The phrase "Turkish retirement visa" appears in a great many brochures and in no Turkish statute. What exists is a short-term residence permit with a list of grounds, a property threshold that was raised in October 2023, a map of districts where a first permit cannot be anchored, a health insurance rule that switches off at 65, and, since June 2026, a tax regime that changes the arithmetic for anyone arriving with a pension and savings abroad.
I act for retirees from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and the Nordic countries who are settling on the Antalya and Aegean coasts, and this page is the briefing I give them before they sign anything. It is written from the texts, with the paragraph numbers, because the difference between a comfortable retirement here and a difficult one is usually a paragraph nobody read.
Sources, checked 9 September 2026. Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 30 to 33 and 42 to 45; the Presidency of Migration Management's published document list for short-term residence permit applications (e-İkamet) and its residence FAQ; the Presidency's notices on closed neighbourhoods of 1 July 2022 and on Istanbul districts; Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510, Articles 60(1)(d), 61(1)(c), 80 and 81(f); Income Tax Law No. 193, Article 23(13) and repeated Article 20/D; Inheritance and Gift Tax Law No. 7338, Article 16; Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 11; the income tax treaties of Turkey with the United States (1996), the United Kingdom (1986), Germany (2011), the Netherlands (1986) and Canada (2009), pension articles read from the official texts; the Social Security Institution's list of bilateral agreements in force; the UK government's list of countries where the State Pension is uprated.
The permit a retiree actually gets
Article 30 of Law 6458 lists six residence permits. None of them is for retirement. Retirees use the short-term permit in Article 31, whose first paragraph sets out the grounds on which it may be granted. Three of them carry retirees:
| Ground (Art. 31(1)) | What it requires in practice | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| (b) owning immovable property in Turkey | A residential property worth at least USD 200,000 in Turkish lira at the date of acquisition, used by you as a home and not let out | Up to two years per issue (Art. 31(2)) |
| (e) staying for tourism purposes | A travel and accommodation plan plus proof of sufficient and regular income | Up to two years per issue; in practice shorter and at the discretion of the provincial directorate |
| (j) investing at a level set by the President, without working | The investment categories fixed by presidential decision; family included | Up to five years per issue (Art. 31(5)) |
The property ground is the one most retirees end up on, because the tourism ground has become unpredictable. Article 31(1)(e) still exists, but provincial directorates have narrowed it sharply since 2022, and an application that rests on "I am here as a tourist" with a hotel booking is the application most often refused or shortened to a few months. A home you own is a fact the directorate can verify against the land registry, and the published document list treats it as the primary anchor.
Article 32 adds the general conditions: the ground must be evidenced, you must not fall under the entry-ban provision in Article 7, you must have accommodation meeting general health and safety standards, you must give your Turkish address, and you must produce a criminal-record certificate from your home country if asked. Article 33 lets the directorate refuse, cancel or refuse to renew if a condition falls away or the permit is being used for a purpose other than the one it was granted for, and its second paragraph sends the rules on cancellation for time spent outside Turkey to the implementing regulation.
The property route in detail: the number, and the two conditions people miss
The USD 200,000 figure is not in the statute. It comes from the Presidency's requirements, which the published document list states as follows: the residence must belong to the applicant, evidenced by the title deed, and "the value of the residence at the date of acquisition must be at least the Turkish lira equivalent of 200 thousand US dollars". A 2024 amendment to Article 31 added a sixth paragraph confirming that the nature and value of qualifying property is set by the Ministry, which is the statutory hook for that figure and for any future change.
Two conditions attached to the property ground are missed more often than the threshold. First, the property must be a residence, and the document list says in terms that it "cannot be used for rent or similar income-generating purposes". A retiree who lets the apartment for the summer and travels is using the permit's basis for something the basis excludes, which is the Article 33 cancellation ground in its purest form. Second, if the home was acquired by inheritance or gift, the directorate wants a current valuation report rather than the deed price. For a purchase, the deed price is the figure, which is why the sale price recorded at the land registry matters for immigration as much as for tax. Family members who co-own must prove the family tie, and renewals need a "tapu devam belgesi", the registry's confirmation that you still own the property.
If you have not yet bought, read the property-based residence page and the buyer's guide before choosing where, because the next section decides whether the flat can carry a permit at all.
Where a first permit cannot be anchored
Since 1 July 2022 the Presidency has kept 1,169 neighbourhoods in 62 provinces closed to new foreign registration, up from 781, with exceptions only for newborns and nuclear-family reunification. In Istanbul the Presidency's own statement lists ten districts closed to new residence permit applications: Fatih and Esenyurt since January 2021, and Avcılar, Bahçelievler, Başakşehir, Bağcılar, Esenler, Küçükçekmece, Sultangazi and Zeytinburnu since October 2022, together with 54 individual neighbourhoods elsewhere in the city. The same statement rejects a rumour that 39 Istanbul districts had been closed, which tells you how much noise surrounds this list.
For a retiree the rule is mechanical. A qualifying home inside a closed neighbourhood does not produce a first permit, however far above the threshold its price sits. Before any deposit is paid, the exact neighbourhood, not the district, is checked against the current list, and the check is repeated before completion because the list moves. On the southern coast, where most retirees buy, the closed areas are fewer and mostly urban; but "mostly" is not a basis for a purchase.
Health insurance, and the switch at 65
Every short-term permit application must show health cover for the period requested. The document list accepts four forms: a certificate from the provincial social security office that you are covered under a bilateral social security agreement; a Social Security Institution entitlement certificate; proof that you have applied to join general health insurance; or a private policy. Under 65, the private policy is what most newcomers use, and the Presidency's FAQ refers applicants to the minimum cover set by its 2016 circular. The FAQ also answers the question that matters to this readership: for short-term permits, applicants under 18 and over 65 select the corresponding option in the online form and no insurance is required; over-65 applicants for a long-term permit need only a document showing that insurance could not be obtained.
State cover is available later. Under Article 60(1)(d) of Law 5510, a foreign national holding a residence permit who is not insured under another country's legislation counts as a general health insurance participant, subject to reciprocity; Article 61(1)(c) times it from the day after you apply, once your residence in Turkey has exceeded one year. The premium base for this group is twice the daily minimum earnings floor for thirty days, in substance twice the gross minimum wage, and the rate for people who are only health-insured is 12% of that base under Article 81(f). Retirees from countries whose social security agreement with Turkey covers health care, which the Institution's list identifies as including Germany and the Netherlands, may be able to use the first route instead. Turkey's agreements in force run to 35 states, including the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Canada; the United States, Australia, Finland and Ireland are not on the list.
Your pension and Turkish tax
Two provisions of the Income Tax Law do most of the work, and they operate on different pensions.
Article 23(13) exempts "retirement, disability, widow's and orphan's pensions paid by social security institutions located in foreign countries". A state pension from the United Kingdom, a Social Security benefit from the United States, an Old Age Security payment from Canada or a German statutory pension is inside that wording, and it has been for decades. Nothing about 2026 changed it.
Repeated Article 20/D, inserted by Law 7582 and in force since 4 June 2026, covers everything else you earn abroad: occupational and private pensions, dividends, interest, fund income and rent from a home you kept. If you become tax-resident in Turkey from 1 January 2026 and had neither a Turkish domicile nor a Turkish income tax liability in the three preceding calendar years, that income is exempt for twenty years, is not declared, and carries no foreign tax credit. The conditions and the same-year certificate deadline are set out in our page on the twenty-year exemption, and the deadline is the reason the tax application belongs in the same month as the residence application. A retiree who has rented out a Turkish flat before moving is not disqualified; a retiree who once drew a Turkish salary is.
| Income of a retiree resident in Turkey | Turkish position |
|---|---|
| State or social security pension from abroad | Exempt under Art. 23(13), with or without the 20/D certificate |
| Occupational or private pension from abroad | Exempt for twenty years under Art. 20/D if you qualify; otherwise taxable on the ordinary scale |
| Dividends, interest, fund income from abroad | Same as the line above |
| Rent from property abroad | Same as the line above |
| Rent from your Turkish flat, if you let it | Taxable in Turkey; also a permit problem on the property ground |
| Interest on a Turkish deposit | Turkish-source, withheld at source, outside 20/D |
Which country taxes the pension first
Turkey exempting a pension does not stop the paying country from taxing it. That is a treaty question, and the treaties are not alike. I have read five pension articles from the official texts; the table states what each says, not what agents summarise.
| Treaty | Private and occupational pensions | State social security pension | Government-service pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (1996), Art. 18–19 | Taxable only in the state of residence | Taxable only in the paying state, and also where paid to a US citizen | Taxable only in the paying state, unless the recipient is a resident and national of the other state |
| United Kingdom (1986), Art. 18–19 | Taxable only in the state of residence | The agreement has no separate social security paragraph; the State Pension is taxed where you are resident | Taxable only in the paying state, unless the recipient is a resident and national of the other state |
| Germany (2011), Art. 18 | Residence state taxes; but the source state may also tax pensions, annuities and statutory social insurance payments above EUR 10,000 a year, at no more than 10% of the gross amount | Same rule, expressly including statutory social insurance | Source state, subject to the residence-and-national exception |
| Netherlands (1986), Art. 18–19 | Taxable only in the state of residence | Source state may tax, unless paid to a resident who is a national of the residence state | Source state may tax |
| Canada (2009), Art. 18 | Residence state taxes; source state may also tax periodic pensions, capped at the lesser of 15% of the amount above CAD 12,000 a year or the tax a Canadian resident would pay | Within the same article | Pensions of every kind fall under Art. 18; Art. 19 covers remuneration for government service |
Two consequences follow for planning. A Briton or an American living on a private pension in Alanya will generally see the paying country step back, and since 2026 Turkey does not step in, so the pension is taxed nowhere; that is the outcome the treaty and Article 20/D produce together, and it is the outcome to have confirmed in writing before relying on it. A German with a statutory pension above EUR 10,000 will still pay up to 10% in Germany whatever Turkey does, because the German treaty reserved that right in 2011. The Nordic, Australian and Irish treaties each have their own pension article, and I will publish those readings on the nationality pages rather than paraphrase texts I have not quoted here.
One further point for British readers. The UK pays the annual increase in the State Pension only in countries with which it has a qualifying agreement, and the government's list places Turkey among them. It does not place Australia there, and it says expressly that Canada and New Zealand do not receive the increase. A retiree comparing Antalya with the Algarve or the Gold Coast can add that line to the comparison from the official list rather than from a forum.
What happens after eight years, and after five
Article 42 of Law 6458 gives an indefinite long-term permit to a foreigner who has stayed in Turkey on residence permits for eight uninterrupted years, on the conditions in Article 43: no social assistance in the last three years, sufficient and regular income, valid health insurance and no threat to public order. Article 44 attaches most of the rights of citizens, with four named exceptions including military service and voting. Article 45 takes it away if you are outside Turkey for more than one uninterrupted year for reasons other than health, education or compulsory public service in your home country. The over-65 rule on insurance applies here too: a document showing insurance could not be obtained is enough.
Citizenship by residence is a different statute. Article 11 of Law 5901 asks for five uninterrupted years of residence before the application, conduct confirming a decision to settle, sufficient Turkish, income or a profession sufficient to support yourself and your dependants, good character and no public-order obstacle. Whether a retiree wants a second nationality is a personal question; the point for this page is that the residence years on a property-based permit count toward it.
The inheritance rider
The estate of a retiree who dies in Turkey is handled under Turkish rules for Turkish immovables, and the mechanics of the certificate of inheritance and the registry transfer are on our inheritance page. What changed in 2026 is the rate. Law 7582 added a paragraph to Article 16 of the Inheritance and Gift Tax Law: for persons benefiting from the twenty-year exemption, inheritance transfers occurring within the exemption period are taxed at a flat 1%, against a scale that otherwise runs from 1% to 10% by bracket. Gifts stay on their own scale. The paragraph is new and the Ministry has not published guidance on its edges, so it is a reason to hold the exemption certificate, not yet a reason to restructure an estate around it.
What people arrive believing
| Belief | Text |
|---|---|
| "There is a retirement visa with an income test" | There is a short-term permit under Art. 31; the income test in the document list is 1.5 times the net minimum wage for a single applicant, one minimum wage per family member otherwise, evidenced over three months |
| "Any property gets a permit" | A residence worth at least USD 200,000 at acquisition, used as your home, outside a closed neighbourhood, and not let out |
| "My pension will be taxed twice" | Social security pensions are exempt under Art. 23(13); other foreign pensions are exempt for twenty years under Art. 20/D if you qualify; the paying country's position depends on the treaty |
| "I must buy private insurance at 72" | Over 65, no insurance is required for the short-term permit; for the long-term permit, a document that cover could not be obtained suffices |
| "I can leave for a year and come back" | For the long-term permit, more than one uninterrupted year abroad cancels it (Art. 45); short-term absence limits are in the regulation and are checked at renewal |
Whose side we are on, and how we are paid
Most of the people who will help you move to Turkey are paid when you buy. The agent's commission depends on completion, the developer's team works for the developer, and the relocation consultant's package is usually priced on the sale. None of that is dishonest, but it decides what each of them can afford to tell you about a closed neighbourhood, a letting plan that cancels a permit, or a tax certificate deadline that has already passed.
We take no commission from sellers, developers, agents or relocation firms, in any form, on any file. The fee you pay us is our only income from your matter, and it does not rise if you buy. Because our position does not move with the transaction, telling you that a particular flat cannot carry your permit costs us nothing to say.
In the file, that means we check the neighbourhood against the Presidency's current list ourselves, we read the deed price against the USD 200,000 line at the acquisition date, we put the tax certificate application on the same calendar as the residence application, and we tell you in writing when a plan should not proceed.
One boundary, stated plainly. We are lawyers, not licensed investment advisers and not tax agents in the country you are leaving. We do not tell you whether a property will hold its value, and we do not advise on your home country's tax law beyond what its treaty with Turkey says. What we protect is your Turkish legal position: the permit, the property, the tax status and the deadlines that decide all three.
Before you choose the flat
Send us the address of the property you are considering and the facts of your last three calendar years. We will tell you whether the neighbourhood is open, whether the deed price clears the threshold, whether the twenty-year exemption is available to you and, if it is, by which date the certificate must be requested. Our Turkish property work is described on the Turkey real estate page and our tax work on the international tax page. If you have already moved and something has gone wrong, our page for foreigners facing a Turkish legal problem explains how we act.
What this page does not settle
It does not settle how any provincial directorate will exercise its discretion on a tourism-based application this season; the text allows it and practice restricts it. It does not settle the Nordic, Australian and Irish pension articles, which are for the nationality pages. It does not settle the day-count mechanics of the twenty-year exemption, because the law and the communiqué do not. And it does not tell you whether Turkey is the right place to retire, which is not a legal question.
