Expungement of Criminal Records in Turkey: Conditions and Process

Criminal records and archive records differ

Removal from the active criminal register does not necessarily erase every record. Where Article 9 of Law No. 5352 applies, a record may be removed from the active register and transferred to the archive. Deletion from the archive is subject to separate conditions under Article 12.

Removal and deletion conditions

Completion of a sentence or security measure, expiry of the limitation period for enforcement, general amnesty and other statutory grounds are relevant to active-register removal. For other convictions, the ordinary archive-deletion period is five years from the date when the conditions for archiving arose. Records involving disqualifications under Article 76 of the Constitution or special laws may involve fifteen- or thirty-year periods depending on restoration of prohibited rights. Special grounds, such as decriminalisation, require separate consideration.

Applications and supporting records

Applications for correction or deletion may be made through the services of the Directorate General of Criminal Records and Statistics and e-Government. The final judgment, enforcement information and accuracy of the record must be checked. A sentence reduction or supervised release is not an automatic route to archive deletion. Judicial restoration of prohibited rights is distinct from administrative record processing.

Checking the outcome

Compare the application decision with the current criminal-record and archive certificate. Incorrect or missing information should be addressed with the relevant judgment and enforcement records. A clean active-register certificate does not alone establish that no archive record exists. No fixed processing time or visa/employment outcome can be guaranteed.

Legal basis

5352 sayılı Adli Sicil Kanunu / Criminal Records Law, Articles 9, 12, 13/A

Legal information: This article provides general information on Turkish law. The documents, dates and applicable rules of each case require individual assessment.