Turkish Citizenship by Property: Procedure and Documents (2026)

To obtain Turkish citizenship through real estate, a foreign investor must buy property worth at least USD 400,000, have a three-year no-sale annotation placed on the title deed, and receive a certificate of conformity from the Land Registry. With that certificate, the investor applies first for a residence permit and then for citizenship, and the final decision is taken by the President of Türkiye. The spouse and children under 18 can be included in the same application.

This guide sets out each step and the documents asked for at each stage, as the rules stand in September 2026.

The investment options at a glance

Turkish citizenship by investment is based on Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20 of its implementing regulation. Real estate is the route most investors choose, but it is not the only one.

The real estate threshold was USD 1 million until September 2018 and USD 250,000 from September 2018. Presidential Decision No. 5554, published in the Official Gazette on 13 May 2022, raised it to USD 400,000 from 13 June 2022. Older articles that still quote USD 250,000 are out of date.

What kind of property qualifies

Since December 2023 (Presidential Decision No. 7938), the property must be one of the following:

• a unit with kat mülkiyeti (full condominium title, for completed buildings), or
• a unit with kat irtifakı (construction servitude title, for buildings still under construction), or
• a plot of land with a building on it.

Bare land no longer qualifies on its own. You can combine several properties to reach USD 400,000. An off-plan unit can also be used through a notarised sale promise contract, provided the building has kat irtifakı or kat mülkiyeti, the full USD 400,000 is paid upfront, and the contract is annotated on the land register for three years.

A few other rules are worth knowing before you choose a property:

• Previous foreign ownership. A property that was owned by a foreigner, or transferred by a foreigner to a Turkish citizen or company after 12 January 2017, can be excluded. Check this before paying.
• Mortgages and loans. Any mortgage or bank loan on the property is deducted from the value, and what remains must still reach the threshold.
• Instalments. For instalment purchases, each payment is converted at the Central Bank rate on the day it was made.

Step 1: Buy the property and document the value

1. Valuation report. A valuation report by a licensed appraiser is required for any purchase by a foreigner. For citizenship, the value used is checked against this report. Since 28 September 2026, the Land Registry accepts reports for citizenship files from any appraisal firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK) that meets its criteria; before that, these reports had to come from a single designated company. See our guide to the real estate valuation report in Turkey.
2. Currency exchange document (DAB). The foreign currency for the purchase must be sold to a bank in Türkiye, which sells it on to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB), before the title deed transfer. The bank then issues the döviz alım belgesi (DAB). This is the main proof that the investment amount was brought in and converted.
3. Title deed transfer. The sale is completed at the Land Registry Directorate (Tapu Müdürlüğü). The title deed fee is 4% of the declared price, usually shared 2% by the buyer and 2% by the seller.
4. No-sale annotation. At the transfer, the buyer signs an undertaking not to sell the property for three years, and this is recorded on the title deed.

Step 2: Certificate of conformity

After the annotation, the Land Registry Directorate sends the file to the Foreign Affairs Department of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM), acting for the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. TKGM checks the value, the DAB and the payment records, and issues the certificate of conformity (uygunluk belgesi). It sends it to the migration and citizenship authorities and informs the investor.

Step 3: Residence permit

With the certificate of conformity, the investor applies to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for a short-term residence permit for investors (Law No. 6458, Article 31(j)). Family members apply for their permits at the same time: under Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law (No. 5901), your foreign spouse and your and your spouse's children who are under 18 or dependent can acquire citizenship with you. Adult children who are not dependent, and parents, are not included.

Step 4: Citizenship application

Once the residence permit is issued, the investor applies to the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. In Istanbul and Ankara there are special offices for foreign investors where the residence and citizenship applications can be handled together. The family applies together, in one file; children under 18 are listed on the parent's application form. The residence permit and citizenship applications have to be made in person, by the investor and by the spouse; the Directorate does not accept them by power of attorney, although a lawyer can follow the file afterwards. The file is sent to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİGM) in Ankara, which carries out a security and archive check. After that, the Ministry of the Interior forwards the file to the Presidency, and citizenship is granted by Presidential decision.

The process currently takes about 180 days. The exact time depends on how complete the file is and on the security checks, so plan for around six months rather than a fixed date.

Documents for the citizenship application

The regulation lists the core documents. The offices may ask for more depending on your situation.

• Application form (VAT-4, exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship).
• Passport, or a similar document showing your nationality, with a sworn and notarised Turkish translation.
• Birth certificate or civil registry extract showing your identity and, if you are married, proof of the family link with your spouse and children.
• Marital status documents: marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or death certificate of a late spouse.
• Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalised by a Turkish consulate, then translated into Turkish by a sworn translator and notarised.
• Consent of the other parent where a child under 18 is included and parents are separated.
• Biometric photographs.
• Receipt for the service fee paid to the tax office.
• Certificate of conformity and the residence permit.
• Supporting property documents: title deed, valuation report, DAB and bank transfer receipts.

What this means for buyers

• Choose the property with the certificate in mind. Check the title type, previous ownership and any mortgage before you pay, not after.
• Bring the money from abroad and convert it through a bank. Without a DAB dated before the transfer, the value may not be accepted.
• The price on paper matters. The declared price, the valuation report and the DAB should all support the USD 400,000 figure.
• Three years is a minimum. You can sell after the annotation expires, but prices and exchange rates move both ways. Treat this as a long-term purchase.

CCT Investments helps international buyers choose qualifying new-build projects in Istanbul, follows the title deed and conformity certificate process, and works with lawyers and sworn translators for the application file. Read our citizenship page or contact us with your questions.

Sources

• Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, Article 20 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
• Anadolu Ajansı: property value for exceptional citizenship raised to USD 400,000 (13 May 2022)
• NVİGM: citizenship steps for foreign investors (PDF)
• NVİGM: frequently asked questions on citizenship, including applications by power of attorney
• NVİGM: application form Vat-4 for exceptional acquisition of citizenship (PDF)
• Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 12 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
• Şığva, S. (TKGM), "Türkiye'de Yabancı Gerçek Kişilerin Taşınmaz Edinimi", 2019 (PDF)
• TKGM Circular 2024/4 on citizenship through property (Lexpera)
• Memurlar.net: TKGM opens citizenship valuation reports to all SPK-licensed firms (29 September 2026)