Turkish Citizenship Eligibility by Property Investment (2026)

Before you compare listings or commission an appraisal, you need a straight answer to one question: does your property purchase actually qualify for Turkish citizenship by investment? Most buyers assume the contract price is what counts. In practice, eligibility is decided by official valuation, clean title, traceable payment, eligible property type, and correct registration — not marketing copy.

This handbook is the canonical guide to property-route qualification only. For the program overview see Turkish Citizenship by Investment; for evidence checklists see documents required. Other consultation guides: Timeline · Costs · Family · Rejection Prevention.

Turkish citizenship consultation guides · Step 1 of 5 — Eligibility · Next → Timeline · Program overview

Qualification at a Glance

Requirement	Detail
Minimum investment	USD 400,000 official appraised value (real estate route, 2026)
Valuation basis	Government valuation / TTB, not contract price
Holding period	3 years — no-resale restriction on TAPU
Payment	Traceable bank transfer; property free of mortgage/lien
Family included	Spouse + children under 18 in one application
Multiple properties	Allowed — combined official values may reach USD 400,000
Final approval	Presidential decree — not automatic

The threshold has changed before ($1M, then $250k, then $400k in 2022). Any source still citing $250,000 or $300,000 is out of date. The only current real-estate threshold is USD 400,000 on official valuation.

USD 400,000, SPK Valuation, TTB, and Why Appraisal — Not Price — Governs Eligibility

The core rule is simple to state and easy to get wrong. To qualify through real estate, you must acquire property whose official, government-approved appraised value is USD 400,000 or more — not the advertised or contract price. If the appraisal or Tutar Tespit Belgesi (TTB) comes in below USD 400,000, the property does not qualify, regardless of what you paid.

Since TKGM’s 2024 framework, citizenship files use a value stack: DAB amount, declared sale price, TTB / valuation figure, and documented payment totals must each meet the required USD equivalent where applicable — not only the price on the sales contract. Marketing at $400,000 does not cure a sub-threshold official value.

Where valuation, TTB, GEDAŞ, and WebTapu fit

Citizenship-purpose valuation is ordered through WebTapu, with GEDAŞ producing the underlying report that supports the TTB confirming qualifying investment value. This is a different process from mortgage ekspertiz — a bank report does not substitute for a citizenship file.

Full procedural detail — validity windows, 2026 costs, DAB alignment, and common valuation mistakes — belongs on our specialist page: Property Valuation Report in Turkey. Confirm TTB timing with your lawyer before you commit to a purchase; expired reports must be re-ordered.

Which Property Types Qualify?

Eligibility depends on property type and registration status, not only on price. The table below summarises the property-route rules verified in our citizenship and buying content. When nationality affects what you may buy at all, see the nationality section below.

Property type	Property-route citizenship	Notes
Residential apartment or villa	Yes	Most common route; must meet USD 400,000 on official valuation
Commercial property	Yes	Residential or commercial property, or a combination, may qualify
Multiple properties combined	Yes	Values may combine (e.g. $250,000 + $150,000) in the applicant’s personal name
Off-plan / under-construction	Yes, with conditions	Requires correct legal structure — often promise-to-sell / satış vaadi — and pre-purchase verification
Residential land or building plot	Generally yes	Subject to foreign-ownership and zoning rules for your nationality
Agricultural land, vineyards, gardens	Nationality-dependent	Some nationalities are restricted — see nationality section
Property registered in a company name	No	Personal TAPU required — see buying through a company
Mortgage-financed purchase	Loan portion does not count	Only equity paid by traceable transfer counts toward USD 400,000

Files are often rejected when property type, zoning, or registration status was not confirmed before payment. Pre-purchase screening — appraisal readiness, title eligibility, and registration status — is what turns eligibility from an assumption into a verified fact.

Can I Combine Multiple Properties to Reach USD 400,000?

Yes. You may reach USD 400,000 with more than one property — for example, USD 250,000 plus USD 150,000 — provided all units are registered in the applicant’s personal name and the combined official valuation meets the threshold. Where multiple properties are used, they are registered together as part of the same citizenship application.

Each property must individually satisfy eligibility rules: clean title, eligible type, traceable payment, and qualifying TTB / valuation support. A portfolio that totals $400,000 on contract but not on official valuation still fails.

Can I Buy From Different Sellers or Developers?

The program allows reaching USD 400,000 by combining more than one property in your personal name. Regulations focus on the combined official valuation and a correctly structured application file — not on whether every unit came from the same seller or developer.

That means separate purchases from different sellers or developers can form one citizenship file when they are registered together, each property passes individual eligibility checks, and TTB / payment documentation remains internally consistent. Timing matters: TTB validity windows and registration steps should be planned with your lawyer before you commit to a multi-property portfolio.

Mortgage or Bank Loan Toward the USD 400,000

Borrowed funds do not count toward the USD 400,000 threshold. Mortgage- or loan-financed amounts are excluded from the qualifying investment. The equity you pay by documented bank transfer is what counts — not the lender’s portion.

Off-Plan and Under-Construction Property

Under-construction and off-plan properties can qualify when the legal structure is set up correctly and the case is reviewed before you pay. Where title deed transfer is not yet possible, a notarized promise-to-sell agreement or another legally accepted commitment may be used in appropriate cases, with the three-year holding requirement reflected in the contract.

Files are often rejected when contracts are incomplete, documentation is weak, or valuation does not support eligibility. Confirm qualification during pre-purchase checks — not after funds are committed.

Bank Transfer, DAB, and Why Cash Does Not Qualify

Qualifying funds must be paid by documented bank transfer through the Turkish banking system. Cash payment does not qualify, and the transfer must be traceable. A Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB) documenting that funds entered Turkey as foreign currency is part of the file.

For how DAB fits with TAPU and valuation, see our bank account, tax number and DAB guide.

Three-Year TAPU Hold and No Early Sale

A three-year no-resale restriction is recorded on the title deed. The property cannot be sold for three years from registration. You may rent the property during the holding period, provided you do not sell before the restriction expires.

If the owner dies during this period, heirs inherit subject to the title annotation and foreign-ownership rules — see our property inheritance in Turkey guide for inheritance context, not eligibility depth.

Company-Owned Property Does Not Qualify

Property registered in a company name does not qualify for the personal real-estate citizenship route — even if you own 100% of the shares. The qualifying TAPU must be in the natural person applicant’s name, with SPK appraisal, documented bank transfer, and the three-year annotation.

You may buy from a Turkish-incorporated seller, but the citizenship TAPU must ultimately be personal. Full corporate ownership rules, PDPC approval, and tax implications are on our buying property through a company in Turkey guide.

Nationality and Property Eligibility

Most nationalities may apply for Turkish citizenship by investment through property when the standard rules above are met. Separately, your nationality can affect which property types you may buy under Turkish land-registry law — before you ever reach the citizenship file.

Egyptian buyers — agricultural land restriction

Egyptian citizens are among the nationalities restricted from owning agricultural land, vineyards, and gardens in Turkey under the Council of Ministers nationality list. Residential apartments, villas, commercial property, and residential land remain available subject to general foreign-ownership rules.

A commonly cited workaround — registering agricultural land through a Turkish company — raises separate company, tax, and PDPC issues and does not create a personal citizenship route. Do not assume a corporate structure fixes both ownership and citizenship eligibility.

Other nationalities

Reciprocity, military zones, and district quotas can affect foreign purchase rights independently of citizenship qualification. If your nationality is on a restricted list for a specific land category, that property cannot enter a citizenship file even at USD 400,000. Confirm purchase rights and citizenship eligibility together before you reserve a unit.

One Property, One Citizenship Application

Under TKGM rules updated in March 2021, a property used for one citizenship application cannot be reused for another. Repurchase guarantees, clawback schemes, and prepaid rental guarantees tied to citizenship structures are not legitimate routes and can jeopardise approval — or lead to cancellation after grant.

Regulatory context and scam prevention: Rejection Prevention handbook.

How the USD 400,000 Threshold Has Changed

The real-estate citizenship threshold was USD 1,000,000 before 2018, reduced to USD 250,000 in 2018, and raised to USD 400,000 in 2022. Buyers acting under today’s rules lock in the current published requirement; policy can change.

Historical news archive: Turkey reduces the minimum to get citizenship from $1 million to $250,000 *(article reflects 2018 decision; see editorial note on that page for current threshold)*.

Family Members Included in the Same Application

One application covers the investor’s spouse and children under 18. This is the standard dependant rule for property-route citizenship files.

Edge cases — adopted children, over-18 dependants, divorced parents, stepchildren, and disabled dependant rules — require separate analysis. See the Family & Dependants handbook.

Common Qualification Mistakes That Cause Rejection

Most rejections trace to preventable structuring errors before purchase — not bad luck. The qualification-level mistakes we see most often:

• Appraisal or TTB below USD 400,000 — contract price does not override official value
• Cash or untraceable payment — breaks the eligibility chain
• Mortgage-financed amount counted toward the threshold — borrowed funds excluded
• Ineligible property type or registration status — not confirmed pre-purchase
• Company-held title — personal TAPU required

Full prevention depth — fraud patterns and file-level remediation: Rejection Prevention handbook. This section states qualification boundaries only.

Documents That Evidence Eligibility

Eligibility and documentation overlap but are not the same topic. Once you confirm you qualify, the file must prove it — TAPU, TTB / valuation, DAB, bank receipts, and conformity certificate among others.

Complete checklist, apostille order, and validity windows: documents required for Turkish citizenship by investment.

What to Do Next

If your planned purchase meets the rules above, the next step is matching a property whose official valuation, title, and payment trail will survive scrutiny — not just a listing tagged for citizenship marketing.

Next in your consultation path → Track timing in the Timeline handbook · map total cash in the Costs handbook.

• Browse citizenship-eligible listings in Istanbul and Antalya
• Read location context: best areas to buy in Istanbul · property in Antalya
• Program overview: Turkish Citizenship by Investment
• Contact Maximos Real Estate to discuss your case and pre-screen appraisal readiness before you commit

Maximos Real Estate has operated in Turkey since 2005, with offices in Istanbul and Antalya. We pre-screen citizenship-intended properties for valuation compliance, title eligibility, and registration status before clients commit. We do not guarantee outcomes — final approval rests with a presidential decree — but correct qualification structure from the start is what separates a clean file from a preventable rejection.