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Company formation in Türkiye

Company types, required documents, steps, timing and official costs under the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) 2026 tariff. For general information.

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Before you form a company,plan its type and cost.

Company types

Type	Suitable for	Minimum capital	Liability
Sole proprietorship	Self-employed people, freelancers and small traders	None	The owner is liable with all personal assets
Limited company (Ltd. Şti.)	The most common form for SMEs; 1–50 partners	TRY 50,000	Partners up to their capital commitment; additional liability for public debts
Joint stock company (A.Ş.)	Businesses aiming for growth, investment or listing; can have a single shareholder	TRY 250,000 (TRY 500,000 under registered capital)	Shareholders up to their committed capital
General / limited partnership	Partnerships based on personal trust; only individuals can be general partners	None	General partners have unlimited liability
Cooperative	At least 7 members, with Ministry of Trade approval	Share of TRY 100	Members as set out in the articles
Branch	A unit of a Turkish or foreign company in Türkiye	None (capital allocated to a foreign branch is declared)	The head office is liable
Liaison office	A representative office of a foreign company without commercial activity	None	No commercial activity; Ministry of Industry and Technology permit

Documents required (limited and joint stock companies)

Articles of association prepared and approved in MERSİS
Copies of partners' and directors' IDs (for foreigners: notarised passport translation and a tax number)
Formation petition and trade registry application
Signature declaration of the managers, given at the trade registry
Receipt for the Competition Authority fee (0.04% of capital)
For joint stock companies: proof that at least a quarter of the cash capital has been paid into a bank
Office lease or title deed showing the business address
If a partner is a legal entity: authorisation and certificate of activity (apostilled and translated into Turkish if foreign)

How long does it take?

If the documents are complete, registration at İTO is usually completed on the appointment day or within a few business days. Including the tax office inspection and e-services, a company is usually ready to invoice in 1–2 weeks. Translations and apostilles can extend this for foreign shareholders.

When is the capital paid?

In a limited company, capital can be paid within 24 months after registration. In a joint stock company, at least 25% of the cash capital must be paid before registration and the rest within 24 months.

Step by step

Planning
Company type, trade name, activity codes (NACE), capital and shareholding are decided.
1 day
MERSİS filing
The articles of association are drafted in MERSİS, pre-approved, and a trade registry appointment is booked.
1–2 business days
Registration
Documents are submitted at the İTO regional office on the appointment day; fees and the Competition share are paid and the company is registered.
Appointment day
Tax and e-services
The tax office inspects the address; e-signature, e-seal, e-notification, e-Invoice and e-Ledger applications are completed.
2–7 business days
Social security and bank
If there are employees the workplace is registered with SGK, a company bank account is opened and a capital payment plan is set.
1–5 business days

Official formation costs (İTO 2026)

Item	Amount
Trade registry fee (limited, joint stock, cooperative)	Exempt
İTO formation service charge	TRY 2,160
Certification of statutory books	TRY 2,760
Competition Authority share	0.04% of capital
Trade Registry Gazette notice	TRY 2.48 per word
Chamber registration fee	TRY 3,305 (TRY 50,000 capital example)
Notary, e-signature, e-seal, translation	Varies (not on the official tariff)

İTO's example for a limited company with TRY 50,000 capital (notice of about 700 words) totals TRY 9,981 in official costs. Use Calculators › Company formation cost for your own figure.

For foreign partners

First, a tax number for foreigners is obtained from the tax office.
A notarised Turkish translation of the passport is required; documents issued abroad must be apostilled.
If a partner is abroad, the process can be run with a power of attorney.
Foreign capital notifications are made after formation.
Work and residence permits are separate processes; we plan them together with you.

Detailed guides by type

Limited company formation: TRY 50,000 capital, 24 months to pay, 2026 costs
Joint stock company formation: TRY 250,000 capital, 25% before registration, share certificates
Sole proprietorship: Bağ-Kur, young entrepreneur exemption
Cooperatives, general and limited partnerships, other businesses: number of partners, liability, fees
Branch and liaison office: for foreign companies
Trade registry fees: ITO 2026 tariff · Company formation cost
Opening a bank account: documents, timing, beneficial owner

NACE code: the key choice at formation

The company's NACE activity code defines its main activity at the trade registry and tax office. It directly affects the VAT rate, the SGK hazard class, occupational safety duties, licences and permits, and access to incentives.

What the code determines	Example
VAT rate consistency	If your service carries 10% VAT (e.g. some food services), the code should match; mismatches are flagged in e-Invoice and refund risk analysis
SGK hazard class	Low (office work), hazardous (manufacturing, warehousing), very hazardous (construction, mining); OHS specialist and physician time depend on it
Licences and permits	Food, health and education codes need separate permits. Licences and permits
Manufacturing incentive	The 5-point SGK incentive applies to manufacturing codes; 2 points for others. Premium rates
Work permits	Different criteria for manufacturing, tourism, IT and other codes. Work permits

Practical rules:

The main code should be the activity generating most of the revenue.
The objects clause of the articles may be broad, but the main code reported to the tax office must reflect the actual activity.
If the activity changes, change the code and notify the tax office and SGK.

Examples: Choosing a NACE code.

The first 30 days after formation

Obligation	Timing
Tax office inspection and tax certificate	In the days after formation
Opening certification of books (outside e-Ledger)	Before starting business
Workplace opening and operating licence	Before starting business
SGK workplace notification	On the day the first employee starts
Employees' start notifications	At least 1 day before work begins
KEP address and e-Notification	At formation
e-Invoice application (if required)	By the mandatory date
Capital payment	For limited companies within 24 months of registration

After formation

Tax certificate and e-notification address
Opening the statutory books (e-Ledger)
The first VAT and withholding returns
SGK workplace file for employees

Sources: Istanbul Chamber of Commerce trade registry pages and 2026 fee tariff, Ministry of Trade MERSİS, Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102.