Trade Registry Translation for the USA

No single registry: the “good standing” expectation

There is no national registry holding all companies under one roof in the USA; the recipient will usually be looking for a document along the lines of a “certificate of good standing”, showing that the company is active and registered. The Turkish certificate of activity is the closest counterpart to that expectation, while the TTSG announcement shows past changes. A short covering note explaining what the document is and what it corresponds to heads off the objection that “this is not the good standing certificate we were expecting”. A note of that kind can secure swift acceptance instead of a rejection.

The signed declaration of accuracy and type abbreviations

Since there is no sworn translator regime in the USA, the assurance behind a translation is the signed declaration of accuracy, carrying the translator’s name, contact details, the date and a signature. A second critical point is company type abbreviations: writing A.Ş. as “Inc.”, or a Limited Şirketi as “LLC”, equates the company with a different legal form. Because these types do not overlap, the abbreviation is left as it stands in the translation, with an explanatory note where necessary. Otherwise the recipient assumes the company is the same as a US structure, and that mistaken expectation causes trouble later on.

It is worth going over the following points before delivery:

• Verify that the signed declaration of accuracy has been attached to the translation.
• Check that the company type abbreviation has not been turned into an “Inc.” or “LLC” equivalent.
• Confirm that the MERSIS and trade registry numbers have been carried across exactly.
• Verify that the capital has been left in the currency shown on the document and not converted into USD.

No currency conversion of the capital

The amount of capital and the currency stay exactly as they are in the translation; no dollar equivalent at the current rate is added, because what the document records is registered legal capital and the exchange rate moves every day. A bank or a court wants to see the figure written on the document as it stands; a phrase such as “approximate USD equivalent” added to a translation means the translator has put their own data into the document. The same principle governs the format of figures and dates: the thousands separator and the date order are preserved, and dates are written out clearly so that the day and month cannot be confused.

QR-coded certificates of activity, MERSIS and gazette details

These days the certificate of activity is generally issued through the e-Devlet portal or the trade registry directorate as a QR-coded document with electronic verification. In the translation, the presence of the QR code and of the electronic verification wording is marked with the notes [QR code] and [electronic verification]; no attempt is made to decode the code itself. The MERSIS number and the trade registry number are the key data identifying the company, so they are carried across exactly – one wrong digit and the document cannot be verified in the eyes of the US recipient, typically a bank. On a Türkiye Trade Registry Gazette announcement, the announcement date and issue number are kept, because they show when the change concerned was registered. Whether the electronic copy or the wet-signed printed copy will be asked for depends on the institution, so having both ready is the safest course.

The distinction between the current position and past changes matters here too: the certificate of activity shows the company as it stands today, whereas gazette announcements are a chronological record. When the KYC team or the court asks for a current record, submitting the most recent registration announcement together with a currently dated certificate of activity is more complete than sending a single old copy, and reduces the chance of the other side asking for further documents.

Current dating, apostille and common mistakes

Bank and KYC processes want a currently dated document; an old copy may not be accepted even where the translation is flawless. If something has since changed at the company, a current certificate of activity and the new registration announcement should be obtained together. The apostille is obtained in Türkiye and translated along with its certificate; the USA is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. The most frequent mistakes are: forgetting the declaration of accuracy, equating A.Ş. with “Inc.”, and submitting an out-of-date copy. You can see the level of approval required for other documents on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document to request a quotation. This page is for general information; confirm current requirements with the institution you will be applying to.