Turkish nationality is generally not required to establish a company in Türkiye. The foreign direct investment regime is based on equal treatment, so international investors may, subject to sector-specific rules, establish the company forms available under the Turkish Commercial Code and hold shares in them. This applies both to individuals living in Germany and to German corporate shareholders. Regulated sectors such as broadcasting, maritime transport, aviation or financial services may involve additional licences, approvals or ownership restrictions.
Company ownership should be separated from immigration and employment status. Holding shares in a Turkish company does not by itself give a foreign shareholder the right to work or reside in Türkiye.
The two structures most commonly considered by international investors are the Turkish Limited Şirket, generally abbreviated Ltd. Şti., and the Anonim Şirket, or A.Ş. Both may be formed with a single shareholder. The appropriate choice depends not only on formation cost but also on future investors, transfer of shares, management, financing and the intended governance model.
As of 14 September 2026, the statutory minimum capital is TRY 50,000 for a new Limited Şirket and TRY 250,000 for an Anonim Şirket. For an A.Ş., at least one quarter of cash capital subscribed must be paid before registration and the balance may be paid within 24 months. For a Ltd. Şti., subscribed cash capital may be paid within 24 months after registration. These are company-law minimums; separate thresholds may apply for regulated activities, banking requirements or a foreign shareholder’s work permit.
The articles of association are prepared through MERSIS, Türkiye’s Central Registry Record System, and incorporation is completed through the competent Trade Registry Directorate. The company name, registered office, business objects, capital, shareholding, management and representation structure should be settled consistently before filing. A generic set of articles may be inadequate where there are several shareholders, a foreign parent company or specific governance arrangements.
MERSIS provides the electronic infrastructure for registration, but that does not remove requirements concerning identity, signatures, authority to represent a foreign shareholder or the form of foreign documents. These matters must still be documented in a form acceptable to the Turkish registry.
For a foreign individual, the process commonly involves the passport, a Turkish translation and relevant certification, together with a potential Turkish tax identification number. If a representative handles the incorporation, the power of attorney should cover the required trade registry, tax and other formation steps.
Where the shareholder is a German legal entity, the file is broader. It may include a current commercial-register or activity certificate, the competent corporate resolution approving the Turkish investment, evidence of signatory authority and, where necessary, the appointment of the person who will act in Türkiye. Public documents issued outside Türkiye generally require an apostille or Turkish consular authentication unless an exemption applies, followed by an appropriate Turkish translation. An apostille verifies the official origin of the document; it does not confirm that the corporate decision is substantively sufficient under Turkish law.
Many incorporation steps can be completed in Türkiye by an authorised representative. A power of attorney issued by a Turkish consulate does not require a separate German apostille for use in Türkiye. A German notarised power of attorney may require an apostille and an appropriately certified Turkish translation. The authority should be drafted around the actual process, particularly where tax-number, registry, banking or signature-related steps will also be handled by the representative.
Opening a bank account is a separate compliance process. Banks may request information on beneficial owners, ownership structure, business activities, source of funds and representation powers. Registration of the company does not automatically require a particular bank to open an account.
A foreign shareholder who also acts as the manager of a Limited Şirket or as a shareholder-member of the board of an Anonim Şirket may fall within Turkish work-permit rules. Non-managing shareholders and certain non-resident board members are treated differently under the labour authorities’ rules.
The capital and employment thresholds used in work-permit assessment are separate from the minimum capital needed merely to form the company and may be materially higher. If the foreign investor intends to work in Türkiye rather than remain a passive shareholder, the shareholding, management role and work-permit position should therefore be considered together at the outset.
For companies newly registered on or after 1 January 2026, the share ledger and the general assembly meeting and negotiation book are maintained through the Electronic Commercial Book System, ETDS. The relevant books are activated electronically when the company is registered, so the appointment of the person responsible for the electronic books should be addressed during incorporation.
After registration, further steps may still be required for tax administration, social security, banking, accounting, premises, employees and sector-specific permits. Foreign-invested companies should also track the applicable foreign direct investment reporting obligations through E-TUYS.
An established German business may also consider a Turkish branch or, where no commercial activity will be carried out, a liaison office. A branch is not a legal entity separate from the foreign parent company. A liaison office is subject to a separate authorisation regime and may not conduct commercial activities in Türkiye.
The appropriate structure therefore depends on what the business will actually do in Türkiye, which entity will sign contracts, whether personnel will be employed, whether local revenue will be earned and how the Turkish operation will relate to the German parent. Choosing the structure before preparing foreign documents avoids having to repeat apostille, translation and corporate approval work later.
Sources
An inheritance in Türkiye may include property, bank accounts or business interests, even when the family lives in Germany. Much of the administration can be handled through a representative in Türkiye. First establish the heirs and liabilities, then identify each institution’s requirements for releasing assets or updating records.
A person living in Germany does not always need to travel to Türkiye to sell property there, handle inheritance matters, deal with a bank account or bring court proceedings. Many procedures can be handled through an appropriate power of attorney. Whether the document can be used in Türkiye depends not only on where it was executed, but also on the powers it contains and the formal requirements of the intended transaction. A consular power of attorney, a German notarial instrument, an apostille and a translation each serve a different function in that process.
As a general rule, heirs acquire the estate upon death. Tapu intikali, the land registry transfer of inherited title, records that acquisition in the Turkish land register; it does not create ownership afresh in the manner of a sale. Registration is nevertheless required before an heir can carry out dispositions such as a sale of the property. The transfer therefore does not replace a later partition of the estate or a sale. Turkish Civil Code, Articles 599 and 705.
For administrative registration under Article 27/A of Turkish Civil Registration Services Law No. 5490, the decision must have been issued by a competent authority in Germany, must be final under German law and must not be manifestly contrary to Turkish public policy. The application may be submitted to the competent Turkish foreign mission in Germany or to a provincial directorate of population and citizenship affairs in Türkiye authorised to process these applications. Processing the application through the consulate does not mean that the German divorce case is reheard on its merits.
In a Turkish estate, the family may know that the deceased held a bank account, time deposit, participation account or investment portfolio in Türkiye. In other cases the heirs do not know which institution holds the assets. For an heir living in Germany, the first step is therefore not withdrawing the money but identifying the estate in an orderly way. The location of the assets, the form of inheritance evidence, Turkish inheritance tax and the rights of co-heirs all affect the process.