Choose a company structure, prepare the right founder documents and plan the work after registration. Share your activity and ownership details for a proposal that separates capital, third-party costs and our professional services.
Full legal support for limited liability company setup
Tax-advantaged free zone company establishment
Establish a branch of your existing international company
Compare the structures below before preparing documents. The timings are planning estimates for a complete, acceptable file; foreign document preparation, bank checks and separate activity approvals can extend the overall launch.
The default choice for small and mid-sized foreign-owned businesses entering Turkey.
Better suited for scale, investment rounds, or businesses needing a heavier corporate structure.
A direct extension of an existing foreign company instead of a separate Turkish legal entity.
Useful for export-heavy structures where zone-specific incentives matter more than simplicity.
Tell us who will own the company, what it will do and whether the founders can travel. These details help define the documents, service scope and next steps.
The company objective in the articles must match what you actually plan to do in Turkey.
A valid registered address is needed at incorporation, even if the business operates lean at first.
Passport copies, powers of attorney, and foreign corporate documents must line up cleanly.
Bank KYC, notarisation, and regulated activity checks can shift the setup window.
A formation proposal should separate the money committed to the company from the expenses of setting it up and running it. We prepare the scope after reviewing the founders, documents and intended activity.
| Budget component | What to confirm in your proposal |
|---|---|
| Company capital | The amount and payment timetable for your chosen structure. Capital is company funding, separate from the professional service fee. |
| Official and registry charges | The applicable registry, chamber, publication and other official items, with the responsible registry and current tariff identified. |
| Document and third-party expenses | Translation, legalisation, notary and courier requirements; the number of founders and foreign corporate records can change the work. |
| Professional formation services | The agreed structure review, document instructions, drafting, filing coordination and handover. The proposal states what is included and any separately scoped work. |
| Operating and ongoing services | Registered address, accounting, filings, payroll and any banking support. Confirm the initial setup and recurring arrangements separately. |
Start with the document route for your ownership structure. The existing checklist below covers the core categories; we confirm the exact records and legalisation route before you order documents or send originals.
| Document area | Foreign individual | Foreign corporate shareholder |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and authority | Passport and the details of the people who will represent the company. | Corporate registry and activity records, authorised signatories and the ownership chain. |
| Investment decisions | Founder instructions covering the activity, capital, managers and signing powers. | The parent company's authorised decision approving the Turkish investment and representation. |
| Signing and legalisation | An in-person or power-of-attorney route, with the translation and legalisation requirements checked for the issuing country. | The authority of the parent signatories and the legalisation route for the corporate documents and power of attorney. |
| Tax and address information | Tax-number requirements and an address solution appropriate to the planned activity. | Tax-number requirements for the corporate shareholder and representatives, plus the Turkish registered address. |
| Bank onboarding | Identity, activity and source-of-funds records requested by the chosen bank. | Ownership and beneficial-owner information, group activity and other records requested by the bank. |
Registration is one milestone in the launch. The company-type timings above refer to a prepared file, while document preparation and post-registration work need their own plan.
| Stage | What is checked or delivered | What can affect timing |
|---|---|---|
| File preparation | The founder, activity, ownership, address and signing route are reviewed; a document list and service scope are agreed. | Issuing countries, legalisation, translations, corporate records and any regulated activity. |
| Drafting and registration | Articles and registry documents are prepared and the filing is coordinated through the applicable registration process. | An acceptable document set, signing arrangements and registry review. |
| Tax and compliance handover | The tax and accounting onboarding steps, applicable electronic systems and responsibilities for follow-up are identified. | The company activity, address checks, required access and the appointed professionals. |
| Corporate banking | The bank's application and compliance requirements are addressed as a separate workstream. | Each bank's review, ownership structure and identification requirements; a representative may need to attend. |
| Starting operations | Before invoicing, hiring or carrying on a licensed activity, the remaining accounting, employment and activity requirements are checked. | The actual operating model and any separate registrations or approvals. |
Use the formation stage to agree the handover and ongoing responsibilities, rather than leaving them until the first transaction.
Confirm the accountant, records and electronic systems that apply to the company, access arrangements and the calendar for filings and company decisions.
Check which E-TUYS reporting applies to the ownership structure and agree who maintains the investor, capital and activity information.
Company ownership and permission to work are separate questions. If a foreign founder or manager will work in Turkey, assess the relevant work-permit route and criteria alongside the business plan.
Before committing to premises or employing staff, check the address, workplace, employment and activity-specific steps for the proposed business.
We collect shareholder details, verify passport consistency, and obtain Turkish tax numbers where required before the file moves to drafting.
We define whether an LLC, JSC, branch, or free-zone route makes sense, then draft the articles around ownership, activity, and governance.
We align the minimum capital, signing flow, and POA path. For LLCs, committed capital can generally be paid within 24 months; upfront banking steps depend on the structure and registry workflow.
The final file is submitted through the trade-registry workflow, including notarisation, MERSIS alignment, and publication steps.
After registration, we complete chamber registration, tax-office coordination, signature circular, and the first compliance setup steps.
We close the loop with bank-account coordination, bookkeeping handoff, and the next compliance steps your company will face after day one.
Use this comparison to discuss the structure, capital and operating model for your file. The legal capital requirement and the professional formation fee are separate budget items.
LLC (Ltd. Sti.) | JSC (A.S.) | Branch Office | Free Zone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum capital | 50,000 TRY | 250,000 TRY | No separate statutory minimum | Varies by zone and activity |
| Founders | 1-50 shareholders | 1 or more shareholders | Parent company driven | Depends on licence type |
| Setup time | 5-7 business days | 7-10 business days | 10-15 business days | 15-20 business days |
| Foreign ownership | Up to 100% | Up to 100% | Parent-company dependent | Often up to 100% |
| Main tax baseline | 25% CIT + VAT regime | 25% CIT + VAT regime | 25% CIT + VAT regime | Incentive-led, zone specific |
| Best fit | SMEs, services, trade | Scale, investors, governance | Existing foreign operations | Export and incentive planning |
Where documents come from abroad, apostille and certified Turkish translation must be checked early.
This is needed in formation and banking workflows and can usually be obtained before travel plans are final.
If the founders will not be present in Turkey, the POA route should be designed before notarisation starts.
A lease, virtual-office agreement, or other valid address basis must match the incorporation route.
Trade registry extracts, board resolutions, and signature authority documents often need extra legalisation.
Minimum capital, manager/director structure, and signing powers should be decided before the final registry filing.
An estimate for the registration work on a standard LLC file once the required documents are ready and acceptable. Document legalisation, tax-office steps, bank onboarding and activity-specific approvals follow their own schedules.
Professional fees are scoped to the founder structure, documents, signing route and requested support. Company capital, official charges, translation, notary, address, banking and ongoing accounting costs are identified separately in the proposal.
These are the points that usually create delays, rework, or hidden cost after founders think they are ready.
Small spelling differences across passports, powers of attorney, and translations often trigger rework.
If the bank cannot understand the ownership structure or business model, the process can slow down even after incorporation.
Many founders start with a company form that feels cheap upfront but creates tax or governance friction later.
Finance, health, logistics, education, and some digital activities may need authority-specific steps.
Formation is only the first milestone; address, accounting, filings, and payroll obligations begin quickly.
Before the work starts, establish the proposed structure, who handles each stage and what the written scope includes.
Agree the entity, ownership, activity and signing route before document preparation begins. The proposal should identify the formation work and any additional support.
Confirm who prepares, reviews and files the documents, which steps need your involvement and what records you receive after registration.
Discuss banking, accounting, foreign-investment reporting and any work-permit needs before launch. Each additional service should have a clear scope and responsible professional.
In most sectors, yes. Turkey generally permits full foreign ownership, but a few regulated industries still require activity-specific checks.
For a standard LLC the minimum capital is 50,000 TRY. For a joint stock company it is 250,000 TRY. If a non-public JSC uses the registered capital system, the threshold can be higher.
Not for standard LLCs. Under the current framework, committed LLC capital can generally be paid within 24 months. Banking and payment timing should still be checked against the exact structure being formed.
A typical company plan starts with 25% corporate income tax, VAT at 1%, 10%, or 20% depending on activity, payroll obligations if staff are hired, and 15% dividend withholding in standard cases.
Potentially yes, but incorporation alone is not the whole answer. The work-permit route depends on shareholder role, payroll setup, and compliance after the company is live.
Use these references to check the company, capital and compliance rules relevant to your plans. Your proposal will identify the services and third-party costs that apply to your file.
Plan the banking, accounting and immigration work that may follow registration. Each workstream has its own requirements and scope.
Share the proposed shareholders, activity and signing route. We will clarify the next steps and the scope of an itemised formation proposal.