Muhacir Certificate and Citizenship Declaration Request
Enter the details once and get your petition to the Turkish State Archives for the muhacir certificate (Declaration of Turkish Citizenship, Immigrant Paper) and the iskân record in its official layout, ready to sign. Free; your details never leave your device.
The petition goes to a Turkish state archive, so it is printed in Turkish. Write names and places as they appear in Turkish population records (for example Bulgaristan, Kırcaali).
Your details are kept only in this browser for 30 days and are never sent to a server. Turn it off on a shared computer.
Your petition is ready
Before you send
The PDF was downloaded. Print it, date and sign it, and post it with its attachments.
Step 1
Print, date and sign.
Do not forget to write the date by hand.
Step 2
Prepare the attachments.
If you have them, copies of the Immigrant Paper and Declaration of Turkish Citizenship, and the catalogue references of archive documents.
Step 3
Send it.
Post it or send it by courier to the address below.
Step 4
When the documents arrive.
Not all records were transferred to the archive, so not every request succeeds.
Archive details
Recipient
Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı
Muhacir ve İskân Kayıtları Şube Müdürlüğü
Gayret Mahallesi 95. Sokak No:3 06170 Yenimahalle/ANKARA
Next step: Bulgarian citizenship
Once your documents arrive you can start your Bulgarian citizenship application. Send them for a free pre-review and we will map out your route within 2 working days.
WhatsApp +90 (541) 975 29 89
Background
What are the muhacir certificate and the declaration of Turkish citizenship?
"Muhacir certificate" is the common name for the papers issued to families who migrated from the Balkans to Turkey. They are kept as Muhacir Records at the Turkish Presidency's State Archives: the Declaration of Turkish Citizenship (Tabiiyet Beyannamesi), the Immigrant Paper (Muhacir Kâğıdı) and the other documents in the immigrant file. "Tabiiyet beyannamesi" is the Ottoman-era Turkish name of this declaration: the statement the head of the family and those with him made when taking Turkish citizenship.
The iskân record is a separate record of the house and land given to the immigrants for settlement; it is not sent with a muhacir request and has to be requested on its own. A Bulgarian citizenship application usually needs the muhacir certificate and a name equivalence certificate to prove descent. The name equivalence certificate is requested separately, with these documents, from the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality.
Step by step
How to get a muhacir certificate
The muhacir certificate is requested from the Turkish State Archives with a petition sent by post or courier; the documents come to your postal address.
Step 1
Fill in the petition
Enter the applicant, the head of family, those who came along and where they were settled; the muhacir and iskân petitions are prepared together.
Step 2
Print and sign
Print the petition, date and sign it. If you apply for someone else, attach the original or a certified copy of the power of attorney.
Step 3
Add attachments
If you have them, add copies of the Immigrant Paper, the Declaration of Turkish Citizenship or the first land registry entry.
Step 4
Post it
Send it to Gayret Mahallesi 95. Sokak No:3 06170 Yenimahalle/Ankara. The PDF includes a ready envelope label.
Official source
Official request forms
If you prefer to fill in the form yourself, open the official form pages of the Turkish State Archives. The archive states that you may use the form or apply with a letter containing the same details.
devletarsivleri.gov.tr
Muhacir Certificate / Declaration of Turkish Citizenship
Muhacir Records Request Form: for the Declaration of Turkish Citizenship, the Immigrant Paper and the immigrant file.
devletarsivleri.gov.tr
Iskân Record
Iskân Record Request Form: for the documents on the house and land given for settlement.
Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about requesting muhacir and iskân records.
Where do I get a muhacir document?
Muhacir records are requested from the Muhacir and Iskân Records Branch of the Turkish Presidency's State Archives. Sign the completed petition and post it to Gayret Mahallesi 95. Sokak No:3 06170 Yenimahalle/Ankara.
What is the difference between a muhacir and an iskân record?
Muhacir records are the Declaration of Turkish Citizenship, the Immigrant Paper and the documents in the immigrant's file. Iskân records are the documents on the property given to immigrants for settlement. A muhacir request does not return iskân documents; they need a separate request. This tool prepares both petitions from the same details.
Which details are required?
The applicant's name, Turkish ID number, phone and address; the immigrant's country of origin, date of arrival and province; the name, father's name and Turkish ID number of the head of family and those who came along; and the province, district and village where they were settled in Turkey. Without the family members and the place of settlement the record is not searched.
Does every request succeed?
No. Not all muhacir and iskân records were transferred to the State Archives, so the search covers only the archive's holdings and not every request succeeds.
What is the declaration of Turkish citizenship (tabiiyet beyannamesi)?
"Tabiiyet beyannamesi" means declaration of citizenship in Ottoman-era Turkish: the statement the head of an immigrant family and those with him made when taking Turkish citizenship. It is kept with the Immigrant Paper (Muhacir Kâğıdı) among the muhacir records of the Turkish State Archives and is requested with the muhacir records request form.
Can I request a muhacir certificate for someone else?
Yes, you can apply as a representative. Attach the original or a certified copy of the power of attorney to the petition.
Where do I get a name equivalence certificate?
Not from the State Archives: it is issued by the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality of the Turkish Ministry of Interior, using the muhacir documents you received from the archive.
This tool is based on the Turkish State Archives' Muhacir and Iskân Records Request Forms; it is not an official tool of the institution. The institution states that you may use the form or apply with a letter covering the same details. The PDF is in PDF/A-2b, suitable for long-term archiving. The information is general and is not legal advice.