Turkish Citizenship by Adoption
Citizenship Procedures for a Foreign Minor Child Adopted by a Turkish Citizen
Article 17 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 allows a foreign minor who has been adopted by a Turkish citizen to acquire Turkish citizenship, provided that there is no circumstance constituting an obstacle in terms of national security and public order.
This route differs from citizenship by the general route or citizenship by marriage. In the file, the first points assessed are whether the adoption relationship has been legally established and can be relied upon, the child's age and identity status, the finalization of the decision, and the manner in which foreign documents are used in Türkiye; the citizenship and population registry procedures are then carried out.
- Suitability Assessment
- Adoption Decision
- VAT-7 File
- Population and Citizenship Procedures
Legal Basis
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 17: A minor adopted by a Turkish citizen may acquire Turkish citizenship from the date of the adoption decision, provided that there is no circumstance constituting an obstacle in terms of national security and public order.
Who Can Be Assessed?
- Foreign minor children who have been legally adopted by a Turkish citizen.
- Files in which the adoption relationship was established by a decision of a Turkish court.
- Files in which the adoption decision was issued in a foreign country and the way the decision will be used in Türkiye must be assessed separately.
- Files in which there are discrepancies in the child's birth, identity, citizenship, name and surname, or family records.
- Files in which the adoption has been completed but the citizenship or population registration has not yet been finalized.
Basic Legal Requirements
- The adopting person must be a Turkish citizen.
- The person being assessed for citizenship must have been a minor at the time the adoption relationship was established.
- The adoption relationship must have been established in a legally valid manner.
- There must be no circumstance preventing the acquisition of Turkish citizenship in terms of national security and public order.
- If there are foreign decisions and documents, their usability in Türkiye and the necessary authentication/translation procedures must be completed.
Does the Adoption Decision Automatically Register Citizenship in the Population Records?
The law ties the citizenship consequence to the date of the adoption decision. However, the issuance of an adoption decision does not mean that the citizenship and population records are completed automatically in the system. The citizenship file must be properly created before the relevant authority, the necessary documents must be submitted, and the population records must be completed.
For this reason, both the legal validity of the adoption relationship and the administrative process concerning the determination and registration of citizenship must be assessed together in the file.
How Is the Age Requirement Assessed?
Article 17 of Law No. 5901 regulates a "minor" adopted by a Turkish citizen. For this reason, the child's date of birth, the date of the adoption decision and the date on which the decision produced legal effect are the key elements of the file. In particular, if the person has reached the age of 18 at the time of the application, the date on which and the legal status under which the adoption took place must be examined separately.
Important Distinction. This page explains the acquisition of citizenship through adoption. The family law requirements and the adoption procedure needed for a child to be adopted are a legal process separate from the citizenship application.
Adoption Decision and Population Records
Which Documents Are Basically Reviewed for the Application?
Within the framework of the citizenship-by-adoption application published by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, the basic documents are as follows:
Depending on the characteristics of the file, a passport or citizenship document, the adoption decision and the record of finalization, guardianship/custody documents, documents concerning the use of the foreign decision in Türkiye, records showing name and surname discrepancies, and additional official documents may also be reviewed. The list of documents must be finalized according to the country concerned and the existing record structure of the file.
Where and How Is the Application Made?
- In Türkiye, the application is made to the relevant citizenship unit at the governorship of the place of residence.
- Abroad, the application can be made through Turkish diplomatic missions.
- The application can be made in person or by a special power of attorney concerning the exercise of this right; applications by post are not accepted.
- The citizenship application of a minor is conducted by the parent or guardian.
- The manner of authentication and Turkish translation of foreign official documents is checked according to the country in which the document was issued and the applicable international regulations.
Adoption Decisions Issued in a Foreign Country
If the adoption decision has been issued by a foreign court or competent authority, the legal method by which this decision can be used in Türkiye must be determined before the citizenship application. Since there is no single procedure for every foreign adoption decision, the file is examined individually with regard to the country in which the decision was issued, the finalization of the decision, applicable international conventions and population registration.
Where necessary, the process is conducted in connection with Recognition, Enforcement and Private International Law services. In terms of intercountry adoption procedures, the procedures carried out with the central authority and the competent institutions of the relevant country are assessed separately from the citizenship file.
What We Do for You
Preliminary Suitability Review
The date of the adoption decision, the child's age, citizenship status and the basic requirements under Article 17 are examined.
Adoption Decision and Record Review
The court decision, its finalization status, the population records and, if any, the way the foreign decision is used in Türkiye are assessed.
Document and Translation Plan
Authentication, apostille or consular procedures for birth, identity, citizenship, guardianship/custody and other foreign documents are planned according to the file.
VAT-7 Citizenship File
The application form and supporting documents are prepared, and missing or conflicting records are checked before the application.
Application and Process Follow-Up
Citizenship procedures before the governorship or diplomatic mission are followed up; additional document requests are answered when necessary.
Post-Citizenship Population Procedures
The creation/updating of the population record, identity and passport procedures, and name, surname and family records are followed up.
Refusal or Registration Issues
In cases of refusal, incomplete registration or doubts about citizenship status, administrative and, where necessary, judicial avenues are assessed separately.
How the Process Works
- 01
Review of the Adoption and Citizenship Status
The adoption decision, its finalization status, the child's age and the existing citizenship/population records are examined.
- 02
Usability Check in Türkiye
If the decision was issued in a foreign country, it is determined whether recognition, registration or another procedure is required in Türkiye.
- 03
Preparation of the Document Plan
The VAT-7, birth and identity documents, photograph, translation/authentication and other file-specific documents are prepared.
- 04
Submission of the Application
The citizenship application is conducted before the competent governorship or diplomatic mission.
- 05
Additional Documents and Review Process
Additional information and documents requested by the administration are prepared; if there are record discrepancies, the necessary procedures are carried out to resolve them.
- 06
Citizenship and Population Registration
The completion of the citizenship status and the population records is followed up.
- 07
Identity, Passport and Subsequent Procedures
The Turkish identity card, passport and other necessary post-citizenship procedures are carried out.
Are the General Citizenship Requirements Required for Citizenship by Adoption?
Citizenship by adoption is regulated as a separate route of acquisition in Law No. 5901. For this reason, requirements found in citizenship by the general route, such as five years of residence, Turkish language proficiency or income/occupation, are not separately listed in Article 17. The file is assessed on the basis of the requirements of Article 17 itself and the legal validity of the adoption relationship.
Refusal, Incomplete Registration or Citizenship Status Issue
If the application is refused, a problem arises in using the adoption decision in Türkiye, the child's population record is created incompletely, or there is doubt about the citizenship status, the grounds of the decision and the existing records are examined first. Depending on the file, an administrative application, record correction, a procedure connected with recognition/enforcement, or the appropriate judicial avenue is assessed.
- Adoption Decision Review
- Citizenship Suitability
- VAT-7 File
- Population and Identity Procedures
Information date: 17 August 2026. The legal basis and practice information have been prepared in accordance with Article 17 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and the current citizenship application explanations of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs.