Turkish citizenship by investment
The passport is usually issued in 6–9 months.
- A foreign investor who has met one of the conditions of article 20 of the regulation implementing law 5901
Article 35 of Law No. 2644 lets foreigners buy property only if they are nationals of a country on a list. The President sets the list. The law itself does not contain it: the list has been sent to the land registry offices (TKGM). Open official sources show no ban on Russian, Belarusian, Kazakhstani or Ukrainian nationals, but they do not confirm that these nationals may buy either. One foreigner may buy no more than 30 hectares nationwide, and all foreigners together no more than 10% of a district's private land. Check your nationality with the land registry before wiring $400,000.
The minimum of $400,000 in real estate and the mandatory 3-year holding of the property (a note prohibiting sale is entered in the title deed itself) are confirmed by the official Invest in Türkiye page (invest.gov.tr) — it opens and is current. Independent legal sources (including the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor on the 2022 amendments) also confirm: payment only by bank transfer through a Turkish bank with supporting bank receipts, and the property must be free of any mortgage or charge at the time of filing — a loan secured on the property itself and cash settlement do not count.
Even after citizenship is granted, Turkish citizens still need a visa to travel to the Schengen area, the United Kingdom and the United States — worth making clear in conversation with the client so that no false expectations are created.
How Turkish citizenship by investment works
Turkey did not set up a separate “citizenship by investment programme” — it widened article 12 of law no. 5901, which lists the exceptional grounds for being admitted to citizenship. The decision is taken not by the migration service but by presidential decree.
The right to apply comes from one of three things: a residence permit under sub-paragraph (j) of article 31(1) of law no. 6458 — that is, investor status; holding a Turquoise Card; or creating jobs in Turkey.
The types and amounts of investment are set by article 20 of the regulation on the implementation of the Turkish citizenship law, and it has been amended more than once. One condition sits on top of every route: no obstacle on national security or public order grounds.
Who it suits
- A foreign investor who has met one of the conditions of article 20 of the regulation implementing law 5901
- Families
- A second passport
- Visa-free travel
The decision is taken by the President under article 12 of the citizenship law
What citizenship by investment is
Citizenship by investment is a procedure of its own written into a country's law: a person makes an agreed contribution to the economy, passes the checks and receives citizenship by decision of the relevant state body. There is no need to live in the country before applying, to sit a language exam or to wait out years of naturalisation — the ground is a different one.
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Programmes like this have operated in the Caribbean since 1984. The money goes into a state fund or a state-approved project — that is what separates the programme from the “passport purchase” it is colloquially called: the investment is accepted not by an official but by the treasury, under a set procedure.
The status is for life and hereditary: a citizen's children acquire citizenship by birth. It can be revoked only on the grounds set out in law — falsification in the application, concealment of facts, a serious crime.
Turkish citizenship for creating 50 jobs
This route gets overlooked, yet it works for anyone who already has a business in Turkey. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security issues a certificate of conformity if the investor has provided employment for no fewer than 50 people.
The employment conditions are strict and are counted in both directions from the date of the application:
- No fewer than 50 Turkish citizens employed continuously for at least 6 months before the filing date
- Employment maintained for at least 2 years after the filing date
- Continuity of full employment over the last six months is taken into account
- The ministry assesses whether the investor's share in the company's capital is sufficient
Applications with no deficiencies are reviewed within seven working days. Thirty days are given to remedy deficiencies, after which the application is rejected.
What is filed for the certificate of conformity
- An application with a handwritten signature and a notarised specimen signature
- The completed employment information form
- A copy of the passport pages carrying the identity details
- Trade Registry records of the company's shares and capital plus a current extract
- The list of insured employees from the Social Security Institution's system
- A certificate of the business's tax debt from the tax administration's system
- A certificate of social security contribution debt
- A written declaration of fines from state inspections over the last six months
What the service includes
| Choosing the property | |
| Legal due diligence | |
| Documents | |
| The passport | |
| The property itself— billed separately |
Official terms
Financial requirement
- Five investment options: fixed capital — from USD 500,000; property — from USD 400,000 with a note in the register barring its sale for 3 years; a deposit with a Turkish bank — from USD 500,000 for 3 years; government debt securities — from USD 500,000 for 3 years; units in a property fund or a venture capital fund — from USD 500,000 for 3 years
- A separate option is the creation of jobs
Timelines and rights
Right to work
A Turkish citizen works without a work permit.
Residence conditions
No residence qualification applies: article 12 exempts the applicant from the five-year period required for ordinary naturalisation.
Documents and programme requirements
- 1Investment from $400k
- 2A clean background
- 3Holding the asset for 3 years
How the process runs
6–9 months- Step 1We choose the route: investment under Article 20 of the regulation, the Turquoise Card or employment of 50 people.
- Step 2We check the background for obstacles on national security and public order grounds.
- Step 3We complete the investment or prepare confirmation of the employment.
- Step 4We obtain the underlying document: the certificate of conformity or confirmation of the investment.
- Step 5We obtain the residence permit under Article 31/j — it is issued for up to five years.
- Step 6We file the application for admission to citizenship.
- Step 7The presidential decree, and the passport is issued.
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to permanent residence
There is no need to pass through long-term resident status. The investor goes straight from a short-term residence permit to citizenship.
Route to citizenship
The application is filed with the provincial directorate of population and citizenship affairs for the place of residence. The decision is taken by the President.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides on Turkish citizenship by investment?
Can Turkish citizenship be obtained for creating jobs?
Do you have to live in Turkey before applying?
Are family members included in the application?
Citizenship by investment: other options
Compare terms in other countries and delivery formats.
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