GEDAŞ Valuation in Turkish Property: Guide for Buyers

A GEDAŞ valuation can be one of the most important documents in a Turkish property purchase, especially if the buyer wants to apply for Turkish Citizenship by Investment. For many international buyers, the confusing part is that there can be several values in the same transaction: the advertised price, agreed sale price, title deed value, bank transfer amount, Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate, and official valuation amount accepted for citizenship. These figures should be aligned before completion. If they are not, a buyer may pay enough money in real life but still fail to meet the citizenship valuation requirement.

What Is GEDAŞ?

GEDAŞ Gayrimenkul Değerleme A.Ş. is a Turkish real estate appraisal company. It carries out valuation work across Turkey and is linked to the public-sector housing and valuation ecosystem. The company states that it has more than 25 years of experience and has prepared more than 300,000 reports.

For foreign buyers, GEDAŞ became especially important after Turkey changed the appraisal process for real estate-based citizenship applications. Under the current system, ordinary foreign property purchases do not generally require a real estate appraisal report just because the buyer is foreign. That old general requirement has been abolished.

However, when a foreign buyer is purchasing property for Turkish citizenship, a valuation connected with GEDAŞ and the TTB system is still central.

What Is a TTB?

TTB stands for Tutar Tespit Belgesi. In this context, it is the document that confirms the amount of real estate investment that can be accepted for a Turkish citizenship application. The TTB is produced through the valuation process based on the GEDAŞ appraisal report and sent through TADEBİS to the TAKBİS/WebTapu system.

In simple terms, the TTB is the number the authorities use to decide whether the property value can count towards the citizenship threshold. It is not enough for the buyer to say they paid $400,000. The official title deed value, payment transfers and TTB value must support the required investment amount.

When Is GEDAŞ Valuation Needed?

The most common situation is Turkish Citizenship by Investment. A foreign buyer applying for citizenship through real estate currently needs qualifying property worth at least $400,000, with a three-year no-sale commitment registered on the title deed.

For citizenship transactions, the land registry checks whether the declared deed value, sale contract value, payment receipts, Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate and TTB meet the required amount.

Situation	Is GEDAŞ valuation usually needed?	Why it matters
Ordinary resale purchase with no citizenship plan	Usually no	Standard foreign acquisitions no longer generally need an appraisal report
New-build purchase with no citizenship plan	Usually no	Other checks still matter, but GEDAŞ is normally not required solely because the buyer is foreign
Property purchase for Turkish citizenship	Yes	The TTB confirms the amount accepted for citizenship
Sale promise contract for citizenship	Yes	The promised sale value and paid amount must be supported
Bank valuation or mortgage	Separate process	A bank may require its own valuation, but that is not the citizenship TTB

Why the System Exists

The GEDAŞ and TTB process is designed to standardise valuation for citizenship cases. Before these changes, different appraisal reports could produce different results for similar properties. That created risk for buyers, sellers and public authorities. The current system aims to reduce inconsistent valuations and make the accepted investment amount clearer.

This is important because Turkey’s foreign property market remains active. In 2025, Turkey recorded 1,688,910 house sales, including 21,534 sales to foreign buyers. Foreign buyers represented 1.3% of the total residential market.

Many of those purchases are lifestyle or investment purchases, not citizenship applications. But for buyers using the citizenship route, valuation is not a detail. It can decide whether the application works.

How GEDAŞ Valuation Differs from the Sale Price

The sale price is what buyer and seller agree. The GEDAŞ valuation is an assessment of market value for the official purpose of the report. These are not always the same.

A seller may ask $430,000 for a property. A buyer may agree to pay it. But the valuation might come back at $390,000 if the appraiser does not believe the property supports the higher price.

That can happen because of comparable sales, location, legal title details, property size, building quality, age, view, condition, permits, land share, project status or market evidence. A buyer should never assume that an advertised price will automatically be accepted for citizenship.

Example: How It Can Affect Citizenship

Imagine a buyer agrees to purchase a property for $410,000 because they want Turkish citizenship. They transfer the money correctly, obtain the Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate, and the seller is ready to complete the title deed transfer.

Then the GEDAŞ valuation process produces a TTB showing that the acceptable investment value is $385,000. Even though the buyer is paying more than $400,000, the citizenship application may not meet the requirement because the TTB does not confirm the threshold.

The buyer may then need to renegotiate, add another qualifying property, choose a different property, or restructure the purchase before completion.

Now imagine a second buyer agrees to purchase an apartment for $430,000 and the TTB confirms an acceptable value of $405,000. If the deed value, payment receipts and other documents also meet the rules, the valuation side is much stronger.

The lesson is simple: for citizenship, the valuation must be checked before the buyer relies on the property as a qualifying investment.

How the Process Works

1. The buyer chooses a property and confirms that the purchase is intended for citizenship.
2. The transaction team checks the title deed, seller, property type and basic eligibility.
3. A GEDAŞ valuation request is made through the official system for citizenship purposes.
4. The appraisal is carried out and the valuation report is prepared.
5. The TTB is generated and sent into the TAKBİS/WebTapu system.
6. The TTB is compared with the sale value, payment plan and Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate.
7. If the values support the $400,000 threshold, the Tapu transfer or sale promise process can continue.
8. The three-year no-sale annotation is added where required.
9. The citizenship file moves forward with the property documents.

Timing is crucial. The difference between the TTB and the citizenship-related transaction application should not exceed six months. If the period is longer, the underlying valuation report may need to be renewed.

What Buyers Should Check Before Paying

Before paying a large deposit, buyers should ask:

• Is the purchase intended for Turkish citizenship?
• Does this property need a GEDAŞ valuation and TTB?
• Is the seller prepared for a citizenship transaction?
• Is the asking price comfortably above $400,000?
• Could the valuation come in lower than the price?
• Will the title deed value, bank receipts and DAB match the requirement?
• Is the property legally suitable for transfer?
• Will there be a three-year no-sale annotation?
• Is the timing realistic before the TTB expires?

A property priced at exactly $400,000 can be risky if the buyer needs citizenship. Even a small valuation shortfall may create problems. A buffer above the threshold is often safer, but the size of that buffer depends on the property and market evidence.

GEDAŞ Valuation Is Not a Buyer Survey

A GEDAŞ valuation is not the same as a full building survey. It helps establish value for the official process. It does not replace technical due diligence on construction quality, earthquake resilience, damp, maintenance, site management, legal disputes or future resale appeal.

Buyers should still check the property carefully. For apartments, that may include condominium title, occupancy status, building management, monthly dues and project permissions. For villas, it may include land boundaries, extensions, pool permits, access roads, shared facilities and utility connections.

The valuation answers one major question: what amount can be accepted for the relevant official purpose? It does not answer every practical question about the property.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is treating the $400,000 citizenship threshold as a purchase-price target rather than an official evidence test. Other mistakes include:

• Relying only on the seller’s valuation claim
• Leaving the GEDAŞ request too late
• Choosing a property priced too close to $400,000
• Ignoring differences between net and gross size
• Not checking title deed details before valuation
• Confusing bank valuation with GEDAŞ valuation
• Assuming payment receipts override the TTB
• Forgetting the six-month timing point
• Ignoring resale quality because citizenship is the focus

A property can be good for citizenship on paper but poor as a long-term investment. At James & Aysegul, we help international clients understand the property side of buying in Turkey, including details that can affect citizenship planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GEDAŞ valuation in Turkish property?

It is a real estate valuation prepared by GEDAŞ for specific official purposes, most importantly Turkish citizenship property applications.

Is GEDAŞ valuation required for every foreign buyer?

No. Ordinary foreign property acquisitions do not generally require an appraisal report just because the buyer is foreign. Citizenship purchases are different.

What is a TTB?

A TTB is the official document showing the property investment amount that can be accepted for Turkish citizenship purposes.

Can I get citizenship if I pay $400,000 but the TTB is lower?

Usually no. The TTB, declared value and payment evidence must support the required investment amount.

How long is a TTB valid?

For citizenship-related transactions, the time between the TTB and the relevant application should not exceed six months.

Is the GEDAŞ valuation the same as a survey?

No. It is a valuation for official purposes, not a full technical survey of the property.