Citizenship and residence permit in Turkey: competent answers to frequently asked questions

Ways to obtain Turkish citizenship

The country's legislation provides for quite a few options for foreign citizens to obtain a Turkish passport. Among the main ones:

Marriage with a citizen of the country. First, a residence permit is given (for 3 years), and only after that the migrant can count on citizenship.
Buying a property. You will need to obtain a residence permit for 6 months. During this period, the migrant must deposit at least $3,000 into a Turkish bank account, then submit documents to the Migration Service, buy housing in the country and submit personal information to the military department. The residence permit must be renewed within 5 years. Then, if the migrant remains the owner of the property and lives in the country, he can obtain citizenship.
Investments. A foreign citizen is required to invest at least 1.5 million euros in the development of the country. The Turkish authorities manage this money for three years, after which it is returned to the foreign investor. To obtain a Turkish passport, a migrant can request proof of investment from the Council of Ministers of the Jurisdiction of Turkey and submit a package of documents for citizenship.
By birth. A newborn child born in the country automatically receives citizenship. It does not matter whether his parents have Turkish passports. The same thing happens if a child is found on Turkish soil, and it is impossible to establish the identity of his parents.
By origin. If one of the parents is a Turkish citizen, then the baby automatically becomes a citizen of the country, however, when completing the documents, the authorities will request permission from the second parent. The fact in which state the birth took place does not matter.
Naturalization, or obtaining citizenship based on the desire of the migrant. It is important to meet a number of conditions, for example, live in Turkey for at least 5 years, not leave the country during the last 3 months before submitting documents, pass a language proficiency exam, receive an official salary, and not suffer from socially dangerous diseases.
Adoption. If a Turkish citizen adopts a minor citizen of another country, citizenship is granted automatically.
Employment. In this case, an invitation to work from the employer is required, on the basis of which the Turkish authorities issue a permit to stay in the country for a year. It can be extended, and after 5 years the migrant has the right to obtain citizenship.

Currently, there are special cases for obtaining a Turkish passport. Then this procedure is carried out according to a special prescription. Such situations include:

importation of large industrial complexes into the country by a foreign citizen;
the migrant’s great contribution to the economy or science of the state;
a migrant's request for political asylum from the Turkish authorities.

Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Program

The citizenship by investment program in Turkey has been in effect since 2021. In the beginning, to obtain a passport it was necessary to purchase real estate worth a million dollars. However, there were few people willing to obtain a passport this way. Later, in 2018, the investment threshold was lowered to $250 thousand. The number of applicants for Turkish citizenship has increased sharply; in two years, 6,700 investors became Turkish citizens and invested about two billion dollars in the economy. The program is in great demand in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt) and the CIS countries. Many citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan choose this program for immigration.

The Turkish passport is not the most prestigious: it does not provide visa-free access to the Schengen area, the UK, the USA and Canada. Despite this, the Turkish authorities were able to achieve high demand and large amounts of capital raised. Other countries offering citizenship by investment charge much more money than Turkey. The relatively small amount of investment makes Turkey particularly attractive.

Conditions for granting Turkish citizenship

The authorities are quite demanding of applicants. So, to obtain citizenship it is important to meet several conditions:

Live permanently in Turkey for at least 5 years.
Show the Migration Service your intention not to leave the country in the near future, to work and live on its territory after receiving citizenship.
Know the state language (Turkish). The applicant must pass an exam and receive a certificate.
Prove your own financial solvency. The applicant must show the authorities that he can provide for himself, and not ask for help from the state. If the applicant does not earn money on his own, but is fully supported by a close relative (spouse/parents), he is required to provide a sponsorship letter from them.
Pass a medical examination.

More employment options

What else does Turkish citizenship give to a citizen of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or other countries? An important advantage is the great prospects for employment and running your own business.

It is not difficult for a foreigner to open a business in Turkey, but without Turkish citizenship you will need to attract a Turk into the business and obtain a work permit. Having a local passport eliminates the need to involve third parties in your business project and greatly simplifies the process of officially registering business activities.

If you are planning to find a good job in Turkey, you should know that first of all, the employer will pay attention to applicants with a Turkish passport and give preference to them. This choice is due to a very simple and understandable reason - it is much more profitable for the employer to hire citizens of the country, since the foreigner will need to pay for a work visa in addition to the salary.

List of documents for obtaining citizenship

The grounds for obtaining citizenship are different, and accordingly, the package of documents that will need to be prepared is also not the same. However, a certain standard set still exists. So, among the main documents it is worth noting:

application in the prescribed form;
valid foreign passport;
4 standard photographs measuring 3 by 4 cm;
original and copy of residence permit;
certificate of no criminal record;
results of a medical examination with a note indicating the absence of socially dangerous diseases;
certificate of passing the language proficiency exam;
documents on marital status (marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, if available);
receipt of payment of duty.

Depending on the basis for this, the list will have to be supplemented. You can find out what additional documents need to be provided from the Turkish Migration Service.

Content

Turkish residence permit (ikamet): questions and answers
How much time and money do Russians need to obtain a residence permit? What documents are required?
Do Turkish authorities check foreigners for residence at the address specified when obtaining or renewing a residence permit?
Is it possible to officially find a job in Turkey after receiving a residence permit?
Where to go to renew your residence permit in Turkey?
Can a property owner in Turkey issue an Ikamet for his family or friends who come to visit?
Since the beginning of 2021, Turkey has canceled the possibility of obtaining and extending a tourist residence permit for a number of countries. The exceptions were citizens of the European Union, Russia, the USA, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, and Norway. What should citizens of the former CIS countries do if they live in Turkey under a tourist permit?

Obtaining Turkish citizenship (vatandaşlık): questions and answers
Is it possible to obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing an apartment, house or commercial property in the country?
What additional conditions exist for those who bought real estate in Turkey for 250 thousand dollars and want to obtain citizenship ahead of schedule?
To obtain Turkish citizenship early, how many properties can you buy for the equivalent of 250 thousand US dollars? One apartment or several?
Do I need to renounce my nationality to become a citizen of the Republic of Turkey?
What opportunities, advantages and rights does Turkish citizenship give to a foreigner?
Do all family members of a person applying for Turkish citizenship need to fly to Turkey while the vatandaşlık is being processed?
Who and how controls the correctness of the cost of housing purchased to obtain early citizenship?

Procedure for obtaining citizenship

The algorithm is quite simple; it includes the following steps:

The applicant contacts the Turkish Ministry of Civil Affairs to clarify what documents will have to be prepared.
When all the papers are collected, the citizenship candidate comes for an interview. Then he submits the documents and receives two certificates: one - stating that the application has been accepted for consideration, the second - for presentation to the police.
The applicant must approach the police department immediately after submitting documents. There he will be fingerprinted and photographed. The employee will also conduct a short interview.
After 30-60 days, the applicant will be called or sent an SMS message to invite him for a second interview. Please note that it will be held in Turkish. The questions are standard: the applicant will be asked for what purpose he is obtaining citizenship, what he will do in the country, having become the holder of a Turkish passport.
After this, the migrant waits for a response from the authorities, which will arrive by mail.

Incentives for buying property in Turkey

High demand for real estate in the country. From January to July 2021, foreigners bought 24,144 properties in Turkey. This figure is 64.5% more than in the same period of the previous year. In July 2021 alone, sales increased by 46.7%. It amounted to 4,192 transactions – the highest figure recorded in July.
Low exchange rate of the Turkish lira relative to world currencies.
Commissioning of Istanbul Airport with a capacity of up to 200 million passengers per year.
Possible increase in rent due to changes in legislation. Rent growth is now capped by the rapidly rising consumer price index for the year rather than the producer price index.
Economic growth (GDP).
Possibility of renting out housing and resale it after 3 years.

Turkish citizenship by investment requires minimal effort and financial investment. It provides significant economic benefits. By investing in real estate, an investor guarantees its liquidity and increases his capital. He can get a second passport with wide socio-economic opportunities and earn money by buying and selling housing.

If you want to obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing real estate, move here or later to the USA, UK, contact our company for legal immigration support. We will help you resolve all issues of obtaining Turkish residency or citizenship.

Timing and cost

The procedure for obtaining citizenship is lengthy, it can last for 6-18 months. Moreover, in case of refusal, the citizen will be able to submit the application again no earlier than in a year.

The cost is 700 liras (Here you can see the online exchange rate of Turkish lira (in real time) against the ruble and other 162 currencies of the world).
This is the so-called mandatory non-refundable fee (the money will not be returned if the applicant is denied citizenship). You can see the current rates of 163 currencies with charts of their changes on the website of our partners currency.events.

Turkish passport - benefits for foreigners

The Republic of Turkey attracts many foreigners with its geographical location, being a kind of bridge between Europe and Asia. With a rich cultural and historical heritage, Turkey has been considered one of the best places to vacation, live and develop business since ancient times.

The country is currently experiencing a period of recession, which is quite logical against the backdrop of a global pandemic, which is just one of the stages in the history of the state. If we consider Turkey from an economic point of view, several advantages can be noted:

member of the UN, NATO, IMF, World Bank and G20;
Turkey has been a member of the EU Customs Union since 1995 and offers a wide range of opportunities for exporters and importers;
profitable investment programs for foreigners, among whom the most popular is citizenship for the purchase of real estate at a price of 250 thousand US dollars;
stable tax rates and benefits for start-up entrepreneurs;
GDP growth and a progressing real estate market, prices for which are affordable for many foreign citizens and are lower than the average market rate for similar housing in other countries, in particular in Russia.

Note! You can apply for citizenship by investment through our international offshore portal by contacting specialists at the email address: [email protected] .

Among the popular real estate properties, our Turkish partners are ready to offer: luxury villas in Antalya, a ranch with a swimming pool and stables, a citrus garden, a hotel business with a boutique hotel in Konyalti and much more.

Obtaining a residence permit to open a business

One of the ways to obtain a residence permit in Turkey is to open your own business in this country. This could be beauty salons, shops, a restaurant or cafe, various courses for children and larger enterprises. You can open a business in Turkey with a residence permit even with minimal starting capital.

The process of legal company registration for foreigners is identical to that for Turkish citizens. The only difference is that all documents must be translated into Turkish and notarized.

A team of professionals - the Liga Real Estate company - will help you choose a reliable insurance company, as well as prepare all the other necessary documents for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey.

What can you buy in Turkey and obtain citizenship?

For the $250 thousand needed for a passport, you can now buy apartments and even a villa in Turkey. For example, $252 thousand is currently selling a two-room apartment in the European part of Istanbul with an area of 80 m2. The price per square meter in this proposal is $2840.

A five-room villa in Alanya with an area of 200 m2, built in 2021, costs from $256 thousand. The house stands on a plot of 450 m2, and the beach is 100 meters away.

Villa in Alanya

In the same Alanya, for $255 thousand you can buy a two-room apartment with an area of 125 m2, ready to move in, with a sea view. The price per square meter is $2045.

There are suitable offers in popular Antalya. For example, a six-room villa with an area of 300 m2 built in 2002 costs $256 thousand. It is located 12 km from the sea and 10 km from the airport.

A three-room apartment in Antalya with an area of 171 m2 in a building in 2016 can be bought for $260 thousand. A square meter of this housing costs $1,523.

Complex in Antalya with three-room apartments

In Bodrum, a six-room three-story apartment with an area of 220 m2 is being sold for $266 thousand, which is $1210 per square meter. The housing is located in a new building on a plot of 500 m2. The distance to the sea is 450 meters, the windows offer sea views.