Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey

Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey has become an increasingly popular option among foreign investors who seek to reside in Turkey that offers both economic opportunities and a high quality of life. Turkey’s legal framework allows foreigners to obtain a short term residence permit simply by owning residential property within its borders, provided certain conditions are met.

Introduction

Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey intersects with various legal disciplines, including Foreign Investment, Immigration, Real Estate Law etc. Given its evolving nature through both statutory regulations and administrative practices, the implementation of this process necessitates a comprehensive legal analysis.

For our work and all legal services on the matter of Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship, please click our Practice Areas, titled Real Estate.

What is legal basis for Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey
Residency by property purchase in Turkey 2025 is primarily formulated under Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection numbered 6458, titled “Short-Term Residence Permit”. This article stipulates that short-term residence permits may be granted to certain categories of foreign investors; however, the mere act of purchasing property does not absolutely entitle a foreign investor to receive a residence permit. Therefore, it is essential for foreign investors to be aware of the relevant requirements and to act in compliance with the applicable legal and administrative procedures.

What are legal requirements of Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey
A foreign investor who wishes to acquire residency by property purchase in Turkey 2025 must engage closely with several public institutions, such as land registry offices, the Directorate General of Migration Management, tax offices, municipalities etc. Given that the investor may not have a full understanding of Turkish Regulations and legal requirements,  this process often raises numerous questions and uncertainties.

This article also aims to clarify such uncertainties by addressing the most frequently asked questions regarding this procedure. Accordingly:

How much do I need to invest in Turkey to get Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey?
It is important to note that, as of October 16, 2023, a significant change has been introduced regarding the minimum property value required for foreigners seeking to obtain a short-term residence permit in Turkey through real estate purchase. Pursuant to a new implementation directive issued by the Directorate General of Migration Management, the previous thresholds 75,000 USD for metropolitan cities and 50,000 USD for other provinces have been replaced by a single minimum threshold of 200,000 USD applicable nationwide. This amendment reflects a policy shift aimed at encouraging more qualified and substantial foreign investments across the country.

What are the criteria that the property must meet?
In addition to the minimum required value of the property for this option, it is important to emphasize that there are certain legal limitations regarding property purchase by foreign nationals in Turkey. Both legal regulations and administrative practices impose specific restrictions not only on the general acquisition of property by foreigners but also on acquisitions made within the scope of the residency by property purchase in Turkey 2025. Therefore, it is highly recommended to seek legal assistance throughout this process. For example:

• According to Article 35 of the Land Registry Law Numbered 2644, the total area of real estate and limited real rights of an independent and permanent nature acquired by foreign natural persons shall not exceed 10% of the privately owned surface area of the district in which such property is located and shall not exceed 30 hectares per person throughout the country.
• Additionally, the property must be designated for residential use. For instance, if the property is intended to be used as a commercial operation, the foreign inestor will not be eligible to apply for residency by property purchase in Turkey 2025. In such a case, the person who wants to apply for the residency program may consider alternative programs.
• Moreover, the property to be acquired must not be registered in the land registry under the name of the foreign individual or a legal entity in which the foreign individual is a partner or shareholder.

How long can you stay in Turkey if you own a property?
According to Law on Foreigners and International Protection numbered 6458, short-term residence permits may be granted for a maximum period of up to 2 years. However, in practice, foreigners who purchase property in Turkey are generally issued a 1-year residence permit. At the end of this period, it is possible to renew the permit on the same grounds. The extension application must be submitted no earlier than 60 days before the expiry date and in any case before the current residence permit expires.

After the Obtaining Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey, can I sell or rent the property?
If a foreign investor sells or rents out the property after providing the title deed and legal residence address during the initial short-term residence permit application, the declared address will no longer be considered the investor’s actual place of residence, and the title deed will no longer be in the investor’s name. Therefore, the investor will not be eligible to apply for a residence permit extension based on that property. In such cases, the investor may need to apply under a different residence permit category or acquire a new property to maintain lawful residence in Turkey.

How can I know my chance of success for Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey?
The chance of success of obtaining residency by property purchase in Turkey 2025 depends on whether the legal requirements are fulfilled by the foreign investors. However, one of the most critical aspects evaluated by the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management is whether the application may be considered contrary to public order, public security, or public health. Even a minor doubt in any of these areas may result in the rejection of the application, even if all other criteria are met.

Each application is assessed on an individual basis, and broad discretion is granted to the competent authorities throughout the process. Therefore, additional information or documents may be requested at any stage of the application. To increase the likelihood of approval, it is essential that the process is carefully monitored and that all required documents are duly submitted.

How to Apply for Residency by Property Purchase in Turkey?
The application process for obtaining residency by property purchase in Turkey in 2025 is initiated through the online system of the Migration Management. However, this application interface becomes accessible only after the foreign investors have entered Turkey legally. Otherwise, the system does not allow the process to continue, displaying an error indicating that the entered information does not match the passport records.

Following legal entry into Turkey, the online application form requires the applicant to provide various details, including their educational background, income declaration, property ownership information, health insurance details etc. Since the information provided in this form creates a preliminary impression for the evaluating authorities, it is crucial that the form is filled out completely and accurately.

Once the form is submitted, an appointment date is scheduled by the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for the applicant to submit the required documents in person. These documents typically include: passport, title deed, valid health insurance policy, biometric photographs, fingerprint and a criminal record certificate. If any of these documents have been issued abroad, they must be properly translated and notarized or legalized, as appropriate, to ensure their validity.

Residence permit applications are finalized within a maximum period of 90 days from the date the application is officially accepted for processing. This 90-day period begins once all required information and documents have been duly submitted to the competent authority. If the process exceeds this timeframe, the applicant will be duly informed.

Conclusion

In light of the procedural complexity and the considerable wide margin of appreciation of the Administration, it is highly advisable for applicants to obtain qualified Attorneys throughout the entirety of the residency by property purchase in Turkey in 2025. Even seemingly minor errors or omissions may result in the rejection of the application or give rise to significant and long-lasting legal and financial consequences.

Accordingly, securing expert legal support at each stage ranging from the preparation and submission of the application, collection of requisite documentation, execution of title deed and investment transactions, to the pursuit of administrative appeals or judicial remedies serves to ensure that the process is conducted in a legally robust and strategically sound manner.

For any individual contemplating an application for Turkish citizenship, such a process should not be undertaken solely through personal initiative, but rather under the guidance of experienced and competent legal professionals.

At Pi Legal Consultancy, we are pleased to offer legal representation to clients who do not speak Turkish or have limited proficiency in the language, through our team of attorneys who are fully fluent in English.