Turkish Law

According to the stipulations outlined in Article 20, paragraph (b) of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, foreign individuals can obtain Turkish citizsenship by acquiring real estate with a minimum value of 400,000 US Dollars or its equivalent in foreign currency, and pledging not to sell the property for a period of three years.

Alternatively, citizenship can be obtained by making a payment of at least 400,000 US Dollars or its equivalent in foreign currency for a property established with condominium ownership or floor easement. In this case, a notarized contract must be signed, indicating the commitment to refrain from transferring or abandoning the property for a duration of three years. This commitment should be registered with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in the land registry.

Property Value

In order to get Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate, the value of the acquired property must be a minimum of 400,000 US Dollars (USD). The required value can be attained by buying several properties.

Property Appraisal Report

A report on the value of the real estate must be obtained from real estate appraisal companies listed on the internet sites of either the Capital Markets Board or the Association of Turkish Valuation Experts. An appraisal report is valid for 3 months; if the appraisal report is not issued within 3 months prior to the date of application, a new report is required.

Payment Receipt for the Real Estate Value

The property value should be deposited into a bank account in USD, euros or British pounds and should be sold to the Central Bank of Turkey. The bank issues a “currency conversion document” and the equivalent Turkish lira amount should be sent via electronic transfer to the seller’s account. Currency conversion document and the payment receipt, duly approved by the bank, should be submitted during the citizenship application process.

Real Estate Sales Transactions with Power of Attorney

Real estate sales transactions can be carried out with the use of a power of attorney. In such cases, the power of attorney must authorize the commitment to a pledge that the property will not be sold for a period of 3 years. Additionally, it must state that the purpose of purchasing the property is to obtain citizenship through an exceptional means as stated in the Turkish Citizenship Law, and include authority for citizenship procedures.

Application for Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment

Once the real estate purchase transactions have been completed and the necessary documents obtained, the process of applying for Turkish citizenship should be initiated.

At Ateskan Law Office, we handle the entire process of real estate acquisition and citizenship applications for our foreign clients. We also assist with investment through deposits for Turkish citizenship.

Getting a Conformity Certificate

The amount invested in the real estate properties should be confirmed by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, to apply for Turkish citizenship by investment. After the Directorate confirms that the investment is more than 400,000 USD, they issue a conformity certificate. The applicants may apply to citizenship with this conformity certificate and personal documents of family members.

Short-Term Residence Permit

After getting the conformity certificate, an application for a residence permit must be submitted for the main applicant and the dependents. Spouse of the main applicant and children under 18 are eligible for citizenship applicant with the main applicant as dependents.

Regulations about Short term residence permit applications constantly change. Previously, the applications could be processed by power of attorney and main applicant and dependents need not to be at the application. Now, if the main applicant and the dependents did not apply for any kind of residence permit in Turkey before, they need to come to give fingerprints.

Residence permit applications consist of 4 steps:

• Online application and setting an appointment
• Submitting documents on the appointment date
• Giving finger prints (if the person does not have finger prints at the Turkish government system
• Security background check

After these steps are completed, residence permits are sent to residence addresses of the applicants in Turkey. And Turkish citizenship application can be filed.

Documents Required for Citizenship by Investment Application

The following documents are necessary for the Citizenship Application:

• Citizenship Application Form (VAT-4 Form)
• Notarized Turkish translations of passports of the main applicant and the dependants
• Apostilled or Turkish consulate approved Turkish translations of birth certificates of the main applicant and dependants.
• Apostilled or Turkish consulate approved proof of marital status of the main applicant (e.g., marriage certificate if married, divorce certificate if divorced, or death certificate if widowed)
• Payment receipt of the service fee
• Two biometric photographs for the main applicant and each dependant, sized 50×60 mm, on a white background, compliant with the ICAO’s standards for machine-readable photos
• Short-term residence permit document
• If a parent wants a child under their custody to obtain Turkish citizenship, a document showing the consent of the other parent not present in Turkey, certified by a notary or a competent official, or a Turkish translation of the document certified in accordance with the relevant procedures
• Certificate of conformity
• Original power of attorney

Do I Need a Law Firm to Apply for the Turkish Citizenship Program?

While it is possible to apply for the Turkish citizenship by buying real estate program in person, incorrect submission of the required documents may prolong the process or result in the loss of rights. For instance, many foreign spouses and children were unable to obtain Turkish citizenship due to erroneous applications to the Turkish citizenship program. Therefore, we recommend seeking assistance from a Turkish Citizenship Law Firm when applying for Turkish Citizenship.

Ateskan Law Office is an International Law Office based in Izmir, Turkey, providing legal services to foreign and domestic clients, companies, and organizations. We have successfully completed Turkish citizenship applications of 100+ families with 100% success rate. Our lawyers offer legal support in all geographical regions of Turkey.

You can reach us by e-mail or WhatsApp.

e-mail: yusuf@ateskanlaw.com

WhatsApp: +90 544 288 5280