Turkish citizenship by property investment: the official rules

Türkiye lets a foreign national apply for citizenship through an "exceptional" route after investing in real estate. The rule is short, but the detailed conditions set by the Land Registry (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü, TKGM) decide whether a purchase actually qualifies. This guide explains the official rule as of October 2026, the conditions that most often cause problems, and the order of the steps.

The legal rule in one paragraph

Article 20(2)(b) of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law says that a foreigner may acquire Turkish citizenship by decision of the President if the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change confirms one of two things:

• the person bought real estate worth at least 400,000 US dollars (or the equivalent in another foreign currency) and a "not to be sold for three years" annotation was entered in the land register; or
• the person paid at least 400,000 US dollars in advance under a notarised promise-to-sell contract (satış vaadi sözleşmesi), and an undertaking not to transfer or cancel that contract for three years was annotated in the land register.

Since 12 December 2023 the property must be either an independent unit with kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı (full condominium ownership or construction servitude, explained in our off-plan guide), or a plot registered as building land with a lawful permanent building on it that has an occupancy permit (yapı kullanma izin belgesi). Promise-to-sell contracts only qualify for units with kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı.

The 400,000-dollar threshold applies to sales and promise-to-sell contracts signed on or after 13 June 2022; earlier dates had lower thresholds. Citizenship itself is never automatic: the investment certificate only opens the door to an application that the authorities then assess, including on national security and public order grounds.

What does not qualify

TKGM's official portal for foreign buyers (Your Key Türkiye) and its guide for land registry offices list a number of exclusions. The most important ones are:

• Bare land and agricultural land bought after 12 December 2023.
• Shares in a property (hisseli edinim) acquired after 1 February 2023. Buying a whole property from several co-owners is fine; buying a share is not.
• Timeshares (devre mülk).
• Topping up a shortfall with a promise-to-sell contract. If your purchases fall short of 400,000 dollars, you cannot complete the amount with a promise-to-sell contract, and a promise-to-sell route must reach the full amount in one contract.
• Purchases in another person's name, such as a spouse, child or your own company. Only purchases in the applicant's own name count.
• Properties already linked to foreign owners: a property registered to a foreigner or to someone who obtained citizenship through investment, or a second-hand property that such an owner transferred to a Turkish person or company within the last three years. The same applies to property registered to a company of which you or your close relatives are a partner or manager. A property can be used for a citizenship application only once.
• Properties with a legal mortgage (kanuni ipotek), or with entries that could change ownership, such as an existing promise-to-sell annotation or a pending lawsuit.

There is no limit on the number of properties you may buy by sale to reach the threshold, and they do not have to be bought on the same day.

Three amounts must each reach 400,000 dollars

The land registry checks the investment amount three separate ways, and each must meet the threshold on its own:

1. The declared price in the official deed of sale (resmi senet), or the price in the promise-to-sell contract.
2. The payments: bank receipts (dekont) showing that the money went to the seller or a party with a reasonable link to the sale. Cash paid by hand and a statement by the parties are not accepted; a SWIFT record is accepted if the link to the property and the parties is clear.
3. The amount determination certificate (Tutar Tespit Belgesi, TTB). This is produced from a valuation report by a valuation firm authorised by the Capital Markets Board and is sent electronically through TKGM's Web Tapu/TADEBİS system. Paper copies are not accepted, and a TTB older than twelve months must be renewed.

In addition, the foreign currency for the price must be sold to a bank operating in Türkiye (which sells it on to the Central Bank). The bank issues a foreign exchange purchase certificate (döviz alım belgesi, DAB) and sends it to the land registry by registered e-mail (KEP); you cannot hand it in yourself. The deed price is written in Turkish lira based on the DAB, and the DAB amount may not include VAT, commission, fees or taxes.

The certificate of conformity and the next steps

1. Check the property. Confirm with the land registry that the title type, the owner history and the entries on the register fit the conditions above. See also where foreigners can buy.
2. Order the valuation for citizenship through Web Tapu/TADEBİS so the TTB reaches the land registry electronically.
3. Sell the currency to a Turkish bank and make sure the DAB is sent by KEP to the right land registry office.
4. Sign at the land registry. At the sale (or later) you give the three-year undertaking and the annotation is entered. If you do not speak Turkish, a sworn interpreter authorised by a regional justice commission or a first-instance court justice commission must be present.
5. Investment certificate. The land registry sends the file to the authorised regional directorate. If the conditions are met, it issues the Taşınmaz Yatırımı Tespit Belgesi (real-estate investment certificate, often called the "certificate of conformity" in English) and notifies the Presidency of Migration Management and the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. You are informed by e-mail.
6. Residence permit. You apply to the provincial migration office for the investor residence permit (Law 6458, Article 31(1)(j)).
7. Citizenship application. You then apply to the provincial population and citizenship directorate. Your foreign spouse and your and your spouse's minor or dependent foreign children can be included. The documents are covered in documents for citizenship applicants.

Documents and official fee

For the citizenship file, Article 20(3) of the Regulation lists an application form, passport, civil-status documents (marriage, divorce or death certificate as applicable), a birth certificate or family register proving family ties, and a receipt for the service fee. The fee for exceptional citizenship applications in 2026 is 135.45 Turkish lira, as published by the Edirne population directorate on 14 January 2026.

For the land registry, TKGM lists the title deed details, passport (with translation where needed), the identity information form with a recent photo, the TTB, compulsory earthquake insurance for buildings, the bank-approved receipt, the DAB, a sworn interpreter if a party does not speak Turkish, and, if someone acts for you, a power of attorney that meets TKGM's rules for documents made abroad.

The three-year annotation

The undertaking appears on the register as an annotation that the property will not be sold for three years from the acquisition (or annotation) date. After three years, it is removed only at the owner's request. If the owner asks to remove it earlier, after the certificate was issued, the land registry informs the population and citizenship directorate straight away. Under Article 31 of the Citizenship Law, a citizenship decision obtained through false statements or concealed facts is cancelled. For what happens when you sell later, see selling your property and taxes.

How we can help

Turkey Property Desk helps foreign buyers with exactly these steps: we check which documents you need, arrange sworn translations and notarisation, book the land registry appointment, interpret at the signing and follow residence or citizenship applications. Write to us on WhatsApp in your language. For legal checks on a specific property, please use a lawyer and the land registry.