Making Turkish documents valid in Bulgaria
A document issued in Türkiye does not take effect in Bulgaria on its own. The administration wants two things: proof that the issuing authority was competent, and a Bulgarian translation produced in the required form. The two are separate steps and the order matters.
Official documents and institutions · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23
Why an apostille
To use one state's public document in another, the authority that signed it must be verified. The 1961 Hague Convention replaced the consular chain with a single certificate, the apostille. Both Bulgaria and Türkiye are parties, so a Turkish public document becomes usable in Bulgaria once apostilled.
The EU simplification of public documents operates only between member states: for many commonly used civil-status documents no apostille or legalisation is required inside the Union. Türkiye is not a member state, so Turkish documents remain outside that simplification and the apostille route applies.
The translation link
According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a foreign document is translated into Bulgarian for use in Bulgaria, the translator's signature on that translation must be notarially certified by a Bulgarian notary. For a Bulgarian document translated for use abroad, the ministry certifies the translator's signature where the receiving state requires or accepts it; Bulgarian missions abroad certify only translations made by translators qualified with their consular services.
| Step | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Issue of the document | Competent Turkish authority | Recently dated |
| Apostille | Provincial or district administration; judicial commission for court documents | Depends on document type |
| Translation into Bulgarian | Translator | Confirm the receiving institution's requirements |
| Certification of the translator's signature | Bulgarian notary | For use in Bulgaria |
Apostille first, translation second
The bilateral legal assistance treaty
A bilateral treaty on legal assistance in civil and criminal matters operates between the two states. Documents transmitted between authorities within legal assistance are exempt from legalisation. That exemption concerns movement between authorities; when an individual files a document in person, the receiving institution may still require an apostille. Ask in advance.
Name spelling
Latin and Cyrillic spellings of the same name can produce two legally distinct persons. Choose the spelling deliberately at the first translation and keep it across every later document.
This is not legal or financial advice
Frequently asked questions
Is a translation made in Türkiye enough?
Not always. For use in Bulgaria the translator's signature normally has to be notarially certified by a Bulgarian notary.
Does the EU public documents simplification cover Turkish documents?
No. It operates between EU member states; Turkish documents follow the apostille route.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- Министерство на външните работи — заверки и легализации, обща информация — https://www.mfa.bg/bg/uslugi-patuvania/konsulski-uslugi/zaverki-legalizacia/obshta-informatsia · 2026-08-23
- Министерство на външните работи — нормативни документи и формуляри за заверки и легализации — https://www.mfa.bg/bg/uslugi-patuvania/konsulski-uslugi/zaverki-legalizacia/normativni-dokumenti-formuliari-zaverka-legalizacii · 2026-08-23
- T.C. Adalet Bakanlığı, Dış İlişkiler ve AB Genel Müdürlüğü — hukuki istinabe ve ikili sözleşmeler — https://diabgm.adalet.gov.tr/Home/SayfaDetay/hukuk-istinabe14022020110928 · 2026-08-23
- T.C. Çekmeköy Kaymakamlığı — apostil işlemleri (yetkili makamlar) — https://www.cekmekoy.gov.tr/apostil-islemleri · 2026-08-23
- Единен портал за електронни административни услуги (egov.bg) — https://egov.bg/ · 2026-08-23
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