Foreigners can obtain Turkish citizenship by buying real estate properties in Turkey.
How does the Turkish citizenship application process work?
- You can purchase one or a number of real estate properties to fulfill the 400,000 USD requirement.
- You can purchase any kind of commercial or residential property (House, apartment, office, store or land) in any province of Turkey.
- You should get an official appraisal for each property from an approved appraiser.
- Each of the property should be bought after September 19, 2018. Before this date, the limit was one million USD.
- You should give a written affidavit at the Property Registry Office (Tapu Müdürlüğü) that you will not sell the property within the next 3 years.
Will my family get Turkish Citizenship?
Yes. You, your spouse (wife or husband) and dependents (your children under the age of 18, on the application date) can get citizenship. Turkish law does not recognize same-sex marriages, polygamy and other types of partnerships. So a spouse should be a person of the opposite sex and the couple should be legally married. If a male applicant has multiple wives, only one of them is eligible for Turkish citizenship.
Can I buy several properties to fulfill the 400,000 USD limit?
You can purchase several properties which have a total value of at least 400.000 USD. There is no limit on the number or type of the property. The values declared at the sale at Property Registry Office and appraisal values should be consistent.
Do I need to pay in US dollars?
You can make your payment in Turkish lira or any other currency. If the transaction is made in Turkish lira or other currency, daily currency rate of the Turkish Central Bank at the date of title transfer will be used to calculate the USD value of the property or properties. The computed USD value should exceed the monetary limit (400,000 USD) required for the program.
How long does it take to become a Turkish citizen?
After the property is bought and the application is filed, it takes about 3 to 6 months to get the citizenship and Turkish passport. The Turkish government has dedicated some officers to this program to reduce the processing time.
May I buy commercial properties with rental income and get Turkish Citizenship by investment?
Yes, any type of property is counted. You can get rental income by renting these properties to someone else. The only restriction is you cannot sell for three years.
It seems complicated to apply and get Turkish Citizenship. Can I get assistance for this process?
Smart Twins offers all kinds of services which guide you through the process. We work with real estate agents from all provinces of Turkey to find the best residential or commercial property as per request.
I do not have time to come to Turkey. How can I get Turkish Citizenship?
If you give us power of attorney, we can follow up with the complete process. (Buy the real estate for you, get the appraisal report, transfer the title to your name, give the statement at Property Registry Office, and file all documents for your application.)
How many people may apply for Turkish citizenship on one title deed?
Only one person can apply for Turkish citizenship. However, the spouse and the dependents of the main applicant will also be eligible.
I bought property in Turkey previously. May I apply for citizenship now?
Title deed applications at Property Register Office after 20.09.2018 may obtain Turkish citizenship by a real estate investment of 400,000 USD. Before this date, the minimum value was 1,000,000 USD.
Which nationalities may apply for Turkish passport?
All foreigners who are allowed to buy property in Turkey by Turkish law may apply for Turkish citizenship by investment. Some areas may be restricted for some foreign nationals. You should contact us to check eligibility of the region you want to invest in, with our consultants.
Will my mother and father obtain citizenship in Turkey with my application? What about my children above 18 years old?
No, they should apply for themselves by a separate procedure.
Do I get a Residence Permit when I file the citizenship application?
Residence permit (no:6458/31-J) will be granted to you, your spouse and your dependents.
Is it possible to have dual nationality in Turkey?
Yes, Turkey allows dual nationality, as long as your original country allows it. If you are a citizen of a country which does not allow dual citizenship, you need to forfeit your original citizenship. But if your original country allows dual citizenship, you can have dual citizenship.
What if I do not have a passport? i.e. I am a stateless person or my country of origin is not recognized?
You can apply to Turkish citizenship with the travel document issued by the United Nations instead of the passport. Especially Palestinian nationals who do not have a passport can apply for this program with their travel documents.
What is the catch in this program?
Although you paid more than 400,000 USD, the appraisal value may turn out to be less than this value. The ministry is hesitant about the true value of the property to prevent price fraud.
The applicant should buy the property after getting the appraisal report. Appraisals may give a value less than 10% of the market value and this is acceptable. If the deviation between the sale price and the appraisal value is more than 10%, you may be paying more than it is worth.
We also provide our clients with real estate consultancy services. We prepare reports about past and future (expected) appreciation rates in the area, expected rent or income from the property and rent/sale price ratio.
For further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or +90 (544) 288-5280.
