Certificate of inheritance
A few questions show whether you need to obtain the certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı / mirasçılık belgesi) from a notary or from the civil court of peace, and which documents are required.
What is a certificate of inheritance?
A certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı / mirasçılık belgesi) is the document showing the statutory heirs of the deceased and their shares. It is needed to transfer real estate in the land registry, to withdraw bank balances, to transfer vehicles and to file lawsuits. Statutory heirs may obtain the certificate from a notary or from thecivil court of peace (sulh hukuk mahkemesi) (Turkish Civil Code (TMK) art. 598).
A notary issues the certificate on the same day on the basis of the civil registry (nüfus) records. However, if issuing the certificate requires a judicial examination, if the civil registry records are insufficient, or if the certificate is requested by foreigners, the notary cannot issue it; in that case, an application is made to the civil court of peace (Notaries Law art. 71/B). For heirs appointed by will, the certificate is issued only by the civil court of peace.
The invalidity of a certificate of inheritance may be raised at any time; a lawsuit may be filed to annul an incorrectly issued certificate. To see the shares, you can use the inheritance shares tool.
Legal basis
- Turkish Civil Code (TMK) art. 598 (certificate of inheritance)
- Notaries Law art. 71/B
These provisions and rates were last checked against official sources on 1 October 2026.
- →Inheritance sharesStatutory shares of the surviving spouse, children, parents and siblings.→
- →Reserved share and reductionReserved (forced) shares, the freely disposable portion and the reduction (tenkis) amount.→
- →Division of marital propertyResidual value and participation claim under the regime of participation in acquired property.→
- →Alimony increaseThe new alimony amount after annual CPI or PPI increases.→