How to Get Turkish Citizenship and All Documents Required for Application?

In recent years, countries have been using different instruments to attract financial resources to maintain internal economic vitality. One of these is the practice known as "citizenship to foreigners by investment" or "economic citizenship", various examples of which are encountered in many countries. While citizenship by investment is used to attract foreign direct investment into the country, it provides the right to acquire Turkish citizenship to foreigners who invest in capital, buy real estate, provide employment, keep deposits in banks or buy government bonds for a certain period of time. The purpose of this application, which is preferred by countries, is to increase employment and encourage growth by attracting investment and foreign capital. As a matter of fact, in return for this, the investor is given a residence permit or citizenship right according to the capital brought into the country.

With the new issues, foreigners who buy real estate worth 400 thousand dollars in Turkey are given citizenship directly. High-income Europeans and Middle Easterners are interested in this practice, both because of the low amount and the idea of maintaining a Turkish lifestyle. Moreover, in this way, applicants are given citizenship directly, not "residence permit". As a result of making the necessary investment and collecting the relevant documents, an application for Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment is made to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs under the Ministry of Interior. The process begins when the foreign investor applies to a consultancy firm in Turkey. After the necessary documents are delivered, the Republic of Turkey ID cards are delivered to the whole family within an average of 45-50 days.

It is estimated that this situation is among the reasons why these countries come to the fore in house sales to foreigners in Turkey. On the other hand, the "strength of the passport" is not the only criterion to understand who is interested in Turkish citizenship. There are other reasons why the wealthy in the Middle East prefer Turkish passports over European countries that have entered more than 180 countries.

What Foreigners Who Want to Buy Real Estate in Turkey Need to Know

Acquisition of real estate titles in Turkey is only approved through registration at the land registry offices.

Preliminary real estate contracts, which are issued by notaries or made in writing with real persons, do not constitute the transfer of real estate on their own. Preliminary contracts only serve as a commitment regarding the transfer of ownership and the said real estate does not change hands through such documents.

There may be obligations such as mortgages, foreclosures, and similar types of encumbrances on the real estate in question, which may prevent the sale, and these must be checked before the proceedings are initiated at the relevant land registry office.

Inquiries regarding immovables can be made online, and the province, district, neighborhood/village, sheet, and parcel information can be used here to query the immovable. Thus, basic information about real estate, including its current status, can be accessed online from anywhere in the world. However, the owner's personal information cannot be accessed.

Foreign nationals are not required to have a residence permit as a prerequisite for acquiring real estate in Turkey. In addition, foreigners who buy real estate in Turkey are granted a renewable short-term residence permit in accordance with the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458.

A real or legal person who intends to acquire real estate in Turkey should apply to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre together with the owner of the real estate. In addition, they can make an appointment without having to personally visit the directorate's offices by calling the Alo 181 Call Center, which provides service 24 hours a day, or by visiting the address https://www.tkgm.gov.tr/.

On the other hand, Turkish companies with foreign capital must first make an application to the Provincial Planning and Coordination Directorate in the governorship where the real estate is located. After a positive response is received from here, you should apply to the Land Registry Office. These companies can apply in person, by post, or e-mail.

So, what are these application documents mentioned above?

Title deed document of the real estate
Passport and photocopy of the foreigner who will buy it (with approved Turkish translation)
"Real Estate Current Value Certificate" to be obtained from the municipality where the property is located
Compulsory earthquake insurance policy for residences and workplaces
1 photograph of the seller (white background, biometric)
2 photographs of the foreigner buying (white background, biometric)
Sworn translator in case the foreigner who buys does not know Turkish
Original or certified copy of the power of attorney in case the transfer is made with a proxy (approved Turkish translation if it is issued abroad)

What are the legal restrictions on foreigners acquiring real estate in Turkey?

Across the country, a real person of foreign nationality can purchase up to 30 hectares of real estate and acquire limited real rights.
It is necessary to ask the authorized command by the Land Registry Directorate whether the property is outside the military prohibition and security zones, and a positive answer should be received for the acquisition. (This procedure has been abolished in our 71 provinces, whose military forbidden and security zone measurement studies have been completed.)
Real persons of foreign nationality may acquire immovable and limited real rights up to 10% of the district area subject to private property.
Legal restrictions are not applied in the establishment of immovable pledge in favor of real persons and commercial companies with legal personality established in foreign countries according to their own legislation.
Acquired contrary to the provisions of the law; determined by the relevant Ministries and administrations to be used contrary to the purpose of acquisition; In the case of purchases on the condition of the project, the relevant Ministry is not applied within the time limit or the projects are not carried out within the specified time; immovables are subject to liquidation provisions.

What are the fees and expenses that will arise when purchasing real estate in Turkey?

Title deed fee (Determined according to the value of the house.)
Working capital fee
Service fee to be paid to the land registry directorate
Important points to know while purchasing real estate in Turkey:
Residence permit is not required to purchase real estate. Foreigners who buy real estate in Turkey are granted a renewable short-term residence permit in accordance with the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458.
A preliminary application must be made to the land registry offices for the transfer process.
The transfer of the property is possible with the official deed and registration signed at the land registry offices.
Obtaining a certificate of conformity
Official Evaluation Study is requested and provided.
Bank transfer receipt will be sent.
The application is made to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.

Issuing a short-term residence permit
(This process, which can normally take 2 months, is concluded in 2 weeks, specially for investors.)

After the house is bought, a short-term residence permit must be obtained from the immovable. The documents required for obtaining a residence permit after owning a real estate are as follows:

Residence Permit Application Form [Must be signed by the foreigner and/or their legal representative.
Original and photocopy of Passport or substitute document for 60 days longer than the requested residence permit
4 photographs (Taken within the last 6 months, the background must be white and biometric.)
Declaration that you have sufficient and regular financial means during your stay
Valid health insurance (The insurance period must cover the requested residence permit period.) -The receipt of the payment of the fee paid to the state and the card fee (Fees and card fees vary according to the nationality of the foreigner.)
Official, e-signed/signed and sealed/cased document showing that the residence belongs to the owner (Deed of Deed)

NOTE: For residence permit applications, the foreigner must enter Turkey. This entry can be with a visa as well as with a visa exemption. Applications are made to the General Directorate of Migration Management with the required documents. As soon as the residence permit is obtained, it will be possible to apply for Turkish citizenship.

General Information
In Turkey, the term “foreigner” is defined in three categories in terms of real estate acquisition:

Foreign natural persons
Foreign legal entities
Turkish companies with foreign capital

Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644 states the provisions regarding the acquisition of real estate by foreign real or legal persons. Article 36, on the other hand, states the provisions on companies with foreign capital.

The countries whose citizens have the right to acquire real estate in Turkey are determined by the Council of Ministers, and the Council of Ministers can apply special conditions regarding the acquisition of real estate if deemed necessary.

Applying for Turkish Citizenship

In order to acquire Turkish Citizenship in an exceptional way, an application is made to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs with the necessary documents. In order for the Turkish Citizenship application to be completed without any problems, the required application documents must be completed completely and correctly. The following are the costs that may arise during the application for citizenship:

Service fees to be collected by the state
Reporting costs of CMB Appraisal Firms
Translation costs
Notary expenses
Expenses for documents received from relevant government offices
Expenses of obtaining the health report

Examining the application

A commission is formed by the relevant Ministries, and the citizenship application is evaluated and then submitted to the approval of the President. The final decision is made by the President.

Interview and Fingerprint

At the stage of approval of the application, the foreigner is called by the nearest provincial police department for fingerprinting and interview.

When the above processes are followed; Foreign persons, their spouses, and their children under the age of 18 can acquire Turkish citizenship by the decision of the President, provided that they do not have a situation that will pose an obstacle in terms of national security and public order.

Although there is no official regulation regarding the acquisition of Turkish citizenship by investment, in practice, applications for short-term residence permits are usually within one to two weeks; citizenship applications are also concluded between 3 and 6 months.

NOTE: Although Turkey has facilitated the process of obtaining citizenship through investment, it is extremely important that the application is made completely and that the process is followed accurately and completely. Any mistakes made during the application process or missing documents may cause the application to be rejected or the process to be prolonged.