Setting up a digital company with MERSIS, e-signature and KEP, what is online today?
The main step a digital company (dijital şirket) founder can take online today is drafting the articles of association in MERSIS and sending them to the trade registry office with the founders’ e-signatures or mobile signatures, while signature data is in most cases pulled electronically from public databases (Ministry of Trade MERSIS page, 12 May 2026). MERSIS is Türkiye’s central trade registry system. The Ministry describes moving the whole incorporation process online partly in the future tense. A founder without signature data, or living abroad, may still need a notary or registry step.
For a tech founder setting up a digital company in Türkiye in autumn 2026, an e-signature for every founder means far less paperwork. It is still too early to call incorporation fully remote, and the digital company definition had not been published as of 14 October 2026.
Which digital company setup steps can be done online in MERSIS today?
Drafting the contract, signing it with an e-signature or mobile signature and sending it to the registry are online today. The Ministry of Trade’s MERSIS information page describes this route clearly. The signature declaration can also be created in MERSIS. A fully door-free incorporation, however, appears on the page as ongoing work and a goal.
The contract is drafted in MERSIS and sent with an e-signature
According to the Ministry page, the articles of association are prepared in MERSIS, and the founders can sign them with an e-signature or mobile signature and send them to the trade registry office. The alternative is to sign the MERSIS-generated contract at the registry office in person or through a proxy, a route opened by Law 7099.
How does a digital company setup in MERSIS work step by step?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Step 1: Get a qualified e-signature or mobile signature
- Step 2: Draft the articles of association in MERSIS
- Step 3: Sign electronically or in person
- Step 4: Complete the signature data and the signature declaration
It runs in four steps: get a signing tool, draft the contract in MERSIS, sign it, and complete the signature data. The sources give no official duration for any step. For costs, get your own quote from the provider and from your accountant.
Step 1: Get a qualified e-signature or mobile signature
Qualified electronic certificates come from the Electronic Certificate Service Providers on the list kept by BTK, Türkiye’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority. A mobile signature has the same legal validity, and MERSIS Mobile has covered incorporation since 29 December 2023. Get your own quote for fees and timing.
Step 2: Draft the articles of association in MERSIS
The articles are generated inside the MERSIS workflow. Agree with your partners beforehand on the trade name, capital and field of activity.
Step 3: Sign electronically or in person
If every founder has an e-signature or mobile signature, the contract is signed electronically and sent to the office. If one founder does not, the contract is signed at the office in person or through a proxy.
Step 4: Complete the signature data and the signature declaration
Under the 2021 Communiqué, signature data is pulled electronically from public databases during registration and saved in MERSIS. For officers with the new ID card, the signature sample can be drawn electronically from the civil registry. A signature declaration can be created in MERSIS for each officer, even at another registry office.
When are a notary and the trade registry still needed for a digital company?
When signature data cannot be pulled electronically, and when a founder is abroad. Under the Communiqué, if no data exists, the signature is given by declaration before a notary or authorised registry staff. Transactions that require an official form and guarantee contracts cannot be made with an e-signature at all.
Common mistake: assuming every visit is now a thing of the past
The most frequent mistake is reading the future-tense sentence on the Ministry page as today’s rule. If one partner lacks an e-signature, or the signature data is not in the system, the process falls back to a physical step. Build your incorporation timeline with that possibility in mind.
What do KEP, e-signature and e-notification do for a digital company’s infrastructure?
Together they form the company’s backbone for official correspondence and signing. An e-signature equals a handwritten one, KEP is legally valid and secure registered email, and the electronic notification address is the inbox where official notices land.
Who does online setup help, and who does it leave with extra steps?
Small teams whose partners are all individuals with e-signatures have the easiest path. A founder abroad and a partner without electronic signature data may still face a physical step. Accountants feel it indirectly: under a circular from TÜRMOB, the Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants of Türkiye, taxpayers starting from 1 January 2025 on a balance-sheet basis must keep an e-ledger (e-Defter).
Limited companies with e-signing partners move ahead
In limited companies whose partners are all individuals holding e-signatures, partners’ board decisions can be taken with e-signatures in the MERSIS General Assembly Decision Module.
Foreign founders and founders abroad face extra steps
A foreign founder who wants to set up a company in Türkiye meets the consulate approval and notarised translation step. Passport-based remote setup has been announced, but no start date or procedure has been published.
What should a digital company founder do this week?
This week, check your signing tool, find out whether your signature data is in the system and gather the incorporation paperwork in one file. Whether to wait for the definition is weighed in our article on waiting or incorporating now. Who can benefit from the status is covered in our article on the two conditions of Law 7582.
Map the signature status of every partner
For each partner, write down whether they have an e-signature or mobile signature, whether they hold the new ID card and whether they live abroad. Closing any gap this week keeps you from being turned away on registration day.
Incorporation checklist
- A qualified e-signature or mobile signature for every founder
- A draft of the articles of association prepared in MERSIS
- A consulate approval and notarised translation plan for any founder abroad
- A provider quote for a KEP address and KEP directory listing
- A meeting with your accountant on e-ledger and tax-side e-notification
We plan the business model with founders through our digital transformation management service. Our digital company page collects every other question on the topic.
Quick Summary
- Articles of association can be drafted in MERSIS and sent to the registry with an e-signature or mobile signature (Ministry of Trade).
- MERSIS Mobile opened for incorporation on 29 December 2023 and for all registry transactions on 10 January 2025 (Ministry of Trade).
- If signature data cannot be pulled electronically, the signature is declared before a notary or registry staff (Official Gazette 31401).
- There is no general KEP obligation, but legal entities must be listed in the KEP directory (BTK).
- Fully electronic incorporation is a goal on the Ministry page, and the digital company definition is still unpublished.
Short Glossary
- MERSIS
- MERSIS is the central registry system used to run company incorporation and trade registry transactions electronically in Türkiye.
- Signature declaration
- A signature declaration is the document used to record a company officer’s signature sample officially.
- KEP
- KEP is the registered electronic mail service used to send legally valid and technically secure messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Next Step
If you would like to put the incorporation steps in order based on your partners’ situation, fill in the consult your expert form.
The definition and conditions of the digital company scheme are not final yet; check the latest information with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, KOSGEB and the Official Gazette before deciding. This is not legal or financial advice.
Support amounts and conditions can change; check the current terms on the institution’s official page before applying. This article is not financial or legal advice.
Sources: Ministry of Trade, Central Registry System (MERSIS) (12 May 2026, accessed 14 October 2026) · Official Gazette 31401, Communiqué amendment on signing articles at registry offices (20 February 2021) · BTK, e-signature FAQ · BTK, KEP FAQ (11 April 2023)
Updated: October 2026
Sık Sorulan Sorular
The page says work to move the entire incorporation process online is continuing. It states in future-tense wording that founders will be able to incorporate without visiting the registry or another institution, and that the payment infrastructure, including chamber payments, is nearly complete. The page does not make clear for which company types a fully paperless incorporation is possible today.
If public databases hold no signature data, the signature is declared before a notary or registry staff. In a limited company, a physical signature declaration is prepared at the office only when electronic data cannot be pulled.
Under the Communiqué, a founder abroad gives the signature at a Turkish consulate or with approval from a competent local authority, plus a notarised Turkish translation. On 27 April 2026, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced that foreign investors will be able to set up companies fully remotely with passport-based identity checks. This is a plan, and when and how it will start has not been announced.
According to BTK, a KEP address comes from a KEP Service Provider, and sending a message requires an e-signature. There is no general obligation to use KEP, but legal entities must be listed in the KEP directory. Confirm with your accountant whether any specific obligation applies to capital companies.
Under the Electronic Notification Regulation, MERSIS sends notices to the electronic notification addresses created by PTT, known as UETS, and shows that address for the company. The tax-side e-notification application and its rules are a separate matter; get current information directly from GİB.
In many cases the contract can be signed in MERSIS with an e-signature and sent to the registry. If signature data cannot be pulled electronically, or a partner is abroad, a notary or registry step may be needed.
According to BTK, a mobile signature has the same legal validity as a secure electronic signature. MERSIS also accepts contracts signed with either.
According to BTK, there is no general obligation to use KEP, but legal entities must be listed in the KEP directory. Confirm the specific obligations for your company with your accountant.