that the marriage or civil partnership has ended, you can upload it when you apply online. However, you need to bring further evidence to your appointment.

For example, you may need an email, letter or other court document confirming that the court issued the divorce document.

This matters for modern UK divorce records.

Many Final Orders now exist as court PDFs or electronic documents. A loose printout may not show the full source trail.

A stronger route may include:

reviewing the UK court document;
checking whether it is a court PDF, HMCTS copy or paper order;
obtaining supporting court evidence where available;
preparing solicitor certification;
arranging a UK FCDO apostille where needed.

This gives the document a clearer chain before you use it for Turkey marriage paperwork.

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If the Divorce Took Place Outside the UK

If your divorce or dissolution took place outside the UK, you may need extra evidence.

You may need to show that you or your ex-partner were a national of that country or resident there when the divorce took place.

If you have a paper document, you should bring the original document to your appointment. You may also be able to use a copy certified in the country where it was issued.

If you only have a digital document, you may need further evidence from the issuing court or authority.

Check this before you apply. Missing evidence can delay the affirmation process.

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Your Former Spouse or Civil Partner Has Died

If your former husband, wife or civil partner has died, you may need their death certificate.

If the death certificate does not show your relationship to the deceased, you may also need your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Bring the documents to your embassy or consulate appointment if they form part of your evidence.

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If You Have Changed Your Name

If your current name does not match your birth certificate, you need to provide evidence of your name change.

这可能包括：这可能包括：

a marriage certificate;
a civil partnership certificate;
a deed poll;
or the equivalent document from the country where it was issued.

If you changed your name through marriage or civil partnership, you should upload the relevant certificate.

If you changed your name by deed poll and have lost the original, the next step depends on whether the deed poll was enrolled.

You may be able to apply for a replacement from the UK Deed Poll Service if it was enrolled.

If it was not enrolled, you should seek legal advice on how to evidence the name change.

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If You Want to Marry Your Civil Partner

You cannot get an affirmation while you are still in a civil partnership.

If you want to marry your civil partner, you must either:

convert the civil partnership into a marriage;
or end the civil partnership before getting married.

If you registered a same-sex civil partnership in the UK, you may be able to convert it into a marriage.

If the civil partnership was registered elsewhere, check the law of that country.

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Do You Need an Apostille for Turkey?

You should check this with the Turkish local authority or the person conducting your ceremony.

The guidance states that some documents may need to be legalised with an apostille or translated by a qualified translator.

For a UK divorce document, the common route may be:

UK divorce document → solicitor certification → UK FCDO apostille → Turkish translation if required → use in Turkey

This route can help where the document is a court PDF, electronic Final Order, unclear scan or certified copy.

Ginkgo Advisory handles the UK side. You should confirm any Turkish translation or local acceptance rules with the Turkish authority.

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银杏顾问如何协助

Ginkgo Advisory is a London-based legal service provider.

We assist with the UK document side of marriage preparation for Turkey. This is especially useful if a British national has been divorced in England or Wales.

我们可协助的事项包括：

UK Decree Absolute retrieval;
UK Final Order retrieval;
UK divorce document review;
supporting court evidence review where available;
solicitor certification;
UK FCDO apostille;
2 working days UK apostille service, where suitable;
document preparation for Turkey marriage use.

We do not replace the British embassy or consulate in Turkey, the Turkish local authority or a Turkish translator.

You should always check the Turkish marriage requirements directly.

Our role is focused. We help ensure that the UK divorce document is obtained, reviewed, certified and apostilled correctly before you use it overseas.

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British National Getting Married in Turkey: UK Divorce Document Support

If you are a British national getting married in Turkey and you were previously divorced in England or Wales, your Decree Absolute or Final Order may form part of your marital status affirmation paperwork.

Ginkgo Advisory can help you obtain the UK divorce document, prepare solicitor certification and arrange a UK FCDO apostille in suitable cases.

Contact Ginkgo Advisory for UK Decree Absolute / Final Order certification and apostille support for marriage in Turkey.