How to Get Turkey Citizenship by Investment: Step-by-Step Process

The rules for foreigners obtaining citizenship by investment in real estate in Turkey are changing at the speed of light. To stay in the know, you need to constantly keep your finger on the pulse and track information on official Turkish websites.

How to Get

There are several investment programs that grant the right to Turkish citizenship to foreigners and their close relatives, for which various state authorities of the Republic of Turkey are responsible. Turkey citizenship by investment can be achieved in the following ways:

1. Investments in real estate in Turkey amount to 400,000 USD, where the value of the property is determined not by the market price indicated by the seller but by the results of the appraisal by an independent expert. It is essential to take into account that cadastral rates may differ significantly from the market price, and citizenship cannot be obtained when purchasing a property that was previously included in the Turkish investment program.
2. Registration of a local company in Turkey and the creation of at least 50 jobs in it.
3. Other financial investments in the form of a bank deposit, a contribution to the capital of a Turkish company, state borrowing instruments, participation in an investment fund or private pension savings. All these programs can be combined by the amount of capital that will need to be invested in the Turkish economy and its individual sectors for a period of 3 years – 500,000 US dollars.

Important point! All investments under the Turkish citizenship program are refundable but not earlier than after 3 years.

To obtain the right to Turkish citizenship, you will need to choose a program, find an agent in Turkey who is competent in all immigration and banking matters, fulfill the conditions, and submit a preliminary application. At any stage of obtaining Turkish citizenship, it is essential to have the applicant’s documents ready with a translation into Turkish, apostilled, and notarized.

Step-by-Step Plan

2024 was no exception – since the beginning of the year, some changes have already appeared in the conditions that allow you to obtain Turkish citizenship by investment, which we would like to draw your attention to. So, today, in order to buy real estate in Istanbul and obtain citizenship, you must:

1. Purchase an apartment worth at least $400,000 from a Turkish citizen or a new building directly from the developer. Important innovation: in the first case, the apartment must be owned by the citizen for at least 3 years!
2. Transfer money for the apartment through a bank, and you must definitely get a certificate of currency exchange. That is, the developer needs to transfer the required amount exclusively in dollars (not in euros!), and he will then issue this certificate. The second option is to open an account in a Turkish bank, transfer dollars to your Turkish account, exchange dollars for lira, get a certificate of currency exchange here, and transfer lira to the developer. If you have difficulties opening an account, it is worth contacting professionals who do this. This will save you time.
3. Obtain a certificate of no criminal record in your country. Important: such a certificate must be taken for each family member who plans to obtain citizenship, except for minor children. Citizenship today can be denied to those who are wanted by the police, have a criminal record, etc.

If your transaction meets these criteria, after its execution, you will receive citizenship under a simplified and accelerated scheme—usually, this takes about 6–12 months from the date of submitting documents to the migration center. 

Pleasant Bonuses

By obtaining Turkish citizenship under this scheme, you are exempt from the following procedures:

• passing the Turkish language exam, which is mandatory for applicants for citizenship on other grounds;
• interview;
• taking the oath.

Another very significant bonus is that by acquiring Turkish citizenship through investment, the main investor automatically transfers it to his or her spouse, as well as to minor children. That is, in this way, you provide a stable future for your entire family at once!

Having become a citizen of Turkey, you receive the right to reside permanently on its territory and have all the privileges that are due to citizens of the country by birth. You will have access to:

• All social guarantees and government services.
• High-quality medicine.
• Benefits for children’s education.
• Vast opportunities for business.
• Travel without borders thanks to a visa-free regime with 113 countries of the world.
• Official employment in local companies.
• The opportunity to get favorable loans and credits.
• And, what is important for many is the opportunity to retain the first citizenship – it is not necessary to renounce it when receiving a Turkish passport!

In short, you and your family members become full-fledged citizens of the country, and you can no longer be deprived of citizenship.

Conclusion

A person wishing to obtain Turkish citizenship through investment has several options available. However, in any case, this process requires preparation and obtaining the necessary documents. Therefore, if you are unsure that you can do everything yourself, it is better to contact specialists. They will make the process of obtaining simple and hassle-free.