NEW DEVELOPMENT: With the last amendment, it has been decided to increase the value of the real estate to be purchased for the Exceptional Turkish Citizenship application from 250.000usd to 400.000usd.
Citizenship of the Republic of Turkey is granted if foreign natural persons make real estate investments within the borders of Turkey within the scope and amount determined by the laws. Spouses and underage children of natural persons of foreign nationality who will purchase real estate can acquire the Citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. However, an issue to be considered here is that the children of the foreign national who will buy real estate are not considered within this scope. In this case, a second action must be initiated for the children of the foreign natural person who will buy the real estate.
Various changes have been made in this context in the regulation on the implementation of Turkish Citizenship. The first of this change was made on 12/12/2016 and it was finalized by making other changes on 13/3/2017, 18/9/2018, 6/12/2018. Natural persons of foreign nationality who want to acquire Turkish citizenship by purchasing real estate are given the right to acquire Turkish citizenship through exceptional procedures in case they purchase real estate with a value of 400,000 US dollars or more, with the Presidential Supplementary Decision No. 106 published in the Official Gazette dated 19/9/2018 and numbered 30540.
In the previous texts of the Turkish Citizenship Law and its implementing regulation, it was determined by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization that he purchased the real estate worth at least 1,000,000 USD, if it was not sold for three years in the land registry The phrase "minimum 1,000,000 US dollars" was changed to "400,000 US dollars or equivalent in foreign currency or Turkish lira".
In the previous texts of the Turkish Citizenship Law and implementing regulation, the phrase "minimum 1,000,000 US dollars" in its provision, which was determined by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, in which it purchased the immovable for at least 1,000,000 US dollars, if it is not sold for three years in the title deed records, is "400,000 US dollars or equivalent in foreign currency or equivalent in Turkish lira”. Again, in the same Decision, the phrase "and/or cross exchange rate" was added after the phrase "effective selling rate" in paragraph 6 of Article 20. Again, with the Presidential Decision dated 06.12.2018 and numbered 418 published in the Official Gazette dated 07.12.2018 and numbered 30618, "or condominium or floor servitude" to come after the phrase "bought" in subparagraph (b) of the second paragraph of Article 20 of the Regulation. It has been added that the contract issued by the notary public, stating that the sale of the immovable, for which at least 400.000 USD or equivalent amount of foreign currency or Turkish Lira has been deposited in advance, has been annotated in the land registry with the commitment that it will not be transferred or canceled for three years.
Foreign nationals who want to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate must first purchase real estate with a value of 400,000 USD or more. Foreign nationals who want to acquire Turkish citizenship may encounter some problems while purchasing real estate. There are some points to consider before purchasing a property. Failure to comply with these issues may result in the rejection of the Turkish Citizenship application in the future. Within the scope of the laws and regulations of the Republic of Turkey, it should be stated that the reason for the purchase of the real estate in the title deed office of the real estate to be purchased by fulfilling the conditions of the relevant article is for the application for citizenship. The foreign national must declare that the purchased real estate will not be sold for three years in the area where the declarations are written on the form. If this issue is not specified, this situation should be stated in the declarations section of the immovables and added by following the legal process.
Another issue that is frequently encountered in practice and wondered by many foreign citizens is the status of immovable properties purchased between 12.01.2017 and 18.09.2018. In this regard, the abrogated regulation texts are still valid, and the requirement of 1,000,000 USD for the real estate value to be purchased continues. The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by the purchase of immovables with a value of 400,000 USD or more for a foreign citizen covers the date of 19.09.2018 and later.
The method that a foreign natural person who wants to acquire Turkish citizenship should follow in the land registry offices to purchase the immovable is as follows:
While purchasing the immovable, some documents must be prepared at the title deed office. Some of them are documents such as passport and photocopy of the foreign person who will buy, 1 biometric photo of the seller, 2 biometric photos of the foreign person who buys, the original or certified copy of the power of attorney in case the transfer is made by a proxy, and the "Real Estate Market Value Certificate" to be obtained from the municipality. In this regard, one of the most forgotten documents in practice is the compulsory earthquake insurance policy registered in the name of the real estate.
The foreign national should conduct research on the real estate to avoid any legal problems in the future while purchasing real estate. It should be noted that the real estate to be purchased should not be subject to any enforcement, mortgage, or injunction.
As can be understood from our explanations, the purchase of the immovable, the determination of the value of the immovable, the determination of the execution, mortgage, sale, lien and similar annotations, the documents to be prepared, the valuation reports, the documents to be obtained from the relevant institutions and organizations, the citizenship application and the management of the process and other important issues must be carried out carefully and with care. Otherwise, the application for Turkish citizenship may result in rejection.
Keleş Law and Consultancy Office offers practical solutions for Turkish citizenship transactions through complex, detailed and time-consuming real estate. All procedures related to the acquisition of Turkish citizenship are completed by us as soon as possible and by lawyers who are experts in their fields. All negative and legal problems that may arise are minimized if the mentioned transactions are followed by a lawyer. Real estate purchase, determination of whether there are enforcement proceedings, mortgages, sales, liens, and similar annotations on the real estate to be purchased, obtaining the real estate appraisal report, documents to be obtained from the relevant institutions and organizations, citizenship application, management of the process and Turkish citizenship identity cards. All transactions are followed in detail by us until the delivery.The process of acquiring Turkish citizenship, which takes a long time under current conditions, can be shortened with the right steps and decisions. If deemed necessary, information on real estate and investment is obtained from advisory real estate companies, and foreign citizens are informed about alternative real estates. Due to the fact that the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs is located in Ankara, all transactions regarding Turkish citizenship are concluded much faster by our office in Ankara.
Information about the countries that have acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Turkey through the purchase of real estate and information about their entry into Turkey:
Iranians to acquire Turkish citizenship:
Many Iranian citizens want to become citizens of the Republic of Turkey. According to the data of 2020, 1,716 Iranian citizens acquired Turkish citizenship.
Firstly, it should be mentioned that Iranian citizens who want to acquire Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate are exempt from visa. With the relevant decision and the bilateral agreement of the states, ordinary passport holders of Iranian citizens are exempted from visa for 90 days.
Person or persons of Iranian nationality who come to Turkey and wish to acquire Turkish citizenship must apply for a residence permit to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate. This residence permit can be before the real estate is purchased, or within 3 months of entering Turkey and after the real estate is purchased. As Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, we finalize the residence permit procedures in a few days with detailed follow-up.
For a residence permit, the person or persons of Iranian nationality should apply for a residence permit and get an appointment date. For the residence permit to be applied after the real estate is purchased, the Iranian national person or persons should apply to the Provincial Migration Administration. The residence permit application with the letter of conformity to be received from the relevant institution of Ankara based on the relevant Land Registry Office letter is accepted if the conditions are met. The residence permit cards are printed by the General Directorate of Migration Management in Ankara and are sent to Iranian nationals within a few weeks. An important point here is the letter of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs regarding whether the purchased real estate is suitable for citizenship.
The Iranian national must determine the real estate value of $400,000 or more to be purchased after obtaining the residence permit. At this stage, it should not be forgotten that the real estate valuation report should be obtained from the persons affiliated to the Capital Market Board.
Information that the immovable to be purchased will be purchased in order to become a citizen of the Republic of Turkey should be included in the Land Registry Office.
At the Land Registry Directorate, an annotation that cannot be sold for 3 years must be processed on the relevant title deed.
After these procedures, a general security investigation is carried out by the police with the letter of the relevant Population Directorate about the Iranian citizen person or persons who want to acquire Turkish citizenship. Many issues are evaluated and reported about individuals, such as whether they are related to a terrorist organization or whether they have been punished for any crime.
Subsequently, all documents required for citizenship must be created with documents obtained from institutions and organizations in Turkey and relevant ministries in Iran. An application is made with the created citizenship file, and as a result of the evaluation of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs in Ankara, citizenship is granted to the Iranian national.
Iranians to become Turkish citizens, the issues briefly mentioned above are made by the Keleş Law and Consultancy Office with a power of attorney. For Iranian citizens who want to acquire Turkish citizenship, it is sufficient to bring a marriage or divorce certificate from their own country, a marriage certificate if they are single, and a birth certificate if they have children. All other documents and transactions are collected by us in a short time, a citizenship application is made, and the process is followed. Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, which has many Iranian Lawyers, gives Iranian Turkish Citizenship Turkish Citizenship by investment - Turkish Citizenship through the purchase of real estate.
Iraqis to acquire Turkish citizenship:
Again, like Iranian citizens, Iraqi citizens also want to acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. According to 2020 data, 925 Iraqi citizens acquired Turkish citizenship. After the citizens of Iran and Afghanistan who want to pass the citizenship of the Republic of Turkey, Iraqi citizens come in the 3rd rank.
Here, unlike Iranian citizens, official passport holders are exempt from visa for their trips to our country, if they do not exceed 90 days within 180 days. Ordinary passport holders Iraqis, Schengen countries or holders of valid visa or valid residence permit for the USA, UK, Ireland are granted a single-entry visa with a residence period of up to 30 days if they meet certain conditions. Iraqi citizens with ordinary passports are subject to a visa.
In order to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate, the person or persons of Iraqi nationality who come to Turkey and wish to acquire Turkish citizenship must apply for a residence permit. The residence permit can be before the real estate is purchased or after the real estate is purchased. As Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, we finalize the residence permit procedures in a few days with detailed follow-up.
For a residence permit, the person or persons of Iraqi nationality should apply for a residence permit and get an appointment date. For the residence permit to be applied after the real estate is purchased, the Iranian national person or persons should apply to the Provincial Migration Administration. The residence permit application with the letter of conformity to be received from the relevant institution of Ankara based on the relevant Land Registry Office letter is accepted if the conditions are met. The residence permit cards are printed by the General Directorate of Migration Management in Ankara and are sent to Iraqi nationals within a few weeks. An important point here is the letter of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs regarding whether the purchased real estate is suitable for citizenship.
The Iraqi national must determine the real estate value of $400,000 or more to be purchased after obtaining the residence permit. At this stage, it should not be forgotten that the real estate valuation report should be obtained from the persons affiliated to the Capital Market Board.
Information that the immovable to be purchased will be purchased in order to become a citizen of the Republic of Turkey should be included in the Land Registry Office.
At the Land Registry Directorate, an annotation that cannot be sold for 3 years must be processed on the relevant title deed.
After these procedures, a general security investigation is carried out by the police with the letter of the relevant Population Directorate about the Iraqi citizen person or persons who want to acquire Turkish citizenship. Many issues are evaluated and reported about individuals, such as whether they are related to a terrorist organization or whether they have been punished for any crime.
Subsequently, all documents required for citizenship must be created with documents obtained from institutions and organizations in Turkey and relevant ministries in Iraq. An application is made with the created citizenship file, and as a result of the evaluation of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs in Ankara, citizenship is granted to the Iraqi national.
Iraqis to become Turkish citizens, the issues briefly mentioned above are made by the Keleş Law and Consultancy Office with a power of attorney. For Iraqi citizens who want to acquire Turkish citizenship, it is sufficient to bring a marriage or divorce certificate from their own country, a marriage certificate if they are single, and a birth certificate if they have children. All other documents and transactions are collected by us in a short time, a citizenship application is made, and the process is followed. Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, which has many Iraqi Lawyers, gives Iraqi Turkish Citizenship Turkish Citizenship by investment - Turkish Citizenship through the purchase of real estate.
Afghans to acquire Turkish citizenship:
Afghan nationals come second after Iranian nationals who want to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. According to the data of 2020, the number of Afghan people who are Turkish citizens is 997.
Citizens of Afghanistan holding Diplomatic Passports are exempt from visa for 90 days within 6 months. However, Ordinary Passport, Service Passport and Special Passport holders are subject to a visa.
In order to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate, the person or persons of Afghans nationality who come to Turkey and wish to acquire Turkish citizenship must apply for a residence permit. The residence permit can be before the real estate is purchased or after the real estate is purchased. As Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, we finalize the residence permit procedures in a few days with detailed follow-up.
For a residence permit, the person or persons of Afghans nationality should apply for a residence permit and get an appointment date. For the residence permit to be applied after the real estate is purchased, the Iranian national person or persons should apply to the Provincial Migration Administration. The residence permit application with the letter of conformity to be received from the relevant institution of Ankara based on the relevant Land Registry Office letter is accepted if the conditions are met. The residence permit cards are printed by the General Directorate of Migration Management in Ankara and are sent to Iraqi nationals within a few weeks. An important point here is the letter of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs regarding whether the purchased real estate is suitable for citizenship.
The Afghans national must determine the real estate value of $400,000 or more to be purchased after obtaining the residence permit. At this stage, it should not be forgotten that the real estate valuation report should be obtained from the persons affiliated to the Capital Market Board.
Information that the immovable to be purchased will be purchased in order to become a citizen of the Republic of Turkey should be included in the Land Registry Office.
At the Land Registry Directorate, an annotation that cannot be sold for 3 years must be processed on the relevant title deed.
After these procedures, a general security investigation is carried out by the police with the letter of the relevant Population Directorate about the Afghans citizen person or persons who want to acquire Turkish citizenship. Many issues are evaluated and reported about individuals, such as whether they are related to a terrorist organization or whether they have been punished for any crime.
Subsequently, all documents required for citizenship must be created with documents obtained from institutions and organizations in Turkey and relevant ministries in Afghanistan. An application is made with the created citizenship file, and as a result of the evaluation of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs in Ankara, citizenship is granted to the Afghans national.
Afghans to become Turkish citizens, the issues briefly mentioned above are made by the Keleş Law and Consultancy Office with a power of attorney. For Afghans citizens who want to acquire Turkish citizenship, it is sufficient to bring a marriage or divorce certificate from their own country, a marriage certificate if they are single, and a birth certificate if they have children. All other documents and transactions are collected by us in a short time, a citizenship application is made, and the process is followed. Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, which has many Afghans Lawyers, gives Afghans Turkish Citizenship Turkish Citizenship by investment - Turkish Citizenship through the purchase of real estate.
Acquiring Turkish citizenship by Citizens of Some Other Countries:
The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by Yemeni citizens:
According to the data of 2020, 792 Yemeni citizens became Turkish citizens. It should be noted that citizens of Yemeni nationality who have ordinary passports are subject to a visa. As mentioned briefly above, Yemeni citizens can also acquire citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. With the power of attorney to be given to the lawyers of Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, Yemen citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate – Yemen citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through investment.
The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by Libyan citizens:
The number of people who became Turkish citizens from Libyan citizens is 302. Libyan Citizens holding an official passport are exempt from visa for up to 90 days in every 6 months. Libyan citizens under the age of 16 and over the age of 55 with ordinary passports are exempt from visa for their touristic travels up to 90 days in every 180 days. Ordinary passport holders between the ages of 16-55 are subject to a visa. As mentioned in our article, Libyan citizens can also acquire citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. With the power of attorney to be given to the lawyers of Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, Libyan citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate – Libyan citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through investment.
The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by Palestinian citizens:
According to last year's data, 451 Palestinian citizens acquired Turkish citizenship. Palestinian citizens holding ordinary passports are subject to a visa. As mentioned briefly above, Palestinian citizens can also acquire citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. With the power of attorney to be given to the lawyers of Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, Palestinian citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate – Palestinian citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through investment.
The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by Jordanian citizens:
The number of Jordanian citizens who have acquired Turkish citizenship is 359 according to 2020 data. Official and ordinary passport holders are exempt from visa for 90 days, unlike the citizens of many other countries. As mentioned briefly, Jordanian citizens can also acquire citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. With the power of attorney to be given to the lawyers of Keleş Law and Consultancy Office, Jordanian citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate – Jordanian citizens can acquire Turkish citizenship through investment.
Circulars regarding Turkish Citizenship are as follows:
