Signature Circular Translation for the Netherlands

The UBO register and the KYC context

When an account is opened or a business relationship formed in the Netherlands, the other side wants to establish the company’s beneficial owner as well as its authorised signatory, under know-your-customer (KYC) principles; that information rests largely on the register of beneficial owners (UBO-register). Within this picture the signature circular is read as the document showing authority to represent, and in translation the signatory’s name and title are carried across clearly enough for a bank or notary to run the check. An Rbtv number visible on the declaration page is what makes the source verifiable. Where the register shows signing authority as limited (beperkte volmacht), that limit is reflected exactly in the translation as well; concealing it would make the document misleading.

In that verification the circular is assessed together with the KvK uittreksel and the company’s internal rules, and the trade name and the names of the authorised persons are expected to agree across them. The translation carries the trade name across as it stands, does not equate it with a Dutch document, and shows plainly whether authority is sole or joint. Limits of amount or subject matter are conveyed exactly; generalising a limit can mean the document is asked for again during the KYC review, and the transaction is delayed.

The document set and the beperkte volmacht

In a corporate file destined for the Netherlands, signing authority is usually read alongside the trade register extract (KvK uittreksel), the company’s internal rules and the activity records. The Dutch recipient verifies signing authority by working across these documents, so the trade name and the names of the authorised persons are expected to appear consistently in all of them. The translation of the Turkish circular takes its place within that whole; the trade name is carried across as it stands and is not equated with a Dutch document.

In Dutch practice signing authority may be full, or it may be confined to particular amounts or transactions by a restricted power of attorney (beperkte volmacht), and that limit is usually visible in the register. Limits of amount, subject matter or term in a Turkish circular are conveyed in exactly the same way; a simplification such as “is authorised” can make a limited authority look unlimited. The distinction between sole and joint signature is likewise kept explicit, because it determines whether a signature binds the company.

Here too, how current the circular is proves decisive; when a company’s management or its form of representation changes, the old document ceases to be valid. If an out-of-date document is put before the Dutch side, the recipient may ask for a current copy, so it is best to work with a circular dated close to the transaction. The date of issue, the notary’s details and the notarial register number are kept exactly as they are in the translation, because these show which state of the representation structure the document reflects.

The counterparts: KvK uittreksel and tekeningsbevoegd

In the Netherlands, who represents a company is read from the extract (uittreksel) issued by the trade register (Handelsregister / KvK) and from the signing authority (tekeningsbevoegd) shown in it. The translation of a Turkish signature circular has to answer what the Dutch recipient will be looking for as tekeningsbevoegdheid. The translation does not characterise the Turkish document as a KvK uittreksel; the document is conveyed under its own identity and explained in brackets where necessary.

Volmacht and the form of representation

In Dutch practice authority is usually delegated by a power of attorney (volmacht) and the authorised person is called the gevolmachtigde, while the person representing the company may be a bestuurder. The distinction in the circular between sole and joint signature determines whether a signature binds the company, and it is kept explicit in translation. Where authority is limited by amount, subject matter or term, those limits are conveyed exactly; the trade name is not translated.

Rbtv registration and the order of approval

In the Netherlands the translator producing an official translation is expected to be entered on the Rbtv register; the registration number appears on the declaration page, where the other side can verify it. Where the translation is produced in Türkiye, a sworn translator signs it, it is notarised, and an apostille is added. Because a signature circular is a notarial document, the apostille is obtained from the judicial justice commission.

• Check that the Rbtv number appears on the declaration page.
• Do not leave the sole/joint distinction unclear.
• Obtain the apostille for a notarial document from the judicial justice commission.

The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can run your file through our single office in Ankara Kızılay, see the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document to request a quotation. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for legal advice; consult your accountant or lawyer on questions of authority to represent.