Turkey grants citizenship to foreign investors who make a qualifying investment — most commonly buying property worth at least USD 400,000 and holding it for three years. In return, the investor and their immediate family can obtain Turkish citizenship and passports, typically within a matter of months. This guide sets out the routes, the real costs, the timeline, and the rules as they stand in 2026 — sourced, and without the guarantees you will see elsewhere.
We are Global Mobility Capital, an independent investment-migration advisory and a member of the Investment Migration Council (IMC), with offices in Istanbul, Athens, and Dubai. We are not a property seller. That independence is the thread running through this guide: we are paid a single fixed fee to get the decision right, not a commission to sell you a unit.
The routes at a glance
There are several qualifying routes. The first two account for almost every application.
| Route | Minimum | Hold period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | USD 400,000 | 3 years (no sale) | Most common; value set by an SPK-licensed appraisal |
| Bank deposit | USD 500,000 | 3 years (blocked) | Capital returned in full after the term |
| Fixed-capital investment | USD 500,000 | — | Via a Turkish company |
| Government bonds | USD 500,000 | 3 years | Held through an intermediary |
| Job creation | 50 employees | — | Confirmed by the Ministry of Labour |
The legal basis is Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 12(b), and Article 20 of its Implementing Regulation.
What changed — and the $250,000 myth
The real-estate threshold has moved over time: USD 1,000,000 → USD 250,000 (2018) → USD 400,000, effective 13 June 2022. Many competitor pages and brokers still advertise $250,000. That figure has not qualified for citizenship for years; treat it as a sign a source is out of date.
Since late 2023 the rules have also tightened around what counts as a qualifying property — restrictions on vacant land, requirements around kat irtifakı (the construction-servitude title), and a stricter valuation and payment process. We cover these on the real-estate route page, because they are where applications most often go wrong.
What actually qualifies
A property does not qualify simply because it costs USD 400,000. To stand up to scrutiny it must:
- be valued at or above the threshold by an SPK-licensed appraisal report (the declared value, not the asking price, is what counts);
- be paid for through the Turkish banking system, so the money is traceable;
- carry the correct title (kat irtifakı / kat mülkiyeti as applicable); and
- not have been used for a citizenship application by a previous foreign owner.
Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a file fails. See how to get Turkish citizenship for the full process and the traps to avoid.
The real cost
The USD 400,000 is the investment, not the total. Add the title-deed transfer tax, the valuation report, notary and translation, mandatory insurance, and state fees, and a realistic all-in figure sits above the headline. We publish a full, itemised breakdown — including our own fee — on the cost page. To the best of our knowledge, no competitor does the same.
Timeline
In our experience a straightforward real-estate application is typically decided within several months of a complete, correctly-documented file. We do not state processing times as guarantees, because the decision rests with the Turkish authorities and timelines move. A realistic, stage-by-stage view is on the timeline page.
What Turkish citizenship gives you
- A second nationality and passport, with Turkey permitting dual citizenship (check your own country's rules — some require you to renounce).
- Family included — spouse and children under 18.
- Visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to a large number of destinations — see our dated, sourced visa-free countries page (published counts vary, so we cite ours).
- Access to the US E-2 investor visa route, because Turkey is an E-2 treaty country — a meaningful option a passport-ranking number does not capture.
- The full set of benefits, including residence and succession points, is on the benefits page.
Who it tends to suit
The investors we work with are mostly internationally-minded families seeking mobility, a hedge, and an asset in one move. We have dedicated guidance for the markets we serve most:
- UAE residents — expats and GCC nationals who can complete the process largely from the Gulf.
- Pakistani investors — including how to fund the investment lawfully from Pakistan.
- Iranian and other regional investors — handled with the care the sanctions environment requires (we keep this strictly lawful and factual).
How it compares
Turkey is a citizenship programme — you get a passport, now. Most "golden visas" give residency that may lead to citizenship years later. That distinction drives most decisions:
- Turkey vs Portugal Golden Visa — citizenship now vs EU residency later.
- Turkey vs Caribbean citizenship — a recoverable asset vs a cheaper donation.
We tell you honestly when another programme is the better fit.
Why documentation matters more than ever
In 2025–26 Turkey moved to revoke citizenships obtained through fraudulent, overpriced, or "cash-back" real-estate deals (a case affecting hundreds of investors). The lesson is simple: a citizenship is only as secure as the file behind it. Because we are independent and do not sell the property, we can insist on an honest valuation and a clean paper trail — and walk you away from a unit that would put your status at risk.
How GMC works
We begin with Pre-Check®, a short qualifying step over WhatsApp that tells you, honestly, whether and how you qualify before you spend anything. If we proceed, you receive a written quote that separates the investment, the third-party costs, and our single fixed fee — no percentage of your investment, no surprises. A named team handles your file end to end, from three offices, under IMC standards.