Do I need to live in Türkiye to get citizenship by investment?

No. Article 12 / Decree No. 106 has no minimum residence requirement — you do not need to physically live in Türkiye during the application. You will need a short-term residence permit on the basis of the investment as a procedural step, but day-presence is not tracked.

How long does CBI take?

Plan for 6 to 9 months end-to-end once your investment is in place. The investment selection and lock-up phase typically takes 1–3 months; the citizenship application review at the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs averages 2–5 months. ID and passport issuance follows within a few weeks of approval.

Can I sell the property or withdraw the deposit after I get the passport?

Not for at least 3 years after the investment was made. The mandatory hold is set by Presidential Decree and applies regardless of whether your citizenship has already been granted. Selling early can put the citizenship itself at risk and is a common source of legal disputes.

Are spouses and children automatically included?

Spouses and children under 18 are typically included in the same application file. Adult children (over 18) and other relatives — parents, siblings — are not eligible to piggy-back; they must qualify under a separate pathway such as marriage, naturalisation, or their own qualifying investment.

Can I keep my original citizenship?

Türkiye allows dual citizenship without restriction on its side. Whether your country of origin allows you to keep its passport is governed by that country's law — for example, India does not permit dual citizenship and acquiring a Turkish passport may trigger automatic renunciation. Check with a lawyer in your home jurisdiction before proceeding.

What's the cheapest qualifying investment?

The property route at USD 400,000 is the lowest qualifying threshold among the five. The financial routes (bank deposit, government bonds, fixed capital, fund shares) all sit at USD 500,000. Total program cost is higher than the headline figure once you add legal fees, valuation, government processing, translations and apostilles — budget another USD 8,000–USD 25,000 depending on whether you self-manage or use a Turkish CBI law firm.

Is the Turkish passport worth it for visa-free travel?

The Turkish passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 110+ jurisdictions including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil and most of South America. It does not cover the United States, Canada, the UK, the Schengen Area or Australia visa-free. Henley & Arton index ranks change annually — verify current passport access against your target travel before committing.

Pathway · Investment

Citizenship by Investment

Türkiye grants citizenship by exceptional means to qualifying investors under Article 12 of Law 5901, with thresholds set by Presidential Decree. Five routes are open today, all requiring a 3-year hold on the underlying asset.

At a glance

Typical timeline: 6–9 months end-to-end once the investment is in place
Property purchase (minimum): USD 400,000
Bank deposit (minimum): USD 500,000
Government bonds (minimum): USD 500,000

Overview

Citizenship by investment (CBI) is the fastest pathway to a Turkish passport — typical end-to-end timelines run 6 to 9 months once the investment is in place. The legal basis sits in Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law (Türk Vatandaşlığı Kanunu, Law No. 5901), with the qualifying thresholds and routes defined by Presidential Decree (Decree No. 106 raised the property threshold from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000 in 2022, and that figure remains in force).

There are five qualifying routes today: real estate purchase, bank deposit, Turkish government bonds, fixed-capital investment in a Turkish business, and shares in a real-estate or venture-capital fund. Property is by far the most common route (it accounts for the vast majority of applications) but the alternative routes can be attractive for applicants who do not want to manage Turkish real estate.

Every route carries a minimum 3-year hold period — the underlying asset cannot be liquidated, sold or withdrawn during that window without jeopardising the citizenship. Spouses and children under 18 are typically included in the same application; adult dependants apply separately. Verify current thresholds with a Turkish immigration lawyer before committing capital.

Eligibility

Applicant must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to invest.
Applicant must not pose a national-security risk and must clear Ministry of Interior background checks.
Capital must be sourced and traceable; transfers should pass through the Turkish banking system with documented FX certificates.
Spouse and minor children (under 18) may be added to the same application.
Adult dependants (parents, children over 18) cannot piggy-back — they must qualify under another pathway.
No Turkish-language requirement and no minimum residence requirement under Article 12.

Application process

1
Asset selection and reservation
Choose the route and identify the asset (property, bank, bond, fund or business). For property, government-licensed valuation must support the threshold floor.
2
Capital transfer through Turkish banking
Funds enter Türkiye through a Turkish bank with FX-conversion certificates (Döviz Alım Belgesi) on file. This paper trail is mandatory for the citizenship file.
3
Asset purchase / lock-up
Complete title-deed transfer (tapu) for property, or open the deposit / buy the bonds / wire fixed capital. The 3-year hold clock starts here.
4
Conformity certificate
Obtain the relevant authority's conformity certificate (Land Registry for property; BDDK / Ministry of Treasury for the financial routes) confirming the investment qualifies.
5
Residence permit (short-term)
File for a short-term residence permit on the basis of the qualifying investment. This is a procedural step — you do not need to physically reside in Türkiye during processing.
6
Citizenship application
Submit the citizenship file with apostilled and translated personal documents (passport, birth, marriage, no-criminal-record) bundled in one packet to the Provincial Population Directorate or via consulate.
7
Government review and Presidential decree
Review at the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs typically takes 2–5 months; approval issues by Presidential decree, followed by Turkish ID and e-passport at the relevant offices.

Thresholds and key figures

Requirement	Value
Property purchase (minimum)	USD 400,000
Bank deposit (minimum)	USD 500,000
Government bonds (minimum)	USD 500,000
Fixed-capital investment (minimum)	USD 500,000
Fund shares (minimum)	USD 500,000
Mandatory hold (all routes)	3 years

Documents typically required

Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond application)
Apostilled and translated birth certificate
Apostilled and translated marriage certificate (if applying with a spouse)
Apostilled and translated no-criminal-record certificate from country of citizenship
Biometric photographs (Turkish format)
Turkish tax number (vergi numarası)
Bank FX-conversion certificates (Döviz Alım Belgesi) covering the qualifying transfer
Conformity certificate from the relevant authority for the chosen route
Health insurance valid in Türkiye covering the application period

Recommended tools

Plan the numbers

Citizenship by Investment Calculator

Estimate the all-in cost of each qualifying route — property, bank deposit, bonds, fixed capital or fund shares — including taxes, legal fees, valuation and per-dependant uplifts.

Tax Residency Calculator

Once you hold a Turkish passport, your tax position depends on day-presence, not citizenship — model the days you will spend in Türkiye to forecast residency.

Foreign Income Tax Checker

If your investment generates foreign income (rent, dividends, capital gains), check how Türkiye treats it under double-tax treaties.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to live in Türkiye to get citizenship by investment?: No. Article 12 / Decree No. 106 has no minimum residence requirement — you do not need to physically live in Türkiye during the application. You will need a short-term residence permit on the basis of the investment as a procedural step, but day-presence is not tracked.
How long does CBI take?: Plan for 6 to 9 months end-to-end once your investment is in place. The investment selection and lock-up phase typically takes 1–3 months; the citizenship application review at the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs averages 2–5 months. ID and passport issuance follows within a few weeks of approval.
Can I sell the property or withdraw the deposit after I get the passport?: Not for at least 3 years after the investment was made. The mandatory hold is set by Presidential Decree and applies regardless of whether your citizenship has already been granted. Selling early can put the citizenship itself at risk and is a common source of legal disputes.
Are spouses and children automatically included?: Spouses and children under 18 are typically included in the same application file. Adult children (over 18) and other relatives — parents, siblings — are not eligible to piggy-back; they must qualify under a separate pathway such as marriage, naturalisation, or their own qualifying investment.
Can I keep my original citizenship?: Türkiye allows dual citizenship without restriction on its side. Whether your country of origin allows you to keep its passport is governed by that country's law — for example, India does not permit dual citizenship and acquiring a Turkish passport may trigger automatic renunciation. Check with a lawyer in your home jurisdiction before proceeding.
What's the cheapest qualifying investment?: The property route at USD 400,000 is the lowest qualifying threshold among the five. The financial routes (bank deposit, government bonds, fixed capital, fund shares) all sit at USD 500,000. Total program cost is higher than the headline figure once you add legal fees, valuation, government processing, translations and apostilles — budget another USD 8,000–USD 25,000 depending on whether you self-manage or use a Turkish CBI law firm.
Is the Turkish passport worth it for visa-free travel?: The Turkish passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 110+ jurisdictions including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil and most of South America. It does not cover the United States, Canada, the UK, the Schengen Area or Australia visa-free. Henley & Arton index ranks change annually — verify current passport access against your target travel before committing.

Other pathways

Considering a different route?

Pathway · Property

Citizenship by Property Purchase

Real estate is the most popular Turkish citizenship-by-investment route.

Pathway · Marriage

Citizenship by Marriage

Foreign nationals married to a Turkish citizen for at least three continuous years can apply for citizenship under Article 16 of the Turkish Citizenship Law, subject to cohabitation and good-character checks.

Pathway · Naturalisation

Citizenship by Naturalization

Five years of continuous legal residence in Türkiye, plus Turkish proficiency and good character, qualifies a foreign national for citizenship under Article 11 of the Turkish Citizenship Law — the slowest but most reliable pathway.

Pathway · Descent

Citizenship by Descent

Türkiye applies jure sanguinis — children of a Turkish citizen are Turkish citizens at birth, regardless of where they are born.

Back to all citizenship pathways