Turkey Citizenship by Investment

Turkey grants citizenship by exception to foreigners who make a qualifying investment, under Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20 of its implementing regulation (Population and Citizenship Affairs, NVI). It isn't a visa. The investor gets a certificate of conformity, then a short-term residence permit, then files for citizenship, and the President makes the final decision.

• Status: active
• Property: at least $400,000, with a no-sale annotation on the title deed for 3 years
• Other investments: at least $500,000 in fixed capital, bank deposits, government debt, investment fund shares or private pensions
• Jobs: Employ at least 50 people, as certified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
• Result: Grants Turkish citizenship directly (by presidential decision); no prior residence period is required.

Remote workers who only want to live in Turkey for a while can compare the digital nomad visa in the Turkey guide.

The investment has to meet one of the Article 20 thresholds, confirmed by a certificate of conformity from the body in charge (NVI):

• Property: at least $400,000, with a no-sale annotation for 3 years. Certificate: General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
• Fixed capital: at least $500,000. Certificate: Ministry of Industry and Technology.
• Bank deposit: at least $500,000 in banks operating in Turkey, held 3 years. Certificate: Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.
• Government debt: at least $500,000, held 3 years. Certificate: Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
• Fund shares: real estate or venture capital investment fund shares worth at least $500,000, held 3 years. Certificate: Capital Markets Board.
• Private pension: contributions of at least $500,000, kept in the system 3 years. Certificate: Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency.
• Jobs: Employ at least 50 people, as certified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

NVI says there's no legal restriction by nationality, with one exception: Syrian nationals can't apply through a property purchase. Citizenship applications are open to holders of an investor residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law 6458 and to Turquoise Card holders.

NVI's FAQ doesn't say how spouses and children join an application, so families should confirm that with the provincial directorate before investing.

For the citizenship file, NVI lists:

• A passport or similar document showing nationality.
• Official documents from the home country showing identity and family ties, certified as required.
• Official documents showing marital status (single, married, divorced or widowed), with the full date of any marriage.
• The Vat-4 application form, signed by hand.
• A criminal record certificate from the home country, issued in the last six months.
• A receipt for the per-person citizenship application service fee, paid to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

For the property route, the government's property investment portal adds that the price must be confirmed by an amount determination certificate (TTB) based on a valuation report ordered through Webtapu. Since Jan. 6, 2022, the price has to be paid in foreign currency sold to a bank, shown by a currency purchase certificate.

The investment itself ($400,000 for property, $500,000 for the other routes) is the main cost, and it isn't a fee. The government charges that are documented are:

• Citizenship application service fee: a per-person fee paid to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance; NVI's FAQ gives the current amount.
• Residence permit: permit and card charges, shown on e-ikamet when applying.

The property route adds the valuation report behind the amount determination certificate, and a property purchase has its own taxes and fees. Neither NVI nor the property investment portal publishes an all-in total, so ranges quoted elsewhere aren't official.

1. Invest through one of the qualifying routes.
2. Certificate of conformity: the body in charge of that route confirms the investment meets Article 20.
3. Residence permit: apply for a short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law 6458 at the provincial migration directorate, or at the special joint offices in Istanbul and Ankara.
4. Citizenship file: with the certificate and permit, apply at the joint offices in Istanbul and Ankara or, elsewhere, the provincial population and citizenship directorate.
5. Decision: NVI reviews the file, and applications with no national security or public order obstacle go to the President, who decides.

NVI says the certificate, the permit application, the permit card and the citizenship application must be done in person, not through a representative. No official processing time is published.

• Citizenship: Grants Turkish citizenship directly (by presidential decision); no prior residence period is required. Once granted, it doesn't need renewing.
• Residence permit: the investor permit under Article 31(1)(j) is the step before the citizenship file, and it has to stay valid while the file is open.
• Holding period: the property, deposit, debt, fund or pension investment has to be kept for 3 years.

Short-term residence permits can't be extended once their conditions stop being met (Migration Management), so selling a qualifying investment early puts the permit at risk as well as the citizenship file.

The investment route carries no special tax regime. Tax follows residence: under Income Tax Law No. 193 (Article 4), a person who lives in Turkey continuously for more than 6 months in a calendar year, or is domiciled there, is tax resident and taxed on worldwide income.

Since June 4, 2026, Law 7582 exempts foreign income for 20 years for people who become tax resident after three calendar years with no domicile and no tax liability in Turkey. Investors planning to move should check whether they qualify, and how any tax treaty with their home country applies, before they arrive.