Changing Your Name or Surname in Türkiye as a Dual Citizen: A Legal Guide for Foreigners

Changing Your Name or Surname in Türkiye as a Dual Citizen: A Legal Guide for Foreigners

Published by Bayraktar Attorneys | Istanbul, Türkiye

Türkiye is home to a growing number of dual citizens who often face legal and administrative challenges when their names or surnames differ between two national systems. Whether for consistency, cultural reasons, or personal identity, many individuals wish to legally change their name or surname in Türkiye to match their foreign identity documents.

Unlike some countries where administrative procedures are sufficient, name and surname changes in Türkiye are carried out through a lawsuit process, and applicants must satisfy strict legal conditions.

At Bayraktar Attorneys, we specialize in representing foreign nationals and dual citizens before Turkish civil courts for official name and surname changes. This article outlines the reasons for seeking a name change, the legal procedure, and the criteria for court approval.

Why Dual Citizens Often Seek a Name or Surname Change in Türkiye

There are several valid reasons why a dual citizen may wish to change their name or surname in Türkiye:

1. Name Inconsistency Across Countries
2. Many people hold one version of their name in a foreign passport and another in Turkish records. This mismatch creates issues during international travel, banking, inheritance, or official registrations.
3. Cultural or Linguistic Preferences
4. Some dual citizens feel disconnected from names that were assigned or changed during childhood due to family decisions. For example, someone with a foreign middle name may wish to adopt a name that reflects their Turkish heritage or vice versa.
5. Gender Identity and Personal Freedom
6. An increasing number of clients seek to change their names to better reflect their gender identity, spiritual beliefs, or personal development.
7. Correcting Spelling Errors
8. In many cases, names are misspelled in Turkish ID systems due to transliteration errors from non-Latin alphabets, especially Arabic, Russian, or Chinese.
9. Removing Family Ties
10. In cases of domestic abuse, estrangement, or psychological trauma, applicants may request to change a surname that connects them to a parent or family line they wish to disassociate from.

The Legal Framework for Name Changes in Türkiye

In Türkiye, name and surname changes cannot be completed via a notary or administrative application. Instead, they require the filing of a civil lawsuit (isim/soyisim değişikliği davası) in the Civil Court of First Instance (Asliye Hukuk Mahkemesi).

Key Legal Requirements

To successfully change your name or surname in Türkiye, you must meet the following conditions:

1. Plausible and Legitimate Reason
2. Turkish courts require a "haklı sebep" (justifiable reason) for the name change. Reasons such as cultural incompatibility, repeated misidentification, trauma, or dual nationality discrepancies are generally accepted if well-presented.
3. Clean Criminal Record
4. Applicants must not have committed any serious crimes. Turkish law prohibits name or surname changes as a way to hide from justice or criminal history. We assist our clients in obtaining their criminal record certificate (Adli Sicil Kaydı) and evaluate their eligibility before filing.
5. Court Representation
6. The lawsuit must be filed in the jurisdiction where the applicant resides in Türkiye. Foreigners must be represented by a Turkish attorney, especially if they are not fluent in Turkish or cannot attend court in person.
7. Publication and Registration
8. Once the court approves the name change, the decision must be sent to the civil registration office (Nüfus Müdürlüğü) to update the applicant’s official records. In most cases, court decisions are also published in an official bulletin to ensure transparency.

Our Legal Services for Name/Surname Change Cases

At Bayraktar Attorneys, we offer end-to-end legal support for dual citizens and foreigners seeking to change their names in Türkiye:

1. Evaluating your eligibility and criminal record
2. Drafting and submitting the name change petition
3. Representing you in court hearings
4. Convincing the judge of your justifiable reasons
5. Coordinating with the civil registry office for name updates
6. Assisting with follow-up changes in bank accounts, tax records, and other registrations

We handle name change lawsuits in Istanbul and other major cities and provide full English-language legal support throughout the process.

Timeline and Process

1. Document Preparation: 1–2 weeks
2. Court Filing & Hearing Date: 1–3 months (depending on the court's calendar)
3. Finalization and Registry Update: 1 month after court decision

In urgent cases or where the client is abroad, we can represent the applicant via power of attorney (vekaletname) without requiring them to appear in court.

Real-Life Example

A German-Turkish dual citizen named “Nevzat Stephan Bayraktar” came to us wishing to remove “Stephan” from his Turkish identity records. He no longer had contact with the German side of his family and felt that the foreign middle name created identity issues, especially in Türkiye. After submitting a strong justification and proving a clean criminal record, we successfully convinced the judge to approve the name change to “Nevzat Sinan Bayraktar.”

Final Remarks

Changing your name or surname in Türkiye as a dual citizen is possible, but it requires expert legal guidance, clear justification, and full compliance with court procedures.

If your identity documents, lifestyle, or personal history make a name change necessary, we are here to help you navigate the legal process efficiently and discreetly.

Contact Us

Bayraktar Attorneys is a trusted Istanbul-based law firm providing legal solutions exclusively for foreigners and dual citizens in Türkiye.

For a consultation on name or surname change cases, contact us through our website or email.