The investment route is the fastest way to a Turkish passport: it requires neither residence in the country nor a language exam. The real estate threshold has stood at USD 400,000 since June 2022, the property cannot be sold for three years, and the transaction itself is hedged with formalities that are easy to breach without knowing it. Here is how the process works in 2026 — with the real constraints, not the promotional version.
How much you need to invest, and in what
The legal basis is Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and its implementing regulation: a foreigner whose investment has been certified by the relevant authority receives citizenship by presidential decision, bypassing the five-year residence requirement.
For real estate the threshold is at least USD 400,000 or the equivalent in another currency. It was raised from the previous USD 250,000 and applies to transactions from mid-June 2022 onwards. The amount may be made up of several properties — there is no rigid "single property" rule here, unlike the short-term residence permit based on property ownership, where the threshold must be met by one property alone.
Other investment options exist as well — a deposit with a Turkish bank, government debt securities, fund units, fixed capital investment, job creation. Their thresholds are higher; a summary table is in our general article on Turkish citizenship.
Which property qualifies and which does not
Since December 2023 the requirements on property type have been tightened. For citizenship purposes, eligible property is real estate registered under condominium ownership (kat mülkiyeti, freehold title to a completed unit) or condominium construction servitude (kat irtifakı, title to a unit in a building not yet completed), or a plot in the arsa (development land) category on which a structure already stands.
- Not eligible: agricultural land (tarla) and bare plots with no structures, if acquired after that date.
- Not eligible: buying a fractional share; the property must pass to the foreigner in its entirety. If the property was registered to several co-owners and the foreigner buys out all of it, that is acceptable.
- One property, one passport. Real estate already used to obtain citizenship cannot be counted a second time for that purpose.
You can buy either a completed property under an ordinary sale contract or one under construction — under a notarised promise-to-sell agreement (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) with the price paid in full and a registry annotation confirming that for three years there will be no transfer and no cancellation of the entry.
Restrictions on the seller: where deals most often fall apart
This is the most underestimated part of the rules. The land registry checks not only the price but the chain of transactions on the property going back to January 2017. A certificate of conformity will not be issued if:
- the property is being bought from a foreign individual holding the same nationality as the applicant;
- the seller is the applicant themselves, their spouse or their children;
- the seller is a Turkish company in which the applicant, their spouse or their children are a shareholder or a director;
- the property was previously (after January 2017) sold by the applicant, their spouse, their children, or a foreigner of the same nationality, to a Turkish citizen or a Turkish company — in other words, the "sell it and buy it back" scheme does not work.
The practical conclusion is simple: before paying a deposit you need to pull the history of the tapu (title deed) and check who owned the property and when. For resale properties this is a mandatory step — we set out exactly what to look at in our guide to the tapu.
The SPK valuation and the three figures that must line up
Before the transaction you need a valuation report (ekspertiz raporu) prepared by a company licensed by Türkiye's capital markets regulator (Sermaye Piyasası Kurulu, SPK). For transactions involving foreigners such a report is compulsory regardless of the purpose of the purchase, and its validity is limited — as a general rule to a matter of months from the date it was drawn up, so there is no point ordering it far in advance.
For the investment route, established practice at the directorates is that the threshold must be met by all three figures simultaneously:
- the amount actually paid to the seller and evidenced by bank documents;
- the value shown in the SPK valuer's report;
- the value declared on the tapu at the time of transfer.
An important consequence follows: understating the price on the tapu "to save on the transfer duty" is impossible on this route — the application will simply fail. The transfer duty (tapu harcı) is 4% of the declared value and by law is split equally between the parties, although in practice the whole of it is often passed to the buyer; a separate döner sermaye service fee is charged as well, indexed annually.
The money: bank, currency and the Döviz Alım Belgesi
The investment route rules out cash changing hands. Payment must go through the Turkish banking system and must be traceable on paper.
The mechanics look like this: the foreigner opens an account with a Turkish bank, brings in the foreign currency, sells it to the bank (which then sells it on to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye) and receives a foreign currency purchase certificate — the Döviz Alım Belgesi (DAB). This document is presented to the land registry office before the transaction is registered; it must correctly identify the parties and link to the specific property. Keep the payment orders and bank receipts (dekont) with their stated purpose of payment — they will be requested when you apply for citizenship.
Before the bank you will need a Turkish tax number: without it you cannot open an account or register a tapu.
The procedure step by step
- Tax number and bank account. The number is obtained online through the Digital Tax Office or in person at a vergi dairesi (tax office), after which you open the account.
- Due diligence on the property. Ownership history, encumbrances, whether the iskân (occupancy permit) exists, and compliance with the property-type and seller restrictions.
- SPK valuation report. Ordered before the transaction; the final valuation must clear the threshold.
- Transferring the funds and obtaining the DAB. The currency is brought in through a Turkish bank and the foreign currency purchase certificate is issued.
- The transaction at the land registry. The tapu is issued and, at the same time, the annotation recording the three-year undertaking not to sell is entered. You will need a valid DASK policy (compulsory earthquake insurance) and a sworn translator (yeminli tercüman) if you do not speak Turkish. The full sequence is in our article on the property purchase transaction.
- Certificate of conformity (uygunluk belgesi). Issued by the land registry authority, confirming that the property and the amount meet the requirements.
- Investor residence permit. On the strength of the certificate a short-term residence permit is issued under the special ground in the Law on Foreigners No. 6458 — it serves as the entry ticket to the citizenship application.
- Citizenship application. Filed together with the applications for family members; then come the checks and the presidential decision.
If you cannot attend in person, a large part of these steps can be done under a power of attorney — but its wording is critical, as we explained in our guides to powers of attorney in Türkiye and buying property by proxy.
Which family members get a passport
Citizenship is granted alongside the investor to their spouse and to children under 18 (and to adult children who are dependent by reason of disability). Parents, adult independent children, and siblings are not included in the application — the ordinary routes such as a family residence permit are open to them.
Note that the marriage must be subsisting and evidenced by legalised documents. Marriage certificates and children's birth certificates are needed with an apostille and a sworn translation.
Timescales and what happens afterwards
The law sets no guaranteed timescales. In established practice, a few weeks pass between the transaction and the certificate of conformity, the investor residence permit takes a few weeks more, and the citizenship application itself takes from several months; the bulk of the time goes on security checks.
Once the passport has been issued, one obligation remains: the property cannot be sold for three years. You may let it, live in it, or grant rights of use; what you may not do is transfer ownership. The annotation is lifted automatically once the period expires. Selling early puts the very basis on which citizenship was granted at risk.
Two further points that often come to light after the event. First: property carries an annual property tax (emlak vergisi) and mandatory service charges for the complex — aidat. Second: on the first sale of a new home by a developer to a non-resident foreigner, a VAT exemption may apply, but it comes with its own set of conditions and its own holding period — discuss this with a tax adviser in advance rather than assuming it applies by default.
What to check before paying a deposit: a checklist
- Property type: whether kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı has been registered, and whether there is a structure on the plot.
- Ownership history since 2017 and the nationality of the previous owners.
- Whether the property has already been used to obtain citizenship.
- Encumbrances: mortgages (ipotek), attachments (haciz), easements, annotations barring disposal.
- Agreement between the SPK valuation, the tapu price and the amount actually paid.
- The seller's willingness to accept payment through a bank and to have the DAB issued correctly.
- The existence of the iskân (yapı kullanma izin belgesi) and a valid DASK policy.
- No arrears on utilities or aidat left behind by the previous owner.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reach USD 400,000 with several apartments?
Yes, the threshold may be met with several properties, provided each of them meets the requirements and all are acquired with the appropriate annotations.
Does buying from another foreigner count?
It does not, if the seller is a foreign individual of the same nationality as the buyer. The land registry also checks the whole chain of transactions back to 2017, so the property's history must be examined before you pay a deposit.
Do I have to live in Türkiye?
No. The investment route requires neither a period of residence nor a language exam. The investor residence permit is arranged as a technical stage of the procedure.
What happens if I sell the property before three years are up?
The annotation on the tapu physically blocks the transfer, and any attempt to get round the condition casts doubt on the basis of the citizenship already granted. It is simpler to wait out the period.
Can everything be done remotely?
Most of it, yes, under a notarised power of attorney. But the power of attorney must expressly contain the necessary authorities, including land registry operations and banking actions, or it will not be accepted.
Is Turkish needed at an interview?
There is no language interview on the investment route.
Do I keep my existing citizenship?
Türkiye permits multiple citizenship and requires no renunciation. Restrictions may exist under the law of your own country.
This article is provided for general guidance and does not replace legal advice. The requirements of Türkiye's migration service, land registry and tax authorities change regularly, and practice differs between local offices — check the current rules with the relevant authority or with a lawyer before filing your documents.
Need help?
New Time Investment works on investment transactions in Alanya and other regions of Türkiye: we identify properties that genuinely meet the criteria, check the tapu history and the seller before any deposit is paid, and see the paperwork through — from the SPK valuation to filing the documents. If you are unsure whether a particular apartment fits the requirements, show it to us before you part with any money: that is cheaper than undoing the consequences.