Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment: 2026 Guide

What Are the Conditions for Turkish Citizenship by Property Investment?

To obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing a home or commercial property, the foreign national must acquire eligible property worth at least USD 400,000 solely in their own name, without shared ownership. A commitment not to sell it for 3 years must be entered in the land register, and there must be no national security obstacle.

This route is based on Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and the Regulation on its implementation. The Law provides that a foreign national who makes an investment of a specified amount and obtains an investor residence permit may acquire citizenship by presidential decision (Law No. 5901, Art. 12/1-b). There must be no obstacle in terms of national security or public order.

The Regulation sets the type and amount of investment. The property route requires:

• an investment of at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency,
• a property with condominium ownership or a construction easement established, or land classified as a plot with a building on it,
• the price in the official deed, the payment and the value in the Amount Determination Certificate each to meet that amount,
• a foreign exchange purchase certificate showing that the price was brought in as foreign currency and exchanged,
• a 3-year no-sale commitment entered in the land register (a restriction recorded against the title),
• verification of the investment by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.

As of October 2026, the threshold is USD 400,000. It was raised from USD 250,000 by a presidential decision dated 13 May 2022; no regulation changed the threshold in 2026. Compliance with the investment conditions is examined by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Its circulars and the guide applied since 9 December 2024 set out the detailed practice.

This article addresses citizenship through property acquisition only; routes such as bank deposits, funds or capital investment are outside its scope. A residence permit based on property ownership is also a separate subject.

Which Purchase Routes Can Be Used for Turkish Citizenship by Property Investment?

There are 2 purchase routes for citizenship through property: acquisition by a sale registered at the land registry and a notarised promise-to-sell agreement. Different rules apply to the amount, payment timing and number of properties under these two routes.

• Sale at the land registry. Ownership passes to the investor and the 3-year restriction is entered in the land register. This route is used to purchase completed homes, commercial premises or offices.
• Promise-to-sell agreement. This is commonly used for units under construction with a construction easement established; it is also possible for units with condominium ownership. The USD 400,000 price must be paid in full, and the foreign exchange purchase certificate issued, no later than the agreement date. Payments made after the agreement date do not count towards the advance price.

Reservation documents, preliminary sales documents or letters of intent do not replace a notarised promise-to-sell agreement. The unit covered by the promise must be registered in the promisor's name when the commitment is given; more than one sale promise cannot be covered by a commitment for the same unit. The risk of project delay must also be assessed separately from the citizenship application, because transfer of title depends on completion of construction.

Can the USD 400,000 Citizenship Requirement Be Met with More than One Property?

Yes. For purchases by a sale at the land registry, the combined value of several properties can meet the USD 400,000 requirement. There is no limit on the number of properties, and they need not be in the same province or project. The dollar values in each property's Amount Determination Certificate are added together to confirm the investment amount. Under a promise-to-sell agreement, however, a single agreement must meet the amount; several promise-to-sell agreements cannot be combined, and a shortfall in purchased properties cannot be made up through a promise to sell.

What Determines Whether a Property Is Eligible for Citizenship?

A property's type and title history determine its eligibility before its price does. The idea that a property is eligible simply because the seller is Turkish is not correct. If any of the following questions has an answer that counts against the property, it cannot be used for citizenship, regardless of its value:

• Is it a unit with condominium ownership or a construction easement established, or a developed plot with an occupancy permit?
• Has the property previously been used in a citizenship application?
• Is the property registered to a foreign national or someone who obtained citizenship by investment, or was it transferred from such a person within the last 3 years?
• Is the seller a first-degree relative of the buyer who is a Turkish citizen?
• Does the title contain a promise-to-sell annotation, a litigation annotation or a statutory mortgage?
• Is the purchase being made solely in the investor's name, without shared ownership?
• Do the investor's nationality and the district's ten per cent limit prevent acquisition?

Agricultural land such as fields or orchards, undeveloped plots and properties subject to timeshare rights have been ineligible since December 2023. For property classified as a plot, the guide requires a permanent building with an occupancy permit. Purchases in the name of a spouse, child or the investor's company do not count either. Property in military prohibited zones and security zones may require additional permission, or acquisition may be impossible.

In terms of nationality, the President may limit acquisition by country, region or quantity; the ten per cent limit concerns the total area that foreigners may acquire in a district. These questions are answered by examining the title record and the chain of previous owners.

Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment: How the Minimum Amount of USD 400,000 Is Calculated

The USD 400,000 requirement is met only when the sale price in the official deed, the payments made to the seller and the value in the Amount Determination Certificate each independently meet that amount. For a purchase through a promise-to-sell agreement, the value in that agreement may be used instead of the official deed; otherwise, if one amount falls short, higher values in the other two do not change the outcome.

The three values making up the citizenship investment amount

There is also an upper limit for the Amount Determination Certificate. Under the guide, if its dollar value is higher than the amount in the foreign exchange purchase certificate showing the currency exchanged at the bank, only the latter amount is taken into account. For property bought with a foreign currency loan, the loan amount does not count towards the investment; for mortgaged or attached property, amounts corresponding to the mortgage or attachment do not count either.

Is the Right to Citizenship Lost If Exchange Rate Movements Reduce the Deed Price Below USD 400,000?

Citizenship Valuation Reports and TTB: What Changed on 28 September 2026?

From 28 September 2026, citizenship valuation reports may be prepared by any authorised valuation company, rather than only GEDAŞ Gayrimenkul Değerleme A.Ş. The company must be authorised by the Capital Markets Board, have active membership of the Turkish Appraisers Association and participate in the Real Estate Valuation Information System (TADEBİS).

The valuation report shows the property's market value. The Amount Determination Certificate (TTB) is the official document produced from that report, showing the amount that will be accepted for citizenship purposes. It is sent electronically to the land registry system; a printed appraisal report supplied by the seller does not replace it.

Before and after 28 September 2026 (TKGM circulars published as of October 2026)

Is 25 per Cent Added to the Citizenship Valuation?

No. As of October 2026, the published circulars of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre contain no provision adding 25 per cent to the valuation amount. The claim appeared on some property websites and in AI answers after September 2026.

The circular requires the official deed price and the payments each independently to meet USD 400,000, and those values to be confirmed by the Amount Determination Certificate. A value determined as USD 320,000 is not increased to USD 400,000 in the system; paying on that assumption may result in an acquisition that does not meet the requirement.

How Are the Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate and Payment Documented for Citizenship Through Property?

The foreign exchange purchase certificate shows that the sale price was brought into Turkey in foreign currency and exchanged at a bank for sale to the Central Bank. The bank sends the certificate directly to the land registry office through registered electronic mail. The price in the official deed is also set according to the Turkish lira amount in this certificate.

The certificate must identify the investor, the property number, the dollar equivalent of the currency and the citizenship purpose of the transaction. The currency amount must cover only the sale price; value added tax, commission, fees or expenses must not be added. If a VAT exemption or commission payment is planned, those items must not be mixed into the citizenship investment amount.

The bank receipt, in turn, shows that the price was actually paid to the seller and must be presented before the 3-year restriction is entered in the land register.

The payment chain is the main evidence of a genuine investment in any later examination by the authority. A payment to an account abroad or a transfer to a third party whose connection is undocumented does not establish that chain.

How Will the Secure Payment System Affect Citizenship Purchases from 1 December 2026?

Under the amendment to the Regulation on Real Estate Trade, the Secure Payment System will become mandatory from 1 December 2026 for property sales paid in cash, by bank transfer or by electronic funds transfer. The rule was added to the Regulation on 29 April 2026, and an amendment dated 1 October 2026 set the start date as 1 December 2026. Under the system, the price passes to the seller once title deed transfer is completed.

As of October 2026, the legislation does not explain in detail how the foreign exchange purchase certificate and receipt requirements will operate alongside this system. For land registry transactions after 1 December 2026, the payment flow should therefore be confirmed in advance with the land registry office and bank.

5 Misconceptions About Turkish Citizenship Through Property

Which Authorities Issue the Investor Residence Permit and Citizenship Decision?

For citizenship by real estate investment, the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre verifies the property investment, the Presidency of Migration Management issues the investor residence permit, and the President makes the citizenship decision. Each authority examines the conditions within its own remit. A positive result at one stage does not mean that the next stage will also be positive. Their roles are:

• General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre: examines the property, amount, payment and title history, and issues the Property Investment Determination Certificate (commonly called the certificate of conformity).
• Presidency of Migration Management: grants the investor a short-term residence permit (investor residence permit). This permit is available to foreigners who do not work in Turkey but make an investment of the specified amount (Law No. 6458, Art. 31/1-j).
• General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs: prepares the citizenship file for a decision.
• Security authorities: conduct the security investigation and archive research.
• President: makes the decision granting citizenship.

The investment determination certificate issued by the land registry authority is not a citizenship decision. Previous entry bans, deportation records or investigations in other countries may affect the outcome independently of whether the investment was properly made.

Can a Spouse and Children Acquire Turkish Citizenship Through the Property Investment?

Yes. The investor's foreign spouse and the investor's or spouse's minor or dependent foreign children may acquire citizenship through the same investment. No separate investment is required; family members are considered together with the investor's file. The national security and public order condition applies to each family member too. As a rule, an adult child is not covered by the parent's investment; dependency, meaning the child's need for care, must be separately documented in the file.

Including family members does not mean that shared ownership is permitted. The investor must acquire the whole property in their own name. If the citizenship decision is later cancelled, the cancellation also applies to the spouse and children who became citizens through the investor. Withdrawal may also affect them because their citizenship depends on the investor's file.

What Does the 3-Year No-Sale Restriction Mean, and Can the Property Be Sold After It Expires?

The 3-year no-sale restriction records that a property acquired for citizenship will not be sold for 3 years from the acquisition or declaration date. During this period, it may be rented out, and a mortgage, easement or lease annotation may be established. Sales and other transfers are prohibited, as are promises to sell and the creation of usufruct rights.

If the owner asks for the restriction to be removed before the period ends, the request is granted, but the provincial population and citizenship and migration management offices are immediately notified. This notification may trigger a new examination of the citizenship file. Changes beyond the owner's control, such as expropriation or a forced sale, are reported to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre for separate assessment.

Selling after the period expires does not, by itself, end citizenship. There is still a limit: if the property is transferred back to the previous owner or that person's first-degree relatives, the investment determination certificate is cancelled. That cancellation may also trigger an examination concerning withdrawal of citizenship. The rule targets sham resale arrangements. If the property passes by inheritance, the commitment continues in the heirs' names.

Can Turkish Citizenship Obtained Through Property Be Cancelled?

Yes. Citizenship acquired by investment may end through cancellation or withdrawal. The Law sets an initial limit too: "meeting the required conditions does not give a person an absolute right to acquire citizenship." According to the Ministry of Interior's statement of 21 September 2026, citizenship decisions concerning 1,413 investors, or 6,134 people including their families, had been cancelled or withdrawn.

The difference between refusal, cancellation and withdrawal

These actions may be challenged before the administrative courts. Cancellation of the certificate of conformity and withdrawal of citizenship are separate actions; each must be challenged separately within its own time limit.

How Does an Inaccurate Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate Affect Citizenship? The Council of State's 2026 Decision

Documents That Matter for Citizenship by Real Estate Investment

The decisive point in a citizenship investment file is not the number of documents but their consistency in showing a genuine investment and payment chain. For promise-to-sell cases, agreement, payment and foreign exchange purchase certificate dates are important; for resale properties, title history matters; for family applications, documents proving family relationships are central.

• Property documents: title record, official deed or notarised promise-to-sell agreement, valuation report and Amount Determination Certificate.
• Payment documents: foreign exchange purchase certificate, bank receipts, a bank account in Turkey and tax number.
• Family documents: marriage and birth certificates, apostille or consular certification, and sworn translations.
• Representation documents: a power of attorney authorising the purchase and the 3-year commitment.

Originals and records obtained from the bank should be retained because they may also serve as evidence in an examination conducted years later.

Conclusion: Consistency Between the Documents Is Decisive for Citizenship Through Property

For Turkish citizenship by real estate investment, the decisive step is to verify the property's eligibility and the consistency of the documents before paying, rather than relying on its price. Of two properties with the same price, one may qualify while the other cannot support citizenship because of its title history, valuation or payment records. For example, a USD 450,000 apartment transferred from a foreign national within the last 3 years cannot be used for citizenship; another apartment worth USD 410,000 may qualify if its documents are consistent.

As of October 2026, the choice of valuation company has widened and the certificate period has increased. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior's September 2026 statement shows that retrospective examinations are being conducted extensively. For that reason, checks for a citizenship purchase should be completed before signing the sale agreement.