Turkey allows 100% foreign ownership of a company in almost every sector, with no requirement for a local partner. Under the Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875, foreign investors are treated equally to Turkish citizens for company formation purposes. That said, the process has a specific sequence, and skipping a step — or arriving with the wrong documents — is what most often causes delays.
1. Choose your company type
Most foreign investors form either a Limited Şirket (Ltd. Şti., broadly equivalent to an LLC) or a Joint Stock Company (A.Ş.). An Ltd. Şti. requires a minimum capital of TRY 50,000, with 0% due upfront and the full amount payable within 24 months of registration — making it the more common choice for smaller operations. An A.Ş. requires a higher minimum capital of TRY 250,000, with at least 25% paid before registration, and is typically chosen by larger operations or where share transferability matters.
2. Prepare your documents
As a foreign individual founder, you will generally need a notarized and translated passport copy, a Turkish tax identification number, founder information, and a Power of Attorney if you are using a local representative rather than attending in person. Any document issued abroad — such as a foreign parent company's incorporation records — needs apostille certification or Turkish consular legalization, followed by a sworn translation into Turkish before it can be used.
3. File with MERSIS and the Trade Registry
Incorporation begins with drafting the articles of association and assigning NACE activity codes in MERSIS, Turkey's central company registration system. The file is then submitted to the relevant Chamber of Commerce's Trade Registry. Once your documents are complete and properly translated, registration itself typically takes 3–5 business days.
4. Activate your tax registration
After Trade Registry approval, the company must obtain its tax plate (Vergi Levhası) from the local tax office, which typically includes a physical address inspection to confirm the company operates from a real, verifiable location.
5. Complete post-registration compliance
Before you can legally invoice clients, you'll need to activate your e-invoice system, register a KEP (registered electronic mail) address for official correspondence, and set up monthly accounting with a licensed CPA — a legal requirement for most company types in Turkey, not an optional service.
Taken together, most foreign investors should budget 2–4 weeks from a standing start to a fully operational company — Trade Registry approval is fast, but document legalization, sworn translation and bank account setup usually take longer than the registration itself.