Turkish Passport by Real Estate Investment. How to Obtain Citizenship

The program for obtaining Turkish citizenship through real estate investment is one of the most sought-after and accessible. The passport holder not only gains visa-free travel to many countries.

Unlike many other passports, the Turkish one is not just a paperwork formality. The Kimlik (ID) of a country's citizen opens up important opportunities:

• Education for children in schools and universities, a future with unlimited choice of specialization for work.

• Quality and comparatively inexpensive insured medicine.

• Social guarantees.

• Freedom of financial operations.

• Free business conduct without restrictions for foreigners.

• Property ownership – a right reliably protected by law.

• Possibility of generating income from renting out apartments or villas purchased for citizenship purposes.

• Life in a strong country with a multifaceted economy and confident development.

• Freedom of movement – convenient air links with various countries, modern airports.

• A large selection of quality food products, fresh fruits and vegetables all year round, rich Turkish cuisine, and restaurants for every taste.

• Comfortable climate, beautiful nature, the sea, and many other advantages.

An important advantage of Turkish citizenship by real estate investment is that passports are granted not only to the owner but also to their family members – spouse and children. There is no need to pass an exam on the Turkish language. The document submission process itself is usually handled by a lawyer, so the applicant does not need to know all the intricacies. Nevertheless, in this article, we will examine the basic nuances and features of obtaining a Turkish passport through real estate investment.

Financial Aspect of Obtaining Citizenship and Legal Regulation

The program is regulated by the Law and relevant Regulations on the Application of the Turkish Citizenship Law. Citizenship is granted by the decision of the President of Turkey based on an investment meeting the established criteria.

The main law is Türk Vatandaşlığı Kanunu (TVK) — Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901: https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2009/06/20090612-1.htm https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=5901&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5

Subparagraph (b) of the first paragraph of Article 12 (Madde 12/1-b) grants the President of the Republic the right to grant citizenship in exceptional cases, which include investments:

b) Vatandaşlığa alınması zaruri görülen kişiler. (Persons deemed essential to be naturalized.)

A guidance document, based on the Regulation, from the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü) — TÜRK VATANDAŞLIĞI KANUNUNUN UYGULANMASINA İLİŞKİN YÖNETMELİK HAKKINDA KILAVUZ — describes all the nuances and requirements. The current link to the official PDF in Turkish: https://www.tkgm.gov.tr/sites/default/files/2024-12/Kilavuz-2_1.pdf.

The document clarifies the procedure for obtaining citizenship through property purchase and contains references to relevant articles. The key rules and amounts are set precisely in the Regulation (Yönetmelik), which has been changed multiple times (the last increase to $400,000 occurred on May 13, 2022: https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2022/05/20220513-20.pdf).

For citizenship purposes, the cadastral, official value stated in the TAPU (Title Deed) must be at least $400,000. Furthermore, a report on independent expert valuation of the property is required to confirm that the cadastral value meets or exceeds the market value of $400,000. Properties bought for the purpose of obtaining Turkish citizenship cannot be sold for three years. Multiple properties can be purchased.

Key Real Estate Requirements:

• Not all properties of the required value are suitable for participation in the program. You can purchase residential, commercial real estate, or even a land plot (with a building permit). The purchase of one or several properties is allowed; the main thing is the total amount.

• The property must not have been previously used by another investor to obtain Turkish citizenship under this program.

• The owner of the property must be a Turkish citizen.

• A non-sale annotation (şart) for 3 years from the purchase date for citizenship purposes must be entered in the TAPU (Title Deed).

• The processing time for a Turkish passport through the investment program is usually 6 to 8 months.

• The investor and their spouse must be physically present in Turkey to submit biometric data for both the investment residence permit and the citizenship application.

How to Buy Real Estate for Turkish Citizenship

Stay Property offers clients package deals for purchasing multiple properties that meet all requirements. Our experts can also sel ect one suitable property for you based on value. Apartments can be purchased with the option of short-term rental through a management company, according to legal requirements. In each specific situation, we will sel ect the real estate individually to match your purchase goals and future plans – whether it's self-residence or investment, generating passive income.

Study our catalogue of properties that meet the requirements for obtaining citizenship.

Main Excerpts fr om the Guidance Document:

For applications for Turkish citizenship in exceptional cases based on the acquisition of real estate, an opinion must be obtained fr om the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre in accordance with the specified legislation, and within the scope of this opinion, a "Certificate of Determination of Real Estate Investment (TYTB)" will be issued. Based on this document, the granting of citizenship is subject to assessment and decision by the relevant authority.

Foreigners who acquire real estate classified as a land plot with a structure on it, or a condominium or floor servitude for a minimum of 400,000 USD or the equivalent in foreign currency, with the condition that it will not be sold for three years, or who, as determined by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, have acquired real estate with a condominium or floor servitude for a minimum of 400,000 USD or the equivalent in foreign currency and who promise to sell the property with a contract drawn up at a notary, with the condition that the land registry will not be transferred or abandoned for three years, can acquire Turkish citizenship by Presidential Decree.

Required Value:

1. The value of the real estate acquired between January 12, 2017, and September 18, 2018, must be 1,000,000 USD.

2. The value of the real estate acquired/to be acquired after September 19, 2018, must be 400,000 USD.

3. The value of the real estate for which a preliminary sale contract was/will be issued after December 7, 2018, must be 400,000 USD.

4. With the amendment dated January 6, 2022, the expression "equivalent in Turkish Lira" was removed from the Regulation, and the real estate value in foreign currency must be sold to a bank for sale to the Central Bank.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

The acquisition of real estate made on behalf of a foreign natural person, such as a spouse, child, etc., will not be considered in the value calculation. Explanation: Only one person must be listed as the owner in the TAPU.

NATURE OF THE PROPERTY:

The property acquired for citizenship purposes must be allocated as an independent unit in the registry in accordance with Law No. 634 on Condominium Ownership, or, in the case of properties designated as land plots, registered as land plots, and also have a capital structure in accordance with the legislation, with an occupancy permit.

The acquisition of agricultural land for citizenship purposes is not possible.

Property subject to timeshare rights cannot be used to obtain Turkish citizenship through real estate acquisition.

NUMBER OF PROPERTIES:

There is no restriction on the number of properties acquired by sale. The amount specified in the Regulation is crucial. In applications based on sales contracts, the amount required by the Regulation must be covered by a single contract, and the properties must be specified in that contract. More than one property can be the subject of sales contracts within one contract. However, applications based on multiple sales contracts will not be considered. It is not possible to apply for citizenship by acquiring real estate in installments.

DETERMINATION OF INVESTMENT AMOUNT:

The required amount must be confirmed by the Certificate of Determination of the Amount that forms the basis for acquiring citizenship through real estate acquisition. Certificate of Determination of the Amount that forms the basis for acquiring citizenship through real estate acquisition (TTB).

The buyer, seller, their representatives, or real estate agents must sell the sale price in USD or equivalent foreign currency to a bank for sale to the Central Bank. The foreign currency purchase document issued by the bank must be sent to the relevant Land Registry Office via registered mail (KEP).

CONDITIONS REGARDING THE PARTIES:

1. The real estate (or properties) subject to sale or promise to sell must not be registered in the land registry in the name of foreign persons and/or immediate relatives (relatives by contract, blood, or marriage) of the foreign person who is a Turkish citizen.

2. The secondary real estate (or properties) subject to sale or promise to sell must not be among the properties transferred to a Turkish citizen/company by the foreign person acquiring the property for citizenship purposes, or their immediate relatives (relatives by contract, blood, or marriage), whether they are Turkish citizens or not.

3. The secondary real estate (or properties) subject to sale or promise to sell must not be among the properties transferred to a Turkish citizen/company within the last three years by a foreign person or a person who acquired citizenship under Article 12, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph (b) of the Turkish Commercial Code. Acquisitions arising from employment contracts are excluded from the scope of this article.

4. The real property (or properties) subject to sale or promise to sell (acquired before or after obtaining citizenship) must not be registered in the land registry in the name of persons who have acquired Turkish citizenship exceptionally, in accordance with Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph 1 of Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law.

5. The real estate subject to sale or promise to sell must not be registered in the land registry in the name of a legal entity in which the foreign natural person acquiring the property, claiming citizenship, or their immediate relatives (relatives by contract, blood, or marriage) are partners or managers.

6. A property can be used for citizenship acquisition only once.

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