Company formation in Turkey

The usual way to invest in Turkey is to form a capital company. A foreign individual or a company incorporated abroad can be a shareholder of a Turkish limited or joint-stock company.

Which form

A limited company is practical for a small number of shareholders and a straightforward operation. A joint-stock company fits when share transfers, a board and a later investment round need to be tracked separately.

What goes in the file

• Trade name, activity, headquarters, manager or board, and capital shares
• For an individual shareholder, a notarised passport translation and a potential tax number
• For a corporate shareholder, an apostilled certificate of incumbency, registry extract and sworn translations
• Power of attorney, signature circular, articles and the trade-registry filing

After registration, the tax office, chamber and bank account follow the same calendar. Incorporation does not itself grant the foreign shareholder a work permit.