Buying property from $400,000 grants a Turkish passport. Timelines, real costs, the mandatory secure-payment system, and the mistakes that get people's citizenship revoked.
The threshold, timeline and what the passport gives
Investment citizenship comes from buying one or several properties totalling $400,000+ by cadastral valuation, with a commitment not to sell for three years. The process takes about 6–8 months, and the Turkish passport requires no permanent residence in the country — you decide where to live.
Both residential and commercial property qualify, and you can combine several units. The property must be either new or owned by the previous owner for at least three years — a requirement people often miss.
The mandatory secure-payment system
From mid-2026, buying property for citizenship goes only through the state secure-payment system, Güvenli Ödeme Sistemi. Funds move via a controlled banking channel, not 'cash in hand' — protecting the buyer and evidencing the source of funds for the application.
In practice this means a transparent deal, an official valuation and less room for grey schemes. If a seller offers to pay around the system, it's a red flag — such a deal won't count for citizenship.
The main mistakes — and how to avoid them
In 2025 Turkey began revoking citizenship from investors who bought through bad-faith intermediaries: checks showed the properties didn't meet the programme or the valuation was inflated. A passport obtained on a flawed deal is a risk, not an asset.
The protection is simple: an independent cadastral valuation check, a lawyer on the buyer's side, payment only via the official system and no 'arrangements' on valuation. We support the deal from TAPU checks to the citizenship application and calculate every cost in advance. Tell us your budget — we'll assess your scenario for free.
