A significant part of inheritance procedures in Türkiye can be carried out from abroad, with a suitable power of attorney and a complete document file. This requires the inheritance certificate, the transfer of title in the land registry, the tax return, bank transactions and, where applicable, a sale to be defined separately. A power of attorney in general terms, or a scanned copy of a document sent by email, does not replace the authority to carry out each transaction or an official document.
In remote follow-up, the main question is not in which country the person is, but whether valid representation has been established for the transaction to be carried out in Türkiye. Foreign citizenship, residence abroad, the presence of minor heirs and disputes among the heirs may change this plan. This article addresses the establishment of representation and the conclusion of the file within the research framework as of October 13, 2026.
How to Distinguish Transactions That Can Be Handled Remotely from Those Requiring Personal Attendance?
A representative in Türkiye may be used to collect documents, request a certificate of inheritance, follow tax matters and file applications with institutions within the scope of the authority granted. However, being represented does not mean that the person will not have to do anything in the country where they are located. When the power of attorney is drawn up, verification of identity and intent, the need for an interpreter or the submission of original documents may come up.
Whether the court requests a personal statement, permissions related to guardianship or other person-specific conditions are also assessed on a file-by-file basis. Therefore, following a matter from Türkiye without traveling is a workable method; it is not a commitment that a definitive result will be obtained with the same document and within the same time in every file.
What information should be clarified at the first meeting?
- The decedent’s date of death, last place of residence and citizenships on the date of death.
- The identities, citizenships, countries of residence and family ties of the heirs.
- Known immovable property, bank accounts, company shares and other assets in Türkiye.
- Known debts, any will, a previous certificate of inheritance and ongoing lawsuits.
- The desired outcome: documents only, transfer, payment, division or sale.
- Any approaching deadline for a declaration, disclaimer, objection or court procedure.
This list is not used only to gather information. It determines which authority is needed at which institution and which document should be prepared first. For example, a text authorizing the obtaining of a certificate of inheritance may not be suitable for selling the same property to a third party.
Where can the power of attorney be drawn up?
Route through a Turkish consulate
The notarial services of Turkish foreign missions are one of the routes that can be used to draw up a power of attorney abroad. Before the transaction is submitted to the relevant mission, the principal’s identity and citizenship status, the language to be used, and the interpreter and appointment conditions should be checked. Before applying, the agent’s identity and professional details and the details of the intended transaction should be prepared. Information notes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also show the importance of document preparation according to the type of power of attorney. 1 The general situation of heirs living abroad is explained in the article inheritance of those living abroad in Türkiye.
A document executed by a Turkish consulate under its own notarial authority and a document from a foreign country’s notary are not subject to the same certification chain. It cannot be said that a consular document automatically requires an apostille simply because it was issued abroad. The Apostille Convention excludes from its scope documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents. 2
Route through a foreign country’s notary
A power of attorney can also be drawn up before a competent notary or authority in the country where the person is staying. Three separate checks apply here: the authority of the person executing the document and the form of the document; certification or exemption for use in Türkiye; and the Turkish translation and sufficiency of the representation content for the intended transaction.
Where an apostille can be applied, it must be in force between the countries concerned and must cover the document. Where a treaty provides an exemption from certification, unnecessary additional certification should not be requested. Where the apostille route is not available, the consular certification chain is assessed. Writing one method for all countries under the heading “foreign document” can lead to unnecessary expense as well as to missed steps. 2 3
Foreign powers of attorney to be used at the land registry
For land registry transactions, foreign powers of attorney are examined separately for form and content under the TKGM’s regulations on the subject. Execution of the document in the official language of the country where it was drawn up and by a competent authority, proper attachment of the photograph, certification and Turkish translation requirements are all part of this review. Not every foreign signature certification should be treated as equivalent to a power of attorney suitable for the transfer of immovable property in Türkiye. 3 Land disputes involving parties abroad are discussed in the article annulment of title for foreigners and persons living abroad.
For this reason, before going to a foreign notary, the text to be prepared should be checked to see whether it covers the land registry transaction to be carried out. This preliminary check does not remove the institution’s final assessment, but it reduces the risk of having to redo the document because of a missing authority or photograph.
How should the authority text be prepared according to the transaction?
TBK Article 504 governs the scope of the mandate, while HMK Article 74 governs the transactions that require express authority in litigation. These two provisions answer the same question in different fields. The explanation a bank requests for payment authority, statutory special authority and the parties’ own internal instructions are separate headings. 4 5 For abuse of a power of attorney, the article annulment of title for abuse of a power of attorney can also be reviewed.
| Target transaction | Matter to be clarified in the authority text | Limit to observe |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of inheritance | Court and document procedures for the relevant decedent | Does not provide representation of other heirs |
| Tax matters | Declaration, submission of documents, assessment and payment follow-up | Does not by itself remove a tax debt |
| Transfer of title | Registration of the immovable property on account of inheritance | Not the same as sale authority |
| Bank transactions | Scope of information requests, document submission, collection and transfer | Co-ownership and partnership conditions are required separately |
| Sale or property right | Express authority for transfer or encumbrance | TBK Article 504 and the form requirements of the land registry matter |
| Settlement, waiver, acknowledgment | Express authority under HMK Article 74 | These are acts of will that can cause loss of rights |
| Disclaimer of inheritance | Specific authorization for disclaimer and time limit check | General authority for follow-up cannot be relied on |
Why should transfer and sale authority be separated?
A person may want only to have the apartment of their late father registered in the names of the heirs. Authority to sell, donate or grant a mortgage is not inherently necessary for that purpose. The scope of the power of attorney should be built on the actual business need. If a decision to sell is made later, the additional authority required can be planned separately. Details on the transfer of an inheritance share are explained in the article transfer of an inheritance share.
If a sale is also requested, the description of the immovable property, the payment method and the parties’ internal instructions should be clarified. An internal instruction and the representation authority visible to third parties can have different legal effects, so a very broad power should not be granted merely by relying on a limit written in an email. The limits that the representation authority itself must contain should be assessed separately.
Can authority given to a lawyer be used for other heirs?
A power of attorney binds only the person who granted it. One sibling’s signature does not provide representation of the other siblings. That every heir authorizes the same person also does not mean their interests coincide in every situation. If conflicts arise over shares, prior gifts or the sale price, the professional and legal conditions of joint representation should be reassessed.
Under Article 640 of the Turkish Civil Code (TMK), the estate community does not allow a sole heir to dispose of the entire estate freely. On the other hand, it is not a general requirement that one heir receive powers of attorney from all the others in order to request a certificate of inheritance. Filing an application that shows all the heirs and representing all of them are separate concepts. 6
In which order should documents be prepared and sent?
First, identity and family records are matched
Death, birth, marriage and, if any, divorce or name-change records should refer to the same persons. A missing second name in one record, or a different Latin-script transliteration, may require additional explanation. This cannot be resolved by sending disconnected documents separately to the translator, notary and court; the document chain must be built as a whole.
When the first check is made on scans, the issuing authority, date, pages and attachments of each document are recorded. Where an original is required, it is not assumed that a scan can be accepted in its place. Physical integrity problems, such as an apostille attached to the document or the separation of additional pages, are examined before sending.
The scope of certification and translation is preserved
A translation must cover not only the first page of a document but also the notes, certifications, finality statements and attachments that matter for the transaction. It is important which signature an apostille verifies: the signature of the issuing authority, a certification of a copy and a certification of a translation are not the same thing. In court, HMK Articles 223–224 govern the nature of a foreign official document and its translation. 5
A will, a foreign certificate of inheritance and a death certificate in the same file each have a different function. The fact that a certificate of inheritance was issued in a foreign country does not settle which legal route will be used in Türkiye. Information on the certificate of inheritance is available in the article certificate of inheritance.
Document delivery is recorded
A practical delivery list includes the document name, date of issue, whether it is an original or a copy, the status of certification and translation, the date sent and the recipient’s details. This list does not replace the legal form; it shows where a missing document is. Sensitive family and identity documents should not be sent to unnecessary persons, and access should be limited to the persons assigned to the file.
Actionable workflow for remote follow-up
- Target transactions and heirs are identified; time limits that must be assessed early, such as the disclaimer of inheritance, are set aside.
- Identity, death, family and asset documents are reviewed in a preliminary check.
- The appropriate drafting and certification route in the country where the principal is located is selected, and the scope of the power of attorney is prepared.
- Originals or necessary official copies are obtained, and incomplete translations are completed.
- The certificate of inheritance and any other necessary judicial procedures are followed; the tax calendar is monitored separately.
- Land registry, bank and other institutional transactions are carried out under their own conditions.
- Collection, payment, expense and record outcomes are documented, and the file is accounted for.
This order does not mean that every transaction must wait for the previous one. Applications that protect a deadline, document preparation and estate research are carried out in parallel where needed. However, one should not move to a sale or division outcome before a legal basis has been formed. For the division process, see the article estate partition agreement.
How are tax, disclaimer and protection periods followed?
Preparing a power of attorney does not automatically suspend statutory time limits. For the inheritance and transfer tax return, Article 9 of Law No. 7338 applies; for disclaimer of an inheritance governed by Turkish law, Article 606 et seq. of the Turkish Civil Code (TMK) applies; and for court procedures, the relevant procedural provision applies separately. There is no single “inheritance transaction period.” 6 7
For example, if the death occurred in Türkiye and the heir is abroad, the six-month period is relevant for the tax return. This does not lead to the conclusion that Turkish law provides a six-month period for disclaimer of an inheritance. The start of the general three-month period for disclaimer is determined separately according to the heir’s status and the circumstances in which they learned of the inheritance.
Before collecting money from the estate or selling property, debt and disclaimer questions should be assessed. Estate transactions that go beyond ordinary administration may affect the right to disclaim. On the other hand, it cannot be said that every act aimed at protection is automatically treated as acceptance; the nature of the act is examined under TMK Article 610. For the disclaimer period and procedure, the article disclaimer of inheritance can also be reviewed.
Bank payment and transfer of money abroad
Requesting information, determining the balance in an account, paying an heir’s share and sending money to a foreign account are different steps. In addition to the certificate of inheritance, the bank evaluates the scope of representation, joint ownership of rights, the documents or withholding arrangement relating to tax, and the payment instruction. Authority to collect does not remove every missing document. 6 7
For a money transfer, the owner of the recipient account, the account details, the fees and the currency conversion should be set out in writing in advance. The documents a bank requests for identity or the source of funds may vary by institution and by transaction. It is not accurate to state a single document list or a fixed fee for all banks.
The amount collected by the representative, the expenses made and the remaining balance should be explained with documents. The duty to render accounts and to deliver what has been received, under TBK Article 508, is especially important in remote follow-up. A notice that “the file has been concluded” should be supported by an account statement and transaction records. 4
Restriction or termination of the power of attorney
When the work is completed, it should be reviewed whether the authority continues. The termination of the mandate contract, the status of the representation authority in external relations and the notification of the relevant institutions are separate assessments. If a decision to revoke is made, sending a short message only to the representative should not be assumed to be sufficient for every institution. TBK Articles 42–45 and 512–513 are important for this distinction. 4
The death or capacity of the principal may also change the effect of an existing representation relationship. Using a power of attorney previously given by the decedent for new rights of the heirs after death, without any review, is not correct. The nature of the work and the relevant statutory exceptions are assessed separately.
Conclusion
The basis for handling inheritance matters from abroad without traveling to Türkiye is valid and purpose-appropriate representation, supported by a traceable document file. The scope of authority, certification, translation, time limits and the conditions of each institution should be planned together. Successful follow-up is not measured only by filing an application; the certificate of inheritance, registration, tax, payment and accounting outcomes must each be completed with concrete documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a power of attorney I signed by email sufficient?
Generally, it does not replace an official power of attorney. A document that meets the form and certification conditions of the transaction is required. Email may be used for drafting the text and for preliminary review.
Does a power of attorney drawn up at a Turkish consulate require an apostille?
It cannot be said that a document notarized by a Turkish consulate under its own notarial authority requires an apostille merely because it was issued abroad. The nature of the document and the conditions of the transaction are taken as the basis.
Is a foreign notary’s power of attorney definitively accepted at the land registry?
No. The competent drafting, photograph, certification, translation and transactional authority are separately reviewed for compliance with the land registry rules. An apostille does not cover the whole of that review.
If I only want transfer, should I grant sale authority?
If only the transfer is the goal, sale authority should not be assumed to be necessary. The authority can be limited to the work that needs to be done.
Can one heir’s power of attorney be used to collect the money of other heirs?
An heir cannot grant representation authority on behalf of the other heirs by themselves. The joint estate, payment and representation conditions are assessed separately.
Does preparing a power of attorney suspend the disclaimer or tax period?
It does not suspend them automatically. The start and protection of time limits must be followed on a calendar separate from the preparation of documents.
Sources and legal bases
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Türkiye in Bangkok, information note on power-of-attorney procedures, September 3, 2018. Information note.
- HCCH, Apostille Convention of October 5, 1961, Articles 1–5. Convention text.
- Land Registry and Cadastre General Directorate (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü), Circular No. 2015/5 on powers of attorney issued in foreign countries, August 11, 2015. Circular text.
- Law No. 6098, Turkish Code of Obligations, Articles 42–45, 504, 508 and 512–513. Law text.
- Law No. 6100 on Civil Procedure, Articles 74 and 223–224. Law text.
- Law No. 4721, Turkish Civil Code, Articles 598–599, 606–610 and 640. Law text.
- Law No. 7338 on Inheritance and Transfer Tax, Articles 9 and 17. Revenue Administration Presidency (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı). Law record.