In Turkey, there are two types of documents that are accepted as legal proof of birth. Firstly, the most commonly used document by foreigners born in Turkey is called “Form A.” This document can be used by anyone born in Turkey and is issued with a registration number. It can be requested by anyone regardless of their nationality or citizenship. If the person does not know their registration number, they need to apply at the population registry office where the newborn was registered. To obtain the Form A document, any person with a power of attorney (“PoA”) signed by the subject of the document can apply at any population registry office. For children under 18 years old, a power of attorney from a parent is sufficient to obtain the Form A document. The Form A document can later be certified at the district governorship or undergo the apostille process. The Form A document can be requested for various purposes, such as marriage procedures, birth registration, citizenship, or visa processes.

Secondly, another document accepted as proof of birth is the “Population Registry Extract”. This document can be obtained from population registry offices or through third parties with a notarized power of attorney. Additionally, it can be obtained electronically through an online system called “e-government” (e-devlet). To obtain an electronically issued Population Registry Extract, the person needs to create an e-government account. However, district governorships do not legalize or apostille this electronic version. The district governorship only certifies or apostilles a manually signed and stamped Family Registration Record obtained from the population registry office. In summary, the documents representing the legal proof of birth in Turkey are Form A and Population Registry Extract. Both documents are used to prove birth, for official procedures, and other purposes.