Turkish citizenship by investment: USD 400 000 and other routes
Turkish citizenship can be granted, exceptionally, under art. 12 of Law No. 5901 by presidential decision in return for a qualified investment. Property purchase is the most used route.
This is separate from a residence permit: first the investment, then assessment, then the decision. The property route starts at USD 400 000 — not the USD 200 000 of the residence permit.
Routes and amounts
| Investment | Minimum | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Property | USD 400 000 | from a Turkish seller, 3-year no-sale |
| Bank deposit | USD 500 000 | held in a BDDK-supervised bank |
| Fixed capital investment | set amount | per current presidential decision |
| Government bonds / funds | set amount | per the current decision list |
| Job creation | stated headcount | per the current decision list |
The property route
- Buy property worth at least USD 400 000 from a Turkish seller.
- Have the 'no sale for 3 years' annotation placed on the title deed.
- Obtain a valuation report from an authorised company.
- Obtain a short-term residence permit.
- File with the NVI; the decision is published in the Resmî Gazete.
- Complete the registration and passport application.
Who can apply
- The foreign individual who makes the investment in their own name.
- A spouse and children under 18 can be included.
- The threshold is calculated in USD, so currency swings matter — plan for it.
Citizenship without investment: other routes
Investment is only one of the routes under art. 12 of Law No. 5901. Citizenship is also possible without it: below are the grounds, timelines and official sources.
| Ground | Requirement | Timeline | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary naturalisation (art. 11) | Legal age, continuous residence in Türkiye, intention to settle, sufficient income/profession, adequate Turkish, good morals, no threat to security/public order | 5 continuous years before the application (to be verified) | NVI (nvi.gov.tr), statute text — mevzuat.gov.tr |
| Marriage to a Turkish citizen (art. 16) | Married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years and the marriage continues; living in a family union; no threat to security/public order; checked by the NVI | at least 3 years of marriage (to be verified) | NVI, mevzuat.gov.tr |
| Birth / descent (art. 6–7) | A child born to a Turkish mother or father within marriage (in Türkiye or abroad) | from birth | NVI, mevzuat.gov.tr |
| Reacquisition (art. 13) | Former citizens: those who lost citizenship by a renunciation permit, or who did not exercise the right of choice | no residence period required | NVI, mevzuat.gov.tr |
| Mavi Kart (art. 28) | Former citizens by birth who left with permission, and their descendants to the third degree | indefinite; citizen rights except voting and office, military service, duty-free import of a vehicle/household goods and permanent core civil service | NVI (nvi.gov.tr/mavi-kart) |
| Adoption (art. 17) | A minor adopted by a Turkish citizen; no threat to security/public order | from the adoption decision date | NVI, mevzuat.gov.tr |
| Exceptional merit (art. 12) | Presidential decision for services to the country (rare, separate route) | by decision | mevzuat.gov.tr |
To be verified: timelines (5 years' residence under art. 11, 3 years of marriage under art. 16), income and Turkish-language requirements — set by Law No. 5901; check with the NVI and mevzuat.gov.tr.
Frequent questions
- How much property for citizenship?
- At least USD 400 000 in deed value (raised from USD 250 000 in June 2022), bought from a Turkish seller with a 3-year no-sale annotation.
- Is citizenship the same as residence?
- No. Residence lets you stay; citizenship is a separate, higher-threshold route.
- Do my spouse and children qualify?
- Under the conditions, a spouse and children under 18 can be included.
- How does the deposit route work?
- At least USD 500 000 is held in a BDDK-supervised bank; the amount must stay in place.
- How long does it take?
- Timelines vary; a complete file speeds it up. Check current averages with the NVI.
- Can I get Turkish citizenship without investment?
- Yes. Investment is only one route (art. 12). There is also ordinary naturalisation (art. 11, 5 years), marriage (art. 16, 3 years), birth (art. 7), reacquisition (art. 13), adoption (art. 17) and the Mavi Kart (art. 28).
- What is the Mavi Kart and what rights does it give?
- A document for former Turkish citizens who left with permission, and their descendants to the third degree. It grants citizen rights (living, working, owning and inheriting property) except voting and office, military service, duty-free import of a vehicle/household goods and permanent core civil service.
Investment routes, amounts and processing times change by presidential decision: verify the current list with the NVI and the Resmî Gazete.