Foreign nationals who own property or have financial or legal interests in Türkiye often need to issue a Power of Attorney (POA)— vekaletname—to allow a trusted representative to act on their behalf. Whether you’re planning to sell or purchase real estate, rent property, manage utilities, or handle banking transactions, you’ll need a properly legalized POA that’s valid in Türkiye.
Can Non-Turkish Citizens Apply at the Turkish Consulate?
The Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles does NOT accept in-person POA applications from non-Turkish citizens. Instead, there are two options to issue and legalize a valid POA from within the United States:
Option 1: U.S. Notary, County Clerk, and Turkish Consulate Approval
This method involves three layers of legal verification:
- U.S. Notary Approval – Your signature is verified by a licensed notary public.
- County Clerk Authentication – The county certifies the notary’s commission.
- Turkish Consulate Approval – The Consulate validates the stamp from the county clerk.
Please note: this approval verifies the authenticity of the signature and stamp, not the content of the POA itself. The POA document is no longer registered in the Turkish national notary database, as it was in-person applications in previous years.
A typical POA package contains:
- Consulate approval (cover page)
- County Clerk authentication (second page)
- English and Turkish versions of the POA with passport photo, applicant signatures, and notarial stamps on each page
Processing time is approximately 3 weeks. Usually rush service is not available.
Sample cover page for a power of attorney (Vekaletname) from the Turkish Consulate, Los Angeles – Notarized with county clerk approval
Sample county clerk certification of a power of attorney (vekaletname) prior to approval by the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles.
Apostilled powers of attorney (vekaletname) are shown on the left, and the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles–approved powers of attorney are shown on the right.
Option 2: U.S. Notary with Apostille Certificate
The Turkish Consulate recommends this route for non-Turkish citizens. Under the Hague Apostille Convention, a U.S.-issued and notarized POA can be legalized with an Apostille Certificate issued by the state’s Secretary of State.
This process does NOT require Turkish Consulate approval. Once Apostilled, the POA is fully valid for use in Türkiye.
The Apostille packet typically includes:
- Apostille certificate
- English and Turkish versions of the POA, notarized and signed
- Copy of the applicant’s passport
The entire process takes about 2- 3 weeks (or 1 week with rush service).
What’s Included in the Service
- Preparation of bilingual (Turkish and English) POA text
- Document formatting and verification
- Coordination of U.S. notary and legalization steps
- Consulate approval or Apostille Certificate
- USPS Priority shipping within the U.S.
Why Include Banking Powers in Your POA
If your POA relates to real estate sale, including banking and financial transaction powers is highly recommended. This allows your agent—often a family member—to deposit or transfer funds both locally and internationally on your behalf, ensuring the process runs smoothly from property sale to fund remittance as most Tapu offices in Turkey require banking powers to honor a POA.
Apostille Examples from various Secretary of States:
