Inheritance in Turkey for Foreign Heirs: First Steps

This guide is general information for foreign clients. It is not a substitute for advice on a specific Turkish legal matter.

Identify the Turkish assets

The strategy depends on whether the estate includes real estate, bank accounts, company shares, vehicles or claims. Each asset type can involve different authorities.

Clarify the heirs and family documents

Turkish procedures often require official family, death and civil registry documents. Foreign documents may need translation, apostille or consular processing before they can be used.

Do not assume the foreign process automatically solves the Turkish process

A will or inheritance document opened abroad may still require additional steps before Turkish authorities can act on it. This should be checked before contacting banks or land registries.

Plan tax and transfer together

Inheritance tax, asset transfer and sale planning should be coordinated. If inherited property will be sold, the route should be designed from the beginning.