Turkish Citizenship By Real Estate Investment
Do you want to become a Turkish citizen? Turkish citizenship by real estate investment is just for you. As your English speaking immigration lawyers in Istanbul, we are here to assist you in obtaining Turkish citizenship through property purchase.
Turkish citizenship can be obtained by birth or later. Exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship is one of the situations which Turkish citizenship is acquired later, and acquisition of Turkish citizenship through the purchase of real estate or acquisition of Turkish citizenship through investment is within this scope.
The Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship By Real Estate Purchase
Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law set out the legal framework for acquiring citizenship by real estate purchase in Turkey. In accordance with this, real persons who buy real estate in Turkey of 400.000 USD and undertake not to sell the estate for 3 years are entitled to Turkish citizenship.
Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law set out the legal framework for acquiring citizenship by investing in Turkey.
The articles of the aforementioned Law and Regulation are as follows.
“Exceptions in the acquisition of Turkish citizenship
ARTICLE 12 – (1) The following foreigners may acquire Turkish citizenship by a decree of the President of the Republic, provided that they do not constitute an obstacle in terms of national security and public order. “
…
b)Foreigners who have a residence permit pursuant to subparagraph (j) of the first paragraph of Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458 dated 4/4/2013 and numbered 6458, and foreigners holding Turquoise Card and their foreign spouses, their and their spouses’ minor or dependent foreign children.”
“Acquisition of Turkish citizenship exceptionally, documents required for application and procedures to be performed
ARTICLE 20
(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:
…
b) Persons purchased the immovable property with the qualification of land on which a condominium or condominium easement has been established or on which there is a building, with the condition that the title deed records are annotated not to be sold for three years, amounting to at least 400000 US Dollars or equivalent foreign currency amount
or condominium ownership or condominium easement has been established, at least 400000 US Dollars or equivalent foreign currency amount has been deposited in advance and the sale of the immovable is promised with a notarised contract, provided that the commitment that it will not be transferred for three years is annotated to the land registry, determined by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.
Accordingly, those who purchase real estate in Turkey with a value of at least 400.000 USD can obtain Turkish citizenship with the condition that they undertake not to sell this real estate for at least three years and that their undertakings are registered in the land registry.
Eligibility for Turkish Citizenship By Real Estate Purchase
The foreign investor who buys 400.000 USD worth of real estate in Turkey and the spouse of the investor and children under the age of 18 can gain Turkish citizenship property purchase.
It should be noted here that the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and the relevant legislation allow dual citizenship or, in other words, multiple citizenship. In other words, those who acquire Turkish citizenship via real estate investment can also retain their own country’s citizenship if their own country’s legislation allows it.
Step-by-Step Legal Guide to Turkish Citizenship Application
In a nutshell, obtaining Turkish citizenship through property purchase involves three main steps.
- Obtaining a Certificate of Conformity,
- Residence permit application,
- Citizenship application
Obtaining The Certificate of Conformity
In order to acquire Turkish citizenship through real estate purchase in Turkey and to obtain a certificate of conformity, some conditions must be fulfilled.
The value of the real estate to be purchased to acquire Turkish citizenship must be at least 400,000 USD. This condition can also be fulfilled by purchasing more than one property. The value of the real estate must be determined by a duly valuation report and the value must be seen on the title deed. Since the validity period of the valuation report is three months, this period should also be considered.
The property must be purchased from a Turkish citizen. It is not possible to acquire Turkish citizenship with real estate purchased from foreign persons.
In addition, the foreign currency to be used for the purchase of the real estate must be sold to a bank operating in Turkey and through this bank to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey and through the selling bank, a foreign currency purchase certificate must be issued on behalf of the foreigner who purchases real estate in order to acquire Turkish citizenship and this document must be submitted to the Land Registry Office before the real estate is purchased.
Along with the sale transaction, it must be annotated on the title deed that the real estate will not be sold for at least three years.
The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre is the institution authorised to issue a certificate of conformity for Turkish citizenship applications through the purchase of the real estate.
Application For Residence Permit
The second step in acquiring Turkish citizenship by buying real estate is to apply for a residence permit. Pursuant to Article 31/1-j of the Law No. 6458, ‘those who do not work in Turkey but will invest in the scope and amount to be determined by the President of the Republic, and their foreign spouse, his/her and his/her spouse’s minor or dependent foreign child’ may apply for a short-term residence permit. The application for a short-term residence permit is made to the Provincial Immigration Administration.
Turkish Citizenship Application
The application for Turkish citizenship is submitted to the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship and evaluated by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs.
Required Documents To Apply For Turkish Citizenship By Real Estate Investment
The required documents for the application of Turkish citizenship by real estate investment are as follows:
- Application Form (VAT-4),
- 2 biometric photographs,
- Passport or similar document,
- Certificate of marital status
- Birth certificate or civil registration copy showing the identity details of the person
- If the application is to be made for the spouse and children, a copy of the birth certificate proving the family ties of the spouse and children
- A receipt showing that the service fee has been deposited
Benefits of Turkish Citizenship
The first benefit of Turkish citizenship that comes to mind is the ease of travelling with a Turkish passport. With a Turkish passport, it is possible to travel visa-free to 126 countries, including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. It is also possible to obtain a dual-purpose B-1/B-2 US tourist and business visa with a validity of 10 years with a Turkish passport. After the visa expires, it is possible to extend the visa remotely. Turkish citizens are also eligible for a C-2 Schengen visa, which is valid for 5 years. With this visa, it is possible to stay in the Schengen Area, i.e. the European Union countries, for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days. The most prominent advantage of being a Turkish citizen is that it provides unlimited entry to Turkey and unlimited stay in Turkey.
It is possible for an investor holding a Turkish passport to obtain an E-2 visa, which allows them to reside in the United States. With this visa, the investor undertakes to invest in an existing business or establish a new business in the United States. The E-2 visa also covers the investor’s spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21. In addition, Turkey is home to multiple free trade zones.
Viridis Legal Partners: Your Citizenship Lawyer In Turkey
It is very important to seek the assistance of a Turkish citizenship lawyer for the preparation of your application for Turkish citizenship by real estate investment, obtaining the certificate of conformity, legal processes, and follow-up, as well as arranging bank and title deed registry transactions in a way that will not cause problems in obtaining the certificate of conformity. As Viridis Legal Partners, we are here to assist you with our extensive knowledge and experience in a wide range of legislation and legal practices. As your English speaking lawyers in Istanbul, we can guide you through the application process and ensure that your documents are complete, accurate, and compliant with the relevant regulations.
Contact us today to obtain your Turkish citizenship.
