Last updated: 29 October 2026
The lists below give you a general framework to help you prepare. We share a list specific to your field of activity and shareholding structure at the initial meeting.
Opening a Sole Proprietorship
- Turkish national identity card
- Lease agreement for the business premises, or title deed details if you own the property
- Details of the business activity and start date
- Signature declaration (imza beyannamesi)
- Registration with the chamber of tradesmen and craftsmen or the chamber of commerce, depending on the activity
- Phone, email and registered electronic mail (KEP) address details
Setting Up a Limited or Joint-Stock Company
- Identity cards of shareholders and directors; for foreign shareholders, passport and Turkish tax number
- Proposed company name and field of activity
- Capital amount and shareholding ratios
- Lease agreement or title deed details for the registered office
- Signature declarations to be given at the trade registry office
- Payment receipts for capital and the Competition Authority fee, depending on the company type
We prepare the articles of association and the MERSİS application.
Switching Your Accounting to Us
When we take over the accounting of an operating business, we need the following information and documents so that the records continue without interruption:
- Tax certificate (vergi levhası) and certificate of activity; trade registry gazettes for companies
- Latest trial balance, books and returns already filed
- Signing the electronic filing intermediary agreement
- e-Invoice, e-Archive and e-Ledger user details and the financial seal (mali mühür)
- List of bank accounts and statements for the period
- If you have employees, the SGK workplace registration number and list of employees
If You Will Employ Staff
The employment start notification must be submitted before the employee starts work. For this, we need the following details of the employee:
- Turkish ID number and contact details
- Start date and job description
- Gross or net salary
- Bank IBAN for salary payments
For Foreign Nationals
If you are not a Turkish citizen, the following are usually needed in addition to the lists above:
- Turkish tax number: obtained from a tax office with your passport, and needed for company shareholding, opening a bank account and most official procedures
- Notarised Turkish translation of your passport
- For a sole proprietorship: a valid residence permit; working on a self-employed basis may also require a work permit
- If the shareholder is a foreign company: its registry documents, apostilled in its home country and translated into Turkish by a sworn translator with notarisation
- For notary procedures such as the signature declaration: a sworn translator if you do not speak Turkish; the signature declaration can also be made at a Turkish consulate abroad
- To employ a foreign national: a work permit obtained before employment starts; the foreigner identity number (starting with 99) is used for the SGK notification
Being a shareholder in a Turkish company does not require living in Turkey. We tell you which of these documents apply to your situation at the initial meeting.
The information on this page is general in nature and may vary depending on changes in legislation and the characteristics of the business. Please contact us for an assessment specific to you.