What should you check if a case file does not appear in UYAP?

Even after you sign in to the UYAP Citizen Portal, the file you are looking for may not appear in the list, a “no record found” warning may appear, or the file may be visible while its documents do not open. Some of these situations come from the choices made on the query screen, some from the login method and some from the nature of the file itself.

Summary: First check whether you selected the correct type of jurisdiction (civil, criminal, administrative, enforcement) and whether the file is really one in which you are a party. The information visible after signing in with an e-Devlet password may be more limited than after signing in with an electronic or mobile signature. Procedural steps at the investigation stage are confidential by law. A file not appearing in the portal does not mean that the file does not exist.

Why might a file not appear in the list?

The wrong type of jurisdiction or unit may have been selected

When signing in with an e-Devlet password, a file is queried by selecting where it is being handled. According to UYAP’s official introduction, sections such as ordinary (judicial) jurisdiction and administrative jurisdiction, together with the province, courthouse and court, are entered on this screen. The Ministry of Justice’s guide on enforcement files also states that “İcra” (enforcement) must be selected in the “Yargı Türü” (type of jurisdiction) field for enforcement files to be shown.

Searching in only one type of jurisdiction is a common situation. A lawsuit before a civil court and an enforcement proceeding concerning the same dispute are listed under different types of jurisdiction. If a file cannot be found, each type of jurisdiction should be tried separately.

You may not be registered as a party to the file

The portal gives access to lawsuits and proceedings in which the person is a party. Appearing in a file as a witness, an expert or merely a person concerned does not make that file appear in the portal. The Turkish identity number on the record must match the identity number of the person signing in; a file opened on behalf of a family member or a company may not appear under a personal login.

The file may be at the investigation stage

Under Article 157 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, subject to cases where the law provides otherwise and provided that the rights of the defence are not harmed, procedural steps at the investigation stage are confidential. For this reason, information about an investigation before a chief public prosecutor’s office may not be viewable in the same way as a court file at the prosecution (trial) stage. For information on the existence and status of an investigation, the relevant chief public prosecutor’s office can be contacted.

Files before the high courts are queried separately

The official introduction states that the status of files at the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) and the Council of State (Danıştay) can be queried separately. After the first-instance file is closed, this separate query screen may need to be used to see its status at the appeal stage.

If the file is visible but the documents will not open

The login method changes the information that can be seen

The login page on e-Devlet allows identity verification with an e-Devlet password, a mobile signature, an electronic signature, a Turkish identity card and internet banking. According to UYAP’s Citizen Portal introduction page, citizens without an electronic or mobile signature can see safahat information such as the subject of the case, the status of the file, the parties, the stage of the case, the hearing date and whether the file has returned from the Court of Cassation by signing in with an e-Devlet password; the same page states that document content is not displayed with this login for personal-data security reasons. With an electronic or mobile signature login, it explains that the file details and the documents in the file can be reached.

The Ministry’s frequently asked questions document, by contrast, states that a person signing in with an e-Devlet password can see the files and documents, but cannot file a lawsuit or send documents without an electronic signature. Since the two official sources do not describe the document scope of an e-Devlet login in the same way, the current situation should be assessed according to the permissions presented on the user’s own screen.

I do not have a mobile signature. Can I see my file? According to official sources, file information can be reached with an e-Devlet password even without a mobile or electronic signature. An electronic or mobile signature may be required to see the full content of documents or to carry out steps such as filing a lawsuit or sending documents.

Browser and program settings

The Ministry’s frequently asked questions document recommends using Google Chrome when signing in from a computer, clearing browsing data and allowing pop-ups. To open .udf documents in the file, the “UYAP Editör” program must be installed on the computer; the program is downloaded from the portal’s “Programlar” (programs) section. The Ministry’s guide on enforcement files also states that this should be done from a computer.

What can be done if the file does not appear?

1. Check the address. Sign in only through vatandas.uyap.gov.tr or the official service on e-Devlet.
2. Try every type of jurisdiction. Query civil, criminal, administrative and enforcement options separately.
3. Check identity and role. Consider whether the file is registered under your identity number and in your capacity as a party.
4. Change the login method. If document content is needed, consider signing in with an electronic or mobile signature.
5. Use the official support channel. The contact details published by UYAP are the telephone number 444 8927 and the address vatandas@adalet.gov.tr; for errors when signing in with an e-Devlet password, the Ministry document refers to the 160 line. Do not add passwords, PINs or one-time codes to a support request.
6. Contact the unit directly. The court, enforcement office or chief public prosecutor’s office handling the file is the official place that can give information on its existence and status.

What does it not mean if the file does not appear?

A file not being listed in the portal does not mean that there is no lawsuit or proceeding against you, or that a time limit is not running. Likewise, a date seen on the screen is not automatically the date of service. On service and time limits, see the note on UETS electronic service; on the meaning of file entries, the note on safahat records in UYAP; and on general use of the portal, the note on checking case information in the UYAP Citizen Portal.

This note is intended for general use of the system and does not contain legal advice specific to any person.