Anyone who prepares documents for use abroad knows one link in the chain all too well: notarization. This step, which follows the sworn translation, was often handled through Turkey's "on-duty notary" system for transactions squeezed into the weekend. Now the legal foundation of that arrangement is changing. The Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi) ruled on an annulment application challenging certain provisions of Law No. 7532 of November 14, 2024, on Amendments to the Notary Law (Noterlik Kanunu) and Certain Other Laws; the decision, dated March 26, 2026, with case numbers E.2025/18 and K.2026/66, was published in the Official Gazette (Resmî Gazete) No. 33311 on July 16, 2026. Although at first glance the ruling seems to concern only the notary profession, everyone whose paperwork runs through the "translation + certification" chain — from diploma translations to corporate documents — will need to review their calendars in the coming months.
What Did the Constitutional Court Decide?
A provision added to Article 52 of the Notary Law No. 1512 (Noterlik Kanunu) stipulated that notaries' work on holiday days and hours would be governed by a regulation; the High Court annulled this provision. In other words, the issue was not whether notaries may work on weekends; it was that the framework for such work had been left to an administrative instrument — a regulation — rather than to statute. The annulment action was brought by 132 members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi).
The application was not limited to the notary provision, either. In addition to notaries' holiday work, the decision also examined provisions concerning public officials' legal internships, the appointment of deputy chief public prosecutors at regional courts of appeal, defendants' right to supplementary defense, and the conditions for benefiting from education in penal institutions. The Constitutional Court annulled the provisions on notaries' holiday work and on notification of a defendant's supplementary defense, while rejecting the other requests. For document translation and certification purposes, the part that concerns us is, of course, the one relating to notaries' working schedule.
The Court's Reasoning: The Right to Rest and the Principle of Legality
In its reasoning, the Court noted that under Article 50 of the Constitution, workers have the right to rest, and that rules on weekly rest and leave entitlements must be established by law; it emphasized that although the notary profession is practiced as an independent profession, it constitutes a public duty, and stated that regulating work on days off by means of an administrative regulation imposed a restriction on the right to rest. Pointing out that restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot contravene the Constitution, the decision stated that the fundamental principles, essentials, and general framework governing notaries' work on days off were not set out in the provision in question.
Put differently, the Constitutional Court is not saying "there should be no on-duty notaries"; it is saying "the rules for duty shifts must be set by law, not by regulation." Determining notaries' holiday working hours by regulation was found to violate the principle of legal certainty. This distinction matters, because if the legislature writes the fundamental principles into law before the annulment takes effect, weekend notary services can very well continue. What remains uncertain is the scope of the new legislation and for which types of transactions, and at what intensity, weekend service will be maintained.
Is the Ruling in Force Immediately? Are On-Duty Notaries Shutting Down?
No. To allow the legal gap to be filled, the Constitutional Court decided that the annulment would enter into force nine months after its publication in the Official Gazette (Resmî Gazete). Since the decision was published on July 16, 2026, the current provision governing notaries' work on holiday days and hours will remain in effect until the annulment takes force; the annulment will enter into force on April 16, 2027. So as of today, there is no practical change to the on-duty notary system; however, the legislature is expected to re-regulate the matter at the statutory level by that date.
This nine-month window coincides precisely with the busiest periods for cross-border document traffic: enrollment seasons at foreign universities, credential recognition applications, and year-end commercial contract renewals. If the legislative process is completed on time, citizens may experience a seamless transition; if it is delayed, the scope of holiday notary services could temporarily narrow. The prudent approach, as of the date of this article, is to plan critical transactions around weekday business hours.
What Does This Mean for Notarized Translations?
For documents prepared for study abroad, credential recognition, marriage, or commercial transactions, the chain typically runs as follows: sworn translation → notarization → apostille. Any uncertainty in the working calendar of the notary stage — the middle link of this chain — directly affects applicants racing against deadlines. In transactions requiring a notarized translation, the days and hours when the notary is actually open are the process's most rigid constraint; no matter how quickly the translation is prepared, certification can only be obtained during the notary's working hours. Points to watch in the period ahead:
- Don't leave transactions for the weekend: Although the current system remains in place until April 2027, the content of the new legislation is not yet known. A document plan that depends on holiday notary service is risky.
- Have the translation completed in advance: The sworn translation stage can proceed independently of the notary. Having the translation prepared early in the week by a sworn translation office such as Ziya Tercüme and scheduling notarization for business days reduces calendar risk.
- Plan the apostille timeline alongside it: In Turkey, the apostille is issued not by a translation office or a notary but by governorships and district governorships for administrative documents, and by the competent judicial authorities for judicial documents; these institutions already operate only on business days. Moving the notary stage to business days as well simplifies the chain.
- Check the current fee schedule: The notary fee tariff is renewed every year; when planning costs, confirm the tariff in effect as of the date of this article through the official announcements of the Union of Turkish Notaries (Türkiye Noterler Birliği), and itemize translation, notary, and any apostille follow-up costs separately.
The ruling does not change how translation offices operate; what it changes is how much clients can rely on the assumption that "we'll find a notary open on Saturday anyway." Especially for files with approaching deadlines, the translation stage can be completed within hours through urgent and expedited translation support; but if the notary is closed, the chain stops there. That is why the notary's calendar must now sit at the center of your planning.
Why Sworn Translator Certification and Notarization Should Not Be Confused
These two procedures are frequently confused, yet they are legally distinct. Sworn translator certification means that a translator who has taken an oath before a notary and holds an oath certificate signs and stamps the translation, vouching for its accuracy. Notarization, by contrast, means the notary certifies the signature of a translator who holds an oath certificate on file with that notary; in other words, the notary certifies the translator's signature and authority, not the linguistic quality of the translation. Which level institutions require varies: some foreign universities accept only a sworn translator's stamp, whereas official government procedures usually require notarization, and use abroad additionally calls for an apostille.
The practical consequence of the Constitutional Court's ruling for this distinction is as follows: sworn translator certification is independent of the notary's working calendar and can be prepared even on weekends; notarization, however, depends on the hours the notary is open. Clarifying from the outset exactly which level of certification the institution in the destination country requires prevents both needless waiting in the notary line and having a document rejected for insufficient certification. If you are unsure, obtaining written confirmation from the institution you are applying to is the safest course.
Step by Step: How to Prepare a Document for Use Abroad
Sequencing matters for the process to run smoothly. In a typical file, the path to follow is:
- Learn the institution's requirements: Confirm in writing which language and which level of certification (sworn / notarized / apostilled) the target institution requires.
- Prepare the original or a certified copy of the document: Some procedures require an apostille on the original document before translation; determine the sequence based on the institution.
- Have the sworn translation done: Working with a team experienced in academic translation for documents such as diplomas and transcripts, and in legal translation for documents such as contracts and powers of attorney, prevents terminology errors.
- Schedule notarization for a business day: Signature certification is carried out at the notary office where the translator's oath certificate is held.
- Obtain the apostille: For the notarized document, apply to the competent authority (governorship/district governorship for administrative documents); a translation office cannot issue an apostille, but it can coordinate the process.
Seeing who handles each stage and on what schedule in a single table makes planning easier:
| Stage | Who does it? | What does it verify? | Working calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sworn translation | Translator holding an oath certificate / translation office | The accuracy of the translation | Flexible; can be done even on weekends |
| Notarization | Notary | The translator's signature and authority | Business days; holiday work to be re-regulated after the Constitutional Court ruling |
| Apostille | Governorship/district governorship or competent judicial authority | The official status of the signature and seal on the document | Business days only |
Sample Scenario: A Diploma That Must Be Ready for Enrollment Week
Let's make it concrete: suppose a student admitted to a master's program abroad needs the certified translation of their diploma and transcript ready by enrollment week. The documents are in hand Thursday evening; the institution requires a notarized and apostilled translation. Under the old habit, one might have planned "translation Friday, on-duty notary Saturday, apostille Monday." But since the apostille authority is closed on weekends anyway, that plan never actually saved a day; and in the post-ruling period, the very assumption of a Saturday notary has itself become questionable.
The right setup is this: submit the documents Thursday evening through an online translation channel, receive the sworn translation Friday morning and complete the notarization the same day, and file the apostille application Monday morning. This way, you depend on no official authority over the weekend, and the only flexible link in the chain — the translation stage — is used during the hours when it truly is flexible. The same logic applies to corporate documents, powers of attorney, and marriage certificates.
Common Mistakes and Calendar Traps
In our experience, the trap document holders fall into most often is planning around the fastest link in the chain rather than the slowest. The translation is done within hours; but certification and apostille are subject to the calendars of official authorities. The second common mistake is proceeding without reading the target institution's certification-level requirement: paying for notarization and an apostille when only a sworn stamp suffices, or stopping at the notary when an apostille is required, wastes both time and money. The third is requesting certification from a notary office that does not hold the translator's oath certificate; signature certification can only be performed at the notary office where the translator's oath certificate is on file.
Another trap is managing regulatory changes with outdated information. In the post-ruling period, the framework for holiday notary services will be redrawn by statute; secondary legislation and implementation announcements may change during this process. For those who will use their documents abroad, the safest path is to confirm the current working arrangements of the relevant notary office and apostille authority before the transaction date and, for multi-stage matters such as official document certification, to designate a single point of contact to coordinate the process end to end.
Conclusion: Calendar Management Is Now More Critical
The Constitutional Court's ruling does not restrict citizens' access to notary services today; but it ties the future of holiday work to the steps the legislature takes by April 16, 2027. For those who will use their documents abroad, the soundest strategy is not to leave the translation and certification chain to the last day; distinguish between sworn translator certification, notarization, and apostille, and plan each according to its own calendar. Ziya Tercüme can help ease this scheduling pressure by managing sworn translation and notarization coordination from a single point.
We will continue to follow how the legislative process takes shape and what the new framework for holiday notary services will look like in the coming months. Until then, the golden rule remains unchanged: have the translation completed early, schedule notarization for a business day, and don't leave the apostille to the last day. When needed, getting professional support for the entire apostille-certified translation process reduces both the risk of errors and the days lost.
Sources
- Anadolu Agency — Constitutional Court annuls regulation-based rules on notaries' holiday work
- Alomaliye.com — Provision on Notaries' Holiday Work Annulled
- Habertürk — Constitutional Court annuls regulation-based rules on notaries' holiday work
- Memurlar.net — Critical Constitutional Court Ruling on Notaries' Holiday Work