What limits apply to foreigners buying property in Türkiye? The USD 400,000 citizenship requirement, the 3-year no-sale annotation and valuation report rules are here.
The Edremit Gulf is a region that also attracts foreign buyers. Selling to a foreigner, or acquiring property as a foreigner, is subject to additional rules compared with a sale between Turkish citizens. In this guide we summarize Article 35 of the Land Registry Law, the conditions for citizenship by investment and the valuation report rule, based on the legislative texts.
Who can acquire property?
Under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law, subject to compliance with legal restrictions and having regard to international bilateral relations and the country's interests, foreign natural persons who are citizens of the countries determined by the President may acquire real estate and limited real rights in Türkiye. The President may also restrict, suspend or prohibit acquisitions in terms of country, person, region, period, number, ratio, type and area.
Commercial companies established abroad under their own laws can acquire real estate only within the framework of special legal provisions.
Area limits
- The total area of real estate acquired by foreign natural persons, together with independent and permanent limited real rights, cannot exceed ten percent of the surface area of the district that is subject to private ownership.
- Per person it cannot exceed thirty hectares across the country; the President may increase this amount up to double.
- Foreigners who acquire undeveloped real estate (a plot) must submit the project they will develop to the relevant Ministry for approval within two years.
Military prohibited, security and strategic zones
Article 35 provides that the maps and coordinate information of military prohibited zones, military security zones, strategic zones and special security zones will be given by the relevant ministries to the Ministry to which TKGM is affiliated, and that title deed transactions will be carried out according to this information. For this reason, in a sale of real estate to a foreigner, the property's relation to these zones is taken into account by the land registry office. The article also provides sanctions for real estate acquired in violation of the rules or found to be used contrary to the purpose of acquisition.
Valuation report
TKGM's Circular No. 2024/2 regulates the procedure of valuation reports to be used in the real estate acquisitions of foreigners and in some title deed transactions. The application is made through Web Tapu; the report is assigned through TADEBİS to an authorized valuation firm, approved with an e-signature and sent to the land registry system. According to the current text of the Circular, the validity period of reports to be used in title deed transactions is 12 months.
Turkish citizenship through real estate investment
Under Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, a foreigner who meets one of the following conditions may acquire Turkish citizenship by Presidential decision. The real-estate-related condition is as follows:
- Buying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency, with a condominium ownership or condominium easement established, or a plot with a building on it, on condition that a no-sale-for-three-years annotation is placed in the title deed records; or
- A promise to sell the real estate through a promise-to-sell contract drawn up at a notary, where condominium ownership or condominium easement has been established, at least USD 400,000 is paid in advance and an undertaking that no transfer or deregistration will be made for three years is annotated in the land register.
In both cases the determination is made by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. The wording “a plot with a condominium ownership or condominium easement established, or with a building on it” was introduced by the amendment published in the Official Gazette dated 12.12.2023; buying an undeveloped plot does not meet this condition.
Who follows the process?
According to the regulation, a commission made up of representatives of the relevant ministries may be established within the Ministry of the Interior to follow citizenship applications relating to these investments. The procedures and principles to be applied in determining whether the investment conditions are met are set by the institution making the determination. The regulation also states that transferability between the types of investment counted for completing the three-year period is possible.
Currency and exchange rate rules
- According to the regulation, the foreign currency amount in the real estate condition is sold before the transaction to a bank operating in Türkiye, and by the bank to the Central Bank.
- In determining monetary values, the CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye) effective selling rate on the date of determination and/or the cross rate is the basis.
- Valuation reports may be prepared by any SPK-licensed valuation firm (TKGM Circular).
Checklist for seller and buyer
- Confirm with the land registry office whether the buyer's nationality is among those that can acquire real estate.
- Check the nature of the property: if citizenship is the goal, it must be a condominium ownership/easement or a plot with a building on it.
- Make the valuation report application before the title deed appointment; follow the report's validity period.
- In a citizenship application, state clearly in the sale contract that the three-year no-sale annotation will be entered in the title deed.
- Ensure the payment is made through a bank channel and is documented.
- If a plot is bought, plan for the two-year project submission obligation.
Because rules may be updated by Presidential decisions and regulation amendments, we recommend confirming the current text with the land registry office on the transaction date. Aktif Emlak can help you plan the document list and appointment process in sales to foreign buyers; it would be appropriate to get support from a lawyer for the citizenship application.
