Obtaining Turkish citizenship is an important and multifaceted decision that, beyond a simple residency, grants an individual a set of full legal and civil rights. While temporary residency (like tourist residency) is always accompanied by the worry of renewal and uncertainty, citizenship is considered a permanent status.
The main advantages of this choice include complete life stability, freedom from the bureaucracy of visa renewal, and access to economic and international opportunities. Holders of a Turkish passport can travel visa-free to over 110 countries (and up to 125 countries according to some sources), which includes important destinations like Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Furthermore, due to bilateral treaties, Turkish citizenship provides the unique possibility of applying for the E-2 investor visa for the United States.
Key Difference: Residency (Ikamet) vs. Citizenship in Turkey (Vatandaşlık)
The biggest ambiguity for many applicants is the difference between "residency" and "citizenship." Understanding this difference is vital for any financial or legal decision:
- Residency (Ikamet): This is a temporary permit to live in Turkey (like a tourist or work residence card). This permit must be renewed periodically and offers limited rights. You are still considered a foreign national.
- Citizenship (Vatandaşlık): This means becoming a full Turkish citizen. This status is permanent, leads to receiving a Turkish passport, and includes all civil rights, including the right to vote and access to public services.
Does Turkey Accept Dual Citizenship?
Yes. One of the main concerns for applicants is the need to renounce their current citizenship. Fortunately, Turkish law recognizes dual (multiple) citizenship. This means that applicants can retain their previous passport and nationality while simultaneously receiving Turkish citizenship.
There are different paths to obtaining Turkish citizenship, each with different requirements and timelines. Choosing the right path depends on your goals, budget, and personal circumstances.
Comparison of the Main Paths to Obtain Turkish Citizenship
Investment Path (CBI)
- Minimum Time Required: 3 to 9 months
- Main and Key Condition: Minimum investment of $400,000 (in real estate)
- Complexity Level / Main Challenge: Financial - Requires significant initial capital
Marriage Path
- Minimum Time Required: At least 3 years
- Main and Key Condition: 3 years of a real marriage and proof of cohabitation
- Complexity Level / Main Challenge: Verification - Detailed interviews and police investigations
5-Year Residency Path
- Minimum Time Required: At least 5 years
- Main and Key Condition: 5 years of continuous legal residency (with the correct visa)
- Complexity Level / Main Challenge: Time-consuming - Proving continuity of residency and income
Path of Descent (Birth)
- Minimum Time Required: Variable (depends on documents)
- Main and Key Condition: Proving that at least one parent was Turkish
- Complexity Level / Main Challenge: Evidentiary - Requires official genealogical documents
Obtaining Turkish Citizenship through Investment (CBI)
The most popular and fastest path to obtaining Turkish citizenship is the "Citizenship by Investment" (CBI) program. This program allows foreign investors to apply directly for citizenship in exchange for a significant financial contribution to the Turkish economy.
Investment in Real Estate (Most Popular Option)
This option is the most common choice in the CBI program due to its relative simplicity.
- Main Amount: The minimum investment amount is $400,000 (four hundred thousand US dollars) or its equivalent in foreign currency.
- Main Requirement: The investor must legally commit not to sell the purchased property (or properties) for a period of at least 3 years. This commitment must be explicitly registered in the official property deed (known in Turkey as Tapu).
While the official amount is $400,000, other figures (like $450,000 or the old amount of $250,000) might sometimes be mentioned in unofficial sources. However, based on official government sources like the Investment Office of the Presidency of Turkey, the current threshold for real estate is $400,000.
Other Investment Options ($500,000)
For applicants who do not wish to get involved with purchasing and managing property, alternative options exist with a threshold of $500,000 (five hundred thousand US dollars):
- Bank Deposit: Depositing at least $500,000 USD (or its equivalent) in a reputable Turkish bank and committing not to withdraw it for 3 years.
- Government Bonds or Funds: Purchasing government bonds or shares in real estate investment funds (REIF) or venture capital investment funds (VC), valued at a minimum of $500,000, and holding them for 3 years.
- Job Creation: Establishing a business and creating jobs for at least 50 Turkish citizens.
Important Warnings: Investment Rules and Pitfalls
Obtaining citizenship through investment is a very sensitive financial and legal matter. The Turkish government has established strict rules to prevent abuse and ensure the real entry of foreign currency into the country. Ignoring these rules can lead to the definite rejection of the application.
1. Real Estate Purchase Pitfalls:
These rules are designed to prevent actions where properties are fictitiously passed between individuals merely to meet the $400,000 threshold, without new currency entering Turkey.
- Prohibition on Buying from Foreigners: The property you purchase must not be owned by another foreign individual (except in specific inheritance cases).
- Prohibition on Reusing a Property: A property that has previously been used for a citizenship application cannot be used again for another citizenship application.
- Prohibition on Buying from Your Own Company: The property must not be purchased from a legal entity (company) where the owner or manager is the applicant, their spouse, their children, or a company with the same nationality as the applicant.
- Type of Eligible Property: Purchasing empty land (Arsa) or a field (Tarla) with no structure on it is usually not eligible. The property must have "floor ownership" (Kat Mülkiyeti) or "floor servitude" (Kat İrtifakı - meaning a valid project under construction) status.
- Official Valuation: The property's value is assessed based on the purchase price or the official Valuation Report (whichever is lower). Therefore, one cannot fictitiously buy a cheap property at a higher price.
Take your first step with investment consulting in Turkey confidently.
2. Money Transfer Requirements:
- The entire investment amount must be transferred to Turkey legally and through the banking system. Transferring cash or using informal money exchange (hawala) is not acceptable.
- The applicant must obtain the "Foreign Exchange Purchase Document" (Döviz Alım Belgesi) from the bank, which proves that the foreign currency was sold to the bank and converted to Lira.
Key 2025 Changes You Need to Know!
Immigration laws are not static. Two very important changes in 2024-2025 have affected the CBI process, indicating a tightening of procedures:
1. Currency Risk Warning: End of the KKM Program for New Investors
- Previously, the $500,000 bank deposit option was attractive due to the existence of a protective scheme (KKM). This scheme protected Lira deposits against severe currency fluctuations and depreciation against the dollar.
- Key Change: According to reports, as of 2025, this protective program is not available to new CBI investors.
- Consequence: This means that if an applicant chooses the bank deposit option (which often requires converting dollars to Lira), they must now accept the full risk of currency fluctuations and the potential depreciation of their capital due to inflation or a fall in the Lira's value for 3 years. This change has significantly increased the financial risk of this option.
2. Stricter Requirements for Applicant's Spouses
Recent changes show that the government is scrutinizing not only the main applicant but the entire family more closely:
- Requirement for Certificate of No Criminal Record: Previously, providing a certificate of no criminal record was mainly mandatory for the main applicant. Now, the applicant's spouse is also required to provide a valid certificate of no criminal record (translated and Apostille).
- In-Person Presence Requirement: Previously, many steps could be done remotely. Now, both the main applicant and their spouse must be physically present in Turkey to obtain the residence card (Ikamet), which is a prerequisite for the citizenship application, to complete the fingerprinting process. This requires logistical travel planning for both individuals.
Alternative Paths for Obtaining Turkish Citizenship:
Although the investment path is the fastest, it is not the only way. Turkish law also recognizes other paths based on family ties, birth, and long-term residency.
Citizenship by Marriage:
This path is based on a real marriage to a Turkish citizen, but contrary to popular belief, citizenship is not granted automatically.
Main Conditions:
- Duration: The applicant must have been officially married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years.
- Real Cohabitation: The marriage must not be fictitious or just on paper. The applicant and the Turkish spouse must prove that they are living together "within the framework of family union" (aile birliği).
- Good Faith and Security: The applicant must not be involved in activities incompatible with married life (such as serious misconduct) and must not be considered a threat to national security or public order in Turkey.
Verification Process (Very Important):
The Turkish government has a very rigorous verification process to distinguish real marriages from fictitious ones. This path requires patience and honesty.
- Police Investigation: After submitting the application, the file is referred to the police for a security check.
- Commission Interview: The applicant and the Turkish spouse are invited to an interview with a special commission. In this interview, questions are asked both jointly and separately to verify the accuracy of the information and the authenticity of the relationship.
- Field Investigations: In some cases, authorities may conduct unannounced visits to the residence or even inquire with neighbors to confirm cohabitation.
Legal Notes:
- If the Turkish spouse dies after the citizenship application is submitted, the application can still be processed.
- If the marriage ends in divorce after citizenship is granted, the foreign national's citizenship is preserved, provided it is proven that the marriage was entered into in "good faith."
Citizenship in Turkey via Long-Term Residency
This path, also known as "Naturalization," is for individuals who have chosen Turkey as their permanent home.
Main Condition:
- Continuous legal residency (without interruption) in Turkey for 5 consecutive years before the application date.
Other Conditions:
- Proof of sufficient financial means to support oneself and family in Turkey.
- Having no serious criminal record and not being a threat to national security.
- Not having a contagious disease that threatens public health.
- Demonstrating integration with life in Turkey, which usually includes having basic knowledge of the Turkish language for daily needs (this is often assessed in an interview).
The Tourist Residency Trap:
Many foreigners, with the false belief that simply living in Turkey with any type of residency will lead to citizenship, waste years of time and financial resources.
Very Important Warning!
Short-term tourist residency (Turistik İkamet İzni or kısa dönem ikamet izni), even if renewed for consecutive years, absolutely does not count towards the 5 years of residency required for citizenship.
This is a common trap that can lead to frustration and wasted time. The Turkish government has explicitly stated that the purpose of tourist residency is tourism, not permanent settlement.
Which residencies count towards the 5 years?
For your 5 years of residency to be eligible, it must be through other valid permits, such as:
- Work Permit (Çalışma İzni): Residency through legal employment for a Turkish employer.
- Residency by Property Purchase: Even if you purchase a property below the $400,000 citizenship threshold (e.g., a property used only for annual residency), this type of residency is usually counted in the 5-year calculation.
- Student Residency: The duration of student residency is usually counted as half (e.g., 4 years of study counts as 2 years).
Citizenship by Birth:
Turkish citizenship law is primarily based on the "principle of blood" (Jus Sanguinis), not the "principle of soil" (Jus Soli).
Simple Explanation:
What does this mean? If at least one of your parents (father or mother) was a Turkish citizen at the time of your birth, you are considered a Turkish citizen from birth. This law applies regardless of which country (inside or outside Turkey) you were born in.
However, simply being born on Turkish soil (while both parents are foreign) does not automatically grant your child Turkish citizenship. (The only exception is if the child is at risk of becoming stateless).
Applicants for this path must prove this blood connection by providing official documents such as a birth certificate, identity documents of the Turkish parent(s), and population registration records (Nüfus Kayıt Örneği).
Steps to Get Turkish Citizenship (Step-by-Step)
Although the details vary depending on the chosen path, the general process is as follows:
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Complete the Prerequisite: First, you must fulfill the main condition of your chosen path. (e.g., purchasing property and obtaining the "Certificate of Conformity"; or completing 3 years of real marriage; or completing 5 years of legal residency).
- Obtain a Residence Card (Ikamet): You must have a valid residence card in Turkey at the time of submitting your citizenship application. For investors, this is usually a special short-term residency based on the investment. (As mentioned, this is now also mandatory for the investor's spouse).
- Prepare the Document File: All required documents (listed in the next section) must be collected, officially translated into Turkish, and certified by a notary public (Noter) and, if necessary (for foreign documents), by Apostille.
- Submit the Official Application: The complete file of documents is submitted to the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri) in the province where you reside.
- Initial Review and Biometrics: At this stage, physical presence is mandatory for providing fingerprints. Initial interviews (especially for the marriage and 5-year residency paths) are also conducted.
- Security Check (Waiting Period): This is the longest stage. Your file is sent to the relevant authorities in Ankara for detailed security checks.
- Final Decision: After the checks are completed, the application is approved or rejected by high authorities (ultimately the Presidency) and the decision is published in the Official Gazette.
- Receive Documents: If approved, you will apply to receive your Turkish National ID Card (Kimlik Kartı) and then apply for a Turkish passport.
Final Conclusion
Obtaining Turkish citizenship is generally a complex process that requires high precision. Choosing the investment path as the fastest option may seem attractive at first, but it must be accompanied by high legal and financial diligence to avoid legal problems. Likewise, the marriage and long-term residency paths require patience, time, and serious proof of integration into Turkish society. Since immigration and investment laws in Turkey are constantly changing, the correct decision must be based on individual circumstances and consultation with legal and financial professionals. We recommend consulting with our experienced experts at Zarsan Global to ensure you navigate this path correctly.
