This article follows the Investment Office of Türkiye's own guide and the official decision on minimum capital. It is a map of the process, not legal advice: check your own case with a lawyer and an accountant before you file.
01Which company type?
Under the Foreign Direct Investment Law, foreign investors are treated on equal terms with local investors and can set up any company type in the Turkish Commercial Code. The two most common are:
- Limited company (Ltd. Şti.). Minimum capital 50,000 TL. Subscribed capital can be paid within 24 months of registration.
- Joint stock company (A.Ş.). Minimum capital 250,000 TL, or 500,000 TL for non-public companies that use the registered capital system. A quarter of the subscribed capital is paid before registration and the rest within two years.
These minimums apply to companies founded from 1 January 2024, under Presidential Decision No. 7887. A fee of 0.04 percent of the capital is also paid to the Competition Authority.
A foreign company that only wants a presence without trading can instead open a liaison office, which needs a licence from the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
02Documents for foreign founders
- Individuals. A translated, notarised copy of each shareholder's passport, and a potential tax identity number for every non-Turkish shareholder.
- Companies as shareholders. A certificate of activity of the foreign company and the board resolution authorising the investment.
- Documents issued abroad. Notarised and apostilled, or ratified by a Turkish consulate, then officially translated and notarised by a Turkish notary.
Start the apostille and translations first. They usually take longer than the registration itself.
03Registration step by step
- Prepare the articles of association and submit them online through MERSİS, the central registry system.
- The founders sign the articles before Trade Registry staff or a notary.
- Each authorised signatory gives a signature specimen before the Trade Registry.
- For a joint stock company, pay the first quarter of the capital into a bank account opened for the company before registration.
- The Trade Registry Directorate registers the company. The Investment Office says this is completed the same day once the file is complete.
- The registration is announced in the Trade Registry Gazette, about ten days later.
The Trade Registry informs the tax office and the Social Security Institution automatically. You then collect the tax registration certificate from the local tax office and the company's social security number. Working with a licensed accountant (mali müşavir) from day one makes these filings simpler.
04Working in your own company
Every foreigner who works in Türkiye needs a work permit. The Investment Office is clear: without one, working in Türkiye in any capacity is against the law. Applications go through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's e-permit system. Inside Türkiye the employer applies; from abroad the process starts at a Turkish embassy or consulate.
05Once the company exists: getting found
- Google Business Profile. Free, and the way to appear on Google Maps. How to set it up and verify it.
- A domain in the company's name. A .com.tr address no longer needs documents. Why it must be registered to you.
- A website in Turkish and in your customers' language. Each language with its own full set of pages. How to decide on languages.
- A privacy notice. If your site's forms collect personal data, Turkish data protection law (KVKK) requires one.
For setting up the company itself, contact CyberScope Solutions, our parent company. If you are setting up a software or game company that sells abroad, CyberScope also helps companies claim Türkiye's IT export incentives.
