Choosing the structure first
Before anything is filed, one question has to be answered properly: what are you actually going to do in Türkiye? A liaison office may not trade or invoice. A branch is not a separate legal person and its profit remittances are taxed. A limited liability company is cheap to run but rigid on share transfers. A joint-stock company is heavier but is the vehicle you want if there will ever be new investors or a sale.
Getting this wrong is expensive to unwind, so we start with the commercial plan, not the paperwork.
| Structure | Separate legal entity | Minimum capital | Can invoice locally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited liability company (LLC) | Yes | TRY 50,000 | Yes |
| Joint-stock company (JSC) | Yes | TRY 250,000 | Yes |
| Branch | No | None set | Yes |
| Liaison office | No | None | No |
What we do
- Consultancy on the company type that fits your activity, ownership plan and exit expectations
- Preparation of all documents in draft, including the articles of association
- Submission through MERSİS and registration at the Trade Registry Directorate
- Follow-up of all registration procedures with the tax office, municipality and fire department
- Obtaining potential tax identification numbers for foreign shareholders and non-resident directors
- Coordination of the bank account opening and the capital deposit
- Certification of the statutory books and issue of the signature circular
- Registration with the Social Security Institution as an employer
- Activation of e-invoice, e-ledger and e-notification
- Preparation of the annual Activity Report and the Foreign Direct Investment information filings submitted through E-TUYS each year
- Time extension applications for liaison offices
- Handover into ongoing bookkeeping, tax return preparation and payroll
Documents you will need from your side
For a foreign individual shareholder: a passport copy. For a foreign corporate shareholder: a certificate of activity showing current status and signatories, and a resolution of the competent corporate organ authorising the incorporation.
Everything executed outside Türkiye must be notarised and apostilled — or legalised at the Turkish consulate if your country is not a party to the Hague Convention — and then translated by a sworn translator and notarised in Türkiye. We send you the exact wording before you sign, because Turkish registries and banks read a power of attorney narrowly and a general one gets rejected.
Realistic timeline
The trade registry step is fast. What sets the actual timeline is outside the registry: getting your documents apostilled at home, and opening the bank account, where full KYC on foreign shareholders and beneficial owners takes days to weeks depending on the bank and your risk profile.
We give you a dated plan covering both before you start, so the schedule you commit to internally is one that survives contact with reality.