Entering Turkey from Russia

What Russian founders and Russian-owned companies need to know before setting up in Turkey or collecting from a Turkish customer: tax treaty rates, documents, banking and enforcement.

Last verified: 12 October 2026

Short answer

A Russian citizen or a Russian-owned company can own 100% of a Turkish company and register it in a day once the documents are in order. Dividends paid to a Russian parent carry withholding tax of 10%. Russia is a party to the Apostille Convention. Plan the bank account early, because Turkish banks have applied stricter checks to Russian clients since 2024.

How much business do Turkey and Russia do?

Trade between Turkey and Russia was USD 49 billion in 2025, according to Turkish Statistical Institute figures. More than 3,000 Russian companies operate in Turkey according to the Turkish Embassy in Moscow, and the Turkish trade minister put Russian investment at USD 7 billion in a June 2025 statement. A bilateral investment treaty has been in force since 2000.

How are dividends to a Russian parent taxed?

A Turkish company pays 25% corporate income tax. When it pays a dividend to its Russian parent, Turkey withholds tax. The domestic rate is 15%. Under the tax treaty the rate is 10%, whatever the size of the holding. Rates are from PwC Tax Summaries, reviewed in September 2026. The full table for all countries is in the tax chapter.

Which documents does a Russian shareholder need?

Russia is a party to the Apostille Convention, so Russian company documents are notarised, apostilled in Russia and then translated by a sworn translator in Turkey. The Russian Ministry of Justice is the designated apostille authority for notarised documents. No consular legalisation is needed.

Company registry extract or certificate of activity
Resolution to establish the Turkish company and appoint its representative
Power of attorney, if the formation is handled without travel
Passport copies of the managers

The full process and our fixed price are on the company formation page.

Can a Russian-owned company open a bank account in Turkey?

Yes, but expect a longer process. Since early 2024 Turkish banks have tightened compliance checks on Russian clients, as Reuters reported, and Russian media reported account closures. Turkish banks suspended the Mir payment system in September 2022. Start the bank application as soon as the company is registered, and prepare proof of the source of funds and of the business activity. Details are in the bank account chapter.

Can you post Russian staff to Turkey?

Yes, with a work permit. The employer must have five Turkish employees for each foreign employee and paid-in capital of TRY 500,000, or meet the net sales or export test. There is no social security agreement between Russia and Turkey, so posted staff are generally insured in Turkey. Russian citizens with ordinary passports can enter Turkey without a visa for tourist and business trips of up to 60 days. Entry rules are published by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Details are in the work permit chapter.

What if a Turkish customer does not pay a Russian supplier?

You can start enforcement proceedings in Turkey without a judgment, and the debtor has 7 days to object. Russia and Turkey are both parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on Civil Procedure, which exempts Russian companies from posting security for costs in Turkish courts. There is no judgment treaty between the two countries, and Turkish courts long refused to enforce Russian judgments for lack of reciprocity. In September 2025 the Court of Cassation accepted that reciprocity exists in practice, according to a published case note. A final Russian judgment can therefore now be enforced in Turkey, although the practice is new. Routes, costs and fixed prices are on the debt collection page.

Which Russian clients can Karum work with?

Karum is operated from the Netherlands and follows EU sanctions law. Article 5n of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 prohibits EU businesses from providing business consulting and legal advisory services to companies established in Russia. According to the European Commission guidance, the rule does not cover individuals or companies incorporated outside Russia, unless the service is for the benefit of a parent company in Russia. We screen every request before sending a scope. We can work with Russian citizens and with companies established outside Russia, and we decline cases that fall under the prohibition or involve sanctioned persons.

Who can help on the ground?

For introductions and trade events, the Türkiye-Russia Business Council of DEİK is the main bilateral business body. For the legal and tax side of your entry, we give you a written scope and one price.

Common questions

What is the dividend withholding tax between Turkey and Russia?

Turkey's domestic rate is 15%. Under the tax treaty the rate is 10%, whatever the size of the holding.

Do Russian company documents need an apostille for Turkey?

Does a Russian creditor have to post security in Turkish courts?

Russia and Turkey are both parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on Civil Procedure, which exempts Russian companies from posting security for costs in Turkish courts.

Can a court judgment from Russia be enforced in Turkey?

There is no judgment treaty between the two countries, and Turkish courts long refused to enforce Russian judgments for lack of reciprocity. In September 2025 the Court of Cassation accepted that reciprocity exists in practice, according to a published case note. A final Russian judgment can therefore now be enforced in Turkey, although the practice is new.