Verifying a Turkish MERSİS or Company Registration Reference

When conducting business with a Turkish entity, you will frequently encounter a MERSİS number. MERSİS (Merkezi Sicil Kayıt Sistemi) is the Central Registration System operated by the Turkish Ministry of Trade.

This guide explains how to use a MERSİS number to verify a company’s identity and outlines the limits of public access for international users.

What is a MERSİS Number?

A MERSİS number is a unique 16-digit identification code assigned to commercial enterprises, limited companies, joint-stock companies, and foreign company branches registered in Türkiye.

For limited (Ltd. Şti.) and joint-stock (A.Ş.) companies, the MERSİS number almost always begins with a 0, followed by the company’s 10-digit Tax Identification Number (VKN), and ends with 00015 or a similar sequence (e.g., 0123456789000015).

How to Check a MERSİS Number

The official portal for MERSİS is mersis.ticaret.gov.tr.

1. Navigate to the MERSİS portal.
2. Look for the public inquiry section (often labeled “Firma Sorgulama” or Company Search).
3. Enter the 16-digit MERSİS number or the exact company name.

What Public Lookup Reveals

A basic, unauthenticated public search will typically confirm:

• That the MERSİS number is valid.
• The official legal name of the entity.
• The city of registration.
• The basic operational status (Active/Inactive).

Limitations on Public Access

It is important to understand that not all company information is freely available to the global public.

While anyone can verify that a MERSİS number belongs to a specific company, full access to detailed corporate records requires authentication. To view the detailed list of authorized signatories, complete historical address changes, and capital structures, a user must log in.

Logging into MERSİS requires an e-Devlet (e-Government) password, which is tied to a Turkish National Identity Number (TC Kimlik Numarası) or a registered foreigner ID.

What This Means for International Buyers

If you are an international buyer without Turkish residency:

• You can perform a basic surface-level verification to ensure the company exists and the name matches your invoices.
• You cannot independently extract detailed structural or historical documents directly from MERSİS.

Practical Alternatives

If you require deeper verification but do not have e-Devlet access:

1. Ask the Supplier: Request that the supplier download and send you their recent Trade Registry Gazette (Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi) publications and their Chamber of Commerce Activity Certificate (Faaliyet Belgesi). You can then cross-reference the numbers on these documents with the public MERSİS lookup.
2. Use Local Assistance: If the transaction carries high risk, engage a local Turkish attorney or a verified local commercial consultant who possesses the necessary e-Devlet access to conduct a comprehensive background check on your behalf.