This no-fluff post will guide you on how to register a company in Turkey online in seven simple, easy steps.
In fact, we have registered over a hundred companies for our global clients using these exact steps over a period of two decades.
In this post, I am also going to cover the cost of company formation, types of legal structures, requirements, and more.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Author
Co-author
This no-fluff post will guide you on how to register a company in Turkey online in seven simple, easy steps.
In fact, we have registered over a hundred companies for our global clients using these exact steps over a period of two decades.
In this post, I am also going to cover the cost of company formation, types of legal structures, requirements, and more.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Author
Co-author
Get in Touch with Us
Alp Atasoy
Sales and Business Development Consultant
The purpose of opening a company in Turkey lies in doing business or business-related activities. The Turkish government gives you four options to fulfill your business needs.
Limited liability company (LLC/LTD) is the most common type of legal structure that most foreigners use to register their business. This is best suited for small businesses and needs less hassle. The minimum capital for registering an LLC in Turkey is 50,000 Turkish Lira, equivalent to $1,200 USD as of Feb. 2026. No upfront deposit is required, and you can pay the capital over 24 months after company registration. Additional costs for professional consulting, translations, notary and registration fees in Turkey are approx. 5,000 USD.
Joint Stock Company (JSC) is best suited for larger companies that have multiple shareholders, many employees or high investment volumes. Capital investors prefer to invest in JSC’s and share transfer is easier and has less tax burdens at a JSC. This is the reason the capital for registering a JSC is higher: 250,000 Turkish Lira, equivalent to $5,500 USD as of Feb. 2026. You need to deposit 25% upfront during the company registration process. Again, for professional consulting, translations, notary and registration fees in Turkey are approx. 5,000 USD.
A Branch Office is the option for overseas companies that want to expand their business in Turkey within the same legal corporation. A branch office is not a separate legal entity like LLC or JSC. Instead it is an integral part of the company abroad. We recommend branch offices especially for project business. Especially in Turn-Key projects the local supplies can be delivered through such a local branch office. To open a branch, you need:
From Parent Company (Abroad):
A Liaison Office is the option for global companies that want to do market research in Turkey but are not ready to start a business. Remember, you wouldn’t be able to generate invoices or conduct other such activities under the liaison office, excluding market research, feasibility studies, supplier coordination, quality control, marketing, communication between HQ and the Turkish market, and hiring staff for its own internal operations.
Sam read such a guide and tried to register the company, but due to some mistakes in translation and the articles of association, he faced rejection. But you can avoid such a situation, as we are providing company formation services in Turkey. You may need to spend some extra bucks as mentioned above, but that’s worth it if you want hassle-free registration.
Once you have selected the right type of legal entity to be registered in Turkey, the next move is to prepare all required documents. The following are the most common and required documents that you may need. However, you may need additional documents for a JSC or special industries like media, medicine, or aviation.
✔ Valid passport copies for all shareholders/directors
✔ Official Turkish translations of passport copies translated and notarized in Turkey (or apostilled abroad then translated)
✔ Company Articles of Association (draft)
✔ Registered office address in Turkey (physical or virtual address)
✔ Rental agreement for address
✔ Board resolution if shareholder or director is a foreign company (apostilled and translated)
Articles of Association (AoA) are the documents that explain what your company is about, how it works, its purpose, and all details on paper.
John Doe was living in Arkansas, USA, and decided to start a business in Turkey. He registered a company, visited Turkey, and still couldn’t do market research due to new markets and uncertain situations. He wasted a lot of budget and time, but you can save, as we do market research, visit the market, and screen the opportunity.
If you cannot travel to Turkey, sign a Power of Attorney (PoA) so a lawyer or professional consultant can act for you.
PoA must be:
Apostille is a legal certification that makes a document from one country valid in another. Example: she’ll need the divorce decree or death certificate for her former spouse, translated into Spanish with an apostille. Definitions from Oxford Languages
Mr. Smith was a SaaS founder, and he needed a Python developer. He hired an employee linked from Turkey but faced legal issues and penalties. He then registered the company and got approval from the Social Security Department but was still stuck with payrolls. FMC Group can hire employees for you in Turkey without registering a legal entity.
Yes. All shareholders and directors need to get a Turkish Tax ID Number (Vergi Kimlik Numarası) first before you submit all documents. No stress, you can usually apply for this:
✅ Natural persons can apply online through the Turkish tax authority portal
✅ Companies or natural persons can apply at a local tax office (via a representative or personally).
It is free of charge for both individuals and foreign companies’ representatives. To get a TIN for a foreign shareholder:
Usually, the lawyer or consultant handles this for foreigners applying remotely.
Thomas was a business management head, and he was struggling to manage accounts in Turkey because he did not know a reputable and reliable company. FMC Group handles accounts, but you know now…
Once you have selected the right type of legal entity, prepared all the required documents, obtained a TIN, and arranged a Power of Attorney, it’s time to submit all documents. Turkey’s MERSİS e-Registry System allows electronic company formation:
Chamber of Commerce registration is essential. It is part of the Trade Registry process, not a separate, independent step like in some other countries.
Did I miss an important step of notarization of documents?
Not really. There is no additional action required for notarizing the documents. All the documents will be notarized when the docs are uploaded. But after registration the directors need to get their signature circular for daily authorization to be issued at a Turkish notary.
Michael hired two extra people onsite just to run ads, conduct interviews, screen, and onboard. Imagine if he had paid an affordable amount to FMC Group, saved time and budget, yet recruited efficiently with FMC Group.
✔ During the registration process of JSC’s a preliminary account opening has to be done before company registration to deposit 25% of the companies’ capital.
✔ After getting the company registration number, TIN for the local company and signature circular to authorize the directors you can open a corporate bank account in Turkey for the companies’ official cash flow.
John was a foreigner and didn’t start his business. The reason was simple: he did not find a distributor or supplier due to the new market and weak relations with locals. You can avoid this situation if you partner with FMC Group for distributor and supplier search.
Once trade registry approves:
✅ Your company is published in Turkish Trade Registry Gazette (official legal recognition).
✅ Tax Office and Social Security Institution are automatically notified. But the related registrations have to be completed correctly within 15-30 days.
✅ If your business needs special permits/licenses (e.g., food business, financial services), obtain them before operation.
If you have understood the Turkish market, registered the company, hired well, and managed accounts, we can still help you in scaling your business through Management Consulting, Customer Satisfaction Analysis, Employee Engagement Analysis, Lead Generation, and Hourly Sales Reports.
Whether you’re forming an LLC, JSC, branch, or liaison office, the name must follow these rules:
Your representative enters your proposed name in MERSİS, and then the system checks for uniqueness and restricted words. If it passes MERSİS, add it to the AoA, and the name is officially reserved after AoA approval.
Here you have it:
The complete, no-fluff guide to registering a company in Turkey online.
Schedule a free thirty-minute consultation call with us to select the right entity type, get market tips, and more
OR
Read our detailed guide about doing business in Turkey.
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