Turkish Citizenship by Investment 2026: All Seven Routes, and Who Attests Each Amount

Türkiye's citizenship-by-investment programme is one of the most discussed in the world and one of the most loosely reported. Page one of Google is split between global citizenship advisories quoting the headline number and Reddit threads warning that a property "worth $320K could be marketed as $400K to meet citizenship thresholds". Both are downstream of the same gap: almost nobody publishes the full official route list with the attesting authority for each one.

That list exists. It is published by the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, and it is the whole answer to the valuation question — because every route names the ministry or regulator that must attest the amount.

The legal basis, before the numbers

Citizenship by investment runs on an amendment to Law No. 5901: paragraph (b) prepended to the first paragraph of Article 12, promulgated on 28 July 2016. It applies to two groups:

• Those who obtain a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 by investing within the scope and amount determined by the President;
• Foreigners holding the Turquoise Card.

Both acquire Turkish citizenship by resolution of the President of the Republic. The scope and amounts in force were set by regulations published in the Official Gazette on 18 September 2018.

Note what that means: this is an exceptional acquisition of citizenship under Turkish law, granted by presidential decision — not an automatic entitlement triggered by a bank transfer.

The seven routes — with who attests each one

Foreigners meeting any one of the following may be eligible, subject to the President's decision:

Route	Minimum	Lock-in	Attested by
Fixed capital investment	USD 500,000	—	Ministry of Industry and Technology
Real estate	USD 400,000	Title-deed restriction on resale for at least 3 years	Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change
Job creation	At least 50 people employed	—	Ministry of Labor and Social Security
Bank deposit	USD 500,000	Not withdrawn for at least 3 years	Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency
Government bonds	USD 500,000	Not sold for at least 3 years	Ministry of Treasury and Finance
Real estate or venture capital fund shares	USD 500,000	Not sold for at least 3 years	Capital Markets Board of Türkiye
Private pension contribution	USD 500,000	Remains in the private pension system for at least 3 years	Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency

All amounts may be met in equivalent foreign currency.

The valuation question, answered by the table above

The recurring online warning is that a property is marketed at the citizenship threshold while being worth less. Read the real-estate row again: the USD 400,000 is attested by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the resale restriction is annotated on the title deed for at least three years.

Two practical consequences follow, and they are the whole due-diligence brief:

1. The number that counts is the attested one, not the price on the contract or the brochure. A seller's asking price does not create eligibility.
2. The three-year restriction is a registered encumbrance on your own title. It is not a soft commitment — it limits what you can do with the asset, and it is visible in the land registry.

Verify the property yourself, before anyone's paperwork

The same official source sets out how the Turkish land system actually works, and it removes most of the risk people pay advisors to manage:

• Only registration at the land registry directorate transfers ownership. Preliminary real-estate contracts — whether issued by notaries or written between private persons — do not transfer property. They are a commitment to transfer, nothing more. Money paid against a preliminary contract has not bought you a property.
• Check for encumbrances first. Mortgages, liens and similar restrictions that would prevent a sale should be checked before starting procedures at the land registry directorate.
• You can inspect the parcel yourself, from anywhere. Property inquiries are available online at parselsorgu.tkgm.gov.tr using city, district, quarter or village, map section and plot. Current status is visible; the owner's personal information is not.
• Appointments and the call centre. The buyer applies to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre together with the owner; appointments can be made at randevu.tkgm.gov.tr, and the Alo 181 call centre operates around the clock.

You do not need residence to buy — and buying grants residence

Two rules that are frequently reversed in online summaries:

• Foreign nationals do not need a residence permit as a pre-condition to acquire real estate in Türkiye.
• Foreigners who acquire property are granted renewable short-term residence permits under Law No. 6458.

A short-term residence permit is not citizenship and not a long-term permit. The distinction between these categories is in types of residence permits in Türkiye, and the property-linked route specifically in Turkish citizenship through real estate.

The three categories of "foreigner" — and why it changes your file

Turkish law treats acquisition differently depending on who is buying. Article 35 of Law No. 2644 governs acquisition by foreign natural and legal persons; Article 36 governs companies with foreign capital. The three categories are:

1. Foreign natural persons
2. Foreign legal persons
3. Turkish companies with foreign capital

The third has a different procedure entirely: such a company must first apply to the Provincial Directorate of Planning and Coordination at the local governor's office where the property is located, and only after a positive response apply to the Land Registry Directorate. Buying through a Turkish company you own is therefore not a shortcut — it is a longer route with an extra approval gate.

Eligibility by nationality is also not universal: the countries whose nationals may acquire real estate in Türkiye are determined at cabinet level, which may also stipulate special conditions.

What to ask before you sign

• Who will attest the USD 400,000 valuation, and when in the sequence?
• Has the parcel been checked on parselsorgu.tkgm.gov.tr for its current status?
• Are there mortgages or liens registered against it?
• Is the document you are being asked to sign a preliminary contract or a land-registry transfer?
• Are you buying as a natural person, or through a company with foreign capital that will need the extra provincial approval?

Sources

• Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye — invest.gov.tr, "Acquiring Property and Citizenship": the seven investment routes with amounts, lock-in periods and attesting authorities; Law No. 5901 Article 12(b) promulgated 28/07/2016; Law No. 6458 Article 31(1)(j); regulations published in the Official Gazette on 18/09/2018; Turquoise Card eligibility; land registry registration as the only transfer of ownership; preliminary contracts; encumbrance checks; parselsorgu.tkgm.gov.tr; randevu.tkgm.gov.tr; Alo 181; no residence permit needed to buy; renewable short-term residence permits for buyers; Law No. 2644 Articles 35 and 36; the three categories of foreigner and the PDPC procedure for companies with foreign capital. Read live 22/08/2026.