Turkish Citizenship by Property Investment Guide

How to Obtain Turkish Citizenship via Property Investment

Before you begin, it’s important to make sure that you will meet the right criteria for citizenship by investment.

Key points to remember:

You must hold the property (and not sell) for at least 3 years
Multiple properties can be combined to meet the $400,000 threshold
You must follow the application process correctly
The house must have a Tapu (title deed) declaration value of 400,000USD (in some cases this is different to the property sale price and confusion can arise – contact us for more detailed information)

You must obtain a Turkish tax number (Vergi Kimlik Numarası/Tax ID) to sign official property documents (and to open a bank account).

You can get it at any local tax office (Vergi Dairesi) or via the Revenue Administration interactive portal. All you need is your passport (and sometimes a copy). The tax number is usually issued on the same day in person.

James & Aysegul can assist with this. It’s very easy for us to do as we have a team in place to assist and make this less stressful. The Tax Number can only be obtained once you have entered the country or have visited in the last 6 months. For bank related matters, we work with Vakif & Garanti local banks and have assistants waiting to guide you through this part of the process – this cannot be done online and requires passport, proof of address in home country (e.g. through a utility bill), and a new tax number.

Next comes the exciting bit – finding a property in Turkey. As buying agents, James & Ayesgul can guide you through this process from start to finish, and you can take a look at our list of available properties here.

Purchasing a property in Turkey includes a few key steps which you should follow:

Select property from a trusted property developer or agent
Conduct due diligence on the property and seller to ensure everything is as you expect
Ensure the property has a valid title deed (tapu) with the help of your solicitor
Obtain GABIM GEDAS approval – By law a you must get a GABIM report made by the GEDAS department of government (https://www.gedas.com.tr/). However, some Government projects are pre-approved for this step in Istanbul. This step takes 2/3 weeks for approval from the Government – we will guide you along this step and handle the formalities on your behalf as part of our service.

Read our comprehensive guide on ‘How To Buy Property In Turkey‘ for full details.

As part of the process of obtaining Turkish citizenship with a real estate investment, you need to have the property appraised after agreeing with the seller to purchase the property.

This is critical to your application for citizenship, because the valuer will confirm whether the property is worth at least $400,000, and then create an official appraisal report. It will also include other helpful details about the property, such as its condition.

Official appraisers are listed on the CMB (Capital Market Board) and TDUB (The Turkish Association of Appraisers).

Provided that all the documents are in order, the property purchase will move forward. You will be informed of any charges related to the purchase, and the land registry directorate will be informed once the funds for the purchase are transferred. You will need to arrange to sign the title deed documents, at which point ownership is transferred to you.

Very importantly, you will need to have the title deed register annotated with a ‘3-year sales ban’, denoting the fact that the purchase is intended for you to gain citizenship through investment (it is one of the key conditions). You will also need to keep all bank receipts showing the transfer of purchasing funds.

On this basis you can also get a ‘certificate of eligibility/conformity’ from the Land Registry, which notes that your purchase qualifies you for investment-based citizenship.

Before applying for your Turkish citizenship, you’ll need to apply for a Short-Term Residence Permit.

Foreigners who acquire property are typically eligible for a renewable short-term residence permit. Your lawyer/agent will submit the residence application to the immigration office (e-ikamet) with passport, Tapu copy, insurance, photos, etc.

You do not have to be a long-term resident of Turkey to apply for citizenship via investment, but even so, the residence permit is a key step in applying for citizenship.

With all prior steps completed, you are ready to submit your application for citizenship, using much of the documentation you have collected along the way.

With the help of your solicitor or agent, you will need to submit certain key documents to apply for citizenship. These include:

The property Tapu (with the 3-year ‘no sale’ annotation)
The official valuation report for your property
The bank transfer receipts from the property purchase
Any translated & notarised identity and civil documents
Criminal record checks
Passport-style photos
Residence permit and any other required forms

These documents – and any others required – should be submitted to the Directorate General of Migration Management. Authorities review your application, and then (hopefully!) approve your application for citizenship.

Once your application has been approved, you will officially become a Turkish citizen!

Please bear in mind that you will have to abide by the stipulation in your property purchase that you won’t sell the property for at least 3 years after buying it. You may also have to wait a little while to receive a physical passport, for example.

Turkish Citizenship by Property Investment FAQs

There are a few key rules to follow if you want to obtain Turkish citizenship by property investment. The first two are the main criteria, the others are about ensuring that these criteria have been followed and documented properly.

Meet the investment amount – You must buy a property valued at $400,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) or more.
Agree to not sell the property for at least 3 years – You must agree to not sell the property for a minimum of three years, as confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.
Obtain official valuation – The purchase must include the official valuation survey to confirm the value of the property (specifically, that it meets the $400,000 criterion).
Use a Turkish bank – The purchase price must be paid to the seller via a Turkish bank transfer, with clear receipts documenting the details of the transaction.
File the correct applications – The necessary applications will need to be filed at the correct government departments dealing with citizenship and property ownership (your agent and solicitor will assist you with this).

There are various documents you will need to collect in order to submit your application for Turkish citizenship. Some relate to your property purchase, others are more general.

Property investment related documents:

Land Registry certificate confirming property ownership (and 3-year resale restriction notarised)
Official property valuation report
Bank transfer receipts for the property purchase

General documents required for citizenship application:

Your valid passport
Apostilled Birth certificate
4 biometric passport photos (biometric confirmation must be done in Turkey)
Proof of residence documents
Your Turkish tax ID number
Criminal record check clearances
Turkish health insurance documents
Any power of attorney documentation
Apostilled marriage certificate (if applicable)
Divorce/spouse’s death certificate (if applicable)
All original documents and certified Turkish translations
All application forms filled out

While the timeline varies, 6-8 months is commonly cited as the average timeframe it takes to acquire Turkish citizenship by investment. A broader timeline is said to be around 3 months to a year, accounting for especially fast or problematic applications.

So what are the factors that contribute to this timeline?:

The property purchase and related paperwork – it usually takes at least a few weeks to purchase the property and obtain the necessary certificate of eligibility, property value appraisal and bank transfer receipts which are all necessary for the citizenship application.
Obtaining the residence permit – before you apply for Turkish citizenship, you will need to apply for a residence permit. This can also take a few weeks to be processed.
Obtaining the citizenship itself – There are numerous background checks undertaken by the government to review your documents and application. This can be the lengthiest part of the process, sometimes taking several months.
Document issuing – once you have had your citizenship confirmed, it may take several more weeks to obtain a Turkish ID and passport.

Of course, the biggest delays can happen if applications are incomplete or submitted incorrectly. The re-filing of paperwork can significantly extend the timeline. It’s important to have a knowledgeable agent like James & Aysegul at your back, along with a skilled solicitor who can help the process move along smoothly.

Most residential, commercial, and certain off-plan developments qualify as long as:

They are registered with a title deed
They have an official valuation report confirming market value
They are not currently under another citizenship application

However, the government does mention a couple of further restrictions. These are as follows:

Rules for buying undeveloped land – If the property bought is just undeveloped land (no building on it yet), the foreign owner must submit an application to the relevant government office to start a development project within two years of the purchase.
Limits on land size acquired – A person from another country can buy real estate and certain limited property rights anywhere in Turkey, up to a maximum of 30 hectares (about 74 acres). The government’s Cabinet of Ministers has the authority to approve a purchase of a larger area if they think it is appropriate.

Yes, though there are guidelines for how this is conducted. This is known as ‘power of attorney’, where you delegate the purchase of a property in Türkiye to another person or entity.

If you have a real estate procedure carried out by someone else (a third party) using a Power of Attorney (POA) that was issued in a foreign country, the POA document must specifically grant the authority to perform the exact real estate procedure you need done.

In addition, the foreign-issued POA must meet all of the following conditions according to the government website:

Issuing Authority – It must have been issued by competent authorities abroad who are legally allowed to create a POA in that country. Alternatively, it may be issued by a Turkish Consulate in the foreign country, at the Consulate’s discretion regarding real estate matters.
Document Content & Format – The POA must be written in the official language of the country where it was issued. It must include a photo of the person granting the power, and this photo must have a clear official seal and signature placed over it (partially covering the photo).
International Certification (Authentication) – The POA must be officially certified to prove it is authentic. The signature and seal of that relevant authority must then be certified (verified) by the Turkish Consulate in that country.
Final Submission Requirement – When the POA is submitted for the real estate procedure, it must be accompanied by a Turkish translation that has been certified and notarised (officially approved by a notary).

Yes. You don’t have to buy a single property worth $400,000 or more. You may buy two or more properties that total or exceed $400,000.

Of course, this may well take longer and is certainly more complex to achieve. Any delays or slip-ups in these transactions will mean that your citizenship application will take longer.

We recommend you enlist our help if you wish to take on a more complex property transaction for citizenship purposes.

Yes. If you purchase a property to gain citizenship in Turkey, your immediate family can be included in the application. This includes your spouse and children under 18.

However, there are further benefits to consider. Turkish inheritance laws are very fair, and allow your children to fully inherit your property in the future.

There are many benefits to gaining Turkish citizenship if you purchase real estate. Here are just some of the benefits you can expect to enjoy:

Visa-Free & Visa-on-Arrival access: Turkish passport holders generally enjoy visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival, or e-Visa access to over 110 countries worldwide, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and many countries in Latin America.
Dual Citizenship: Turkey permits dual citizenship, allowing you to retain your original nationality (if your home country also allows it).
Full Citizenship Rights: You gain all the rights of a Turkish citizen, including the right to live, work, and study in Turkey without restrictions.
No Language or History Exams: Applicants are not required to pass any language proficiency or Turkish history tests.
Access to the US E-2 Investor Visa: Due to a treaty between Turkey and the United States, Turkish citizens are eligible to apply for the E-2 Investor Visa. This renewable non-immigrant visa allows the investor and their family (spouse and unmarried children under 21) to live and work in the US to manage a substantial investment in a US business.
Schengen Visa: Turkish citizens can generally obtain a long-term C-2 Schengen visa (often valid for five years), facilitating travel to Europe’s Schengen Area countries (though a visa is still required).
No Residency Requirement: For the Citizenship by Investment program, there is no minimum stay or residency requirement in Turkey before, during, or after the application process.

Turkey taxes rental income and capital gains, with double-taxation agreements in place with the UK. US citizens are taxed on global income, so reporting obligations still apply. Always seek the advice of a tax specialist when considering your finances and tax obligations across multiple countries.