Prenuptial agreement (marriage contract)

Under the Turkish Civil Code, questions arising from the ownership or management of assets acquired by the spouses before or after the marriage — which spouse benefits from those assets, who uses them, who is liable for problems arising from them, and how they are divided if the marriage ends — are settled by a matrimonial property agreement, in other words a prenuptial agreement. Within the legal boundaries, the parties can create their own solutions with a prenuptial agreement (marriage contract).

A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement or premarital agreement (commonly called a prenup) is a written contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil union. It lets them select and control many of the legal rights they acquire on marrying, and what happens when the marriage ends by death or divorce. In Turkish law this is also secured through the division of matrimonial property. Spouses can secure their assets either with a prenuptial agreement or with a division of matrimonial property during the marriage. As in every other notarial procedure involving a foreigner, a sworn translator must accompany the foreign spouse during the execution of the prenuptial agreement at the notary public.

What you need, and what we do

  • The agreement is executed at a notary public, in Turkish; it may be signed before or during the marriage.
  • A sworn interpreter attends for the foreign spouse and translates the full text before signing.
  • Passport with notarized translation for the foreign spouse; Turkish ID for the Turkish spouse.
  • We can also translate a draft prepared by your lawyer abroad so the notary can work from it.
  • The agreement can also be signed by attorneys-in-fact if one spouse cannot be in Turkey.
  • We courier the notarized agreement to you or your lawyer abroad.

Bureaucratic procedures in Turkey and at foreign missions change from time to time. Before you act, we recommend confirming the current requirements with the institution you are applying to. We are glad to check with you which documents need a notarized translation.

Tell us what you need done. We prepare the documents, stand beside you at the notary, and ship the finished paperwork anywhere in the world.

Ask about a prenuptial agreement