Citizenship of Turkey by investment

We invite you to consider the opportunity to acquire second citizenship of Turkey by investment into real estate or business in the country. In the text below, you will find what procedures are involved in the process and what application documents are required. You will also learn how you can become a Turkish citizen at an affordable price in a fast and carefree manner with the help of a licensed immigration agent in Turkey.

Turkey is a unitary presidential republic with the population of more than 80 million people. The area of the country is 785.5 thousand square kilometers (over 303 square miles). The capital is Ankara and the largest city is Istanbul. The official language in the country is Turkish and the national currency is the Turkish lira. The neighboring countries are Iraq, Iran, Georgia, Syria, Azerbaijan, Greece, and Bulgaria.

There are several reasons why people from other countries would like to acquire Turkish citizenship. Some of them want to live in a sunny country by the sea all the year round and eat fresh natural food, others want to freely visit Turkey on vacations, still others seek new tax planning opportunities and the possibility to do business in Turkey and use the banking services available there.

Whatever your main reason is, acquiring citizenship of Turkey by investing into real property or business there is fast and easy. Please read on to find out what conditions have to be met and what documents need to be collected to become a Turkish citizen. We are going to dwell on the Turkish law “On Citizenship” and other relevant matters.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: Is dual citizenship allowed in Turkey?

The answer is affirmative: the Turkish legislation does allow multiple citizenship. There is a requirement that when a Turkish citizen acquires citizenship of a foreign country, he/ she has to notify the Turkish authorities about this fact. It can be done at a Turkish diplomatic mission abroad by submitting the Turkish passport, the military service card (for men), the marriage certificate (if applicable), and four photographs.

You have to bear in mind, however, that some national legislations disallow having dual citizenship. Thus, you have to clarify with your home country authorities if you are going to face any problems when applying for foreign citizenship. Normally, everything works out fine even in the countries that do not permit dual citizenship. China is one of such countries but the local authorities pretend that they are unaware of the fact that many Chinese citizens purchase foreign citizenship. The reason for this is quite clear: the population of China exceeds 1.3 billion people and nobody will be hurt if some Chinese move to other places on the planet.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: financial and other conditions

Citizenship of Turkey is granted to foreign nationals in exchange for investment in accordance with the law “On Citizenship of Turkey” № 5091. An important amendment to the law was introduced on September 18, 2018 when the minimum required investment amount was lowered from 1,000,000 US dollars to 250,000 US dollars. From June 13, 2022, new rules come into force that increase the previous investment threshold by 60%. Now, the required amount of investment will be 400,000 US dollars.

The Turkish legislation requires that each application for citizenship of the country shall be approved by the immigration authorities. The foreign applicant shall be a law-abiding person of age.

The following investment options are available to those wishing to acquire citizenship of Turkey by investment:

(I) Purchase of real property in Turkey that is worth at least US$ 250,000 (or the equivalent in the Turkish lira or any other currency); from June 13, 2022, the threshold is raised to US$ 400,000. The property shall remain in the foreign investor’s possession for three years and besides, the purchase has to be approved by the Ministry of Environment and Urban Development.

(II) Investment of at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into the charter capital of a Turkish-based company that is approved for this purpose by the Ministry of Industry and Economy.

(III) Establishment of a business company in Turkey that will create at least 50 jobs for Turkish residents.

(IV) Deposit of at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into a Turkish bank. It has to be a fixed-term three-year bank deposit.

(V) Purchase of state bonds that are worth at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency). The bonds shall remain in the foreign investor’s possession for three years.

(VI) Investment of at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into an investment fund or a venture fund. The share of the fund ownership shall remain in the foreign investor’s possession for three years.

(VII) Placement of at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in other foreign currency) to a private pension fund for a three-year period. Approval by the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency is required.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: where the application has to be submitted

In accordance with Article 3 of the abovementioned Law, the following state bodies are authorized to accept applications for Turkish citizenship from foreign nationals:

• The Central Civil Status Registration Department;
• Provincial Civil Status Registration Departments;
• Turkish diplomatic missions in foreign countries (embassies, consulates-general, and consulates).   

You can file an application for Turkish citizenship to any of these organizations. As the list of authorized bodies includes Turkish embassies and consulates, de jure, you do not have to visit Turkey to submit the application for citizenship of the country.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the application process and the required documents

To start the application process, the foreign candidate for Turkish citizenship has to fill out the initial application form (https://www.nvi.gov.tr/PublishingImages/Lists/Duyurular/AllItems/5901-12-B_On%20Basvuru_Formu.pdf) and attach all the supporting documents that the chosen investment option requires. These documents are listed on the website.

The initial application form will contain personal data of the applicant including his/ her contact information. Completion of this document presupposes granting Turkish authorities access to the applicant’s personal information.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: documents required for the initial application

The following documents have to be submitted regardless of the investment option that you choose:

	Document name	Clarification
1.	The foreign investor’s passport copy	The passport copy has to be translated into the Turkish language and notarized.
2.	A copy of a residential certificate (a document certifying the applicant’s residential address in a foreign country or in Turkey) or a Turkish turquoise card	This document has to be notarized.   The procedure of applying for a Turkish residence permit, or a turquoise card, is started at the same moment that the procedure of applying for citizenship of the country starts. This accelerate citizenship acquisition.
3.	Letter of consent	This document has to be issued by a notary public and it has to state the consent of the applicant to give the Turkish authorities access to the information about the applicant’s bank deposits, securities owned as well as information from Trade Register and Land Register pertaining to the property owned by the applicant. The document has to state consent of the applicant to use the bank statements and the extracts from the Registers in the processing of the application documents.
4.	Confirmation of the payment of the state duty	The foreign applicant for Turkish citizenship has to pay a state duty of 15 Turkish liras.

There are additional application documents to be supplied. Their lists will depend on the investment option that you have chosen. In any case, the application document collecting should be done with care as an incomplete package of application documents may lead to the rejection of the application for citizenship of Turkey by investment.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing real property in the country

When you buy real property in Turkey that is worth at least US$ 250,000 (US$ 400,000 from June 13, 2022) and you intend to keep it in your possession for at least three years, you are eligible to apply for Turkish citizenship. You have to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Ministry of the Environment and Urban Development for a conformity certificate. The Ministry officers will inform you about the documents that you have to bring in order to obtain the certificate.  
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing all the documents specified above and below including the conformity certificate.  
• The assessment of the property that you own will be made by the authorized Government agency and its worth has to be not less than US$ 250,000 at the time when the assessment is made.
• The minimum worth of property of US$ 250,000 is applicable only to those pieces of real estate that were purchased after September 18, 2018, and before June 13, 2022. After that, the minimum property worth will increase to US$ 400,000.
• The state body that you have applied to will consider your application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

	Documents required for obtaining Turkish citizenship by purchasing real estate	Clarification
1	Conformity certificate	It can be obtained from the Ministry of the Environment and Urban Development upon submission of the necessary documents (such as an extract from the land cadaster and the like).
2	Property assessment certificate	A licensed property assessor has to assess the property. The Certificate shall indicate its market price.
3	A copy of the property registration certificate from the land cadaster	This document has to be obtained from the territorial division of the land cadaster where the property is located.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by investing into a business company in the country

A foreign national who has invested at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into a Turkish-based corporation is entitled to apply for citizenship of the country. He or she has to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Ministry of Industry and Technology for a conformity certificate. The Ministry officers will inform you about the documents that you have to bring in order to obtain the certificate. 
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing all the documents specified above and below including the conformity certificate. 
• The state body that the candidate for citizenship has applied to will consider the application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

	Documents required for obtaining Turkish citizenship by investing into a business corporation in the country	Clarification
1.	Conformity certificate	It can be obtained from the Ministry of Industry and Technology upon submission of the necessary documents (such as a bank statement and the like).
2.	A document containing information about the company	It can be obtained from the local trade register.
3.	A completed investment form
4.	A copy of the document that shows the corporate structure of the company where the capital is invested, its stockholders, and its total net worth.	It can be obtained from the local trade register.
5.	A special report from a licensed accountant confirming the investment amount.	The report has to confirm that an investment of at least US$ 500,000 has been made by the applicant to the charter capital of the company. A bank slip has to accompany the report. ​

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by creating new jobs in the county

A foreign national who has created at least 50 new jobs in Turkey and who has been able to confirm it with the Ministry of Labor and Social Infrastructure is entitled to apply for citizenship of the country. He or she has to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Ministry of Labor and Social Infrastructure for a conformity certificate. The Ministry officers will inform you about the documents that you have to bring in order to obtain the certificate. 
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing the documents specified above and the conformity certificate. Additional documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship via this particular investment option have not been specified by the Government of the country.
• The state body that the candidate for citizenship has applied to will consider the application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by making a deposit in a bank in the country

A foreign national who has deposited at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into a Turkish-based bank is entitled to apply for citizenship of the country on the condition that the money will remain intact for three years. He or she has to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Bank Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) for a conformity certificate. The Ministry officers will inform you about the documents that the applicant has to bring in order to obtain the certificate. 
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing all the documents specified above and below including the conformity certificate. 
• The state body that the candidate for citizenship has applied to will consider the application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

	Documents required for obtaining Turkish citizenship by depositing money in a Turkish bank	Clarification
1	Conformity certificate	It can be obtained from the Bank Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) upon submission of the necessary documents (such as a bank statement and the like).
2	A copy of the bank slip	It can be obtained from the bank where the deposit is made.
3	The deposit certificate	It can be obtained from the bank.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing state bonds

A foreign national who has purchased Turkish Government bonds that are worth at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) is entitled to apply for citizenship of the country on the condition that the bonds will remain in his/ her possession for three years. He or she has to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Ministry of Finance for a conformity certificate. The Ministry officers will inform you about the documents that the applicant has to bring in order to obtain the certificate. 
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing all the documents specified above and below including the conformity certificate. 
• The state body that the candidate for citizenship has applied to will consider the application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

	Documents required for obtaining Turkish citizenship by purchasing state bonds	Clarification
1	Conformity certificate	It can be obtained from the Ministry of Finance upon submission of the documents that the Ministry will request.
2	A document that certifies the purchase of Government bonds of the required worth	It can be obtained from the bank through which the payment has been made or from an intermediary company.
3	A document certifying the registration of the account when the bonds are deposited	It can be obtained from the bank or from an intermediary company.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the procedures and the documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by putting money in an investment fund or a venture fund in the country

A foreign national who has invested at least US$ 500,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into an investment fund or a venture fund in Turkey entitled to apply for citizenship of the country on the condition that the investment will remain intact for three years. He or she has to perform the following actions in order to become a full citizen of Turkey:

• Apply to the Capital Market Board for a conformity certificate. The Board officers will inform the applicant about the documents that he/ she has to supply in order to obtain the certificate. 
• Apply to one of the authorized state bodies (a Civil Status Registration Department or an embassy) for citizenship of Turkey while bringing the documents specified above and the conformity certificate. Additional documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship via this particular investment option have not been specified by the Government of the country.
• The state body that the candidate for citizenship has applied to will consider the application.
• The application for Turkish citizenship can be signed and submitted by the applicant personally or via an authorized agent acting on a Power of Attorney.

Procedures and documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship by investing in a private pension fund

The law establishes the following sequence of actions:

• The investor applies to the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency for obtaining a certificate of conformity/suitability. The Agency requests general documents and a package of supporting documentation (the exact list has not yet been published by the relevant authorities/institutions).
• The competent authority prepares an application-petition in respect of the applicant.
• The application is signed personally by the applicant or a lawyer/agent with a power of attorney.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the actions to perform after filing the initial application

How does the process of Turkish citizenship acquisition continue after the initial application has been submitted? It depends on what state body is considering the application.

If the application has been submitted to the central Civil Status Registration Department	If the application has been submitted to a provincial Civil Status Registration Department	If the application has been submitted to a diplomatic mission of Turkey abroad
The central Civil Status Registration Department processes the initial application.	The provincial Civil Status Registration Department processes the initial application.	The officers of the foreign diplomatic mission process the initial application.
The application document package is inspected for completeness and accuracy of information.	The application document package is inspected for completeness and accuracy of information.	The application document package is inspected for completeness and accuracy of information.
The central Civil Status Registration Department makes a request to the corresponding state agency to find out if the investment obligations have been fulfilled by the applicant for Turkish citizenship.	The provincial Civil Status Registration Department makes a request to the corresponding state agency to find out if the investment obligations have been fulfilled by the applicant for Turkish citizenship.	The foreign diplomatic mission makes a request to the corresponding state agency to find out if the investment obligations have been fulfilled by the applicant for Turkish citizenship.
The corresponding Ministry or state agency determines if the applicant for Turkish citizenship has fulfilled the investment requirements and explicate their conclusion to the central Civil Status Registration Department.	The corresponding Ministry or state agency determines if the applicant for Turkish citizenship has fulfilled the investment requirements and explicate their conclusion to the central Civil Status Registration Department.	The corresponding Ministry or state agency determines if the applicant for Turkish citizenship has fulfilled the investment requirements and explicate their conclusion to the central Civil Status Registration Department.
The central Civil Status Registration Department files a request for the investor’s residential address registration to a provincial Turkish Department or to a foreign diplomatic mission if the applicant for citizenship resides abroad.	The central Civil Status Registration Department files a request for the investor’s residential address registration to a provincial Turkish Department or to a foreign diplomatic mission if the applicant for citizenship resides abroad.	The central Civil Status Registration Department files a request for the investor’s residential address registration to a provincial Turkish Department or to a foreign diplomatic mission if the applicant for citizenship resides abroad.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: documents required for citizenship acquisition

	Document name
1	Application form where the request for Turkish citizenship is stated.
2	Applicant’s passport or another national ID. If the applicant is a person without citizenship, any document that defines the applicant’s status shall be submitted.
3	A document defining the applicant’s marital status. If the applicant is married, the marriage certificate is required. If divorced, the divorce certificate is required. If widowed, the spouse’s death certificate is required.
4	If the foreign investor is applying for Turkish citizenship with his/ her family, the children’s birth certificates are required. Relations of kin in the family have to be confirmed by documents.
5	If the applicant has first- or second-degree relatives who are citizens of Turkey, copies of their birth certificates have to be obtained from the corresponding Civil Status Registration Department.
6	If the applicant’s date of birth is not indicated in his/ her identification documents, some other document has to be supplied that indicates the applicant’s date of birth.
7	A bank slip confirming the payment of the state duty.

Then the central Civil Status Registration Department completes the application processing and sends the request for Turkish citizenship to the Ministry of the Interior on behalf of the foreign applicant. The President of Turkey grants citizenship of the country to foreign nationals who have met all the application requirements.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: acquisition timeframe

After all the application documents have been collected and submitted to the Turkish authorities, between three and twelve months is going to pass before citizenship of Turkey is granted to the foreign applicant.

According to the latest news, the Government of Turkey intends to accelerate the process of citizenship acquisition by foreign investors. In particular, ‘investor support offices’ have been set up in Ankara and Istanbul.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: additional administrative expenses

The state duty that the foreign applicant for citizenship of Turkey has to pay to the central Civil Status Registration Department or the provincial Department or the foreign embassy is 15 Turkish liras.

However, other expenses have to be incurred when notarizing and legalizing the application documents. The amounts of these expenses can vary depending on the document type and the servicing professional/ organization.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: the benefits

Turkey has a dynamically developing economy. The availability of young qualified personnel and the strategic geographical position of the country (Turkey is located at the crossroads between Asia and Europe) make it a perfect platform where you can start or develop a business.

Foreign applicants are entitled to buy any real property in the country that they wish. The infrastructure in Turkey has been actively developing over the recent years, which also makes the country an attractive place where you can relocate.

The key benefits of acquiring Turkish citizenship are as follows:

• The Turkish passports can be issued to all members of the applicant’s family.
• The citizenship acquisition timeframe is reasonable in Turkey.
• You can return your investments after three years while retaining citizenship of the country.
• Free world-class education opportunities can be found in Turkey.
• Turkey has the 17^th largest economy in the world.
• You do not have to live in Turkey to remain its citizen.
• The Turkish passport is easy to renew.
• The real estate prices have been steadily growing in the country for several years.
• You do not have to declare your income nor your assets when applying for Turkish citizenship.
• The Turkish passport gives visa-free access to a large number of foreign states.
• It also allows obtaining a non-immigration E-2 visa to the United States.

Citizenship of Turkey by investment: expert’s assistance

Now you know what procedures are involved in, and what documents are required for, acquiring citizenship of Turkey by investment. If you would like to obtain a second passport of Turkey, please apply for our assistance.

We have scrutinized the Turkish law ‘On citizenship’ and we can help you choose the investment option that will suit you better than others will. If you would like to purchase real property in Turkey that will make you qualified to apply for citizenship of the country, we can help you make the best choice. If you would like to go into business in the country, we can assist with that too. We will be happy to lead you through all stages of the application process providing all the necessary support.

Besides, we will connect you with a reliable immigration agent in Turkey who will help you fill out all the documents correctly and file the application for citizenship on your behalf.

The Turkish immigration agent’s service fees
A single applicant – minimum fee	US$25,000
A family application – minimum fee	US$30,000*
*This amount covers the costs of the immigration agent’s services if a family of not more than five members (the main applicant plus up to four dependents) are applying for Turkish citizenship. An additional fee will be charged for every extra family member.

After you and your family become citizens of Turkey, our experts will also gladly assist you in acquiring tax residency in, and relocating to, a warm and prosperous country where you can live in comfort.

Please fill out the questionnaire below to help us help you select the best citizenship by investment opportunity.