Turkish Citizenship by Investment
Turkey's citizenship by investment program is one of the most accessible routes to a non-Caribbean second passport, offering a straightforward path to full citizenship without language tests, residency requirements, or a prior immigration history. The flagship route requires a real estate purchase of at least $400,000 — a threshold raised by Presidential Decree in June 2022 from the previous $250,000 minimum. The purchased property must carry a three-year resale restriction recorded directly in the title deed (tapu), and an independent appraisal by a TKGM-licensed firm is mandatory to confirm the declared value meets the threshold. Alternative routes exist for applicants who prefer a financial instrument over property: a bank deposit of $500,000 held for three years, government bonds or Treasury bills worth $500,000 held for three years, or a capital contribution of $500,000 to a fund approved by the Council of Ministers. A job-creation route requiring at least 50 full-time employees is also available. The entire immediate family — spouse and children under 18 — is included in a single application with no increase to the investment minimum. Processing typically runs three to six months from submission of a complete file, though end-to-end timelines including property acquisition, appraisal, and biometric appointment scheduling commonly extend to six months or beyond. Biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) must be collected in person, either at a Turkish embassy or consulate abroad or at a migration office inside Turkey. Turkish citizenship confers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 110 destinations, including Japan, South Korea, and most of Latin America, though it does not include the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom. A strategically significant benefit is Turkey's bilateral investment treaty with the United States: Turkish nationals are eligible to apply for the US E-2 Investor Visa, making the program particularly attractive to nationals of countries without their own E-2 treaty — including China, India, Pakistan, and Russia. Turkey permits dual and multiple citizenship, so applicants are not required to renounce their existing nationality.
Program Details
- Individual Cost
- $400,000
- Family of 4 Cost
- $400,000
- Processing Time
- 5 months
- Residency Required
- No residency required; a temporary residence permit is obtained during the process but does not impose a physical-presence obligation
- Due Diligence
- Standard
- Visa-Free Destinations
- 110
- Dual Citizenship
- Accepted
- Renunciation Required
- No
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Amount (USD) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate purchase (minimum value) | $400,000 | Must be held for 3 years; spouse and children under 18 included at no additional investment threshold |
| Title deed fees and taxes (approx.) | $15,000 | |
| Notary, translation, and legal fees | $5,000 | |
| Application and processing fees | $2,000 | |
| Agent/consultancy fees (estimate) | $8,000 |
Nationality Restrictions
This program does not accept applications from nationals of: Armenian, Greek Cypriot, and Syrian nationals face significant barriers; several nationalities restricted by ministerial discretion
Investment Routes
| Route | Amount (USD) | Lock-up (years) | Exit-Value Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | $400,000 | 3 | Minimum purchase of USD 400,000, raised from USD 250,000 by Presidential Decree of June 2022. The three-year resale restriction is annotated directly in the title deed; the property cannot be transferred before the restriction period lapses. An independent appraisal by a TKGM-approved firm is mandatory prior to purchase. Turkish lira volatility has historically eroded the USD equivalent value of TRY-denominated assets; most transactions are negotiated in USD or EUR but title is denominated in TRY. Secondary market liquidity is reasonable in central Istanbul districts (Beyoglu, Besiktas, Sisli) and established coastal markets (Antalya, Bodrum, Alanya). Source: goc.gov.tr |
| Government Bonds | $500,000 | 3 | Minimum USD 500,000 in Turkish government bonds or Treasury bills, held for three years. TRY-denominated bonds carry lira depreciation risk; USD- or EUR-denominated sovereign instruments are available and mitigate currency exposure. Principal is returned at maturity. Source: goc.gov.tr |
| Government Fund Donation | $500,000 | — | Fixed capital contribution of at least USD 500,000 to a fund defined by the Council of Ministers. Non-refundable. Must be verified by the Capital Markets Board (SPK) or the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK). Source: goc.gov.tr |
| Business / Enterprise | $500,000 | 3 | Bank deposit of minimum USD 500,000 held for three years at a Turkish-licensed bank, OR investment of at least USD 500,000 in a venture capital or private equity fund approved under Turkish Capital Markets Law for a three-year period. Bank deposit route is the simplest financial-instrument path; returns depend on deposit rate negotiated with the bank. Source: goc.gov.tr |
Realistic Total Timeline
3–6 months
End-to-end from application submission to passport issuance, based on recent reported timelines. Times assume a complete file; source- of-funds gaps or refusals can extend significantly.
Due Diligence
- Provider
- Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) + General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) for mandatory property appraisal
- Depth Level
- standard
Common Disqualifiers
- ⚠Criminal record under Turkish law or flagged in international screening databases
- ⚠Presence on UN, OFAC, or EU sanctions lists
- ⚠Failure to pass mandatory property appraisal — purchase price must meet or exceed TKGM-approved appraised value
- ⚠Title encumbrance, disputed ownership, or mortgage exceeding permissible limits on real estate investment
- ⚠Misrepresentation of fund source, identity, or prior immigration history
- ⚠Activities deemed a threat to Turkish national security by ministerial review
Approved Agents
Direct applications are permitted; licensed agents are not required.
Official approved-agents directory →Family Inclusion
- Siblings
- Not included
- Parents Min Age
- —
- Max Child Age
- 18
- Grandparents
- Not included
Spouse and dependent children under 18 are included in the same application at no additional investment threshold. Children over 18, parents, and other relatives are not eligible as dependants under the CBI route and must pursue separate immigration pathways. Turkey's program does not offer the extended family inclusion options seen in Caribbean CBI programs.
Travel Benefits
- Visa-Free Destinations
- 110
- Schengen
- —
- UK
- —
- US E-2 Treaty
- ✓
- Canada eTA
- —
Post-Citizenship Tax Implications
Turkey operates a residence-based tax system. Turkish citizens who are habitually resident outside Turkey are not subject to Turkish income tax on foreign-source income. Tax residency is triggered by habitual residence in Turkey or physical presence exceeding six months in a calendar year. Turkey's top personal income tax rate is 40% (2024). Corporate tax is 25%. Turkey maintains over 80 double-tax treaties. Real estate held for more than five years from the acquisition date is exempt from capital gains tax on disposal; gains on properties sold within five years are taxable. Citizenship obtained through investment does not in itself create any Turkish tax obligation.
Recent Changes
Presidential Decree raised the minimum real estate investment threshold from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000. The mandatory independent property appraisal requirement was simultaneously tightened to prevent inflated declared values.
source →Turkey introduced enhanced AML/CFT due-diligence requirements for citizenship applicants, including more rigorous source-of-funds documentation, following FATF scrutiny of Turkish real estate market exposure to illicit finance.
source →
Programme FAQs
Why was the real estate minimum raised from $250,000 to $400,000 in 2022?
Sources: goc.gov.tr
Does Turkey allow dual citizenship?
Sources: goc.gov.tr
Does Turkey have an E-2 treaty with the United States?
Sources: goc.gov.trtravel.state.gov
Is biometric attendance required and where?
Sources: goc.gov.tr
What is the three-year resale lock on real estate, and how is it enforced?
Sources: goc.gov.tr
Related Guides
Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list
Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.
Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave
Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.
Other CBI Programs
Sources & last verified
- Official source
- Last verified