Company Formation in Turkey: Complete 2026 Guide for Foreigners

Quick answer: Foreign individuals and overseas companies can generally establish and own a company in Türkiye without a Turkish shareholder. The right route depends on the planned activity, shareholder type, governance needs and whether the founder must complete any part of the process remotely.

Company registration creates the legal entity. It does not, by itself, make the business ready for banking, invoicing, employment or a regulated activity. This 2026 guide separates the Trade Registry stage from the operational steps that follow.

Start here for an overview of the company-formation process. For narrower decisions, use the foreign-founder eligibility guide, the step-by-step formation process, the MERSİS and Trade Registry filing guide, the formation timeline guide, or the company formation cost guide.

Choose the Right Company Structure

Foreign founders most often compare a limited liability company (LLC), a joint-stock company (JSC), a Turkish subsidiary owned by an overseas company and a branch of an overseas company. The decision should follow the intended ownership and operating model, not the label that sounds most established.

For a closer structural comparison, read types of companies in Turkey, which company type to choose and branch office versus subsidiary.

Minimum Capital Is Company Money, Not a Formation Fee

Statutory share capital is not a Workon fee, professional fee or government charge. It is money committed by the shareholders to the company. Quotations should show capital separately from provider fees, official payments, professional work and document expenses.

Registered-capital exception: if a non-public JSC adopts the registered-capital system, the current minimum starting capital is TRY 500,000. The TRY 250,000 figure above is the general minimum for an ordinary JSC.

The EUR figures use the TCMB foreign-exchange selling rate published for 28 August 2026 (EUR 1 = TRY 56.0853). They are dated comparisons only; the legal capital amounts remain denominated in TRY.

Workon coordinates company registration and connected operational steps according to the agreed written scope.

Documents for Individuals, Corporate Shareholders and Branches

The document list changes materially when the shareholder is a foreign company rather than an individual. It also changes again for a branch. Confirm the issuing country, signatories and intended Turkish use before arranging apostilles, consular legalisation or courier delivery.

The exact list depends on the registry, issuing country, shareholder chain, representation model and activity. Unless a written proposal expressly says otherwise, documents that an overseas shareholder or parent must obtain or prepare in its home country—and the costs incurred there—are outside the Workon package. Türkiye-based sworn translation, notarisation and legalisation handling are treated according to the written scope.

See the detailed company-document guide and power-of-attorney guide.

Can Company Formation Be Completed Remotely?

Company incorporation can generally be coordinated through a properly drafted power of attorney and correctly legalised documents. The authority must cover the acts required for the chosen structure; vague or incomplete wording can create a second document cycle.

Remote incorporation and remote corporate banking are separate matters. A company may be registered without every founder travelling, but a bank still performs its own compliance review of the company, shareholders, controllers, directors and intended transactions. Many banks require an authorised director to attend in person. A bank-specific remote process may sometimes be available, but approval and activation belong to the bank and cannot be guaranteed as part of Trade Registry incorporation.

Company Registration Process in Turkey

1. Define the structure: confirm the entity type, shareholders, managers or directors, registered address, capital, representation rules and planned activity.
2. Prepare shareholder documents: obtain the individual or corporate documents required for the chosen route.
3. Complete legalisation and translation: use the correct apostille or consular route and arrange sworn Turkish translation and notarisation where required.
4. Obtain potential tax numbers: non-Turkish shareholders and relevant managers or board members generally require potential tax identification numbers.
5. Draft through MERSİS: record the company name, purpose, capital, ownership and representation rules in the central registration system.
6. File with the Trade Registry: submit the accepted documents, make the statutory payments and complete registration.
7. Collect registration outputs: obtain the registry records and complete applicable signature and legal-book formalities.

A Trade Registry filing may be completed quickly after a complete and accepted file is ready. The end-to-end schedule still depends on overseas document preparation, legalisation, translation, appointments and institutional review. Banking, the tax-office commencement process, digital tools and sector approvals have their own timelines. No single duration accurately covers every founder’s route.

Registration and Operational Readiness Are Different Milestones

A registered company may still need tax, banking, address, digital and sector steps before it is ready to operate.

Workon’s company-formation packages include preparation and coordination for the tax-office commencement inspection, including when the registered address is not a Workon office. The authority controls timing and outcome; coordination is not a tax audit and does not guarantee approval.

A registered address must be suitable for the company and its activity. A physical office is not automatically required in every case, and a virtual office in Turkey may be considered where the facts and current requirements allow it. Address suitability, tax-office procedures and sector conditions must be checked separately.

How to Compare Company Formation Costs

A single advertised total can hide exclusions. Compare written proposals against the same cost stack:

What the Istanbul CPA Tariff Can Tell You

The Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants (İSMMMO) publishes a 2026 workload-based professional fee tariff. It is a reference for licensed SMMM/CPA work—not a Workon price, public filing fee or universal quotation.

*Approximate EUR amounts use the same 28 August 2026 TCMB rate stated above. The tariff notes include workload variables and additions or reductions for matters such as business scale, digital-ledger size, employees, İstanbul, branches, foreign trade, inflation adjustment and inactive status. The applicable professional scope must be confirmed by the licensed SMMM/CPA. See the İSMMMO professional fee tariff index and Workon’s detailed Turkish CPA guide.

Variable Türkiye translation and notary expenses are normally handled through an estimated budget and reconciled against actual cost. Fees for a licensed CPA vary with the activity, document volume, employees and filing obligations. For dated EUR examples and the full comparison method, read the true cost of setting up a company in Turkey and the Turkish CPA requirement guide.

Common Preventable Risks

Early checks reduce avoidable rework across documents, registration, banking and post-registration coordination.

• Choosing a structure for appearance: compare ownership, governance, transfer, capital and investment needs before selecting an LLC or JSC.
• Sending foreign documents too early: confirm wording, issuing authority, validity, legalisation and translation requirements before signatures or courier dispatch.
• Using a narrow power of attorney: map the required acts before the document is notarised or legalised.
• Treating registration as launch day: plan banking, CPA/tax onboarding, address procedures and digital requirements as distinct milestones.
• Assuming bank approval: prepare source-of-funds, ownership and business-activity evidence, but recognise that the bank retains the decision.
• Ignoring an inactive company’s obligations: a company may still have recurring filing and compliance duties even when it has no transactions. The licensed CPA should confirm the current calendar for the specific entity.

How Workon Coordinates the Process

Workon is an end-to-end business setup and operational coordination platform for foreign founders and overseas companies entering Türkiye. Depending on the agreed scope, Workon coordinates the incorporation file, registered address, power-of-attorney and document workflow, Trade Registry steps, bank-application preparation, licensed CPA onboarding, tax-office commencement yoklama / verification preparation, KEP and e-signature, and connected operating requirements.

Where the agreed scope includes regulated legal, tax/accounting, customs, sworn-translation or notarial work, Workon coordinates the required handoff through the appropriately licensed or authorised professional. Banks and public authorities retain their own approval powers and timelines.

Review Workon’s company registration and operational coordination service or request a case-specific scope based on the shareholder, structure, activity and remote-processing requirements.

Official Sources and Review Note

• Ministry of Trade: statutory minimum capital for LLCs and JSCs
• Invest in Türkiye: establishing a business, foreign shareholders and overseas documents
• TCMB exchange rates via e-Devlet
• İSMMMO: professional fee tariffs and the 2026 workload-based tariff

Last reviewed: 13 September 2026. Company structure, foreign-document formalities, banking and sector requirements should be confirmed for the specific shareholder, activity, issuing country and institution.

Frequently Asked Questions