Citizenship by investment
Investment citizenship is granted through the exceptional route in Article 12 of Law No. 5901, and the qualifying thresholds sit in the implementing regulation rather than in the statute — which is why they have moved several times. The principal routes are USD 400,000 in immovable property with a three-year non-sale annotation, or USD 500,000 in fixed capital investment, a bank deposit, government debt instruments, investment fund shares or a private pension, each held for three years, or the employment of 50 people. The applicant's spouse and children under eighteen are included.
At a glance
- Legal basis
- Law No. 5901, art. 12; Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, art. 20
- Property route
- USD 400,000, three-year non-sale annotation
- Capital, deposit, bonds, funds, pension
- USD 500,000, held three years
- Employment route
- 50 employees
- Family included
- Spouse and children under 18
- Residence requirement
- None
- Decided by
- Presidential decision, on the Ministry's file
The qualifying routes
| Route | Threshold | Holding period | Evidenced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immovable property | USD 400,000 | 3 years, annotated on the title | Valuation report; title deed; currency conversion certificate |
| Fixed capital investment | USD 500,000 | — | Ministry of Industry and Technology certificate |
| Bank deposit | USD 500,000 | 3 years | BRSA certificate |
| Government debt instruments | USD 500,000 | 3 years | Ministry of Treasury and Finance certificate |
| Investment fund shares | USD 500,000 | 3 years | Capital Markets Board certificate |
| Private pension | USD 500,000 | 3 years | Insurance and Private Pension Regulation Authority certificate |
| Employment | 50 employees | — | Ministry of Labour and Social Security certificate |
The sequence
- Structure and complete the investment in a form that will be certifiable — the wrong instrument, or the right one held the wrong way, cannot be retro-fitted.
- Obtain the certificate of eligibility (uygunluk belgesi) from the ministry or authority responsible for that instrument. See the firm's note on the certificate of eligibility.
- Obtain a residence permit — investors are issued one, and it is a step in the process rather than an end in itself.
- File the citizenship application under the exceptional route.
- Await the decision, which is taken at Presidential level on the Ministry of Interior's file.
Where the file is clean the process is measured in months rather than years, which is what distinguishes this route from every other one in the routes comparison. Where it is not, the firm's note on delays in investment citizenship files sets out the usual causes.
If the route is property
Most of the risk in this programme sits in the property route, and almost none of it is about price. The valuation report, the currency conversion certificate, the three-year annotation, restricted zones and the anti-recycling rules on previously-used properties each defeat files independently of value. They are set out in the property rules for investment citizenship.
Who is included
The applicant, the applicant's spouse, and children under eighteen. Children over eighteen are not included and must qualify in their own right — a fact that regularly reshapes the timing of an application in families with teenagers. Children born after the grant are Turkish by descent in any case; see citizenship by birth and descent.
After the grant
Full Turkish nationality, dual nationality permitted, with the notification obligation and — for male citizens — the military service question that attaches to it. See dual nationality, notification and military service. The investment must still be held for its period: selling a property before the three-year annotation lapses does not undo a citizenship already granted, but it breaches the undertaking on which it was granted, and the firm's note on removing the three-year annotation covers the mechanics of doing it lawfully at the end.
The honest comparison
This is the fastest route to a Turkish passport and the only one measured in months. It is also the most expensive, the most exposed to regulatory change, and the one where the money is genuinely at risk if the investment is structured badly — an unsuitable property is not merely a failed application, it is an asset you now own and cannot easily sell. Anyone who qualifies for another route on time alone should compare properly before spending.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to invest for Turkish citizenship?
USD 400,000 in immovable property with a three-year non-sale annotation, or USD 500,000 in fixed capital, a bank deposit, government debt instruments, investment fund shares or a private pension held for three years, or the employment of 50 people. The figures are set by regulation and have changed before.
Does citizenship by investment require living in Türkiye?
No. The exceptional route under Article 12 imposes no residence requirement. A residence permit is issued as part of the process, but there is no obligation to reside.
Are my family included?
Your spouse and your children under eighteen. Children over eighteen must qualify in their own right.
How long does investment citizenship take?
Where the investment is certifiable and the file is clean, months rather than years — which is what distinguishes it from every other route. Defective documentation, unsuitable property or unclear source of funds extend it considerably.
Can I sell the property after I get citizenship?
Not before the three-year period expires: the undertaking is annotated on the title deed. Selling at the end of the period requires the annotation to be lifted, which is a defined procedure rather than an automatic event.
The money is at risk before the application is
A property that fails the valuation, the zoning or the anti-recycling rules is not a failed application — it is an asset you now own and cannot easily sell. Diligence belongs before the transfer, not before the citizenship file.
Related reading
- The property rules for investment citizenshipValuation report, currency conversion certificate, the three-year annotation, restricted zones and the anti-recycling rules — where the property route actually fails.
- Exceptional citizenship and the Turquoise CardArticle 12 is wider than the investment programme — extraordinary contribution, recognised immigrants and Turquoise Card holders all sit inside it.
- Every route to Turkish citizenship, comparedBirth, descent, marriage, five years' residence, investment and reacquisition — what each requires, how long it takes and which is realistically open to you.
Sources & legal references
- Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, art. 12 — exceptional acquisition of citizenship
- Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, art. 20 — investment thresholds and certifying authorities
- Land Registry Law No. 2644 — acquisition of immovable property by foreigners