Documents for Studying in Turkey: Translation, Apostille & YÖK Denklik

To study in Turkey you typically need your passport, high-school diploma and transcript (or bachelor's documents for graduate study), your exam results and, where required, an English certificate. Documents not in Turkish or English usually need an official translation, and at registration many universities ask for originals plus a diploma equivalence letter. Graduate students also need YÖK recognition of their previous university.

The rules come from three places: each university's admission rules, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for degree recognition, and the Presidency of Migration Management for the residence permit. This guide explains each stage.

The whole paperwork journey in one table

Prepare each stage in order, but collect the originals for all of them before you leave home. Getting a missing school document from abroad can take weeks, and some offices only accept originals.

Stage 1: Documents for your university application

According to official guidance, universities decide the documents for international admissions. The usual items are:

• Passport or ID (passport ID page)
• High-school diploma, or a temporary graduation certificate if you are in your final year
• Full high-school transcript
• National exam results (if any), such as Afghanistan's Kankor
• International exam results such as TR-YÖS, SAT, IB or A-levels
• A language certificate if the program requires one
• For graduate programs: bachelor's (and master's) diploma and transcript, statement of purpose, reference letters and CV

Most universities accept scans at the application stage and check originals later. Requirements for each exam and diploma are explained in our Turkey admission requirements guide.

Translations: Turkish or English?

There is no single national rule. Each university states which languages and which kind of translation it accepts, and the differences matter:

Ask the university before paying for translations. A translation that is fine for one university may not be accepted by another, and a notarised Turkish translation is often only needed at registration in Turkey.

Stage 2: High-school diploma equivalence (MEB)

For bachelor's students, several universities require an equivalence letter for the foreign high-school diploma at final registration. METU asks for originals plus an equivalence letter from the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) or an embassy, and Sakarya University lists MEB equivalence among its registration documents. Check your university's registration notice for where and when to get it.

Stage 3: YÖK recognition for master's and PhD

School Recognition Letter (non-health fields)

Graduate programs other than health fields register international students with a School Recognition Letter, which proves that YÖK recognises the institution that awarded your bachelor's. You can get it via e-Government at okultanima.yok.gov.tr, and applications made through e-Government are free of the service fee.

Do not skip this. Anadolu University states that after registration YÖK checks the recognition of the foreign university, and registrations with unrecognised degrees are cancelled.

Diploma Equivalence Certificate (YÖK denklik)

Equivalence compares your foreign associate, bachelor's or master's diploma with Turkish degrees. It is compulsory for graduates of health fields who want a master's or PhD in Turkey, and for practising a profession. The process, as described by Study in Türkiye:

1. 1

   Pre-apply online

   Submit the application through the YÖK equivalence service on e-Devlet or the YÖK Recognition and Equivalence site.

2. 2

   Pay the fee

   150 TL for associate, bachelor's and graduate equivalence; 50 TL for other transactions (year not stated). Pay into the YÖK Denklik account at Ziraat Bank; cash by hand is not accepted.

3. 3

   Prepare the documents

   ID document; diploma, transcript, diploma supplement, thesis or internship documents as relevant, with approved translations; and your entry-exit records. YÖK may request more.

4. 4

   Attend in Ankara

   Present originals at the YÖK Recognition and Equivalence Department in Ankara on your appointment date. Originals are checked and returned the same day.

Apostille or embassy legalization

The Migration Management student brochure states that documents issued by your country's institutions for the residence permit application must be apostilled or approved by your country's representation office in Turkey. Universities set their own rules for admission documents, so ask each one which legalization it accepts.

Check whether your country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention on the HCCH status table. If it is, you can usually get an apostille in your home country. If not, you need another route, such as approval by your country's mission in Turkey.

Stage 4: Documents for the visa and residence permit

For the student visa, official pages list a passport valid at least 60 days beyond the visa's stay, the signed application form, your admission letter and medical insurance; your mission may ask for more. After arrival, the student residence permit needs:

1. 1.e-İkamet application form, printed and signed
2. 2.Original and copy of your passport (ID page and entry or visa pages)
3. 3.Four biometric photos (white background, last 6 months)
4. 4.SGK General Health Insurance application or private insurance
5. 5.Student certificate from your university
6. 6.Dormitory letter or notarised rental contract
7. 7.Receipt for the 964.00 TL card fee (2026)

Full steps are in our Turkey student visa guide.

Documents for Türkiye Scholarships

On the TBBS portal you upload: a valid ID card or passport, a photo taken within the last year, national exam results (if any), your diploma or temporary graduation certificate, transcript, international exam results (GRE, GMAT, SAT etc.) and language results (for example TOEFL) if your program requires them. PhD applicants also upload a research proposal and a writing sample. See our scholarships guide.

How long documents stay valid

• Exam results such as TR-YÖS and SAT are usually valid for two years; METU and Sakarya state that school-leaving diplomas have no time limit.
• The Turkish Proficiency Exam (TYS) result is valid for two years, according to Study in Türkiye.
• Residence permit photos must have been taken in the last six months, and your Türkiye Scholarships photo within the last year.
• Your passport must stay valid 60 days beyond the visa stay and 60 days longer than the residence permit you request.

Check dates on every document before you submit. An expired exam score or a passport that is too short is one of the easiest ways to lose a place or delay a permit.

Afghan documents: what is different

• Afghanistan is not listed as a party to the Apostille Convention, so Afghan documents cannot be apostilled.
• For the residence permit, Afghan documents must instead be approved by Afghanistan's representation office in Turkey, according to the Migration Management brochure.
• Some universities do not accept the Afghan school certificate at all and ask for TR-YÖS instead (for example Sakarya and Bursa Technical University for 2026/27), which reduces how many school documents you need to legalize.
• Ask each university in writing which legalization and translation it accepts before you pay for anything.

Mistakes to avoid

• Translating everything into Turkish before checking whether the university accepts English
• Bringing only scans to registration; universities check originals
• Forgetting the YÖK School Recognition Letter for graduate registration
• Letting your passport run too short for the visa and residence permit
• Paying intermediaries; Migration Management advises relying only on your university staff or the Provincial Directorate

Keep a folder with every original, copy and translation. You can track deadlines for free on FindUniPath and find all Turkey guides on the Turkey country hub.