Turkish citizenship by buying property: the real estate route
Short answer: the real estate route grants Turkish citizenship to a foreign buyer who acquires property valued at or above the threshold in force on the application date (currently 400,000 USD), registers a three-year non-sale annotation on the title deed, documents the payment through the banking system and obtains a Certificate of Conformity. Spouse and children under 18 are included in the same file. Confirm the current threshold and conditions for your own application date before you pay anything.
Decision table: what has to be fixed before you pay
| Question | What must be settled | Serka step |
|---|---|---|
| Does the property qualify? | Title status, mortgage or lien annotation, zoning and construction status, seller’s chain of title, whether the unit is off-plan | Title registry search and document review before any deposit |
| Does the value meet the threshold? | Valuation report from a company licensed by the Capital Markets Board (CMB/SPK), dated close to the transfer | Commission the valuation and compare it against the threshold in force |
| Is the payment provable? | Bank transfer from buyer to seller, foreign exchange purchase certificate (DAB), receipts matching the contract | Build one evidence chain: source of funds, buyer, property, payment, registration |
| Who is included? | Spouse and children under 18 at the date of application | Prepare and legalise the family documents in parallel with the purchase |
Sequence of the file
- Tax number, then a Turkish bank account in the buyer’s name.
- Property selection, title registry search, CMB-licensed valuation report.
- Purchase and transfer at the Land Registry, with the three-year non-sale annotation entered on the title deed.
- Certificate of Conformity application through the relevant ministry directorate.
- Short-term residence permit on the basis of the investment.
- Citizenship application, filed by the lawyer under a special power of attorney, so that the applicant does not have to travel for each step.
Where these files fail
- Payment made before the title registry search, when the deed already carries a mortgage or an injunction annotation.
- A valuation that does not reach the threshold, or is dated too far from the transfer.
- An incomplete DAB, or a payment chain that does not link the buyer to the seller and to the specific property.
- Off-plan units whose construction status does not allow the annotation to be registered in time.
- Family documents that contradict each other in name spelling, date of birth or marital status.
Frequently asked
How long must the property be held? Three years. The annotation on the title deed records that undertaking. You may rent the property during that period; you do not have to live in it.
Do I lose citizenship if I sell after three years? No. Once the three-year period has run, a sale does not affect citizenship already acquired.
Are my family included? Spouse and children under 18 are included in the same application.
Do I have to come to Turkey? The purchase and the application can be handled under a special power of attorney; travel requirements depend on the step and on the current practice of the authority.
Official sources
- Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVI) — citizenship procedure and required documents.
- General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) — title deed, annotation and registry procedure.
- Official Gazette — the regulation text and any change to the threshold.
These sources set the framework. They do not confirm the acceptance of an individual file, and no outcome can be guaranteed. Verify the threshold and the conditions applicable on your own application date.
Related routes and next step
If the real estate route does not fit your file, the other proven routes are Turkish citizenship by bank deposit and Turkish citizenship by establishing a company. The service overview is on our citizenship by investment page.
Send the title deed, the draft contract, the valuation report and your passport details to Serka Law Firm on WhatsApp, Signal or info@serkalaw.com before you pay a deposit or sign anything, and you will receive a written fee and a document list for your file.
General information, not legal advice. Turkish law; verify your specific situation with a qualified lawyer.