Turkey grants citizenship to foreigners who buy property worth at least USD 400,000 and commit not to sell it for three years. The whole family qualifies — spouse and children under 18. There is no residence requirement, no language test, and you don't have to give up your current citizenship.
The rules are simple in principle and strict in detail. The wrong seller, a payment outside the banking system or a valuation below the threshold can block the passport after the money is already spent. Below are the rules, costs and timeline as of October 2026, and how we handle these purchases in Alanya.
[Button: Get a shortlist of qualifying properties → #zayavka]
At a glance
- Investment: property from USD 400,000 by licensed valuation; several properties can be combined.
- Holding period: 3 years, annotated on the title deed.
- Payment: through a Turkish bank only, with currency sold to the bank and a foreign exchange certificate (DAB).
- Family: spouse and children under 18 receive citizenship with the investor.
- Timeline: usually 6–9 months from purchase to passport, up to a year with extra checks.
- Presence: in person only for residence permit biometrics; the rest can be done by power of attorney.
- Alternative: a bank deposit of USD 500,000 for 3 years.
How much you need to invest
At least USD 400,000 in real estate. The threshold has applied since June 2022 (previously USD 250,000) and is unchanged in 2026.
- The valuation counts, not the contract price. A licensed (SPK) valuer prepares a report, valid for three months, and its figure must be at least USD 400,000.
- Several properties can be combined if their total valuation meets the threshold — agree the structure in advance.
- Off-plan purchases qualify under a notarised sales contract annotated against transfer for 3 years.
- Title must be in the investor's name. Purchases in a spouse's or child's name don't count.
At about TRY 49 to the dollar, USD 400,000 is roughly TRY 19.6 million. Because the rate moves, we always build in a margin above the threshold.
Will buying a cheaper apartment give me citizenship? No. From USD 200,000 a property gives grounds for a residence permit, not a passport — see Residence permit through property.
Can you "buy" Turkish citizenship?
Not directly. The programme is sometimes called "golden citizenship", but what you buy is property; citizenship follows as an investor, after state checks, and is never guaranteed by the amount alone.
Property and seller requirements
| Requirement | In practice |
|---|---|
| Seller is a Turkish citizen or Turkish company | You cannot buy from a foreigner or a foreign-capital company for citizenship |
| Property not previously used for citizenship | A property that already gave someone a passport doesn't count again |
| No resale loops | Properties passed from a foreigner to a Turkish citizen to be resold to a foreigner are excluded |
| Seller not a relative or related company | Purchases from relatives or companies you or your family hold don't count |
| Not in a restricted zone | Military and security zones are excluded |
| Property type | Apartments, villas, commercial units and land qualify; timeshares don't |
We obtain the title history and check the seller before any deposit, so the property passes the conformity check. General due diligence: How to buy an apartment in Alanya as a foreigner.
How to pay so the investment counts
- Open a Turkish bank account and transfer currency from abroad.
- Sell the currency to the bank (not an exchange office) and receive the DAB foreign exchange certificate.
- Pay the seller by bank transfer, referencing the property.
- Present the DAB and bank receipt to the land registry.
Cash, crypto, third-party transfers and exchange offices don't count, and the DAB amount can't include taxes or fees.
Step by step
| Stage | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Selection and pre-valuation | Properties with a valuation margin; seller and title checks | 1–3 weeks |
| 2. Tax number, bank, DAB | Tax number, account, currency through the bank | 2–5 days |
| 3. Valuation and title deed | Valuation report; title registered with a 3-year no-sale annotation | 1–2 weeks |
| 4. Certificate of conformity | Land registry confirms the investment qualifies | 2–4 weeks |
| 5. Investor residence permit | Application and fingerprints — the only in-person step | about a month |
| 6. Citizenship application | File for the whole family | 1–2 weeks to prepare |
| 7. Checks and decision | Security checks; decision by the Presidency | usually 4–6 months, sometimes longer |
| 8. Passport | ID card and passport issued | 1–4 weeks |
How long does Turkish citizenship take? Usually 6–9 months from purchase to passport, up to a year if checks take longer.
What Turkish citizenship costs in total
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Property | from USD 400,000 by valuation | allow a 3–5% margin |
| Title deed fee | 4% of the declared price | 2% buyer + 2% seller by law; the split is negotiable |
| Registry charge | about TRY 6,700 | 2026 |
| Valuation report | valuer's tariff | mandatory for foreigners |
| VAT on new builds | depends on the property | non-resident foreigners may qualify for exemption |
| Translations, apostilles, notary | depends on family size | passports, birth and marriage certificates, police records |
| Investor residence permit | TRY 964 card + fee + health insurance | per family member |
| Citizenship fees | tariff on the filing date | confirmed before filing |
Annual costs: property tax, DASK insurance, service charges, and luxury housing tax if the property's tax value (not market value) exceeds TRY 17,711,000 in 2026. See Property taxes in Turkey in 2027. Overall, budget roughly 5–7% on top of the property price.
Deposit or property?
| Property | Deposit | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | USD 400,000 | USD 500,000 |
| Lock-in | 3 years (no sale) | 3 years (no withdrawal) |
| What you hold | a property you can live in or let | a Turkish bank deposit |
| Return | rent, value growth in lira | interest |
Other routes include government bonds, investment fund shares or business investment from USD 500,000, or creating 50 jobs. For most private investors, property is better value: a lower threshold and an asset that works for you.
What a Turkish passport gives you
- Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 110 countries and territories, including Japan, South Korea and Singapore (Schengen, US and UK still require visas).
- Eligibility to apply for the US E-2 investor visa, as Turkey is a treaty country.
- The right to live and work in Turkey without permits, buy property in areas closed to foreigners and run a business as a citizen.
- Citizenship for your spouse and children.
Turkey allows dual citizenship; whether your home country does is what matters — Kazakhstan, for example, does not, and Russia requires a second citizenship to be declared.
Who else qualifies
Your spouse and children under 18 apply in the same file (the other parent's notarised consent is needed for a child if they are not included). Adult children and parents are not covered by the investor's application.
Documents
Residence permit: application, passport with notarised translation, photos, health insurance, certificate of conformity, civil status documents. Citizenship: application, translated passports, apostilled birth and marriage certificates, police records, photos, certificate of conformity and fee receipt. We prepare the full list for your family.
Why applications fail
A seller or property that doesn't qualify, a valuation below the threshold, payment outside the bank or without a DAB, incomplete or outdated documents, or security-check results. The first four depend entirely on how the purchase is prepared — that is what we lock down before signing.
Property for citizenship in Alanya
In Alanya, USD 400,000 is the premium segment: villas with pools and sea views in Tepe, Bektaş and Kargıcak; large apartments and penthouses in new complexes in Kestel and the Cleopatra area; or two or three apartments combined. Prices by district: Alanya property prices in 2026. Buying off-plan? Read New-build property in Alanya.
Qualifying properties [cards: only properties from USD 400,000] — 6+2 villa with sea and castle views, Tepe–Bektaş, EUR 1,100,000, 390 m² · [All properties for citizenship → /en/properties/?goal=passport]
How we help
We select properties with a valuation margin and check the seller and title before any deposit; arrange the tax number, bank account and DAB payment; order the valuation and handle the title deed and certificate of conformity; prepare residence permit and citizenship documents for the whole family with our lawyers; and help you let the property during the holding period. See Property search and purchase support.
