Question 1

How do I know this isn't a scam site?

Accepted Answer

ErKa Law Office is a registered Istanbul law firm. Our lawyers Av. Ömer Faruk Karaaslan and Muhammed Erşahin are admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association (registrations 50129 and 52933), which you can verify directly at istanbulbarosu.org.tr. We issue formal engagement letters, official e-invoices through the Turkish Revenue Administration, and hold a physical office in Bağcılar, Istanbul. Before paying anything, we encourage you to video-call us, visit in person, or verify our bar registration yourself.

Question 2

How can I verify your lawyers are real?

Accepted Answer

Every admitted lawyer in Türkiye is listed on the public Istanbul Bar Association register (istanbulbarosu.org.tr) and the national e-lawyer system. Search by name or registration number. You'll find Av. Ömer Faruk Karaaslan (Reg. 50129) and Av. Muhammed Erşahin (Reg. 52933). We'll also gladly jump on a short video call so you can see our faces, our office, and our Bar ID cards before any commitment.

Question 3

What if I can't come to Türkiye in person?

Accepted Answer

Most of our expat matters are handled remotely. For company formation, residence permits, trademark filings and contract work, we operate via a notarized Power of Attorney (apostilled in your home country) — we will send step-by-step instructions, sample text, and a Turkish consulate list so your PoA is accepted first time. You only need to appear in person for biometric fingerprints at the immigration office, and even then we accompany you.

Question 4

Do you do business with clients from my country?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We serve clients from over 20 countries including GCC states (UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman), MENA (Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan), CIS and Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Moldova, Romania), the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and further afield (Pakistan, India, Nigeria, the UK, US, and beyond). Our team works in English, Turkish, Arabic, Russian, Romanian and German.

Question 5

How long does a Turkish company setup really take?

Accepted Answer

Our standard Turkish Company Pro package delivers a fully licensed LLC (Limited Şirket), tax number, e-signature, bank introduction and VAT registration in 21 business days from the moment we receive your notarized documents. A bare-bones express setup can land in 7 business days, but it leaves several follow-on tasks (bookkeeping, work permit, address service) for later. We publish both timelines up front so you pick the one that fits your launch date.

Question 6

What can delay my residence permit?

Accepted Answer

The four most common delays are: (1) health insurance not meeting the Ministry's minimum coverage, (2) proof-of-address documents dated too old or issued in the wrong name, (3) biometric appointment slots at Göç İdaresi being booked out 4-6 weeks in peak season, and (4) tax number mismatches between your passport and local records. We pre-empt all four before we file, which is why our approval rate sits above 95%.

Question 7

Can you give me a firm timeline?

Accepted Answer

Yes — for every package we quote, we commit to a fixed delivery window in the engagement letter (e.g. 21 business days for Company Pro, 30 days for Residence). We share a written project plan with milestone dates inside 24 hours of signing, and we message you on WhatsApp at every step transition. If an external authority (notary, tax office, immigration) causes a delay, we notify you immediately with the revised date and the reason, in writing.

Question 8

What happens if something gets stuck with the government?

Accepted Answer

Delays are part of any government process in any country. When something stalls at a Turkish authority, we (a) escalate in writing the same day to the responsible desk, (b) send you a plain-language update explaining what's happening and the revised ETA, and (c) if needed, deploy a senior partner or local paralegal to physically attend the office. You never chase us for status — we chase the authority on your behalf.

Question 9

What if my application is rejected?

Accepted Answer

If a residence, work-permit or citizenship application is rejected, we review the reasoned rejection letter, file an administrative objection within the 30-day statutory window, and — if needed — escalate to the administrative court. Our fee for the re-application or appeal is included in the original package price; you don't pay our fee twice. Authority re-filing fees may apply and we disclose them up front.

Question 10

Do you offer a refund if I don't get the result?

Accepted Answer

For standard residence permits we operate a published approval-rate commitment: if we accept your matter and the permit is rejected on grounds we should have foreseen, we refund our professional fee in full. Third-party costs (government fees, notary, translations, health insurance) are not refundable because they're paid to external parties. Refund eligibility and exclusions are spelled out in the engagement letter — no small print.

Question 11

What's included vs. not included in your fixed prices?

Accepted Answer

Every package page lists the exact scope: included services (e.g. AoA drafting, notary coordination, tax-office registration, work permit for the founder) and excluded costs (e.g. notary fees, Trade Registry fees, stamp duty, health insurance premiums, residence-card production fee). All excluded items are disclosed up front with current price ranges so your total landed cost is clear before you sign.

Question 12

Are there hidden fees?

Accepted Answer

No. Our engagement letter lists (1) our professional fee, (2) anticipated third-party costs with current ranges, and (3) any optional extras (extra directors, foreign-language AoA, expedited notary, additional residence-permit applicants). If a new cost appears during the matter — e.g. a Ministry fee change — we notify you in writing and get your approval before spending. No surprise invoices at the end.

Question 13

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Client case files are stored on EU-hosted servers (Frankfurt / Amsterdam region) with encryption at rest and in transit. Physical originals are kept in a locked archive at our Istanbul office. No client data is stored on personal devices or unsecured email folders. Data location and retention terms are set out in our engagement letter and privacy notice.

Question 14

Is my matter confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes — attorney-client privilege under Turkish Law No. 1136 (Attorneys Act) Article 36 and professional secrecy obligations under the Turkish Bar rules cover every communication you send us. We also sign a mutual NDA on request for sensitive corporate or family matters. Internally, access to your file is limited to the lawyers and paralegals actively working on it.

Question 15

Do you comply with GDPR?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For clients inside the EU/EEA, we process personal data under the EU GDPR as a data controller with a lawful basis (contract and legitimate interest for legal services). In Türkiye, we comply with KVKK (Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu, Law No. 6698), which mirrors GDPR principles. You have the right to access, rectify, erase and port your data; requests are handled within the 30-day statutory window.

Question 16

Who on the team has access to my documents?

Accepted Answer

Only the lead lawyer assigned to your matter and a small internal team (typically 1–2 paralegals and our managing partner for oversight). We do not outsource files to freelance lawyers, overseas agencies, or AI tools that retain data. Our staff sign confidentiality undertakings on joining and access is logged in our case-management system.

Question 17

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

We accept bank transfer in EUR, USD, or TRY to our Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası account held in our managing partner's name. Account details and IBANs are on our /payment page — always verify the IBAN with your lawyer on WhatsApp or phone before sending funds, because fraudsters clone law-firm websites. For clients inside Türkiye we also accept credit card via Iyzico on request.

Question 18

Can I pay in installments?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on most packages. Our standard structure is a 50% engagement fee on signing, 30% at the mid-point milestone, and 20% on delivery. For larger mandates (citizenship, global expansion, multi-year retainers) we agree custom milestone schedules. Installment terms are locked into the engagement letter.

Question 19

What if I'm paying from outside Türkiye?

Accepted Answer

International transfers are normal for us — most of our clients pay from the GCC, EU, UK or US. Use our EUR or USD IBAN (see /payment), include your invoice number as the payment reference, and send the SWIFT confirmation. Funds typically clear in 1–3 business days. We notify you on WhatsApp the moment payment lands and email the official invoice the same day.

Question 20

Do you issue official invoices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We issue Turkish e-fatura (electronic invoices) through the Turkish Revenue Administration portal, with VAT where applicable. Invoices are addressed to you or your company, include our firm registration and tax number, and are valid for accounting in Türkiye and abroad. You receive both the official PDF and a plain-language summary so your bookkeeper and ours stay aligned.

What you actually want to ask — answered.

Scam & trust

Timeline & process

Rejection, refunds & fees

Privacy & data

Payment & invoices

Still stuck? Ask a lawyer directly.