Applications to change surnames can now be made through e-Government. According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, requests to change surnames can be submitted via the e-Government system. Women can apply for changes to their married surname or for surname changes after divorce through the e-Government portal. The Ministry explained that, in line with the Presidential Government System and Turkey’s 2023 vision, digital transformation and efforts to reduce bureaucracy continue at full speed to provide more efficient services to citizens.
As part of these reforms, 1,473 of the 2,857 document types previously required by the Ministry’s central and provincial units have been eliminated. The total number of documents requested from citizens has been reduced by 52%, yielding savings of approximately 251 million TL. The Ministry’s work has introduced measures such as not requesting documents from citizens unless strictly necessary and relying on citizens’ declarations in many procedures.
In addition, public institutions are working to make information and application processes available electronically. Alternative solutions are being developed for citizens who cannot complete applications online. The reforms also include ensuring that no application fees are charged to citizens beyond taxes and statutory fees.
How to Apply for a Surname Change via e-Government
Women who wish to change their surname can now complete their applications easily through the e-Government portal. Married women can choose to use their husband’s surname together with their original surname or to use only their original surname; ex-spouses can also apply to change surnames after divorce. All related transactions can be carried out through the online system.
Click here to apply for a surname change via e-Government
To complete any of these procedures, click the link above, sign in to your e-Government account, and then start a new application by selecting the “New Application” button on the right-hand side of the page to finish your request.
Number of Required Documents Reduced for Applications
Significant reductions have been made in the number of documents requested from citizens to simplify transactions. Changes to 31 regulations have been implemented to make services easier to access. The number of services provided by the Ministry through e-Government has increased from 51 to 256 in recent years. Of these e-Government services, 147 are intended for citizens, 40 for the private sector, and the remaining 69 to serve public institutions.
Total Number of Transactions Available via e-Government Will Reach 354
The number of transactions accessible through e-Government will reach 354. To ensure that citizens registered in the HEYS system can access services electronically, the Ministry’s e-Application System has been integrated with the e-Government portal. According to available information, 194 additional services were scheduled to become accessible via e-Government by June 30, 2020, bringing the total number of available services to 354.