Company registration for Chinese nationals

A Limited Şirketi (Limited Liability Company, Ltd. Şti.), the Turkish equivalent of a Chinese 有限责任公司, is the most common choice for Chinese-owned Turkish companies. Minimum capital is TRY 50,000 (about USD 1,000 at October 2026 exchange rates), with 1 to 50 shareholders, and simpler governance than a joint-stock company. End-to-end setup takes about 3 to 4 weeks, including the bank account. For larger operations, multiple shareholders, or future fundraising plans, an Anonim Şirketi (Joint-Stock Company, A.Ş.) is preferred, minimum capital TRY 250,000 (TRY 500,000 under the registered-capital system), with at least 25 percent of the cash capital paid in before registration. Companies registered before 2024 with less capital must raise it to these minimums by 31 December 2027 (extended from 31 December 2026 by a communiqué of 17 October 2026) or are deemed dissolved.

Yes. Turkish company law permits 100 percent foreign ownership and a single foreign director; for a Ltd. Şti., the sole director must be a shareholder or a person designated by a corporate shareholder. You do not need a Turkish co-founder, local director, or nominee. You can manage the company entirely from China if you wish, although for operational matters (banking, tax filings) we recommend having at least one Mandarin-speaking advisor or employee on the ground in Istanbul.

Not necessarily. A power of attorney signed at a Turkish consulate, or before a local notary and then apostilled, lets your Turkish lawyer file the registration, and each authorised signatory can give the required signature declaration at a Turkish embassy or consulate in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Hong Kong) instead of in person at the Turkish trade registry. However, bank account opening typically requires the company representative to be physically present in Turkey for KYC. We sequence the timeline so you only need a 3 to 5 day Istanbul trip, for bank account opening and a face-to-face with our team.

About 3 to 4 weeks for the standard package, including the bank account (the registration itself typically takes 2 to 3 weeks once apostilled documents are ready): (1) Turkish tax number for shareholders, (2) trade-registry (Ticaret Sicili) registration, (3) tax registration with the Revenue Administration, (4) social-security (SGK) registration, (5) MERSIS registration number, (6) the company e-signature (plus e-Devlet access for the director once they hold a Turkish foreigner ID number), (7) KEP corporate email (mandatory in Turkey), (8) corporate bank account opening, (9) digital tax-stamp procurement. The articles are prepared in MERSIS and signed at the trade registry (or before a notary), and an independent Turkish lawyer files the registration; the notary certifies powers of attorney and translations; the tax, SGK, and accounting steps are handled by a Turkish chartered accountant; we coordinate the whole sequence. Our fixed coordination fee is confirmed in writing up front; the lawyer and chartered accountant bill their own fees directly, and government, notary, and translation costs are itemised in advance.

Main ongoing taxes: (1) corporate income tax 25 percent (2026; 30 percent for banks and financial firms; from 2027, 12.5 percent on manufacturing income under Law 7582), with a 10 percent domestic minimum corporate tax from which new companies are exempt for their first three accounting periods; (2) KDV (VAT) 1, 10, or 20 percent on sales; (3) withholding tax 15 percent on dividends to non-residents since 22 December 2024 (capped at 10 percent under the China-Turkey treaty); (4) social security (SGK) on payroll, about 23.75 percent employer and 15 percent employee including unemployment insurance (2026 statutory rates before any employer incentive; your accountant confirms the current rates); (5) stamp duty on certain contracts. First-year monthly bookkeeping, quarterly filings, and the year-end corporate tax return are performed by the Turkish chartered accountant we coordinate; we track the calendar and report progress to you.

It depends on your plans. Direct ownership: Chinese parent to Turkish opco. Simpler, but the Chinese parent must do ODI filings and Turkish profits repatriated to China face Chinese CIT after Turkish withholding (with treaty credit). Holding structure: Chinese parent to HK or Singapore holdco to Turkish opco. More complex, but it can offer Hong Kong's territorial tax regime and easier future restructuring. The Hong Kong–Türkiye tax agreement has been in force since 30 January 2026 and applies from 2027, capping dividend withholding at 5 or 10 percent depending on the shareholding; treaty benefits depend on beneficial-ownership and anti-abuse tests, and a Chinese parent still files ODI. Your chartered accountant models both options against your specific financial plan; we coordinate the comparison and explain it in Mandarin.