Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment

It is possible to acquire Turkish citizenship either by descent or family ties, or through exceptional means such as purchasing real estate or acquiring shares in an investment fund. One of the most common ways to obtain Turkish citizenship later in life is through real estate acquisition.

It is possible to acquire Turkish citizenship either by descent or family ties, or through exceptional means such as purchasing real estate or acquiring shares in an investment fund. One of the most common ways to obtain Turkish citizenship later in life is through real estate acquisition. In this type of citizenship acquisition, the spouse and children of the applicant also become eligible for citizenship.

The acquisition of Turkish citizenship through real estate purchase allows foreigners who meet a specific investment threshold, as stipulated by Turkish law, to apply for citizenship via an exceptional procedure. However, this process involves more than just purchasing a property; it also includes a series of legal and bureaucratic procedures that must be carefully managed.

Basic Criteria for Citizenship by Investment

Pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 2(b) of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law ("Implementing Regulation"):Foreigners who purchase a property with condominium ownership or construction servitude, or a land with a building on it, with a minimum value of USD 400,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency, provided that an annotation is placed in the land registry stating that it will not be sold for three years (as per the amendment published in the Official Journal dated 12.12.2023), or those who sign a notarized promise-to-sell agreement for a property with condominium ownership or construction servitude, with at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency paid in advance and annotated in the land registry that the transfer and cancellation will not take place for a period of three years, as determined by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, may acquire Turkish citizenship by a decision of the President.

Accordingly, the main criteria for acquiring Turkish citizenship through real estate purchase are as follows:

  • Purchasing a property worth at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency,
  • Annotating the title deed registry with a restriction stating that the property cannot be sold for 3 years,
  • Obtaining a certificate from the local land registry office indicating that the property qualifies for citizenship,
  • Applying for a short-term residence permit with the eligibility certificate,
  • Submitting an application for exceptional citizenship after the residence permit is granted.

The Regulation has been amended on the following dates: 12.01.2017, 19.09.2018, 07.12.2018, 06.01.2022, 13.06.2022, and 12.12.2023. Accordingly, with respect to the effective dates of these amendments:

  • For properties purchased between 12.01.2017 and 18.09.2018, the value must be at least 1,000,000 U.S. Dollars,
  • For properties purchased or to be purchased after 19.09.2018, the value must be at least 400,000 U.S. Dollars,
  • For properties subject to a promise-to-sell agreement arranged after 07.12.2018, the value must also be at least 400,000 U.S. Dollars,
  • With the amendment dated 06.01.2022, the phrase "equivalent in Turkish Lira" was removed from the Regulation, and it became mandatory that the foreign currency amount corresponding to the property value be sold to a bank for further sale to the Central Bank of Turkey.

Properties purchased before January 12, 2017, the date when the initial regulation enabling acquisition of Turkish citizenship through exceptional real estate investment came into effect, and properties subject to a promise-to-sell agreement dated prior to December 7, 2018, shall not be considered valid for the purpose of acquiring Turkish citizenship.

Application Prerequisite

Since the Regulation applies solely to individual real estate acquisitions by foreign natural persons, any property purchased on behalf of someone other than the applicant, such as the applicant's spouse, child, etc., shall not be taken into account when calculating the required investment amount. Likewise, property acquired in the name of a legal entity, such as a company in which the applicant is a partner or manager, shall also be excluded from eligibility under this Regulation.

Conditions Required for the Property to Be Invested In

In order to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate investment, the property must first meet the eligibility requirements set for citizenship acquisition. Apart from the property's monetary value, other factors such as the type of property, annotations in the land registry, and compliance with official property valuation standards are also of critical importance.

There is no restriction on the type of property that may be used in the citizenship application. However, in applications based on notarized promise-to-sell agreements, the property must have either condominium ownership or construction servitude registered in the land registry.

In order for the purchased property to be eligible for citizenship acquisition:

  • The property must not have been transferred from another foreign national to a Turkish citizen within the last three years,
  • The property must not have been purchased from legal or natural persons who are directly or indirectly related to the applicant or their first-degree relatives,
  • The investment must have been made solely in the name of the applicant (purchases made in the name of the spouse, children, etc. will be deemed invalid),
  • The property must comply with structural and legal requirements such as having a building occupancy permit and being registered as an independent unit in the land registry.

Properties subject to timeshare rights cannot be used for acquiring Turkish citizenship through real estate purchase.

In this context, many issues such as the property's previous land registry records, the validity of the title deed, the independent unit status, the presence of a building occupancy permit, and any connection between the applicant and the property are examined in a detailed and meticulous manner. Therefore, it is critically important that the process is carried out under the guidance of a professional lawyer from start to finish, in terms of time, cost, and legal security.

Number of Properties

There is no limitation on the number of properties to be acquired through purchase. The essential requirement is to meet the amount specified in the Regulation.

Determination of Investment Amount

Each of the following must individually meet the required investment threshold of 1,000,000 USD or at least 400,000 USD, depending on the acquisition date and as stipulated by the Regulation:

  • The total sale prices declared in the official deed or in the promise-to-sell agreement,
  • The total values stated in the property valuation report,
  • The total amount of payment transfers.
  1. Property Valuation Report:The value of the real estate will be determined by a property valuation report obtained via the "Webtapu" system of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. The valuation report is valid for three months. This report can be used in all transactions carried out within three months from the date of issuance.
  2. Official Deed (Sale), Determination of Price in Promise-to-Sell Agreement, and Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate:Once the value of the property has been determined, the foreign currency to be used in the purchase must be sold to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey through a bank operating in Turkey. After the sale, the bank will issue a "Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate for Acquisitions by Foreign Natural Persons", which must be submitted to the land registry office. The Turkish Lira equivalent of the exchanged foreign currency will be transferred to the seller by the bank during the title deed transfer stage. The entire sales price must be exchanged through the bank. Foreign exchange transactions made through currency exchange offices cannot be used for the property purchase process.
  3. The foreign currency purchase document must include the name and surname of the person who exchanged the foreign currency, their passport number or foreign ID number, the US Dollar equivalent of the foreign currency, its Turkish Lira equivalent, and a phrase indicating that the transaction was conducted under Article 13 of the "Circular on Capital Movements." The foreign currency purchase document must be sent by the bank to the relevant land registry directorate via registered electronic mail (KEP). In cases where a real estate number cannot be obtained, the document must contain information about the block and independent section numbers, if available, in addition to the island/parcel numbers.
  4. The amount of foreign currency sales for the declared value will not include any payment items other than the real estate sale price or the down payment amount in the preliminary sales contract (such as VAT, commission, expenses, taxes, or fees).
  5. In this context, technical details are also extremely important, such as whether the minimum investment amount required for the citizenship application has been met, the suitability of the foreign currency purchase documents, and the transaction being documented under the circular on capital movements.
  6. Payment Receipt : An approved bank receipt proving that the minimum amount required by the regulation has been paid to the real estate seller or relevant party must be submitted to the Land Registry Directorate. The Land Registry Directorates will conduct a reasonable due diligence review regarding whether the transfer/payment was made by the buyer or relevant parties to the account of the seller or relevant parties (Proxy, Spouse, Right Holder of a Flat-for-Land Construction Agreement, Foreclosure or Mortgage Creditor, Company Owner's Account, etc.).

The receipt must contain the real estate information found on the foreign currency purchase document or make a reference to the transaction on the relevant foreign currency purchase document.

Regarding payments made after the foreign currency purchase document process; receipts for money transfers that took place before the foreign currency purchase document was issued must be in foreign currency, while subsequent receipts must be in Turkish Lira. It is possible to use the secure payment systems offered by banks for the transfer/payment of the real estate price on an optional basis.

For an investor to acquire Turkish citizenship through exceptional means, a residence permit must be obtained in accordance with Article 31, paragraph 1, subparagraph (j) of the Foreigners and International Protection Law No. 6458. Therefore, after the real estate title deed transfer, a short-term residence permit application must be made under subparagraph (j) ("Foreigners who will not work in Turkey but will make investments in the scope and amount to be determined by the President, along with their foreign spouse, and their and their spouse's minor or dependent foreign children"). The residence permit application must include the following documents:

  • Residence permit application form,
  • Biometric photos taken within the last 6 months,
  • A declaration and supporting document proving sufficient and regular financial means for the duration of the residence,
  • Health insurance,
  • The title deed for the real estate.

After these documents are collected, an application is made to the Directorate General of Migration Management. As a result of the application, if deemed appropriate, a short-term residence permit will be granted.

After the residence permit application is approved, the final step is to apply for Turkish citizenship at the authorized units of the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs. The Turkish citizenship application must include the person's valid passport, citizenship application form, birth certificate, civil status document, and birth certificates for children under 18, the title deed of the purchased real estate, the foreign currency purchase document, biometric photos, the certificate of conformity issued by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, bank receipts, the title deed annotation document stating that the property will not be sold for 3 years, and certified and apostilled Turkish translations of these documents.

The entire process of the Turkish citizenship application can be carried out through a lawyer with a special power of attorney to be arranged by a notary. The person applying for citizenship is only required to be personally present in Turkey for the retina and fingerprint scans during the residence permit application stage. All other procedures besides this can be conducted remotely via power of attorney.

For foreign nationals, acquiring citizenship by purchasing real estate in Turkey involves many complex steps. These steps briefly include: assessing whether the property to be purchased is suitable for citizenship, opening a bank account in the foreigner's name, exchanging and documenting the foreign currency, completing the title deed transfer, and then carrying out the residence and citizenship application processes meticulously. All these stages must be handled with care.

Even the smallest mistake in the process could lead to the rejection of the application or prolong the process for months. Therefore, it is of vital importance for foreigners who will make real estate investments for the purpose of citizenship to carry out the process from start to finish with an experienced lawyer, both for legal security and for saving time and resources.

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Acquiring Turkish Citizenship Through Real Estate Purchase | Köksal & Partners