Turkish citizenship by property: the complete guide (2026)

Short answer: Yes. Under Article 12(1)(b) of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20(2)(b) of its implementing regulation, a foreigner who buys property worth at least USD 400,000 (or the equivalent in foreign currency), with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title deed, may acquire Turkish citizenship by presidential decision. The buyer must also obtain an investor residence permit, and there must be no obstacle in terms of national security and public order. Meeting the conditions makes you eligible to apply; it does not guarantee citizenship.

Who this applies to: foreign buyers considering property in Türkiye with citizenship in mind · As of: 31 October 2026 · Last checked against the official texts: 31 October 2026 · Check the current official text

What is citizenship by property in Türkiye?

Law No. 5901 lets the President grant citizenship, as an exception to the ordinary residence-based route, to foreigners who hold a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 or a Turquoise Card, together with their foreign spouse and minor or dependent foreign children (Law 5901, Art. 12(1)(b)). The regulation then lists the investments that qualify. Buying property is one of them (Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)).

The decision belongs to the President (Regulation, Art. 20(2)). Applications from people who pose an obstacle in terms of national security and public order are rejected (Law 5901, Art. 12(2)).

Which investments qualify?

Route	Minimum condition	Certified by	Source
Property	USD 400,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency, three-year no-sale annotation	Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change (handled by TKGM)	Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)
Fixed capital investment	USD 500,000 or equivalent	Ministry of Industry and Technology	Art. 20(2)(a)
Employment	50 jobs	Ministry of Labour and Social Security	Art. 20(2)(c)
Bank deposit	USD 500,000 or equivalent, held three years	Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency	Art. 20(2)(ç)
Government debt instruments	USD 500,000 or equivalent, held three years	Ministry of Treasury and Finance	Art. 20(2)(d)
Real estate or venture capital investment fund units	USD 500,000 or equivalent, held three years	Capital Markets Board	Art. 20(2)(e)
Private pension system	USD 500,000 or equivalent, three years in the system	Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency	Art. 20(2)(f)

This guide covers only the property route. The letters follow the Turkish text of the regulation.

What are the main conditions for the property route?

• Value: at least USD 400,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency (Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)). Read the threshold and its history.
• Type of property: a property under condominium ownership (kat mülkiyeti) or condominium servitude (kat irtifakı), or a plot with a building on it. Since 12 December 2023, agricultural land and plots without a building cannot be used (Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b); TKGM).
• Three-year annotation: a no-sale annotation on the title deed for three years. For an off-plan purchase under a notarised promise-to-sell contract, the full amount is paid upfront and a three-year commitment not to transfer or cancel is annotated (Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)).
• Currency: the foreign currency is sold to a bank operating in Türkiye before the transaction (Regulation, Art. 20(10)).
• Investor residence permit: a short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 (Law 5901, Art. 12(1)(b)).

Full list: requirements guide.

How does the process work?

Step	What happens	Who handles it	Source
1	Valuation report requested through Web Tapu/TADEBİS; an Amount Determination Certificate (TTB) confirms the investment value	Buyer; a valuation company authorised by the Capital Markets Board	TKGM
2	Title deed application with the foreign-currency sale document and payment receipts; the land registry checks the values against the TTB	Land registry office	TKGM
3	Deed signed, three-year no-sale annotation added	Land registry office	TKGM
4	Property investment certificate (Taşınmaz Yatırımı Tespit Belgesi, also called the certificate of conformity) issued and sent to the citizenship and migration authorities	TKGM	TKGM; NVİ
5	Investor residence permit under Art. 31(1)(j)	Provincial Directorate of Migration Management or the special joint offices in Istanbul and Ankara	NVİ; Law 6458
6	Citizenship file opened	Special joint offices in Istanbul and Ankara; elsewhere the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship	NVİ
7	File assessed; decision by the President	NVİ; the President	NVİ; Law 5901, Art. 12

Details: process guide.

What is the three-year no-sale rule?

Purchase type	Annotation	Source
Completed property (deed of sale)	The property will not be sold for three years (üç yıl satılmaması şerhi)	Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)
Off-plan unit (notarised promise-to-sell contract)	Commitment not to transfer or cancel for three years (devir ve terkin yapılmayacağı taahhüdü)	Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b)

When is it added?

According to TKGM, after the signatures are completed, the land registry adds the three-year no-sale statement to the property’s register and hands over the title deed. The land registry then sends the transaction documents so that the property investment certificate can be issued (TKGM). The annotation is part of the purchase, not a later step.

Questions to ask a lawyer before you buy

• From which date are the three years counted in your case?
• What happens if the property is sold, transferred or the contract is cancelled before the three years end?
• Can the annotated property be mortgaged or rented out during the three years?

The citizenship guides

• Requirements: who can apply and what the property must be.
• The USD 400,000 threshold and its official source: the amount, its history and the exchange-rate rule.
• Process: each step and who handles it.
• Documents: what the land registry and the citizenship file need.
• Spouse and children: who can be included and how consent works.
• Valuation report: how the property’s value is confirmed.
• The three-year no-sale rule: what the annotation means (on this page).
• Common mistakes: what to avoid before you sign.

What we do, and what we don’t

What ALTEX Realty does: we help you find and compare properties in Istanbul and, after the purchase, we offer rental and property management services.

What we don’t do:

• We do not say that a project or a unit qualifies for citizenship. Eligibility depends on the specific purchase, and it is confirmed by the land registry and the authorities.
• We do not complete title deed transfers on your behalf under a power of attorney.
• We do not give legal advice. For your own case, speak to a licensed lawyer.

What this does not promise

• No guarantee. The law says the President may grant citizenship (Law 5901, Art. 12).
• No processing time. The official sources listed on this page do not set a processing time. Treat any timeline you are given as an estimate.
• No automatic eligibility for a project or unit. The value, the property type, the payment and the annotation are checked for each purchase.
• Rules change. The rule has been amended several times since 2017, and the amount itself has changed twice. Check the official text on the day you buy.