Turkish Citizenship by Investment: Property, Deposits and Family Applications
A guide to the property and deposit routes, linking investment certification with residence, family eligibility, citizenship and the holding period.
Investment and citizenship approval are separate stages. See the text for fees, family and currency conditions.
Turkey’s property and bank-deposit citizenship routes require, respectively, qualifying property worth at least US$400,000 or a qualifying deposit of at least US$500,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency. Both involve a holding commitment of at least 3 years. Investment certification, the prescribed residence procedure and citizenship assessment still follow; a bank or property seller does not decide whether nationality is granted.[1][2]
A family needs to connect three decisions: whether it is comfortable holding the asset, whether the investment qualifies for citizenship purposes, and how each family member can apply. The minimum price does not resolve all three.
Decide which asset the family is willing to hold
| Decision point | Property route | Deposit route |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum amount | US$400,000 or equivalent foreign currency | US$500,000 or equivalent foreign currency |
| Core holding condition | Title restriction preventing resale for at least 3 years | Qualifying deposit not withdrawn for at least 3 years |
| Management focus | Eligibility, title, purchase, maintenance and sale | Conversion, account restrictions, maturity and transfer out |
| Investment certification | Relevant property authorities | Banking regulator |
The US$100,000 difference between the thresholds is not a fixed difference in total cost. Property can involve transaction taxes, valuation, maintenance and sale expenses. Deposits involve account terms, foreign exchange, charges and applicable taxes. Family application, translation, certification and professional costs also require funding outside the qualifying capital.[1]
A useful question is whether the household could tolerate the asset’s risks and restricted access even before considering citizenship. That helps avoid choosing a property simply because its entry threshold is lower, while taking on a management commitment the family does not want.
Connect the property price with qualifying evidence
The property must meet the eligibility and value requirements, with the relevant restriction entered on the title. The official investment guidance advises checking mortgages, liens and other encumbrances before the land-registry procedure. A contract alone does not transfer ownership.[1]
The land-registry authority’s document directory separately lists the applicable guidance and the certificate for determining the amount recognised for citizenship. Families should use the relevant requirements to examine title, value recognition and payment evidence before making an irreversible commitment. The sale price on a contract should not, by itself, be treated as confirmation that the entire arrangement qualifies.[4]
Intended use matters too. Suitability as a family home and eligibility for citizenship are separate assessments. Neither future rent nor resale value is guaranteed by the property’s qualifying status.
Distinguish a dollar threshold from a lira deposit
The published threshold is US$500,000 or its foreign-currency equivalent. The central bank’s implementing instruction requires the relevant foreign currency to be sold through a bank to the central bank. For the deposit route, the resulting Turkish lira must be held in a lira deposit for 3 years, with the conversion and deposit handled by the same bank. The current instruction is dated 1 October 2026; the older date in its URL does not identify the current contents.[3]
Before committing funds, the applicant should understand the lira amount received, the restricted balance, renewal of the bank product and the terms governing returns and charges. The lira principal, nominal interest and the dollars ultimately available after conversion are different figures. Using a deposit for citizenship does not remove currency risk.
The product’s maturity date may also differ from the date on which the citizenship-related restriction ends. Both matter for planning access to the money. The passport issue date should not simply be substituted for the start of the deposit commitment.
Follow the certification and application sequence
The General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs describes a sequence involving a certificate of conformity, the short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of the foreigners legislation, and the exceptional-citizenship application. Different authorities exercise responsibility for the investment, residence and nationality stages.[2]
A completed purchase or bank record proves only part of that sequence. Identity, civil status, birth and other required background documentation still need to be supplied. Consistent names, dates of birth and family relationships help the records connect across the different procedures.
Assess the family before counting applicants
The relevant exceptional-citizenship provisions can cover the investor’s foreign spouse and the investor’s or spouse’s foreign minor or dependent children. Whether a child qualifies through dependency requires assessment of the actual circumstances. Student-age thresholds used by other countries should not be imported into the Turkish route.[2]
Remarried households, children from earlier relationships and special custody arrangements should establish the legal family and guardianship evidence before deciding how to submit. Investment certification does not replace each relative’s documentation. Preparing together also does not guarantee identical approval or document-issue dates.
Plan beyond citizenship approval
After citizenship is granted, identity-card and passport procedures still have to be completed. Any unexpired property or deposit holding obligation continues. Receiving a travel document does not authorise an early sale or withdrawal of restricted funds.[1][2]
At the end of 3 years, the price and timing of a property sale depend on the market and transaction. Access to a deposit, currency conversion and transfer abroad depend on release of the restriction, the account contract and bank procedures. The holding period sets a compliance framework; it does not guarantee recovery of the original value or immediate liquidity.
A complete family plan starts with the asset decision, works through individual eligibility and the application stages, and extends to living funds during the commitment and the eventual exit. That allows the purpose of the citizenship to be assessed alongside the economic conditions accepted to obtain it.
Official sources
- Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Investment and Finance Office — Acquiring property and citizenship
- NVI — Türk vatandaşlığının kazanılması
- Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye — Citizenship foreign-exchange implementing instruction
- TKGM — Citizenship through property: current document directory
General policy information; individual circumstances and the competent authority’s requirements govern each application.