Company Formation in Turkey for Gulf Investors

This guide is for investors from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman who want to own a company in Turkey, personally or through a holding company. It answers three practical questions: can you own the company outright, which certification do your documents need, and how are profits taxed on the way home. For the general registration process, costs and timeline, start with our overview of company formation in Turkey guide; this page covers what changes for a Gulf shareholder.

The short version: nationality matters less than you might expect. What decides the paperwork is the country where each document is signed or issued, and what decides the tax treatment is where the shareholder is resident for tax purposes.

Can a Gulf national or a Gulf company own a Turkish company?

Yes. Invest in Türkiye, the Presidency’s investment office, states that Turkey’s foreign direct investment law gives international investors the same rights and liabilities as local investors, and that the conditions for setting up a business and transferring shares are the same as for local investors.

Invest in Türkiye describes two company types under the Turkish Commercial Code as the most common choices. Under the Code, as the Ministry of Trade explains, their minimum capital is:

• Limited liability company (LLC, limited şirket): minimum capital TRY 50,000.
• Joint stock company (JSC, anonim şirket): minimum capital TRY 250,000.

The Ministry of Trade states that these minimums apply from 1 January 2024 and that both types can be formed by a single shareholder. So a citizen of any of the six states, a resident of the Gulf with another nationality, or a company incorporated there can hold all the shares. Some activities may also need a licence from a sector authority, so check the planned activity before you fix the structure. Our guide to LLC ownership for foreigners covers the ownership rules, and the LLC vs JSC comparison helps with the choice of company type.

The document rule that matters most: apostille or legalization

A foreign document, such as a power of attorney signed before a notary or a certificate issued by a company registry, can be used in Turkey only once its origin has been authenticated. There are two ways to do that:

• Apostille. Turkey has been a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention since 29 September 1985. For a document issued in another party state, an apostille from that state’s competent authority is the only certification of its origin that may be required. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that it cannot certify an apostilled document, and that an apostilled document can be used directly before the authorities of party states.
• Legalization. If the issuing country is not a party, the document goes through a chain of certifications that ends on the Turkish side, explained below.

The Hague Conference’s status table (last updated 30 June 2026, checked on 17 October 2026) shows the following for the six Gulf states:

Under the Convention, an accession takes effect only between the acceding state and the parties that have not objected to it. The table shows no objection marker for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or Oman. Membership can change, so check the live status table before anyone signs.

Where you sign matters more than your passport

The Convention applies to public documents executed in the territory of one party state, and the apostille is issued by the competent authority of the state from which the document emanates. Nationality plays no part. If you live, or keep a company, in a Gulf state other than your own, this has two consequences:

• A Saudi or Omani citizen who signs a power of attorney before a notary in Dubai, Doha or Kuwait City produces a document of a state that is not a party. It needs the legalization chain, not an apostille.
• An Emirati, Qatari or Kuwaiti citizen who signs in Riyadh, Manama or Muscat produces a document of a party state, so the apostille route applies.

The same logic applies to company documents. The registry that issues your holding company’s certificate decides the route, not the place where its owners live.

The apostille route: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman

1. Sign the document before a notary, or obtain the official certificate, in the issuing country.
2. Obtain the apostille from the authority that country has designated. The Hague Conference publishes the competent authorities of each party.
3. Send the original to Turkey. Invest in Türkiye says that documents issued abroad must then be officially translated and notarized by a Turkish notary.

An apostille confirms the signature, the capacity of the person who signed and the seal. It says nothing about the content, so it will not rescue a power of attorney that lacks the authorities your representative needs. The wording still has to match the Turkish transaction; our power of attorney guide explains what the scope should cover.

The legalization route: UAE, Qatar and Kuwait

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains the route for foreign documents that do not carry an apostille. First, complete the internal certification steps of the issuing country and have the document certified by that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then use one of two methods:

The Ministry describes legalization as confirming the signature and seal of the authority that certified the document before, not the content. Each link in the chain therefore depends on the one before it, and a missing local step can hold up the whole file. Which local office certifies the document before your Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set by your own country’s rules; ask the authority that issues the document.

Signing at a Turkish embassy or consulate

Turkish missions provide notarial services, but they may limit what they do for foreign nationals. The Turkish Consulate General in Athens, for example, states that foreign individuals may grant only powers of attorney that require a land registry transaction, and that its notarial services are not available to foreign legal entities. Before you plan a consular power of attorney for company formation, ask the Turkish mission that serves your area whether it accepts one from a non-Turkish national for this purpose.

When the shareholder is a Gulf holding company

If you will invest through a company rather than personally, Invest in Türkiye lists what a legal-entity shareholder provides:

• a certificate of activity issued by the relevant authority, showing the company’s current status and its authorized signatories;
• a resolution of the shareholder’s competent corporate body authorizing the establishment of the Turkish company;
• if the shareholder company will be a board member of a JSC, the individual who will act on its behalf, named in the same or a separate resolution;
• a notarized power of attorney if a representative follows the process.

Each of these is a foreign document, so each follows the apostille or legalization route of the country that issues it. A holding company registered in Bahrain produces Bahraini documents (apostille), while a holding company registered in the UAE produces UAE documents (legalization), whoever its owners are. Keep an up-to-date ownership chart and the documents that prove each layer of ownership, because the Turkish bank will also want to see through the holding company to the individuals behind it. Our step-by-step guide to LLC formation with a corporate shareholder shows where these documents enter the process.

Tax ID and bank account: prepare for KYC early

Each non-Turkish shareholder needs a potential tax identity number from a Turkish tax office. Invest in Türkiye notes that the company needs these numbers to open the bank account into which the capital is deposited. Our tax ID guide explains how foreigners obtain one.

Banks in Turkey are obliged parties under Law No. 5549 on the Prevention of Laundering Proceeds of Crime. According to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance’s guide on beneficial ownership, Article 3 of the Law requires them to identify the people carrying out a transaction, and those on whose behalf it is carried out, before the transaction takes place. The implementing regulation adds rules on identifying legal entities resident abroad, identifying beneficial owners, and refusing a transaction or ending a business relationship. For a Gulf investor, that means preparing:

• passports of the shareholders and of the people who will sign for the company;
• for a holding company, documents that trace ownership up to the individuals who ultimately own or control it;
• a clear explanation of where the capital comes from and what the Turkish company will do.

Banks apply these rules through their own onboarding procedures, so a power of attorney that works for the Trade Registry may not be enough for a particular bank, and some banks may ask an authorized signatory to attend a branch. Ask before you book travel. Our corporate bank account guide covers the account-opening steps.

Tax treaties between Turkey and the Gulf states

All six states have a double taxation agreement with Turkey that appears on the Revenue Administration’s list of agreements in force, dated 23 April 2025:

The dates are as stated on the list, including the Kuwait agreement’s application date, which falls before its entry into force. The list is a snapshot, so check the Revenue Administration’s site for later changes, and read each agreement together with any amending protocol. Our double taxation agreements guide explains how treaty relief works in general.

Dividends paid to a Gulf shareholder

Under Turkish domestic law, a dividend that a Turkish company distributes to a non-resident individual or a non-resident company is subject to 15% withholding for payments made from 22 December 2024, under Presidential Decision No. 9286, as shown in the Revenue Administration’s withholding tables. Adding profit to capital is not treated as a distribution. A treaty may reduce the Turkish withholding. The treaty rate depends on the specific agreement and its conditions, so check the agreement text and the Revenue Administration’s dividend rate table before each payment.

To have a treaty applied, the Revenue Administration’s circular on residence certificates (ÇVÖA/2013-1) requires the non-resident to obtain a residence certificate from the competent authority of its own country. The original is submitted with a Turkish translation certified by a notary or a Turkish consulate, to the tax office or to the company that withholds the tax. Without it, Turkish domestic rules apply instead of the treaty.

How your own country treats the dividend, and whether you must report the Turkish company there, is a question for an authorized adviser in that country. We do not advise on tax or reporting rules outside Turkey.

Trade agreements are a separate question

A tax treaty is not a trade agreement. The Ministry of Trade’s list of free trade agreements in force (checked on 17 October 2026) includes the United Arab Emirates and Qatar; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman are not on it. If your Turkish company will trade goods with the Gulf, preferential customs treatment depends on the relevant agreement and its rules of origin; our import duty guide explains the basics.

Residence and work permits are not part of the company

Owning shares in a Turkish company does not grant an automatic right to live or work in Turkey.

• Residence. The Presidency of Migration Management lists foreigners who will establish commercial connections or a business among those who may be granted a short-term residence permit, subject to the conditions in Article 32 of Law No. 6458, such as documents supporting the purpose of stay, accommodation meeting general health and safety standards, and an address in Turkey. Each permit is issued for at most two years at a time, and the authority decides each application.
• Work. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security states that foreigners must obtain a work permit or a work permit exemption before they start working in Turkey, and that a residence permit does not give the right to work. A work permit or exemption generally takes the place of a residence permit.

If you plan to run the company from Istanbul rather than from the Gulf, read our guide to the work permit for a foreign company owner before you fix the shareholding and the capital, because the work permit criteria for company partners look at the partner’s capital share and shareholding ratio.

Remote formation: the usual sequence

1. Decide who holds the shares. You personally, or a holding company, and whether an LLC or a JSC fits the plan.
2. Map every document to its route. Use the table above, based on where each document will be signed or issued, not on anyone’s nationality.
3. Draft the power of attorney before anyone signs. Invest in Türkiye notes that a notarized copy of the power of attorney is needed when a proxy follows the registration, and that a proxy acting at the tax office needs an authority that specifically covers acting for the company.
4. Obtain potential tax identity numbers for the foreign shareholders; the bank account for the capital deposit needs them.
5. File through MERSİS, the Ministry of Trade’s central registry system. Invest in Türkiye states that incorporations are carried out at Trade Registry Directorates within chambers of commerce. For an LLC, the Turkish Commercial Code (Art. 575) requires the articles of association to be signed before authorized Trade Registry personnel, and the Istanbul registry accepts signature by a proxy under a power of attorney; for a JSC, the founders’ signatures may instead be notarised (Art. 335).
6. Set up accounting from the first day with a licensed accountant (SMMM), so that tax registrations, bookkeeping and filings start on time.

Once the documents are ready, the Trade Registry stage usually takes a few business days (our estimate for a complete file is 3 to 5 business days). With the certification, tax office and bank steps, we plan most files at 2 to 4 weeks; the total depends on the file and no fixed duration can be guaranteed. Our guide to remote company formation in Turkey covers the timeline and the practical risks of setting up from abroad.

How Celikel CPA works with Gulf investors

We work with clients of every nationality. Consultations, correspondence and reports are in English (or Turkish, if preferred); official filings and correspondence with Turkish authorities are in Turkish. An Arabic version of our company formation overview is also available for information; our service itself is provided in English.

On the Turkish side, we can review the document route for each shareholder and signatory, prepare the power of attorney wording for the Turkish transaction, coordinate translation and the registration filings, and then handle bookkeeping, tax returns and payroll once the company is registered. Questions on Gulf-side tax, reporting or certification steps stay with your advisers in that country.

Contact us with your country of residence, the planned shareholder (an individual or a company) and the activity, and we will tell you which documents you need and in which order.

Related Articles

• Power of Attorney Turkey: Requirements, Apostille & Company Formation
• LLC Formation with a Corporate Shareholder in Turkey
• Corporate Bank Account in Turkey for Foreign Companies
• Double Taxation Agreements in Turkey

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a UAE or Saudi company own 100% of a Turkish company?

Yes. Invest in Türkiye states that foreign investors have the same rights and liabilities as local investors, and the Ministry of Trade confirms that an LLC or a JSC can be formed by a single shareholder. The shareholder company’s documents must first go through the apostille route (Saudi Arabia) or the legalization route (UAE) before they can be used in Turkey.

Does a power of attorney signed in Dubai need an apostille?

An apostille is not available for it. The UAE does not appear in the Hague Conference’s Apostille Convention status table (last updated 30 June 2026), so a document signed there follows the legalization chain described by Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: certification in the UAE ending with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then either the Turkish mission in the UAE or the UAE mission in Turkey.

I am a Saudi citizen living in Dubai. Which route applies to me?

The route follows the country where the document is issued, not your passport. A power of attorney you sign before a notary in Dubai is a UAE document and goes through legalization. If you sign it in Saudi Arabia, an apostille from the Saudi competent authority replaces legalization, and the document is then translated into Turkish and notarized in Turkey.

Does Turkey have a tax treaty with Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman?

Yes. The Revenue Administration’s list of double taxation agreements in force, dated 23 April 2025, includes all six: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. To have a treaty rate applied to dividends, you need a residence certificate from the competent authority of your country of residence.

Will owning a Turkish company give me a residence permit?

Not automatically. Establishing a business is one of the grounds on which Turkey’s migration authority may grant a short-term residence permit, but you must apply and meet the conditions of Law No. 6458. Working in Turkey requires a work permit or a work permit exemption.

Do I have to travel to Turkey to set up the company?

Not for the registration itself: Invest in Türkiye describes the process being followed by a proxy holding a power of attorney. Banks apply their own onboarding procedures, and some may ask an authorized signatory to attend in person, so confirm this with the bank before you plan the trip.

Official sources

Checked on 17 October 2026.

• Hague Conference on Private International Law: Apostille Convention status table, full text of the Convention and competent authorities
• Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalization Unit: information note on apostille and legalization (in Turkish)
• Turkish Consulate General in Athens: power of attorney application note (in Turkish)
• Invest in Türkiye: establishing a business
• Istanbul Trade Registry: limited company registration (in Turkish)
• Ministry of Trade: company information, company FAQ (in Turkish) and free trade agreements in force (in Turkish)
• Revenue Administration: double taxation agreements in force, withholding rates for non-resident companies, withholding rates under Income Tax Law Article 94 and residence certificate circular ÇVÖA/2013-1 (in Turkish)
• Ministry of Treasury and Finance: guide on identifying beneficial owners (in Turkish)
• Presidency of Migration Management: types of residence permit (in Turkish)
• Ministry of Labour and Social Security: work permit FAQ (in Turkish) and work permit evaluation criteria