Setting Up a Company in Türkiye: What Foreign Founders Should Decide First

Foreign nationals may own one hundred per cent of a Turkish company, and the registration itself is quick once documents are in order. The difficulty is not the filing. It is deciding what to file.

Choose the entity around the objective A limited liability company suits most trading and service businesses. A joint stock company is preferable where shares may be transferred, investors introduced or capital raised later. A branch office keeps liability with the overseas parent; a liaison office cannot trade at all. Choosing the wrong form is recoverable, but only through a restructuring you would rather not pay for.

Capital is not only a legal minimum The statutory minimum is one number. The figure that makes a bank comfortable opening an account, and the figure that supports a work permit for a founder, are usually higher. Decide the capital with all three uses in mind.

Shareholder documents take the longest Passport copies, apostilles, notarised translations and tax numbers for every shareholder typically consume more calendar time than the registration. Start them early.

Plan the first year, not the first week Accounting is monthly and electronic, e-invoicing applies from the start for many activities, and payroll obligations begin with the first employee. A company that is registered but not operationally set up is not yet trading.

If you would like a structure assessed against your particular objectives, our corporate team can review it with you before anything is filed.