Turkish Citizenship by Investment in Real Estate. Turkey offers significant opportunities for foreign investors thanks to its unique natural beauty, its strategic geopolitical position connecting Europe and Asia, and its developing economy. In order to support economic growth, Turkey provides various incentives to foreign investors, one of the most notable being the acquisition of Turkish citizenship through exceptional procedures.
Pursuant to Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, foreign natural persons may acquire Turkish citizenship exceptionally through the purchase of real estate in Turkey. Under the Regulation, a foreign investor must purchase immovable property with a minimum value of USD 400,000 within the borders of Turkey and annotate the title deed with a restriction stating that the property will not be sold for a period of three years from the date of purchase. Upon fulfillment of these conditions, the investor may apply for Turkish citizenship through the exceptional procedure.
The process of acquiring Turkish citizenship through real estate investment requires careful legal and technical consideration. From the valuation report to title deed transactions, from obtaining the certificate of conformity to submitting the citizenship application, any mistake at any stage may result in rejection of the application or delays in the process.
The process generally consists of three stages. In the first stage, a suitable property that meets the citizenship requirements and is free from any legal issues must be identified. In the second stage, the purchase price must be transferred in compliance with the legislation, the title deed transfer must be completed, and an annotation restricting the sale of the property for three years must be registered. In the final stage, the certificate of conformity is obtained from the relevant authorities and the citizenship application is submitted to the competent institutions.
Real Estate Selection Stage and Important Considerations
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In order to apply for Turkish citizenship through real estate acquisition, both personal and property-related acquisition requirements must be satisfied pursuant to the Land Registry Law No. 2644 and the relevant legislation. Only acquisitions made directly in the name of the foreign natural person are taken into account; purchases made in the name of a spouse, child, or company are not included in the investment amount.
The property to be acquired for citizenship purposes must either be an independent unit or, if it is land, must contain a permanent structure compliant with the legislation and supported by an occupancy permit. Undeveloped land requiring future project development, agricultural land, and timeshare properties are not eligible under this scope. Applications based on a promise of sale agreement are only possible for properties on which condominium ownership or construction servitude has been established.
Although there is no limitation on the number of properties, the essential requirement is that the minimum investment threshold be met. In applications based on a promise of sale agreement, the minimum amount must be satisfied through a single contract and paid in full in advance. Furthermore, acquisitions made under shared ownership by multiple foreign nationals cannot be used for citizenship purposes; the entire property must be acquired by a single foreign investor.
In addition, properties acquired for citizenship purposes must not be registered in the name of the investor, their first-degree relatives, or companies in which they are shareholders or managers. Second-hand properties cannot be used if they have been transferred by the investor or their relatives to a Turkish citizen or to their company, or if they have been transferred within the last three years by another foreigner or by a person who previously acquired citizenship through the exceptional procedure. Properties registered in the name of individuals who have acquired Turkish citizenship exceptionally are also excluded. In the case of properties owned by foreign-capital companies, certain conditions may allow evaluation within the scope of investment, provided that it is documented that the independent unit was constructed by the owner company and has not previously been transferred. Moreover, a property may be used only once for a citizenship application; certain transfers made during the commitment period may result in the cancellation of the certificate of conformity.
Sales Stage
At the second stage, proper determination and transfer of the investment amount in compliance with the legislation is of critical importance. The sales price declared in the official deed or the amount agreed and fully paid in advance under a promise of sale agreement, as well as the total payment made via bank transfer, must each separately meet the minimum investment amount of USD 400,000 applicable on the acquisition date. This amount is confirmed through the Certificate of Determination of the Amount Required for Acquisition of Citizenship Through Real Estate Investment (TTB). If the application is based on a single property, the TTB must explicitly state that the minimum investment requirement has been met. If multiple properties are involved, the amounts specified in the TTBs are evaluated collectively.
The determination and payment of the purchase price in sales or promise of sale transactions are subject to the Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB) procedure. The foreign currency corresponding to the investment amount must be sold to a bank and transferred to the Central Bank, and the issued DAB must be submitted to the Land Registry Directorate. The official deed is prepared based on the Turkish Lira amount indicated in the DAB, and no separate exchange rate calculation is made. The DAB must include complete information regarding the investor and the property; VAT, commissions, or similar expenses cannot be included in the investment amount.
In addition, a bank receipt evidencing that the minimum investment amount has been paid to the seller must be submitted to the Land Registry Directorate. The amount shown in the receipt must be consistent with the amount specified in the DAB, and the payment must be completed prior to the registration of the non-sale commitment annotation. The use of secure payment systems provided by banks is permitted but not mandatory.
Citizenship Application Stage
After the annotation regarding the three-year non-sale commitment is registered on the title deed, the Land Registry Directorate forwards the transaction details to the competent authority, and if the required conditions are met, a “Certificate of Conformity” is issued. This certificate is sent to the relevant institutions by official correspondence and notified to the applicant via email. Following the issuance of the Certificate of Conformity, the investor must first apply for a residence permit at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management and subsequently submit the Turkish citizenship application to the Provincial Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs.
At this stage, if the investor is married, their legally recognized spouse and children under the age of 18 are also entitled to acquire Turkish citizenship; therefore, applications must be submitted together.
As explained in detail above, acquiring Turkish citizenship through a real estate investment of at least USD 400,000 involves multiple technical and legal stages, from title deed procedures and foreign currency transfers to obtaining the certificate of conformity and filing the citizenship application. Accordingly, it is of utmost importance that the entire process be conducted with professional care and expertise from beginning to end.
