The shortest of Turkey's immigration routes
Turkey offers several paths to a passport. Long-term residence takes five years of continuous stay and a Turkish language assessment. Marriage to a Turkish citizen takes three. Investment takes neither — approximately 4–6 months from the day the investment completes, for you, your spouse and your children under 18.
Whichever route applies to you, the practice manages it end to end: eligibility assessment, residence permit, application, ID card and passport. Residence and work permits, deportation defense and rejected applications are handled here as well.
General Questions
Turkey's Citizenship by Investment program has been active since 2017. Foreign nationals and their families can obtain Turkish citizenship by investing 400,000 USD in real estate or depositing 500,000 USD in a Turkish bank.
Turkish citizenship lets investors reside, work, open businesses, and invest in Turkey with the same freedom as Turkish citizens — without the annual hurdle of applying for and renewing residence and work permits.
Turkish passport holders also gain visa exemption with 72 countries, visa-on-arrival access to 37 more, and online-visa access to 10 more. Turkish citizens holding “special passports” — issued to public sector employees, businesspeople, and lawyers, not diplomats — can enter 111 countries visa-free, including the entire Schengen zone. (Figures may change over time.)
Unlike most CBI programs worldwide, Turkey's program requires no donation to the state and no investment in government-appointed, low-value assets. Investors keep their full investment and withdraw it in full after 3 years, with any profit or interest accrued during that period.
The application paperwork is also comparatively simple and straightforward next to most other CBI programs.
Eligibility & Requirements
Yes. If your other nationality permits dual citizenship, you can retain it while obtaining Turkish citizenship by investment.
No — you do not need to reside in Turkey year-round to apply. You do need a residence permit first, which requires buying or renting a property. If your investment route is the 400,000 USD real estate purchase, that same property can serve as your address of residence, provided you don't rent it out.
No. Turkish language proficiency is required for other citizenship pathways, not for citizenship by investment.
For the residency-based route, where language proficiency does apply, see Turkish Citizenship by Residence.
Yes, a residential address in Turkey is required. If you're applying through the real estate route, the property itself automatically serves as that address. If you're applying through the bank-deposit route, you'll still need to rent or purchase a property solely to establish an address.
Yes. Your new Turkish passport can carry a completely new name and surname of your choosing, as long as it uses the Turkish alphabet.
Process & Timeline
Once your investment is complete, the process runs as follows:
Approximately 4–6 months from the completion of your investment, assuming no delays along the way.
You and your family need to be in Turkey at least 3 times:
Documents
All documents must be attested, and some must be recently issued. This is not an exhaustive list — your attorney should review each document with you and confirm how to obtain and attest it before you begin.
For the full 2026 document checklist — including the eligibility certificate, proof of investment, tax ID and fee receipts — see What Changed in 2026.
Investment Routes
Both routes lead to the same citizenship. The choice depends on whether you want to hold an asset in Turkey or keep your capital in a bank account for the three-year period.
Each route has its own eligibility rules, documentation and restrictions. The detailed conditions for each are set out in the dedicated guides below.
Purchase property worth at least 400,000 USD and hold it for three years. Residential and commercial properties qualify; undeveloped land does not. The property can also serve as your address of residence.
Real Estate Route — Full Requirements →Deposit 500,000 USD, converted into Turkish Lira, in an interest-bearing account held for three years. You will still need a property to establish a residential address.
Bank Deposit Route — Full Requirements →Property Option
A property qualifies for Turkish citizenship by investment when all three of the following figures reach or exceed 400,000 USD:
The seller must be a Turkish citizen, and the property must not have been used in a prior Turkish citizenship application. Additional background checks apply — your attorney will guide you through them.
No. Both residential and commercial properties qualify. Undeveloped land does not.
Yes — you can invest across multiple properties as long as their combined value meets the 400,000 USD minimum.
Yes. Co-investors can each apply for citizenship, provided each individual's share of the investment independently meets the 400,000 USD minimum.
Not for the minimum required 400,000 USD — that portion must be self-funded. Any amount above the minimum can be financed with a bank loan.
Three years after purchase.
Any of the above. Unlike other CBI programs, Turkey's lets you choose freely — a brand-new unit from a developer or a second-hand property from a private seller both qualify.
Bank Option
No. The bank-deposit route requires converting USD 500,000 into Turkish Lira and holding it in an interest-bearing TL account for three years — your funds stay TL-denominated for the full holding period. Exchange-rate protection mechanisms such as YUVAM and interest-bearing USD accounts previously existed but have since been removed.
Three years after the deposit is made for citizenship purposes.
Immigration Law · Turkey
Beyond citizenship by investment, the practice manages residence permits, work permits, the marriage and long-term residence routes to citizenship, and challenges to deportation orders and rejected applications.
Application and renewal of short-term residence permits based on property ownership, including documentation, appointment scheduling and follow-up with the immigration authorities. A property registered as the permit address cannot be rented out during the permit period.
Residence Permit 2026 →Initial applications, renewals and indefinite work permits for foreign employees, company directors and key personnel of foreign-owned companies, coordinated with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Work Permit Guide →Naturalization through marriage to a Turkish citizen. This route has its own eligibility criteria, documentation requirements and processing timeline, and the application is managed from eligibility assessment through to naturalization.
Citizenship by Marriage →The residency-based pathway for long-term residents. Unlike the investment route, Turkish language proficiency is assessed as part of the application.
Citizenship by Residence →Administrative appeals and court challenges against deportation orders (deport kararı) and entry bans, with coordination alongside the immigration authorities. These matters are time-sensitive, as orders must be challenged within strict deadlines.
Deportation Defense 2026 →When a residence permit or visa application is rejected, the decision can be challenged through administrative channels and the courts. The rejection grounds are reviewed, the appeal prepared, and the applicant represented before the relevant authority.
Appeal Guide 2026 →Discuss your investment route, your family's application and the timeline with an attorney.
Baris Erkan Celebi represents foreign nationals and their families throughout the Turkish citizenship by investment process — from the eligibility certificate and residence permit through to the citizenship application, identity card and passport.
The practice also handles residence and work permit applications, the marriage and long-term residence routes to citizenship, and appeals against deportation orders and rejected applications. The practice exclusively represents international clients, and all communication is handled in English.
More about Baris Erkan Celebi →
Baris Erkan Celebi is an English-speaking Turkish lawyer who exclusively represents foreign investors in Turkey. His law firm in Turkey specializes in providing international investors in Turkey with reliable legal counsel and personalized business solutions.
