How to Get Turkish Citizenship by Investment? (2026)

Foreign nationals who wish to establish deeper ties with Turkey have a well-defined legal pathway available to them: acquiring Turkish citizenship through qualifying investments. This route does not require prior residency in Turkey, no language test is imposed, and the process is generally completed within three to six months. For many international investors, it represents one of the most practical and legally straightforward citizenship programs in the region.

Legal Framework

The legal basis for investment-based citizenship in Turkish law rests on Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. The relevant provision reads as follows:

Provided that there is no condition which may constitute an impediment in respect to national security and public order, foreigners who do not work in Turkey but will make investments within the scope and amount to be determined by the President, and their foreign spouse, minor or dependent foreign children of themselves and their spouses, may acquire Turkish citizenship by Presidential decree.

The specific investment categories and minimum thresholds are further defined in Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, most recently updated by Presidential Decree No. 5554 dated May 13, 2022. Under this framework, a foreign national who satisfies one of the prescribed investment conditions may apply for exceptional citizenship without going through the standard naturalization procedure, which ordinarily requires five years of continuous legal residence.

Investment Categories and Minimum Thresholds

Turkish law recognizes six distinct investment routes, each administered by a different regulatory authority and subject to its own procedural requirements.

The most widely used route is real estate acquisition. A foreign national may purchase residential or commercial property — or acquire a usufruct right or condominium ownership — with a minimum value of USD 400,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency. The property must be registered at the land registry directorate, and the buyer is required to have the land registry annotated with a pledge not to transfer or cancel the title for a period of three years. Prior to the title transfer, the foreign currency must be converted through a Turkish bank and sold to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, with a foreign exchange purchase certificate obtained as proof. The Certificate of Eligibility confirming that the investment meets the statutory requirements is issued by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

The second route is fixed capital investment. A foreign national who invests at least USD 500,000 in a Turkish legal entity through production-oriented assets — such as land, buildings, machinery or equipment — may qualify under this category. It is important to note that the mere purchase of real estate, without a broader production purpose, does not satisfy this particular route. The Ministry of Industry and Technology confirms the eligibility of the investment.

Bank deposit is the third option. An amount of at least USD 500,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency or Turkish lira must be deposited in a bank operating within the borders of the Turkish Republic — not in an overseas branch or affiliate of that bank — and must remain blocked for a minimum of three years. Different accounts at different banks may be combined to reach the threshold, provided each is individually blocked. Compliance is confirmed by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority (BDDK).

Government debt instruments represent a fourth pathway. A foreign national may purchase treasury bonds or similar government securities worth at least USD 500,000 and commit to holding them for no less than three years. The Ministry of Treasury and Finance issues the relevant eligibility confirmation.

The fifth route involves participation in real estate investment funds (GYF) or venture capital investment funds (GSYF). At least USD 500,000 must be invested in fund shares registered with the Central Securities Depository (MKK), and those shares must be retained for a minimum of three years without voluntary transfer or encumbrance. The Capital Markets Board of Turkey (SPK) oversees the process and issues the Certificate of Eligibility. Importantly, a decrease in share value caused by exchange rate fluctuations — rather than by the investor’s own actions — does not disqualify the application.

The sixth and final route is private pension contribution. A foreign national may deposit at least USD 500,000 into a private pension fund designated by the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency (SEDDK), with the commitment that the funds remain in the system for at least three years. The SEDDK provides the necessary confirmation of eligibility.

The Application Process

Regardless of which investment route is chosen, the procedural path toward citizenship follows the same three-stage structure under Turkish law.

The first stage is obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility from the relevant regulatory authority. This document confirms that the foreign national has made the required investment in compliance with the applicable rules. Each authority — whether the land registry directorate, BDDK, SPK, or another — has its own documentation requirements and review timelines. No citizenship application can proceed without this certificate.

The second stage is applying for a short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458. This investor residence permit is issued for up to five years and is renewable. It does not require the applicant to reside in Turkey during the permit period, making the program accessible to those who wish to maintain primary residence elsewhere. Applications for the residence permit and citizenship may be submitted concurrently through an authorized legal representative.

The third and final stage is the citizenship application itself, filed with the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü). The file is reviewed by the Ministry of Interior and, if no national security or public order concerns are identified, forwarded to the President of Turkey. Turkish citizenship is formally granted by Presidential decree.

Family Inclusion

One of the more notable features of the Turkish citizenship by investment program is the scope of family inclusion. The primary applicant’s foreign spouse and their minor or dependent children — including stepchildren — may be included in the same application without any additional investment requirement and without obtaining a separate residence permit. Only supplementary documentation is required for each family member, such as apostilled birth certificates and marriage certificates with certified Turkish translations. This family-inclusive structure distinguishes Turkish law from a number of comparable programs in other jurisdictions, where separate investment thresholds are sometimes imposed for accompanying family members.

General Eligibility Conditions

Beyond the investment threshold, applicants must satisfy a small number of general eligibility conditions. There must be no impediment to citizenship on grounds of national security or public order — an assessment conducted by the Ministry of Interior as part of the file review. Certain nationalities are excluded from the program under Turkey’s applicable regulations. The investment amount must originate from funds converted through Turkish banking channels, with a foreign exchange purchase certificate serving as documentary proof of the conversion. Applications submitted without proper source-of-funds documentation have increasingly faced scrutiny in recent years, in line with Turkey’s anti-money-laundering compliance framework.

 

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