How a Florida death certificate is used in Turkey
When a Turkish citizen dies in Florida, the death is recorded in Türkiye's civil registry through the consulate, and the heirs usually need a certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı) from a Turkish notary or civil court of peace before banks or the land registry will act. Those offices expect the Florida death certificate apostilled, with a Turkish translation approved by a Turkish notary. Order several certified copies, because the bank, the Tapu office and the court may each keep one, and make sure names match the Turkish ID records.
Translation for Turkey
Turkish offices expect a Turkish translation. Turkish consulates in the U.S. accept a translation by a sworn translator, certified by a U.S. notary and apostilled, which matches our rule: certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida. In Türkiye, a sworn translator's translation approved by a Turkish notary is the alternative. Ask the Turkish consulate in Miami whether the translator must be registered on its list.
What your Florida death certificate must look like
Only a certified copy from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department can be apostilled: it carries the State Registrar's signature that the Department of State verifies. Funeral-home copies, photocopies and scans are rejected, and copies certified before 2014 must be replaced with a fresh certified copy (order through VitalChek or the county health department). If the receiving office needs the cause of death, ask for the version that includes it — both versions can be apostilled.
Step by step: death certificate apostille for Turkey
- Order online — pick "Death certificate" and "Turkey" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to Turkey with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Turkey. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.