Your Family’s Path to Turkish Citizenship via Real Estate

Your Family’s Path to Turkish Citizenship via Real Estate

Turkey’s Investment Immigration Program is an attractive option for foreign citizens to acquire a Turkish citizenship, and real estate investment is the preferred option. Besides conferring all rights of citizenship in Turkey, this programme provides an entry into an up-to-date and strategically located Eurasian nation. Here we provide Path to Turkish Citizenship through real estate investment, estimated duration, and benefits for relatives

Acquiring Turkish Citizenship Through Property

The process of gaining Turkish citizenship through real estate investment has a clear and legal framework behind it. This channel has been quite attractive for investors due to its relative simplicity and potential for return on investment.

Key Investment Requirements:

• Minimum Investment Value: The cornerstone of this program is the acquisition of real estate with a minimum value of $400,000 USD or its equivalent in foreign currency or Turkish Lira. Moreover, This can be a single property or multiple properties, provided the total value meets the threshold.
• Eligible Real Estate:
  • Residential properties (apartments, villas)
  • Commercial properties (offices, shops, hotels)
  • Lastly, Land with established condominiums or buildings, or with an issued building permit. (Undeveloped land without such permits is generally not eligible).

• Holding Period: You must hold the purchased property for a minimum of three years. Authorities place an annotation on the title deed (Tapu) to enforce this restriction and block any sale during this period.

• Source of Property: You must purchase the property from Turkish citizens or Turkish companies.

• Valuation Report: An SPK-licensed (Capital Markets Board of Turkey) appraiser must issue an official property valuation report to confirm the property’s value.

• Transaction Process: You must make all property payments through a Turkish bank. You often need to obtain a currency exchange certificate (DAB) to document the conversion of foreign currency to Turkish Lira for the purchase.

• Certificate of Eligibility: After completing the purchase and required verifications, you must obtain a “Certificate of Eligibility” (Uygunluk Belgesi) from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

• Previous Use: The property must not have served in any previous citizenship by investment application.

Step-by-Step Application Process:

Obtain a Turkish Tax Identification Number: This is a prerequisite for most official transactions in Turkey.

1. Open a Turkish Bank Account: To begin with, you’ll need to open a bank account in Turkey. This is essential for processing the investment funds and completing official transactions.

2. Identify and Select Eligible Property: Once your bank account is set up. You can proceed to choose a property (or multiple properties) that meet the citizenship program’s eligibility criteria.

3. Obtain an Official Valuation Report: Next, commission a licensed appraiser—approved by the Capital Markets Board (SPK). To prepare a valuation report confirming that the property meets the minimum investment requirement.

4. Complete the Property Purchase: After securing the valuation report, transfer the required funds through your Turkish bank account and finalize the purchase. Be sure to register the title deed (Tapu) in your name. And ensure the mandatory “no sale for three years” annotation is added.

5. Obtain the Certificate of Eligibility: Following the purchase, apply to the Ministry of Environment. Urbanization and Climate Change to receive the Certificate of Eligibility (Uygunluk Belgesi). Which verifies that your investment qualifies for the citizenship program.

6. Apply for a Short-Term Residence Permit: With the eligibility certificate in hand, you and your spouse (if applicable) should apply for a short-term residence permit. Physical presence in Turkey is required for biometric data collection (fingerprinting).

7. Submit the Citizenship Application: Once the residence permit is issued and all required documents are gathered, submit your official citizenship application to the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü).

8. Application Review and Approval: Then, the authorities will carry out due diligence checks, including security and background verifications, to assess the legitimacy of the application.

How Long Does It Take?

Processing duration for Path to Turkish citizenship based on real estate investment. May vary depending upon nature of application and workload of involved government departments. However, following is a standard estimate:

• Property Search, Purchase, and Title Deed Registration: This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. Depending on how quickly you find a suitable property and complete the legalities.
• Obtaining Certificate of Eligibility and Residence Permit: This stage typically takes several weeks.
• Citizenship Application Processing: Once the formal citizenship application is submitted with all required documents. The processing time generally ranges from 3 to 8 months. Some sources indicate that the application review itself might take around 2 to 6 months.

So, from property investment all through until obtaining Turkish citizenship, applicants can generally expect that the entire process will take around 4 to 9 months, assuming that all is well and there are no unexpected delays.

Can the Whole Family Become Citizens?

Moreover, the Path to Turkish Citizenship through Investment programme is also advantageous for the direct family members of the primary applicant.

• Eligible Family Members:
  • The spouse of the main applicant.
  • The main applicant’s dependent children under the age of 18 at the time of application.

• Adult Children: Turkish authorities generally do not include children aged 18 and over under the main applicant’s investment. These adult children must either make their own qualifying investment or explore other residency and citizenship options in Turkey.

• Other Dependents: The government typically excludes parents or other dependents from the same citizenship application based on a single $400,000 investment. They may need to apply separately for residence permits.

Investing in Turkish real estate offers a tangible asset along with the significant benefit of citizenship for yourself and your eligible family members, opening up new opportunities in a country that bridges East and West. Further, always seek guidance from qualified legal and property experts who know about Turkey’s citizenship-by-investment program. Last but not least, for a compliant and hassle-free application.