What are Documents Required for Turkish Citizenship? Steps and Important Notes

Updated 22 September 2026: the figures in this article reflect the regulation in force — the minimum for the real-estate route has been USD 400,000 since 13 June 2022 and remains subject to current legislation and official review. This article is general information, not legal advice.

Documents Required for Turkish Citizenship When Buying a Real Estate

Significant amendments were made to the new Turkish nationality law to obtain Turkish Citizenship, including the decision to grant Turkish citizenship after the purchase of property worth at least USD 400,000 (the minimum in force since 13 June 2022; it was USD 250,000 between September 2018 and June 2022, and USD 1 million before that).

Required Documents for Turkish Citizenship by Owning a Real Estate

• A valid passport.
• Tax number.
• An evaluation report from the title deed department.
• The Title Deed.
• A bank receipt that clarifies the full payment of at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent.
• Civil status documents (Birth certificate)

The Steps for Obtaining Turkish Citizenship by Owning a Real Estate

• Step one: buying the property, getting the evaluation report, and the certificate of eligibility.
• Step two: obtaining investor residency.
• Step three: application for Citizenship.

Key Terms to Obtain Turkish Citizenship by Investing in Real Estate

1. The value of the real estate should be at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent (subject to current legislation).
2. It is possible to apply for Citizenship with a real estate purchased in an installment plan that started after 12/01/2017, and the Title deed was obtained after 19/09/2018.
3. The seller can be a Turkish Citizen who is not a relative of the buyer or a foreigner.
4. The seller cannot be a Turkish company registered entirely or partially to the buyer or any of his relatives.
5. Obtaining an official evaluation report of the real estate from the administration of the title deed with the actual and full price of the real estate, noting that its validity duration is for three months only.
6. The price stated in the evaluation report should not be higher than the actual selling price, considering that the selling price should be equal to the expertise report price without the Added Value Tax (KDV).
7. The investor should have obtained the title deed or a promise of selling a document registered at the notary and the real estate registry office provided that the price has been paid in full.
8. The transfer notice should be made with the amount of USD 400,000 or more and from the personal buyer account directly to the seller’s account, avoiding any delegations or mediation. Taking into consideration that the bank account holder’s name is identical to the property owner’s name, If not, you must make sure to request a document clarifying the relation between the two names (in case of having a landowner different from the construction company which the sale is made through).
9. A description of the reason for the transfer should be included in the transfer notice (purchase of the real estate).
10. The issuing authority must certify the transfer notice (the bank).
11. Real estates purchased from a governmental construction company such as TOKI, or EMLAK KONUT are exempted from displaying the bank receipt when applying for Turkish Citizenship.
12. Investors who have bought real estate worth a million dollars and higher are also exempted from displaying the bank receipt when applying for Turkish Citizenship regardless of who the selling party is.
13. The citizenship application can be submitted during the ownership transfer or after, stating that the real estate has been purchased to obtain the citizenship and undertaking that it will not be resold for at least three years.
14. In case there was a mortgage on the real estate, it should be cleared within five days of the purchase date to make it eligible for the citizenship application (it is recommended to be cleared before the transfer of ownership).
15. There is no specified time frame for the purchase of multiple real estates to obtain citizenship, meaning that you can buy several properties at spaced intervals, considering the need to re-obtain the evaluation report on all the properties before submitting the citizenship application.

In case of buying a real estate by installments or under construction:

• All installments must be made and finalized before submitting the citizenship application.
• Obtaining a temporary floor title deed, which is a title deed that proves the ownership of its holder to a part of the building under construction, registered at the administration of the title deeds records, and it mentions the location and section number of the property with the name of the owner. It will be transformed into a final title deed after the construction has been finished.
• There has to be no mortgage on the real estate (if there is one, make sure it can be cleared).

The administration of title deeds will submit your application to the general administration of title deeds to be processed after fulfilling the conditions. Afterward, an email will be sent to you with the attachment of the certificate of eligibility, which states that the real estate you have purchased with the paid amount is coherent with the terms stated by law and, therefore, eligible for the citizenship application.

Important Notes about the Added Value Tax (KDV)

Value added tax (KDV) applies to property sales at rates set by law, which vary by property type and are revised from time to time; we do not publish rates here. The seller charges it to the buyer. Foreign buyers may qualify for a KDV exemption when the statutory conditions are met, in outline:

• The foreigner must not have an official residence permit in Turkey.
• The foreigner must be the sole owner of the property (i.e., the property must be purchased directly from the construction company).
• The foreigner must not have resided in Türkiye beyond the period set by the tax legislation.
• The real estate must not be resold for at least three years.

The identification papers get prepared, and the application is submitted to obtain the KDV exemption. In case you want to obtain Turkish citizenship, you will have to ultimately finalize the tax exemption process before applying for the investor residence permit required for the citizenship application. If you are interested in investing in real estate or getting Turkish citizenship or have any questions, you can contact us. You can contact us here: https://investoglobal.com/contact-us/ Also, if you are want to learn how to become a Turkish citizen by investment, check out our youtube video explaining everything. To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Scxo_TFeNQ&t=5s

Published 10 July 2021. Figures, rules and timelines change — confirm the current position with an adviser before you act on anything here.