Turkish Citizenship by Investment: The $400,000 Real Estate Threshold

The Turkish passport is one of the most powerful and accessible Citizenship by Investment (CBI) instruments in the world, granting magnificent visa-free travel globally alongside providing access to Turkey’s dynamic Eurasian economy. To manage the soaring global demand, the Turkish government updated the minimum real estate investment threshold from $250,000 to $400,000 USD.

Core Rules for the Real Estate Route

A foreigner can acquire instant Turkish citizenship by purchasing property (residential, commercial, or land) anywhere in Turkey (excluding military and high-security zones). However, the Land Registry imposes unwavering criteria:

• Investment Threshold: The absolute declared value and transferred sum for the property/properties must total at least $400,000 USD (or equivalent in foreign currency prior to conversion).
• The 3-Year Holding Period: Upon transferring the title deed, an official annotation (Şerh) must be placed in the registry stating: 'Acquired for Turkish citizenship purposes; cannot be sold or transferred for 3 years.'
• Off-Plan Properties: Purchasing unfinished projects is acceptable via a Notarized 'Promise to Sell' contract, provided the condominium servitude (Kat Irtifakı) is established and the full $400,000 is paid in cash verbatim upfront.

The Two Lethal Bureaucratic Hurdles

Simply transferring a bag of cash or crypto to a developer will ruin your citizenship application. Two state-mandated documents must flawlessly align during the transaction:

1. The Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB - Döviz Alım Belgesi)

The foreign investor must wire foreign currency (USD/EUR) into a Turkish bank. The bank then sells this foreign currency to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB) in exchange for Turkish Lira (TL). The bank generates a sovereign receipt—the DAB.

Critical Failure Point: The exact TL amount translated by the Central Bank MUST be the precise amount wired to the seller's account. Direct USD transfers, offshore escrows, or cryptocurrency trades are strictly rejected by the Citizenship Authority.

2. The Independent Valuation Report (GABİM)

Before closing the deal, an independent real estate appraiser licensed by Turkey’s Capital Markets Board (SPK) must formulate a valuation report. This report is uploaded to the state's GABİM system. If you pay the seller $400,000, but the licensed appraiser evaluates the property's true market worth at $360,000, your citizenship file will be denied instantly.

Who Gets the Passport? (Family Inclusion)

The Turkish CBI program is incredibly generous. A single $400,000 investment secures full citizenship for:

• The Main Investor.
• The Legally Married Spouse.
• All Children under the age of 18 at the time of application.

Adult children (18 and older), parents, or siblings are not included and must navigate independent immigration avenues, such as applying for standard short-term residency.

Securing Your Investment with Rona Legal

Real estate agents sell houses; lawyers secure passports. Many foreign buyers face colossal losses by investing in properties littered with hidden mortgages, bank foreclosures, or shady developers promising fake DAB structures. Rona Legal’s elite real estate and immigration attorneys execute exhaustive Due Diligence audits on title deeds before any money leaves your pocket. We handle the entire mechanism smoothly—from opening your bank account and securing the DAB, to walking out of the Civil Registry with your brand-new Turkish National ID.