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Citizenship by investment
TürkiyeTürkiye citizenship by investment · Turkish passport by investment
- From
- USD 400,000
- Timeline
- On request
Why Türkiye
Citizenship for life
Citizenship is for life.
Türkiye places no restrictions on dual citizenship.
Your spouse and dependent children up to 18 apply with you.
Visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to over 110 destinations.
How you qualify
Routes to citizenship in Türkiye
There is a minimum investment period of three years. ↗
Legal framework
The law behind the citizenship by investment
The figures on this page come from the law of Türkiye and the official pages of its authorities. We check them regularly.
- Last regulatory update
- 12 December 2023. Presidential Decision 7938 limited the real estate route to property with condominium ownership or easement, or land with a building on it. Source ↗
- Information checked
Last change: 2022
The thresholds have not changed since 13 June 2022: USD 400,000 in real estate, USD 500,000 in the other routes, or 50 jobs. Since 12 December 2023, only property with condominium ownership or easement, or built land, qualifies.
See all legislation (10)
How the program has changed
-
Jan 2017
Türkiye opens citizenship by investment. Council of Ministers Decision 2016/9601 ↗
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Sep 2018
Thresholds lowered; real estate from USD 250,000. Presidential Decision No. 106 ↗
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Jun 2022
Real estate threshold raised to USD 400,000. Presidential Decision No. 5554 ↗
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Dec 2023
Only condominium property or built land qualifies. Presidential Decision No. 7938 ↗
Legislation in force
| Legislation | What it covers | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 12(1)(b) ↗ | Exceptional acquisition of citizenship by investors | Official Gazette No. 27256, 12 June 2009 · 29 May 2009 |
| Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law (Decision 2010/139), art. 20 ↗ | Investment routes and thresholds (art. 20) | Official Gazette No. 27544, 6 April 2010 · 11 February 2010 |
| Council of Ministers Decision 2016/9601 (citizenship by investment added to art. 20) ↗ | Introduced citizenship by investment | Official Gazette, 12 January 2017 · 12 December 2016 |
| Council of Ministers Decision 2017/10008 (investment funds) ↗ | Added the investment fund route | In force 5 May 2017 · 13 March 2017 |
| Presidential Decision No. 106 (2018) ↗ | Procedural changes in 2018 | Official Gazette No. 30540, 19 September 2018 · 18 September 2018 |
| Presidential Decision No. 418 (2018) ↗ | Amendment to the investment rules | In force 7 December 2018 · 6 December 2018 |
| Presidential Decision No. 5072 (2022) ↗ | Currency and payment rules | Official Gazette No. 31711, 6 January 2022 · 5 January 2022 |
| Presidential Decision No. 5554 (USD 400,000 real estate threshold) ↗ | Real estate threshold of USD 400,000 and pension route | Official Gazette No. 31834, 13 May 2022 · 12 May 2022 |
| Presidential Decision No. 7938 (eligible real estate) ↗ | Eligible real estate for the program | Official Gazette No. 32397, 12 December 2023 · 11 December 2023 |
| Procedures and Principles for the Exceptional Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Foreign Investors (NVI) ↗ | Procedure for the certificate of eligibility | Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs |
Sources of the figures (4)
| # | Source | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, art. 20(2)(b) (mevzuat.gov.tr consolidated text) ↗ | From · Real estate |
| 2 | Regulation, art. 20(2)(b) ↗ | Holding period · Routes to citizenship in Türkiye |
| 3 | Regulation, art. 20(2)(a) ↗ | Bank deposit · Real estate fund · Capital investment · Government bonds |
| 4 | Regulation, art. 20(2)(c) ↗ | Job creation |
FAQs · Türkiye
What families ask about Türkiye
Short answers, each with its legal basis. Your advisor goes through the rest with you.
All questions, by countryWho can apply?
Foreign nationals who make one of the qualifying investments, obtain the certificate of eligibility from the competent ministry and hold a residence permit as an investor can apply for Turkish citizenship by exceptional acquisition, with their spouse and minor or dependent children. The decision is taken by the Presidency on the proposal of the Ministry of Interior.
Legal basis: Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 12(1)(b); Regulation 2010/139, art. 20 ↗
What is the minimum investment and which routes exist?
Real estate of at least USD 400,000 with a three-year no-sale annotation; or USD 500,000 in a bank deposit, in real estate or venture capital investment fund units, in government debt instruments, in fixed capital investment or in the private pension system, each held for three years; or the creation of jobs for at least 50 people. Amounts are in USD or the equivalent in foreign currency.
Do I have to keep the investment, and for how long?
Yes, for three years. Real estate carries a no-sale annotation on the title deed for three years, and deposits, fund units, government debt instruments and pension contributions are held for the same period. If the conditions are not kept, the citizenship decision can be cancelled under article 31 of the Citizenship Law.
Legal basis: Regulation 2010/139, art. 20; Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 31 ↗
Who can apply with me?
Your foreign spouse and the minor or dependent foreign children of you or your spouse acquire citizenship with you, under the same decision. Adult children and parents are not included; they would need their own route. Orience reviews each family's composition before the application.
Legal basis: Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, arts. 12 and 20 ↗
Can I keep my current passport?
Yes. The Turkish Citizenship Law provides for multiple citizenship: a person who acquires Turkish citizenship and holds another one simply has it recorded in the civil registry, and acquisition by investment does not require renunciation. Check that your home country allows a second nationality.
Legal basis: Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 44 ↗
Can my children and grandchildren inherit it?
Yes, without a generational limit. A child born inside or outside Türkiye to a Turkish mother or father is a Turkish citizen at birth, and the same rule applies to grandchildren. Minor children in your custody acquire citizenship with you when you are granted it, with the consent of the other parent where required.
Legal basis: Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, arts. 7 and 20 ↗
What are the steps?
First, the certificate of eligibility from the ministry that oversees your type of investment. Second, a residence permit under article 31(1)(j) of the Law on Foreigners from the provincial migration directorate. Third, the citizenship application at the provincial population and citizenship directorate or at the joint offices in Ankara and Istanbul. Orience coordinates the three with your lawyer.
Legal basis: Procedures and Principles for the Exceptional Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Foreign Investors (NVI) ↗
Which exchange rate applies to the USD thresholds?
The effective selling rate or cross rate of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye on the determination date. For real estate, that date is the date of the valuation and the title deed transaction, so the Turkish lira price must reach the USD threshold at that rate. Your advisor checks the rate before you sign.
Legal basis: Regulation 2010/139, art. 20 ↗
What happens if I sell before three years?
The conditions of the investment must be kept for the prescribed period. If they are lost, for example by selling the property or withdrawing the deposit before three years, the citizenship decision is cancelled under article 31 of the Citizenship Law. Orience reminds families of the date when the annotation can be lifted.
Legal basis: Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 31 ↗
How does the bank deposit route work?
You deposit USD 500,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency in a bank operating in Türkiye and hold it for three years. The foreign currency is sold to the Turkish bank and on to the Central Bank, and the Turkish lira proceeds are held in a lira deposit for the three years. The bank certifies the deposit for the certificate of eligibility.
Legal basis: Regulation 2010/139, art. 20, as amended by Presidential Decision No. 5072 ↗
Which real estate qualifies?
Property registered in your name at the Land Registry with a three-year no-sale annotation, or bought under a notarized promise-to-sell contract with the price paid, with a value of at least USD 400,000 supported by an official valuation report. Presidential Decision No. 7938 sets the conditions on the property and the seller; your lawyer checks them before you sign.
Legal basis: Presidential Decision No. 7938 (eligible real estate) ↗
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