Turkish Citizenship by Purchasing Real Estate for 400 Thousand Dollars
Turkish citizenship by purchasing real estate for 400 thousand dollarsis an exceptional path to citizenship for foreigners who have duly acquired real estate at a value required by the legislation and have a three-year non-sale clause placed on the land registry. The official sales price, bank payments and the investment amount determination of the authorized institution must separately meet the required threshold.
This process is different from an ordinary real estate purchase. In addition to the legal status of the real estate, the nature of the seller, previous transfers, foreign exchange purchase document, payment parties and title deed declaration are examined together in terms of citizenship eligibility. A deficiency noticed after the sale is completed may not always be corrected later. If there is an obstacle in the applicant's immigration registration before acquiring real estate Lifting the ban on entry to Turkey The issue should be handled as a separate file.
What Does the $400 Thousand Real Estate Clause Mean?
In current official practice, for immovable properties acquired after September 19, 2018, it is required that the immovable property worth at least 400,000 US Dollars or the equivalent foreign currency or Turkish lira be purchased and not sold for three years. Although it is possible to complete the amount with more than one real estate, the transactions must be carried out within the same legal file and in accordance with current institution rules.
In the current regulations of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, the amount based on citizenship acquisition is confirmed through the Real Estate Investment Determination Certificate. The sum of the amount in the official bill and the bank transfers must provide the required value. It is not based solely on the advertised price, market estimate or verbal agreement between the parties.
Pre-Purchase Checklist
- The current title deed record and real owner of the real estate must be verified.
- Mortgages, liens, usufruct, family residences or annotations preventing sales should be examined.
- Any person or company affiliation that may hinder the seller's citizenship application should be investigated.
- It should be checked whether the real estate has been subject to another citizenship file before.
- Condominium ownership, building permit, housing and zoning records should be evaluated.
- The harmony between the official price, bank payment and determination document should be planned in advance.
- If a power of attorney is to be used, there must be special powers required for real estate acquisition and citizenship annotation.
Just because the real estate is physically appreciated does not mean that it is suitable for citizenship. Especially in project sales, the title deed of the independent section, its delivery status and the legal form of the promise of sale agreement are also important.
Why is Real Estate Investment Determination Certificate Important?
The Real Estate Investment Determination Certificate serves to verify the investment amount sought for acquisition for citizenship purposes, based on official data. In accordance with TKGM's current circulars, sales price and payment records are evaluated within this system. The current system should not be considered the same as the valuation report application used in the past.
Even if the determination document is positive, there may be another obstacle in the land registration, payment and party conditions. Receiving the document does not indicate that citizenship will be acquired for sure, but that the relevant stage has been met in terms of investment amount.
When there is doubt about the seller history of the real estate or the payment chain, Attorney Mehmet Emin Kurşun evaluates the risks individually before the title deed process.
How Should Payment Be Made?
The price must be transferred to the seller using the banking system through the buyer or the relevant account accepted by the legislation. The buyer, seller, amount, date and transaction description must be clearly visible on the receipt. If partial payments are made, all transfers must be linked to the same sales relationship.
- Before the transaction, the foreign currency is converted into Turkish lira through the authorized bank and a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate is issued.
- The Turkish lira amount is sent to the seller via the bank.
- The information in the receipt and foreign exchange document is matched with the title deed application.
- The sales price in the official bill is written in accordance with the actual payment records.
Payment in person or unexplained transfer from a third party may cause a proof problem in the citizenship file, even if an economical payment has been made.
In the files where title deed, residence and investment documents go together Foreigners Law Administrative conditions within the scope should also be checked simultaneously.
How to impose a three-year non-sell clause?
During the title deed process, it is declared that the real estate has been acquired for citizenship purposes and an annotation stating that it will not be sold for three years is entered in the land registry. The duration is tracked according to the date the relevant record was established. Transferring the real estate or breaching the commitment while the annotation is ongoing may affect the eligibility status.
The three-year period does not constitute an absolute obstacle to using or renting the real estate; However, whether rent, mortgage and other savings conflict with the investment condition should be examined according to the concrete transaction. Removal of the annotation may be a separate title deed transaction requested at the end of the period.
Can an application be made with a sales promise agreement?
In real estates where condominium ownership or floor easement has been established, a promise of sale contract drawn up by a notary public and annotated to the title deed may also be subject to citizenship investment under certain conditions. The requested price must be paid in cash by the contract date and the commitment that the real estate will not be transferred to a third party for three years must be recorded.
An ordinary written reservation form or a private contract made only with the developer company does not automatically meet the requirements of a formal sales promise. For purchases at the project stage, title deed quality and annotation opportunity must be verified before payment.
Can shared real estate be subject to citizenship?
In the current TKGM practice, it is not accepted for a foreigner to apply for citizenship by merely acquiring a share in a real estate. On the other hand, the acquisition of the entire real estate owned by more than one person by a single foreign investor is evaluated differently.
It is not possible for more than one foreigner to purchase the same real estate in shares and for each to apply for citizenship separately with their own share. The ownership structure must be finalized before applying for title deed.
Why Are Seller and Previous Transfers Examined?
There may be restrictions on the purchase of real estate acquired for citizenship purposes from certain individuals or companies. Compliance may be affected by the acquisition of the real estate from a foreigner who has recently become a Turkish citizen, the use of the same real estate in a previous citizenship file, or the existence of ties between the sales parties that are not permitted by the legislation.
For this reason, not only the identity of the current owner but also the past transfer chain of the real estate should be examined. The partnership structure and real beneficiary of the seller company may become important in some files.
Attorney Mehmet Emin Kurşun's review of real estate citizenship files; It is based on the evaluation of title deed registration, bank transfer, valuation and three-year annotation in the same transaction chain.
Citizenship File After the Land Registry Procedure
After the title deed annotation and investment amount determination are completed, the certificate of conformity process is carried out. Then, a citizenship file is prepared for the investor and eligible family members. Passport, birth and marital status certificates, family ties, biometric photographs and investment documents must be compatible with each other.
To compare the overall process with other investment options Turkish citizenship through investment page; For related issues regarding foreigner status, you can review the Foreigners Law page.
Common Mistakes and Legal Consequences
| Mistake | possible outcome |
|---|---|
| Paying part of the price in cash | Failure to verify the payment from official records |
| Showing the title deed price as low | Failure to meet the minimum investment amount |
| Deposit payment before availability check | Contract dispute upon return from unsuitable real estate |
| Incomplete authorized power of attorney | Failure to complete the title deed or annotation process |
| Early removal of three-year annotation | Risk of violation of investment requirement |
What Procedures Can Legal Support Cover?
Title deed and encumbrance review, seller and transfer chain control, evaluation of the sales contract, matching of payment documents, title deed annotation, certificate of conformity and citizenship file. Follow-up of the case is the main stages of legal work. Representation service does not constitute a guarantee that the application will be accepted.
Retention of Post-Purchase Records
The title deed, bank receipts, foreign exchange purchase document, determination certificate and letter of conformity must be kept regularly for a period of three years. If subsequent corrections need to be made in bank or land registry records, initial transaction documents form the basis of institution review. Changes of address, passport or marital status must also be kept in line with the records in the citizenship file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should 400 thousand dollars be paid for only one real estate?
It may be possible to complete the amount with more than one property. The procedures must be carried out with the same application logic and in accordance with the current TKGM rules.
Can the purchased house be rented?
As a rule, the clause of not selling for three years does not prohibit renting. However, the contract and disposition should not violate the commitment of citizenship.
Is the real estate purchased using a loan suitable?
Special consideration is required in terms of mortgage and net investment value. The financing method to be used must be verified with the current institution application before the transaction.
Which exchange rate is taken into account in determining the value?
Foreign exchange purchase document, payment date and calculation method in the TKGM system are important. The exchange rate determined by the parties is not taken into account.
Is citizenship granted immediately after purchasing a real estate?
No. After the title deed and compliance procedures, the citizenship file, archive research and competent authority evaluation continue.
What happens if the sale is made before the end of three years?
Violation of the pledge may affect eligibility and citizenship processing. If the transfer is planned before the deadline, the legal consequences should be evaluated in advance.
Legal information: This content has been prepared for general information purposes. Concrete legal situation; It should be evaluated separately according to the foreigner's citizenship, current status, real estate records, payment documents and current legislation.
