Documentation

Yes, you can acquire citizenship in return for investment in real estate property in Turkey. Since 2018, the rules for obtaining citizenship have changed and become more flexible. Here are the main ways of obtaining citizenship in sunny Turkey:

• purchasing real estate in Turkey worth $250,000 or more gives you the right to acquire citizenship immediately by submitting all the necessary documents.
• if the value of your property is under $250,000, you can also acquire citizenship by permanently residing in Turkey for five years in your apartment
• bank deposit of $500,000 for at least three years can serve as the basis for acquiring citizenship
• if you own a business and can provide jobs to 50 Turkish citizens, you can also acquire Turkish citizenship
• marriage with a Turkish citizen remains an invariable condition to acquire citizenship. Having lived more than three years in a legal marriage with a Turkish citizen, you also have the right to obtain citizenship.

One of the advantages of purchasing real estate in Turkey is the opportunity to acquire a residence permit for the owner of the property and his immediate family. Owning real estate in Turkey, you can get a residence permit for up to two years and later extend it. Also, a residence permit can be acquired by:

• spouse of the property owner
• children of the property owner
• property owner's parents

To acquire a residence permit for your immediate family, you need to provide an apostilled document confirming your relationship.

Documents required for obtaining a residence permit:

• copy of TAPU
• passport, tax number
• insurance for the period of residence permit
• photos 3x4
• completed application form on the official website e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr ​​(various language options are available)

To register ownership of the real estate in Turkey in your name, you will need the following documents:

• international passport
• tax number obtained in Turkey
• photos 3x4

The cost of TAPU registration directly depends on the appraisal (cadastral) value of the object. The appraisal is provided by the TAPU Cadastral Office, authorised to carry out all real estate transactions. A property tax in Turkey is 4% of the cadastral value. However, in 2018 an amendment was made to the tax legislation, and the tax was reduced to 3%. This "discount" was valid until March 31, 2019. There are also associated costs when applying for TAPU, namely:

• payment of the cadastral fee will be about 100 euros
• services of a sworn translator -  about 500 Turkish lira

After registration of TAPU, you will need to issue additional documents related to the acquisition of real estate, namely:

• registration of a technical passport, called "Iskan" in Turkey (the cost depends on the residential building, location, etc.)
• registration of meters for electricity and water supply in your name

You will also need to pay an annual property tax, 0.2% of the cadastral value of the property.