Citizenship by Investment

To acquire citizenship through investing a minimum fixed capital of USD 500.000 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras, following the realization of the investment, a certificate of eligibility must be obtained from the General Directorate of Incentive Application and Foreign Capital of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.  Having obtained the certificate of eligibility, the foreigners who wish to apply for Turkish citizenship must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration for a Residence Permit with the documents required. Having completed this step as well, they need to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship for citizenship, which prepares a citizenship file and sends it to the General Directorate of Census and Citizenship. The General Directorate conducts an investigation as to whether there are any national security and public order impediments to the grant of citizenship. Provided that the investigation does not reveal any such impediments, the application is transmitted to the Office of the Interior Minister to be further sent to the President’s Office. Finally, it is at the discretion of the President to grant Turkish citizenship.

For more information or help please contact to our firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.

To acquire Turkish citizenship by investment, one of the most common ways is purchasing real estate that is worth at least USD 250,000.00 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras.

In this option, it must be noted that the applicant, who is willing to purchase immovable property in Turkey, should be a citizen of one of the countries that are listed by the Turkish Government. In positive case, the foreigners, who want to enjoy from this option, follow some consecutive steps. Firstly, a suitable immovable property is found. Afterwards, a valuation report that needs to be transmitted to the respective title deed department regarding the found property is obtained and then the sale transactions are completed. Within the sale transactions, an annotation is affixed into title deed registry to the effect that the real estate will not be sold in the following three (3) years. When the sale transactions are completed, the applicants status and the transactions are transmitted to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Unless the Ministry finds any inconvenience in the sale transactions for such citizenship applications, a certificate of eligibility is issued and given to the applicant.

After the receipt of the certificate of eligibility for such purchases, a number of steps must be taken. These steps include the separate applications to the competent immigration and civil registry authorities. Primarily, the application to the respective immigration authorities (namely, the respective Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration) is made and it provides the applicant a valid visa for the rest of the application procedures. Then, the application to the respective civil registry authorities (namey, the respective Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship) is made and this application is delivered to the competent authorities for carrying out the final evaluation and making a decision on the citizenship application of the foreigner.

For more information or professional help, please contact to our Firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.

To acquire Turkish citizenship by investment, one of the ways is employment of at least fifty (50) employees. This option provides foreigners a right to apply for the exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship.

Within this option, the applicant should firstly employs at least fifty (50) employees by following the required procedures. Then, to obtain a certificate of eligibility, an application is made to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services for a determination of such employment.

After the receipt of the certificate of eligibility, a number of steps must be taken. These steps include separate applications to the competent immigration and civil registry authorities. Primarily, the application to the respective immigration authorities (namely, the respective Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration) is made which provides the applicant with a valid visa for the rest of the application procedure. Then, the application to the respective civil registry authorities (namely, the respective Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship) is made and this application is delivered to the competent authorities for carrying out the final evaluation and making a decision on the foreigner’s citizenship application.

For more information or professional help, please contact to our Firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.

Depositing minimum USD 500,000.00 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras in banks operating in Turkey, provided that the deposits are held for the following 3 years and determination of such deposit by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) is another route to acquire Turkish citizenship by investment. Similar to other routes, following the deposit of the required amount, a certificate of eligibility must be obtained from the Department of Financial Consumer Relations of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency. Having obtained the certificate of eligibility, the foreigners who wish to apply for Turkish citizenship must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration for a Residence Permit with the documents required. Having completed this step as well, they need to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship for citizenship, which prepares a citizenship file and sends it to the General Directorate of Census and Citizenship. The General Directorate conducts an investigation as to whether there are any national security and public order impediments to the grant of citizenship. Provided that the investigation does not reveal any such impediments, the application is transmitted to the Office of the Interior Minister to be further sent to the President’s Office. Finally, it is at the discretion of the President to grant Turkish citizenship.

For more information or help please contact to our firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.

Purchase of public debt instruments in the value of minimum USD 500,000.00 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras, provided that the instruments are held for following 3 years and determination of such purchase by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance allows foreigners to acquire Turkish citizenship exceptionally by way of investing in public debt instruments issued by the Turkish State. The public debt instruments referred to are government Debt Securities (GDS), Revenue Sharing Certificates and Revenue Indexed Bonds. Government debt securities are borrowing instruments issued by the Turkish Treasury in the domestic market. The government pays back the holders of Government Debt Securities the borrowed amount on coupon payment days and at the end of maturity. Government debt securities with maturity terms of 1 year and more are “Government Bonds”, and those with maturity terms of less than 1 year are called “Treasury Bills”. Revenue sharing certificates are securities that entitle their holders to the revenues collected from publicly held infrastructure facilities, such as bridges, highways, railroads, airports, dams, electricity generators as well as telecommunication systems. It must be emphasized that revenue sharing certificates do not give any ownership or operation rights over such facilities. Revenue sharing certificates are, by nature, bonds with varying interest. Finally, Revenue Indexed Bonds are Treasury bonds, the yield of which are indexed to the revenues of the state owned enterprises transferred to the state’s budget, including Turkish Petroleum Corporation (Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı-TPAO), State Procurement Office (Devlet Malzeme Ofisi -DMO), General Directorate of State Airports Authority (Devlet Hava Meydanları İşletmeleri-DHMİ) and General Directorate of Coast Safety (Kıyı Emniyeti Genel Müdürlüğü- KIYEM).

In order to be eligible for Turkish citizenship, foreigners who purchase these instruments in the value of at least USD 500,000.00 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras, must not sell them for at least 3 years.

Following the purchases of the envisaged instruments, a multi-step process begins. As a first step, these purchases must be verified and certificates of eligibility to the benefit of applying foreigners must be issued by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. Having obtained the certificate of eligibility, the foreigners who wish to apply for Turkish citizenship must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration for a Residence Permit with the documents required. Having completed this step as well, they need to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship for citizenship, which prepares a citizenship file and sends it to the General Directorate of Census and Citizenship. The General Directorate conducts an investigation as to whether there are any national security and public order impediments to the grant of citizenship. Provided that the investigation does not reveal any such impediments, the application is transmitted to the Office of the Interior Minister to be further sent to the President’s Office. Finally, it is at the discretion of the President to grant Turkish citizenship.

For more information or help please contact to our firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.

Foreigners who invest in real estate investment funds or venture capital funds in the value of minimum USD 500,000.00 or other foreign currency or the equivalent amount as Turkish Liras and hold these funds for at least 3 years are eligible for Turkish citizenship.

Real estate investment funds (REIFs) are strongly regulated collective investment schemes with no legal personality (except for the purposes of land registration at the Land Registry Office). They are established and managed on the basis of fiduciary ownership by Portfolio Management Companies or Real Estate Portfolio Management Companies that have acquired operating licenses from the Capital Market Board, with the purpose of making real estate investments in a wide range of real property assets.

Venture capital investment funds are similarly regulated assets established by portfolio management companies and venture capital portfolio management companies which hold operating licenses received from the Capital Market Board in order to manage the portfolios with money and/or capital stocks collected from qualified investors in accordance with fiduciary ownership principles.

Following the purchases of public debt instruments or real estate investment funds and venture capital funds by the foreigners in the amount required, a multi-step precess begins. As a first step, these purchases must be verified and certificates of eligibility to the benefit of applying foreigners must be issued by the Capital Market Board. Having obtained the certificate of eligibility, the foreigners who wish to apply for Turkish citizenship must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration for a Residence Permit with the documents required. Having completed this step as well, they need to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship for citizenship, which prepares a citizenship file and sends it to the General Directorate of Census and Citizenship. The General Directorate conducts an investigation as to whether there are any national security and public order impediments to the grant of citizenship. Provided that the investigation does not reveal any such impediments, the application is transmitted to the Office of the Interior Minister to be further sent to the President’s Office. Finally, it is at the discretion of the President to grant Turkish citizenship.

For more information or help please contact to our firm. Our legal professionals offer comprehensive services to our clients at all stages of citizenship by investment processes.