Under Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 (Article 12) and the implementing regulation amended in 2024, foreign investors can qualify through: (1) $400,000 Real Estate Acquisition with a 3-year resale restriction, (2) $500,000 Bank Deposit / Fund Investment held for 3 years, or (3) $200,000 Real Estate Residence Permit under October 2023 valuation criteria. Use our statutory cost calculator below to model your complete turnkey investment budget, or consult our citizenship attorneys.
Statutory Investment Routes Under Law No. 5901
The Turkish Citizenship Regulation (Art. 20) recognizes multiple direct investment pathways:
- $400,000 Real Estate Route: Purchase of one or multiple properties (residential, commercial, or land with building permit) with an official SPK valuation of at least $400,000 USD, accompanied by a 3-year title deed resale restriction annotation (*şerh*).
- $500,000 Bank Deposit Route (TCMB YUVAM): Depositing $500,000 in Turkish banks for 3 years, protected under the Central Bank YUVAM currency-protected scheme offering competitive exchange yields.
- $500,000 Venture Capital / Real Estate Investment Fund (GSYF / GYF): Investing in Capital Markets Board (SPK) regulated funds with 3-year holding.
- $200,000 Real Estate Residence Permit: For foreign nationals seeking lawful Turkish residency without citizenship, properties with an appraisal of at least $200,000 qualify for renewable property residence permits (*Taşınmaz İkamet İzni*).
Mandatory Bureaucratic Steps: DAB Certificate & SPK Valuation
To ensure statutory compliance and prevent application rejection, two specialized financial and cadastre audits are strictly enforced:
- Central Bank Currency Purchase Certificate (DAB - Döviz Alım Belgesi): Under TCMB capital movement circulars, the foreign investor must wire foreign currency (USD/EUR) from their personal foreign bank account to a Turkish intermediary bank, which converts the funds to Turkish Lira via the Central Bank before transferring them to the seller.
- SPK Licensed Valuation Report (Değerleme Raporu): The property must be formally inspected and appraised by an independent valuation firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK) and registered on the Land Registry's Web-Tapu system.
- Ministry Certificate of Conformity (Uygunluk Belgesi): Following title deed registration, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change (for real estate) or Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK, for deposits) audits the transaction and issues an official Conformity Certificate.
Family Inclusion & Document Legalization (Hague Apostille)
A major advantage of the Turkish CBI program is concurrent family naturalization:
- Qualified Dependents: The investor's legally married spouse and all biological or legally adopted children under the age of 18 on the date of application receive full Turkish citizenship simultaneously without requiring additional investment funds.
- Required Family Documents: (1) Valid passports, (2) Birth certificates for each applicant, (3) Marriage certificate, (4) Police clearance records (if requested), and (5) Family registration extract.
- Legalization Protocol: All foreign civil status certificates must be authenticated with a Hague Apostille stamp in the country of origin, followed by certified sworn translation and Turkish notary authentication.
Timeline, Special Investor Residence Permit & Passport Issuance
The end-to-end procedural milestones from property acquisition to passport delivery:
- Stage 1 (Weeks 1–3): Property legal due diligence, title search, SPK appraisal, DAB currency conversion, and Land Registry title deed transfer with 3-year annotation.
- Stage 2 (Weeks 3–5): Issuance of the Ministry Certificate of Conformity (*Uygunluk Belgesi*).
- Stage 3 (Weeks 5–7): Special Investor Residence Permit application under Law No. 6458 Art. 31/1(j) at the Special Citizenship Bureau.
- Stage 4 (Weeks 8–16): Inter-ministerial security clearance (National Intelligence, Ministry of Interior, Security Directorate) and issuance of the Presidential Naturalization Decree.
- Stage 5: Biometric fingerprinting and issuance of Turkish National Identity Cards (Kimlik) and 10-year Turkish Passports.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy multiple properties to reach the $400,000 threshold?
Yes. Investors can purchase multiple residential apartments, commercial properties, or plots to reach the cumulative $400,000 valuation threshold, provided all transactions are submitted with corresponding SPK reports and DAB certificates.
Can I sell the property after obtaining Turkish citizenship?
Yes. After the statutory 3-year holding period expires, you are free to sell the property or withdraw your bank deposit. Your Turkish citizenship is permanent, lifetime, and cannot be revoked upon selling the underlying investment.
Can I rent out the property during the 3-year holding period?
Yes. You maintain full ownership rights, meaning you can rent out the apartment or villa and generate rental yields in Turkish Lira, USD, or EUR throughout the 3-year holding period.
Do I need to live in Turkey or speak Turkish to obtain citizenship?
No. There is no physical residency requirement, no minimum physical stay requirement, and no Turkish language examination for the Citizenship by Investment program under Law No. 5901.
Can children over 18 years old be included in the citizenship application?
No. Children aged 18 and older cannot be included under the principal applicant's file, unless they possess documented severe medical dependency. Adult children must make an independent investment or apply via standard residency routes.
