Exceptional Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship
Exceptional Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship
Exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship which allows foreigners in Turkey to become citizens without meeting the conventional Turkish citizenship requirements, is one of the ways of acquisition of Turkish citizenship by decision of a competent authority. This path includes recent amendments made by the Turkish government to naturalization laws, particularly those aimed for foreign investors in Turkey.
Turkish Citizenship can be attained in the exceptional way pursuant to Article 12 of the Turkish Nationality Law No. 5901
Exceptional circumstances in acquiring Turkish citizenship
ARTICLE 12 –
The following foreigners may acquire Turkish citizenship by the decision of the President, provided that there is no obstacle to national security and public order.
- a) Persons who bring industrial facilities to Turkey or who have achieved or are expected to provide extraordinary service in the scientific, technological, economic, social, sports, cultural and artistic fields and for whom a reasoned offer has been made by the relevant ministries.
- b) Foreigners who have a residence permit in accordance with subparagraph (j) of the first paragraph of Article 31 of the Foreigners and International Protection Law No. 6458 dated 4/4/2013 and foreigners who are Turquoise Card holders and their foreign spouse, and his or her spouse’s minor or dependent foreign child.
- c) Persons whose naturalization is deemed necessary.
- d) Persons accepted as immigrants.
(2) Requests of those who pose an obstacle in terms of national security and public order are rejected by the Ministry.”
Accordingly, acquiring Turkish Citizenship through investment or real estate purchase also falls within this scope.
Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law listed the required investment or real estate purchasing conditions mostly regulated in 2017 and re-regulated in 2022:
“(2) A foreigner who fulfils any of the following conditions may acquire Turkish citizenship by Presidential decree within the scope of subparagraph (b) of the first paragraph of Article 12 of the Law:
a) It has been determined by the Ministry of Industry and Technology that it has realized a fixed capital investment of at least USD 500.000 or its foreign currency equivalent.
b) It is determined by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has purchased the real estate amounting to at least USD 400.000 or equivalent foreign currency with the condition that an annotation not to be sold for three years is placed in the land registry records or that the sale of the immovable property is promised with a notarized contract with the condition that condominium ownership or condominium easement has been established, at least USD 400.000 or equivalent foreign currency amount is deposited in advance and the commitment that it will not be transferred and abandoned for three years is annotated in the land registry.
c) It is determined by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security that it creates employment for at least 50 people.
ç) It has been determined by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency that it has deposited at least USD 500.000 or its equivalent in foreign currency in banks operating in Turkey, provided that it is kept for three years.
d) It has been determined by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance that it has purchased government debt instruments amounting to at least USD 500,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency on condition that they are kept for three years.
e) It is determined by the Capital Markets Board that the Capital Markets Board has purchased real estate investment fund participation shares or venture capital investment fund participation shares amounting to at least USD 500,000 or equivalent foreign currency amount on condition that they are held for at least three years.
f) The Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency has deposited at least USD 500,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency into the private pension system, provided that it keeps its contributions in funds whose scope is determined by the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency and remains in the system for three years. Determined by the institution.”
Who Qualifies For Exceptional Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship?
To be eligible for exceptional Turkish citizenship, those who do not pose a threat to Turkey’s security and public order, are considered eligible as outlined in Article 12 of the Turkish Nationality Law No. 5901. This means that individuals who engage in activities detrimental to Turkey’s interests may not qualify.
The Application Process For The Exceptional Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship
The process of getting Turkish citizenship by real estate purchase or becoming Turkish citizen by investment includes various steps and requirements.
Obtain A Certificate of Eligibility for Turkish Citizenship:
The administration which gives the certificate of eligibility varies on the investment made by the foreign who wish to acquire Turkish citizenship.
- Foreign investors who have made a minimum fixed capital investment of USD 500.000 or equivalent foreign currency or Turkish Lira must apply to the General Directorate of Incentive Application and Foreign Capital of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
- Foreign investors who have acquired a property worth a minimum of USD 400.000 or equivalent foreign currency or Turkish Lira must apply to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadaster of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
- Foreign investors who created jobs for at least 50 people must apply to the General Directorate of International Labor of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services.
- Foreign investors who have deposited at least USD 500,000 or equivalent foreign currency or Turkish Lira in banks operating in Turkey with the condition not to withdraw the same for at least three years must apply to the Department of Financial Consumer Relations of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.
- Foreign investors who have bought at least USD 500,000 or equivalent foreign currency or Turkish Lira worth of government bonds with the condition that they cannot be sold for at least three years must apply to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
- Foreign investors who have bought at least USD 500,000 or equivalent foreign currency or Turkish lira worth of real estate investment fund shares or venture capital investment fund shares with the condition that they cannot be sold for at least three years must apply to the Department of the Brokerage Activities of the Capital Markets Board of Turkey.
Obtain A Residence Permit In Turkey
Those who do not work in Turkey but will make investments in the scope and amount to be determined by the President of the Republic, their foreign spouses, and their spouses’ minor or dependent foreign children are given short-term residence permits in accordance with Article 31/1-j of Law on Foreigners and International Protection No.6458.
Obtaining a short-term residence permit is a step toward acquiring Turkish Citizenship via investment. Those who gained their certificate of eligibility can apply to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Administration of their settlement place.
Application For Turkish Citizenship
Obtain the documents required for the citizenship application listed below and apply to the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship of the settlement place.
Following Steps
The Provincial Census and Citizenship Directorate issues the citizenship file and sends it to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVIGM).
An archive investigation is conducted on whether there are any impediments with respect to national security and public order.
The application will be submitted to the Office of the Minister to be sent to the President’s Office if the archive investigation concludes positively.
Then it is sent to the Office of the President to obtain the President’s decision. Turkish citizenship will be granted if the President rules for the acquisition of Turkish citizenship.
Required Documents Of Application For Exceptional Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship
The required documents for exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship are as follows:
- Application Form (VAT-4),
- 2 pieces, 50×60 mm in size, on a white background, without a pattern, as determined by ICAO and machine-readable biometric photo,
- A passport or similar document showing which state the person is a citizen of,
- If stateless, a relevant document if it is possible to obtain it.
- Marital status certificate and marriage certificate if married, divorce certificate if divorced, death certificate of spouse if widowed.
- A document such as a birth certificate or civil registry sample showing the person’s identity information, and if married, a civil registry copy or similar document proving the family ties of the spouse and children.
- If the person’s date of birth does not have a month and day, the date of birth must be completed.
- A document obtained from the competent authorities of his country, and if the document cannot be obtained, a signed declaration that he accepts the action in accordance with Article 39 of the Population Services Law No. 5490.
- Receipt showing that the service fee has been deposited to the Finance cashier.
Each of these documents serves a specific purpose in proving your eligibility and suitability for Turkish citizenship.
How Viridis Legal Partners Can Assist You
Exceptional Turkish citizenship in other words the Turkish citizenship application by real estate purchase or via investment can be an elaborate legal procedure. As your Turkish citizenship lawyers, we Viridis Legal Partners specialise in helping foreigners wanting to get Turkish citizenship. As your English speaking Turkish lawyers, we will guide you through every step of the process.
Conclusion
Exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship can be a much easier way to get Turkish citizenship. As your immigration lawyers in Turkey, Viridis Legal Partners is here to assist you.
Contact us today, and let us assist you in realizing your dream of becoming a Turkish citizen.
