Formula A, B and C Documents: When Does a Multilingual Certificate Still Need Translation?

Anyone applying abroad for marriage, family reunification, citizenship, residence or pension will sooner or later encounter the same documents: birth, marriage and death records. Thanks to international conventions to which Turkey is a party, multilingual standard formats of these records are available, and with recent developments, obtaining them has become much easier. However, contrary to what many assume, the term "multilingual" does not mean "valid without translation in every country and at every institution." In this article, we take a detailed look at both the latest e-Apostille developments and when a translation is — and is not — required.

Latest Development: Multilingual Documents Can Now Be Obtained with an e-Apostille

Turkish Post (PTT AŞ) continues to expand its e-Apostille service; the Multilingual Birth Record Extract, Multilingual Marriage Record Extract and Multilingual Death Record Extract can now be obtained online with an apostille. Users of this service can obtain documents recognized in more than 120 countries party to the Hague Conference online, without waiting in line at government offices; according to a recent statement by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı), the documents generated are recognized in more than 130 countries. Applications can be made via turkiye.gov.tr, eapostil.gov.tr or the e-Government (e-Devlet) mobile application; the authenticity of e-Apostilled documents can be verified through the link and QR code printed on them.

The system's development has been gradual. The e-Apostille system was launched on January 1, 2019, initially processing judicial documents such as criminal record certificates and court decisions issued by the Ministry of Justice (Adalet Bakanlığı). In 2021, applications began to be accepted for civil registry extracts issued by the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü); in 2022, the service was integrated into the e-Government Gateway. The service enabling electronic apostilles for the multilingual birth record extract (Formula A), multilingual marriage record extract (Formula B) and multilingual death record extract (Formula C) began on December 28, 2023.

Usage of the system is also growing rapidly: according to a statement by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, a total of 70,616 e-Apostilled document transactions were carried out from the project's launch in 2019 through the end of March 2026. This figure concretely demonstrates that citizens living abroad can now obtain apostilled documents digitally from wherever they are, without queuing at consulates or district governor's offices.

What Are Formula A, B and C?

Formula A (birth), Formula B (marriage) and Formula C (death) are multilingual standard documents within the scope of civil registration services; in Turkey they are issued by the Ministry of Interior (İçişleri Bakanlığı) and are used for marriage, residence and pension procedures abroad. These documents are issued in accordance with Convention No. 16 on the Issue of Multilingual Extracts from Civil Status Records of the International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS/CIEC), of which Turkey is a member. In other words, these formats are not a practice unique to Turkey but an international standard commonly accepted by many countries.

Obtaining them is also quite practical: in Turkey, they can be obtained with a barcode via the e-Government portal (e-Devlet) or with a wet signature by applying in person at provincial/district civil registry offices; abroad, they can be obtained through consulates or embassies. The scope of the three documents can be summarized in the following table:

Who Needs These Documents, and in Which Situations?

Those who encounter these documents most often are Turkish citizens living abroad, dual nationals and people preparing to marry a foreign national. A couple getting married abroad is usually asked for Formula A and documents showing marital status; expatriates receiving a pension from Germany are asked for Formula B at regular intervals for their files. A frequently confused point here is this: AT11 is the special form of the Social Security Institution (SGK) for German pensions; Formula A/B/C, on the other hand, are civil registry documents, and both may be required together in a pension file. In inheritance matters, Formula C is the first step of the succession process; in such files, additional legal translation support may be needed for court decisions and certificates of inheritance.

These documents do not concern Turkish citizens alone. Multilingual documents (Formula A-B-C) relating to births, marriages and deaths of foreign nationals occurring in Turkey are also issued by civil registry offices and provided to the person concerned. Therefore, a foreign mother who gives birth in Turkey or a foreign couple who marries in Turkey can also obtain the same standard documents to submit to the authorities in their own countries.

When Is Translation Not Needed, and When Is It Required?

Although the multilingual format offers significant convenience, it does not eliminate the need for translation in every case. A document being "multilingual" means that the field headings on it are printed in multiple languages; whether the document is accepted is always decided by the relevant institution of the country where the application is made:

• In countries party to the convention: Multilingual documents are accepted by the signatory countries without any additional certification or official translation, based on the international agreement signed; in countries not party to the convention, a sworn translation and apostille may be required.
• Language coverage is limited: Since the document contains columns in multiple languages, it is accepted directly in some countries without the need for translation; however, if it will be used in a language not included in the format, a translation must be obtained.
• The institution's requirement is decisive: Even though the document has a multilingual structure, the competent authorities of the destination country may request a copy translated into that country's language; depending on the regulations of the country where the document will be submitted, this translation may need to be notarized or apostilled.
• The apostille requirement varies by country: There are institutions that, despite being party to the Hague Convention, additionally require the multilingual document to be apostilled; an apostille requirement may apply in citizenship, inheritance and official applications.

In short, the right question is not "does this document require translation?" but rather "which format does the institution I will submit it to require?" The same Formula B document may be accepted as is in one country, while a neighboring country may require it apostilled and translated into its own language. For this reason, confirming the target institution's current document list in writing before applying prevents subsequent rejections and delays.

Sworn Translation, Notarization and Apostille: Three Separate Procedures

These three concepts are frequently confused in practice, yet each is a separate procedure. A sworn translation is one in which a translator who has taken an oath before a notary signs and stamps the translation, attesting to its accuracy. Notarization, on the other hand, is the notary's certification of that sworn translator's signature; in other words, a notarized translation is an additional layer of formality added on top of the sworn translation. Some institutions are satisfied with just the sworn translator's stamp, while others strictly require notarization.

An apostille is an entirely different procedure: it is the annotation that certifies, at the international level, the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document (or the notarized translation). An important warning: no translation office can issue an apostille. For administrative documents such as Formula A obtained from the civil registry office, the district governor's office or the governor's office is authorized to issue the apostille; for judicial documents, the judicial authorities are responsible. The translation office's role in the apostilled translation process is to prepare the translation and notarization stages in the correct order and direct the applicant to the right authority.

Step-by-Step Process: From Obtaining the Document to Delivery

If you are going to use a Formula A, B or C document abroad, the path to follow is generally as follows:

1. Learn the target institution's requirements: Request the current document list from the country and institution where you will submit the document (without translation, apostilled, or translated?).
2. Obtain the document: Get it with a barcode via the e-Government portal or with a wet signature from the civil registry office; if you are abroad, apply to the consulate.
3. If an apostille is required, choose your route: Apply for an e-Apostille for the electronic document; for the physical document, go to the apostille unit of the district governor's or governor's office.
4. If translation is required, give it to a sworn translator: The translation into the target language is delivered with the sworn translator's stamp.
5. If the institution requires it, add notarization: The notary certifies the translator's signature.
6. If an apostille is additionally required for the translation, a second apostille may need to be obtained from the competent authority for the notarized translation.

A concrete scenario: A citizen getting married in Germany first obtains Formula A and the necessary civil registry records via the e-Government portal. The German registry office usually accepts the multilingual document directly; however, for the other Turkish documents in the file (e.g. a court decision, a letter of consent), a German translation and apostille chain is required. If the appointment date is approaching, the process can be compressed with an urgent translation option; but the safest approach is to finalize the document list weeks before the appointment.

Points to Watch in Practice and Common Mistakes

Despite the convenience of the e-Government portal, caution is advisable: while some countries accept the barcoded document obtained via the e-Government portal, others accept only versions with translation, notarization and apostille certification; some countries may require only the wet-signed document that can be obtained from civil registry offices. In other words, an e-Government printout may not always be sufficient. When an apostille is required for a physical document, apostille certification for the document obtained from the civil registry office is obtained through district governor's or governor's offices.

The most common mistakes we see in the field are these: using an outdated document (some countries do not accept records older than a certain period; for example, it is reported that for procedures in Romania, formula documents must have been obtained no more than two years before the application date), mixing up the order of procedures (the answer to the question of whether the apostille or the translation comes first varies by destination country), name spelling not matching the passport exactly, and assuming that a multilingual document will be accepted without translation at every institution. Each of these mistakes can delay a file by months; when in doubt, having the entire chain verified by a specialist familiar with the official document certification process is the safest route.

Next Steps: Prepare Your File Correctly the First Time

The soundest approach is to clarify from the outset the current document list of the country and institution where the application will be made, and to plan the translation, notarization and apostille chain according to that list. As of the date of publication of this article, the e-Apostille system covers all multilingual documents; however, since acceptance conditions vary from country to country and from institution to institution, there is no "single correct recipe" — the correct recipe is what the target institution requires.

Ziya Tercüme's sworn translators help you determine the format expected by the target institution for all civil registry documents, including Formula A, B and C (sworn, notarized or apostilled translation), and complete the process correctly the first time. This minimizes the risk of the file being returned due to missing documents. When you send us your document and the country it is going to, you can clarify from the outset whether translation is needed, which certification steps will be required, and the estimated timeline.

Sources

• Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey (T.C. Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı) — Official Documents Reach the World Digitally with e-Apostille
• Turkish Post and Telegraph Corporation (T.C. Posta ve Telgraf Teşkilatı, PTT AŞ) — PTT AŞ's e-Apostille Service Is Expanding
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Brussels Mission (T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı) — Information Note on the e-Apostille Application
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Services (T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı Konsolosluk Hizmetleri) — Announcement on the e-Apostille Application
• General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü) — Directive on Birth, Marriage and Death Notifications of Foreign Nationals
• Anadolu Agency (Anadolu Ajansı) — PTT AŞ's e-Apostille Service Is Expanding
• Haberler.com (based on AA) — Number of e-Apostilled Document Transactions Reaches 70,616