Turkish Citizenship by Investment: 2026 Thresholds, Investment Routes and Application Process

What Is Turkish Citizenship by Investment?

Turkish citizenship by investment is the exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship by a foreign national who makes a qualifying investment, by decision of the President, under Article 12(1)(b) of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. The general naturalisation requirements in Article 11 of the Law, such as five years of uninterrupted residence and sufficient Turkish, do not apply on this route. The property route requires an investment of at least USD 400,000; the other financial routes require at least USD 500,000, and the employment route requires jobs for at least 50 people. The investment alone is not enough: the applicant must not pose a risk to national security or public order, and the authorities have discretion.

This page explains the legal basis and current thresholds, the property route, the valuation and amount confirmation rules that changed on 28 September 2026, the application steps, family members, and how citizenship can later be annulled or revoked, with references to decisions of the Turkish Council of State (Danıştay). It is for general information only and is not legal advice on a particular case. Quotations from Turkish legislation and court decisions below are our unofficial translations.

What Is the Legal Basis?

The programme rests on three texts: Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, and Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. The Law sets the framework, the Regulation lists the investment routes and amounts, and the circulars of the competent institutions set the verification procedure.

a) Turkish Citizenship Law

Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 (unofficial translation):
“(1) Provided that they do not pose an obstacle in terms of national security and public order, the following foreigners may acquire Turkish citizenship by decision of the President: …
b) Those who obtain a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, holders of the Turquoise Card, and their foreign spouse and their own and their spouse’s minor or dependent foreign children. …
(2) Applications of persons who pose an obstacle in terms of national security and public order shall be rejected by the Ministry.”

Article 12 does not name investors directly. It refers to Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458, which allows a short-term residence permit for foreigners who do not work in Türkiye (Turkey) but make an investment of the scope and amount set by the President, and for their families. Under Article 31(5) of that Law, this permit can be granted for periods of up to five years at a time. The Council of State has stressed that an applicant must first meet the residence-permit condition in Article 31(1)(j) (Council of State, 10th Chamber, 5 February 2026, E. 2024/405, K. 2026/361).

b) Implementing Regulation

The investment routes and minimum amounts are listed in Article 20(2) of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. Under Article 20(9), each institution that verifies an investment sets the procedure for that verification. For the property route, this is the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM), part of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. The Council of State has held that this provision gives the verifying institutions the power to set the criteria used in verification (Council of State, 10th Chamber, 30 September 2024, E. 2020/3336, K. 2024/3481).

What Are the Investment Routes and Minimum Amounts? (as of 27 October 2026)

The list below is compiled from the current text of the Regulation published on mevzuat.gov.tr on 27 October 2026. The amounts can be changed by Presidential decision. Source: Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law.

• Property purchase: at least USD 400,000; the property must be an independent unit with condominium ownership or construction servitude, or land with a building on it; a three-year no-sale annotation is entered in the land register. Verified by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change (TKGM).
• Property under a promise-to-sell contract: at least USD 400,000 paid in advance for a unit with condominium ownership or construction servitude, under a contract drawn up before a notary, with an annotation that the right will not be transferred or cancelled for three years. Verified by the same Ministry.
• Fixed capital investment: at least USD 500,000. Verified by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
• Employment: jobs for at least 50 people. Verified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
• Bank deposit: at least USD 500,000, held for three years. Verified by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.
• Government debt instruments: at least USD 500,000, held for three years. Verified by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
• Real estate investment fund or venture capital investment fund units: at least USD 500,000, held for at least three years. Verified by the Capital Markets Board (SPK).
• Private pension system: at least USD 500,000 in contributions, kept in designated funds and in the system for three years. Verified by the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency.

The property route appears twice because it can be used either by purchase or by a promise-to-sell contract. Amounts are calculated at the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) effective selling rate and/or cross rate on the date of verification (Article 20(6)). For the property, deposit, debt instrument, fund and pension routes, the foreign currency is sold to a bank operating in Türkiye before the transaction, and that bank sells it to the Central Bank (Article 20(10)). The Regulation also allows switching between investment types in order to complete the required holding period (Article 20(8)).

The property threshold has changed over time: USD 1,000,000 from 12 January 2017, USD 250,000 from 19 September 2018, and USD 400,000 under Presidential Decision No. 5554 published in the Official Gazette of 13 May 2022. In one case, investors bought a property shortly before the threshold fell from USD 1,000,000 to USD 250,000 and applied while the lower threshold was in force. The Council of State held that, in fairness, their application had to be assessed against USD 250,000 per share, and annulled the refusals (E. 2020/3336, K. 2024/3481). The same decision shows that, for jointly owned property, the threshold is applied to the value of each owner’s share.

Which Properties Qualify?

The property must be an independent unit with condominium ownership or construction servitude, or land with a building on it. This restriction was introduced by Presidential Decision No. 7938, published in the Official Gazette of 12 December 2023. Since then, agricultural land and vacant plots without a building do not qualify on the purchase route.

On the promise-to-sell route, the unit must have condominium ownership or construction servitude, the price must be paid in advance and the contract must be drawn up before a notary. The threshold can also be met with more than one property: TKGM Circular No. 2024/4 applies the USD 400,000 requirement to the property or properties bought after 19 September 2018.

How Is the Property Value Verified? What Is the TTB?

The TTB (Taşınmaz Edinim Sureti İle Vatandaşlık Kazanımına Esas Tutar Tespit Belgesi, the amount determination certificate for citizenship through property acquisition) is attached to the valuation report prepared for a property bought for citizenship. It shows the investment amount that can be accepted for citizenship purposes. The TTB is sent electronically to the Web Tapu system; a TTB submitted on paper is not processed.

Under TKGM Circular No. 2024/4, two separate tests apply. The sale price declared in the official deed (or the price set in the promise-to-sell contract) and the total of the price transfers and payments must each reach USD 400,000, and these values must be confirmed by the TTB. A high price on the title deed is therefore not enough: the payments and the valuation must also meet the threshold. The Circular adds that the TTB amount is not binding for title deed fee purposes.

a) The 28 September 2026 Changes: Choice of Valuation Firm

TKGM amended its Circulars No. 2024/2 and No. 2024/4 by approvals dated 28 September 2026. Before the change, a single firm (GEDAŞ) prepared valuation reports for citizenship purposes. Under the current texts:

• The valuation report and the related TTB can be prepared by any valuation firm authorised by the Capital Markets Board (SPK). The firm must be an active member of the Association of Turkish Valuation Experts (TDUB) and part of the Property Valuation Information System (TADEBİS).
• The report is requested through Web Tapu; the applicant can choose a firm or let the system assign one automatically.
• Valuation reports used in title deed transactions can be used for 12 months.
• No more than twelve months may pass between the TTB and the application for the citizenship-related transaction; after twelve months, the valuation report must be renewed. The previous text set this period at six months.
• If the land register shows a change affecting the value between the report date and the title deed application (such as a change of type, land ceded for a road, an easement, an annotation or a military zone declaration), a new valuation report is required regardless of time.

Sources: TKGM announcement on the amendment of Circular No. 2024/4 and TDUB announcement of 29 September 2026 (current Circular No. 2024/2).

b) Buying from a Real Estate Investment Trust

Transactions by public bodies and their affiliates, and by real estate investment trusts (GYO), do not require TTB confirmation. Since 28 September 2026, however, when a real estate investment trust sells a unit to a foreigner for citizenship, it must either submit a valuation report prepared before the title deed transaction, published on the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) and covering the unit sold, or request a new valuation report for the TTB through Web Tapu.

How Does the Application Work?

The application has four stages: making the investment and having it verified, obtaining the investor residence permit, applying for citizenship and passing the security review, and finally the Presidential decision and registration. On the property route, the steps are:

1. Payment and currency sale: the price is sold in foreign currency to a bank, and by the bank to the Central Bank; the sale is evidenced by a foreign currency purchase certificate (DAB).
2. Valuation and TTB: a citizenship valuation report is requested through Web Tapu; the report and the attached TTB are sent to the system.
3. Title deed and annotation: the sale or promise-to-sell transaction is completed and the three-year annotation is entered in the land register.
4. Property investment certificate: if the conditions are met, TKGM issues the property investment determination certificate, known in practice as the “certificate of conformity”.
5. Residence permit: the investor obtains a short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458.
6. Citizenship application: the application is filed with the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship. Under Article 20(3) of the Regulation, the file includes an application form, a passport or similar document, a civil status document, documents showing identity and family ties, and a receipt for the service fee.
7. Review and decision: the applicant is screened for national security and public order; if there is no obstacle, citizenship is granted by Presidential decision and registered in the civil registry.

In the cases decided by the Council of State, the applications were filed with the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship, and citizenship was granted by Presidential decision after the security review found no obstacle (E. 2024/405, K. 2026/361; E. 2023/5553, K. 2025/6175). The provisions reviewed for this page set no time limit for deciding an application.

Can the Spouse and Children Also Become Turkish Citizens?

Yes. Article 12(1)(b) of the Law covers the investor’s foreign spouse and the investor’s and spouse’s minor or dependent foreign children. An adult child who is not dependent is not covered and needs a separate route.

Family members’ citizenship depends on the investor’s. Under Article 32 of the Law, an annulment decision also applies to the spouse and children who acquired citizenship through the person concerned. In a case before the Council of State, the children’s civil registry records were deleted after their parents’ citizenship was revoked; when the court annulled the revocation for the parents, it also annulled the deletion for the children (Council of State, 10th Chamber, 15 December 2025, E. 2023/5553, K. 2025/6175).

Article 12 of the Law does not require the investor to renounce their previous citizenship. Whether the investor’s own country allows dual citizenship must be checked separately.

Why Are Applications Refused?

An application is refused if the investment requirement is not met or if there is an obstacle in terms of national security or public order. Under Article 12(2) of the Law, such applications are rejected by the Ministry. The Council of State accepts that the state has broad discretion in this area, based on its sovereignty, but also requires the authorities to base their decisions on real and lawful grounds (E. 2024/405, K. 2026/361).

Can Citizenship Be Annulled or Revoked Later?

Yes. The Law provides two separate ways to remove citizenship already granted: annulment where it was obtained by false statements or by concealing material facts, and revocation where a decision was issued although the legal conditions were not met.

Article 31 of Law No. 5901 (unofficial translation):
“(1) A decision granting Turkish citizenship shall be annulled by the authority that issued it if it resulted from the false statement of the person concerned or the concealment of material facts on which the acquisition of citizenship was based.”

Article 40 of Law No. 5901 (unofficial translation):
“(1) Decisions on the acquisition or loss of Turkish citizenship shall be revoked if it is later understood that they were issued although the legal conditions were not met, or were issued more than once.”

The two have different effects. Under Article 32 of the Law, an annulment takes effect from the date of the annulment decision. Under Article 66 of the Regulation, a revoked decision becomes void from the date of the original decision. Article 33 of the Law also contains rules on the liquidation of property of persons whose citizenship has been annulled.

a) The 2026 Reviews

According to a statement of the Ministry of Interior of 21 September 2026, as reported in the press, the citizenship decisions of 1,413 investors, 6,134 people including their families, were annulled or revoked. According to the statement, 1,150 of these investors had their investment conformity certificates cancelled after reviews by TKGM, the Tax Inspection Board and the General Directorate of Security (5,391 people including family members, annulled), and 263 investors had their citizenship revoked because they were found, after acquiring citizenship, to pose a public order or national security concern (743 people including family members). The statement also said that, after 11 February 2026, the citizenship of 1,393 people, comprising 458 investors whose conformity certificates were cancelled and their family members, was annulled, and that of 7 people was revoked (Anadolu Agency, 21 September 2026, in Turkish). These figures are based on press reports of the Ministry’s statement.

b) Revocation in Council of State Case Law

The Council of State dismissed the case of an investor whose property investment certificate was cancelled after the foreign currency purchase certificates were found to be untrue, and whose citizenship was then revoked under Article 40 of the Law. The court held that the precondition for exceptional citizenship is to make the investment truthfully and lawfully, in the amount and on the terms set by the legislation. It also noted that the investor had not separately challenged the cancellation of the certificate (E. 2024/405, K. 2026/361; unanimous).

The same Chamber has also set limits. Revocation is possible, but the grounds for it must be shown by concrete, sufficient and serious information. Facts that arise after citizenship is acquired, and that have no link to the earlier period, cannot be a ground for revocation: whether the legal conditions were met must, as a rule, be assessed as of the date the person became a citizen. On this basis, the court annulled a revocation based on an Interpol red notice issued after the applicants became citizens, together with the deletion of the children’s registry records (E. 2023/5553, K. 2025/6175; unanimous).

c) Challenging an Annulment or Revocation

Actions against Presidential decisions are heard by the Council of State at first instance (Article 24(1)(a) of the Council of State Law No. 2575). Under Article 7 of the Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577, the time limit for filing an action before the Council of State is sixty days unless a special law provides otherwise, counted from written notification. Decisions of the 10th Chamber at first instance can be appealed to the Plenary Session of the Administrative Law Chambers within thirty days of notification.

The action must be directed at the right act. In one case, a foreigner whose citizenship had been annulled by Presidential Decision No. 9445 of 16 January 2025 challenged an internal letter of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs instead of the decision itself. The Council of State rejected the petition and required the Presidential decision to be identified clearly by date and number (Council of State, 10th Chamber, 11 September 2025, E. 2025/3307, K. 2025/3732). Because the cancellation of the conformity certificate is a separate administrative act, whether to challenge it in time should also be considered.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum investment for Turkish citizenship?

At least USD 400,000 on the property route; at least USD 500,000 for fixed capital, bank deposits, government debt instruments, fund units and the private pension system; and jobs for at least 50 people on the employment route (Article 20(2) of the Regulation, as of 27 October 2026).

Can I qualify by buying agricultural land or a vacant plot?

No. Since 12 December 2023, only units with condominium ownership or construction servitude, or land with a building on it, qualify on the purchase route.

Can the USD 400,000 threshold be met with more than one property?

Yes. TKGM Circular No. 2024/4 applies the threshold to one or more properties. For jointly owned property, the value of each owner’s share is assessed.

Is the title deed price or the valuation decisive?

Both. The price in the official deed and the total payments must each reach USD 400,000, and the values must be confirmed by the TTB. The TTB amount is not binding for title deed fee purposes.

Who prepares the valuation report, and how long is the TTB valid?

Since the change of 28 September 2026, any valuation firm authorised by the SPK, with active TDUB membership and part of TADEBİS, can prepare the report. No more than twelve months may pass between the TTB and the citizenship-related application.

Do my spouse and children qualify?

Yes, the foreign spouse and the minor or dependent foreign children of the investor and spouse are covered. An adult child who is not dependent is not.

Do I have to give up my current citizenship?

No, Article 12 of the Law contains no such requirement. Check separately whether your own country allows dual citizenship.

Can citizenship by investment be lost later?

Yes. It can be annulled for false statements or concealment (Article 31) or revoked where the legal conditions were not met (Article 40). An annulment also applies to the spouse and children. The Council of State upheld a revocation based on untrue currency purchase certificates, but annulled a revocation based on a red notice issued after citizenship was acquired.

Where and when can an annulment or revocation be challenged?

Before the Council of State, within sixty days of written notification. The petition must identify the Presidential decision by date and number; a case against an internal letter may be rejected.