Türkiye offers a clearly regulated route to citizenship through investment. For investors, companies, and families seeking a second citizenship at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the programme is well-defined and open to the whole household on a single qualifying investment. This page sets out the current thresholds, the qualifying routes, and the procedure, and explains where legal advice makes the difference between a smooth approval and a delayed or refused file.
Why Turkish citizenship
Turkish citizenship carries practical advantages well beyond a travel document:
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- Family coverage. A single qualifying investment covers the applicant, spouse, dependent children under 18, and dependent children with disabilities — with no extra threshold for each family member.
- Mobility. Turkish citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a wide range of destinations, and citizenship can open the door to the E-2 Investor Visa in the United States, a route many entrepreneurs value.
- Strategic position. Türkiye sits at the meeting point of European and Asian markets, with a large domestic economy, a young population, and deep trade links across three continents.
- No renunciation requirement. Türkiye permits dual citizenship, so most applicants keep their existing nationality and passport.
For many clients the decisive factor is speed and certainty: the thresholds are published, the routes are defined by law, and the timeline is predictable in a way that several competing programmes are not.
Qualifying investment routes
To naturalise by investment, you must satisfy one of the routes below. These are the current thresholds:
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- Real estate — USD 400,000. Since June 2022, the threshold for the property route is USD 400,000. The property (or properties) must be held for three years, with a note recorded on the title deed committing not to sell during that period. This is by far the most popular route.
- Fixed-capital investment — USD 500,000. A minimum fixed-capital contribution of USD 500,000, confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
- Bank deposit — USD 500,000. A deposit of USD 500,000 (or equivalent in foreign currency or Turkish lira) in a Turkish bank, held for three years.
- Government bonds — USD 500,000. A holding of USD 500,000 in government debt instruments, held for three years.
- Investment fund shares — USD 500,000. Real-estate or venture-capital investment-fund shares of USD 500,000, held for three years.
- Private pension — USD 500,000. A contribution of USD 500,000 to a Turkish private-pension system, held for three years.
- Job creation — 50 employees. Employment for at least 50 people, confirmed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
At a glance:
| Route | Threshold | Holding requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | USD 400,000 | 3 years, non-sale note on title |
| Bank deposit / government bonds | USD 500,000 | 3 years |
| Fund shares / private pension | USD 500,000 | 3 years |
| Fixed-capital investment | USD 500,000 | Ministry confirmation |
| Job creation | 50 employees | Ministry confirmation |
The governing framework is the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and its implementing regulation, which set out exceptional naturalisation for investors. Whichever route you choose, the amount is tested in US dollars, and the conversion is fixed by the Central Bank rate on the transaction date — a point that quietly decides whether a purchase actually clears the line.
A property that costs USD 405,000 in the morning can fall short by the afternoon if the lira moves. The threshold is measured at the Central Bank rate on the transaction date, not the price you agreed — so build in a margin.
The real-estate route in practice
Because most applicants use property, it is worth understanding what actually qualifies. The purchase itself follows the ordinary steps for any foreign buyer, described in our guide to buying property in Türkiye as a foreigner; the citizenship route adds the conditions below. The purchase must generally be from a Turkish seller, paid through the banking system with traceable transfers, and supported by an official valuation report (SPK-licensed appraisal) confirming the value meets the threshold. The property cannot already have been used for a citizenship application by you, your spouse, or a company you control, and certain related-party sales between foreigners are excluded.
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What “held for three years” means
A commitment not to sell is annotated on the title deed. You may live in the property, rent it out, and collect the rent during those three years — you simply cannot sell or transfer it. After three years the restriction lifts and you are free to dispose of the asset without affecting citizenship already granted.
Procedure and timeline
The route to citizenship generally follows these steps:
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- Residence permit. Apply for a residence permit for the applicant and family.
- Bank account and investment. Open a Turkish bank account and complete the qualifying investment, obtaining the certificate of eligibility (uygunluk belgesi) from the competent ministry.
- File preparation. Assemble the application: certifications, sworn translations, valuation reports, and investment evidence.
- Submission and review. File with the authorities. Government review typically takes around 120 days, and an interview may be requested.
- Decision and passport. On approval, citizenship documents are issued, followed by the Turkish passport and national ID.
In practice the largest variable is document quality. Missing translations, a valuation that does not tie to the transfer, or an ambiguous non-sale note trigger follow-up requests that add weeks. A file assembled correctly the first time is the single biggest lever on speed.
Much of the process can be handled remotely. With a properly drafted and apostilled power of attorney, we can open the bank account, complete the property transfer, and file the application without the applicant travelling for each step — a practical advantage for investors managing the process from abroad. Biometric steps and any requested interview are the main points where personal presence is needed.
Tax and estate consequences
Becoming a Turkish citizen changes your estate position. Turkish citizens are liable to gift and inheritance tax on worldwide assets, and your succession planning — wills, trusts, holding structures — should be reviewed against Turkish rules before you apply, not after.
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Citizenship is a family and estate decision, not only an investment one. Coordinate it with your tax and succession advisers up front; unwinding a structure later is far more expensive than getting it right at the start.
Citizenship on its own does not automatically make you a Turkish income-tax resident — that generally depends on where you are physically resident and centred. But the interaction between your home country’s rules and Türkiye’s can be significant, and it rewards planning.
Where legal advice matters
The investment threshold is only part of the picture. The valuation of real estate, the chain of title, the wording of the non-sale commitment, sworn translations, and the certificate of eligibility all have to be right, or the file is delayed or refused. Currency conversion at the Central Bank rate on the transaction date affects whether a purchase actually clears the threshold. And the tax and succession consequences reach well beyond the passport itself.
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We manage the process end to end — structuring the investment, running the due diligence on the property and the seller, preparing and filing the application, and following the file through to the authorities’ decision, including the passport and ID stage on approval. Contact us to assess your position and choose the route that fits your goals.
Related Practice Areas & Strategic Legal Guides
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- Real Estate & Property Law: Title deed due diligence, foreign property acquisitions, and Land Registry (TKGM) transfers.
- Intellectual Property & Trademark Litigation: Trademark, patent, and copyright enforcement before TÜRKPATENT and IP Courts.
- Personal Data Protection (KVKK/GDPR): VERBİS registration, data inventory mapping, and cross-border data transfer compliance.
- Legal Matters in Istanbul for Foreign Clients and Companies: Full-service commercial and civil advocacy before Istanbul courthouses.
