Foreign-owned company formation in Türkiye
A turnkey process under the Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875, from pre-formation planning to registration and reporting in English.
Foreign individuals and legal entities can set up limited or joint stock companies in Türkiye with the same rights as domestic investors. The process depends on preparing the documents in the right order.
1. Preparation and document management
- Coordinating apostilled, notarised Turkish translations of foreign shareholders’ passports or company documents
- Obtaining potential tax numbers for foreign shareholders
- Choosing the company type (Ltd. Şti. or A.Ş.), capital structure and business purpose
- Preparing powers of attorney for shareholders who are not in Türkiye
2. MERSİS, registration and banking
- Preparing the articles of association on MERSİS
- Blocking capital and opening the company bank account where required
- Trade registry registration and the tax office inspection, handled by proxy or accompanied
3. E-TUYS and ongoing reporting
- E-TUYS authorisation with the Ministry of Industry and Technology and periodic reports
- Tracking the financial criteria for work permits of foreign shareholders and directors
- Regular financial reporting in English to the head office abroad
Timeline. Once translations, potential tax numbers and powers of attorney are ready, MERSİS and trade registry registration is usually completed within 3–5 business days.
Required documents (individual shareholder)
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| Passport | Notarised Turkish translation |
| Potential tax number | Obtained from the tax office |
| Power of attorney | If the shareholder is not in Türkiye; apostille if issued abroad |
| Address declaration | Residential address abroad |
Additional documents for a corporate shareholder
Certificate of activity of the parent company, board resolution and signature authority documents, all apostilled with notarised translations.