A Turkish residence permit attracts foreigners, guaranteeing the right to live in an economically prosperous country with favorable climatic conditions and a high level of service. In modern times, the most affordable and reliable way to legalize residence in Turkey is a residence permit by right to own real estate.
In our expert article, you will learn how to obtain a Turkish residence permit when buying a property, what conditions you will need to meet, and how much it costs to apply for it.
- Residence Permit In Turkey for Real Estate program and its benefits
- Conditions for obtaining a Turkish residence permit when buying real estate
- What should be the cost of real estate to obtain a residence permit in Turkey
- Real estate residence permit in Turkey. Changes in the registration procedure in 2025.
- Additional costs when applying for a Turkish residence permit based on the purchase of real estate
- A step-by-step algorithm for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey through the purchase of real estate
- Investment prospects
Residence Permit In Turkey for Real Estate program and its benefits
The Residence Permit In Turkey for Real Estate program is determined by Article No. 31 Law “On Foreign Citizens and International Protection”. This initiative is actively involved in and supported Investment Office of the President of Turkey.
The project was launched in 2017 with the aim of attracting foreign investors to Turkey who would like, as property owners, to reside in Turkey with a residence permit or citizenship. Residence Permit In Turkey for Real Estate is one of the most profitable investment programs, rightfully ranked 7th in the international Investment programs ranking.
Among its advantages are:
- Ease of execution
To obtain a residence permit in Turkey for the purchase of real estate, you simply need to purchase an object that meets the main points of the program. You can buy housing while in another country: you just need to issue a consular power of attorney.
- The return on financial investments
One of the main advantages of the Turkish real estate market is its reliability, which guarantees investors an increase in capital in the near future from renting or reselling. In turn, the Turkish government has minimized any difficulties and paperwork when concluding a purchase and sale transaction, while guaranteeing its full legal purity.
- Minimum processing time
The period during which you can apply for a residence permit in Turkey when buying a home does not exceed one to three months from the date of issue of TAPU. The investor's immediate relatives — husband/wife, minor children, dependent parents — can participate in the program.
- Opportunity to obtain an indefinite residence permit and citizenship
Foreigners who have lived in Turkey for 8 years can apply for an indefinite residence permit, and after 5 years, subject to passing the Turkish language exam, they are entitled to obtaining citizenship by naturalization. Investors who have invested more than 400,000 USD in real estate become applicants for a Turkish passport, which is issued on an expedited basis immediately after the deal is concluded.
- Guarantee of civil rights
A residence permit for the purchase of real estate provides most civil rights to investors and their families, including: medical care (subject to valid insurance), free education for children in public schools, obtaining a local driver's license and buying a car. The exception is official employment; for this purpose, a foreigner will need to obtain an additional permit.
- Safety and stability
A residence permit in Turkey through the purchase of real estate is an opportunity to have an “alternate airfield” in case the political or economic situation in the country of permanent residence worsens.
Conditions for obtaining a Turkish residence permit when buying real estate
Buying real estate in Turkey opens up opportunities for citizens of 184 countries to obtain a residence permit.
The main condition for Russians and citizens of other countries to obtain a residence permit in Turkey when buying real estate is to provide a full set of documents confirming ownership of the purchased property. The main such document is TAPU issued by the Cadastral Office.
Requirements for foreign investors when registering an ikamet
To obtain a Turkish residence permit by purchasing real estate, an investor must:
- have the citizenship of one of the countries whose citizens are eligible to purchase Turkish real estate;
- buy apartments by complying with all laws and regulations;
- submit the completed application form provided for by law to the Turkish Migration Authority, specifying the purpose of residence in the Republic;
- confirm the absence of outstanding criminal records and administrative offenses;
- apply for a health insurance policy;
- prove your financial reliability;
- have suitable and safe living conditions for a comfortable stay.
List of documents for obtaining a residence permit for real estate in Turkey
For a TAPU residence permit in Turkey, the applicant prepares relevant documents:
- TAPU (certificate of ownership) issued by the Cadastral Office;
- original and copy of the passport (the passport must be valid for at least 60 days longer than the requested residence permit);
- a certificate confirming the legal force of the Turkish title;
- an official assessment of the value of real estate for a residence permit in Turkey, if the property was purchased between April 26, 2022 and October 16, 2023;
- a questionnaire completed through the e-ikamet electronic system;
- numaratage certificate (taken from the municipality);
- marriage certificate and birth certificate with an apostille, if a residence permit is also issued for immediate family members (documents are prepared in their own country and then translated into Turkish);
- 4 photos;
- a health insurance policy for the entire period of the requested residence permit;
- confirmation of the investor's financial independence;
- payments confirming payment of government fees.
What kind of property and where to buy
Buy an apartment for a residence permit It is possible in any province in Turkey where foreigners are allowed to own private property. However, it should be noted that in strategically important or protected zones, the purchase of real estate by non-residents is either prohibited or requires special permission.
Another important point for investors from abroad: in 2022, the Migration Service temporarily suspended the acceptance of applications for residence permits in 1,169 microdistricts in popular Turkish cities. The temporary ban was introduced due to the large number of foreigners living in these areas. We are talking about all types of short-term permits, including residence permits for purchasing an apartment, with the exception of ikamet issued for family reunification.
Therefore, before purchasing a home for a residence permit in Turkey, it is highly desirable not only to confirm the relevance of the information on the value of the property, but also to check roster these microdistricts are on the official website of the Migration Service to avoid possible restrictions and risks.
In addition, the property must be registered to one owner and fully ready for living.
What should be the cost of real estate to obtain a residence permit in Turkey
How much should I start from in order to obtain a Turkish residence permit when buying a property? The following important conditions should be considered here:
- If you received TAPU before April 26, 2022, you will not need an expert assessment, and it does NOT matter what cadastral value is specified in TAPU. You can either apply for a primary residence permit or renew it, regardless of whether the district is closed or open.
- If you received TAPU between April 26, 2022 and July 1, 2022, you have the opportunity to apply for an initial residence permit and to renew your permit in open and closed areas, and the estimated value of the property must be more than 75,000 USD.
- If the certificate of ownership was obtained between July 1, 2022 and October 16, 2023, you can apply for a primary residence permit only in open areas and provided that the estimated value of your property exceeds 75,000 USD.
- If TAPU was issued after October 16, 2023, then the cadastral value of housing in Turkey in order to obtain a residence permit must be at least 200,000 USD, or rather the equivalent of this amount in Turkish lira as of the date of receipt of the certificate of ownership. Also, the facility can only be located in an open area, and no expert assessment is required.
Real estate residence permit in Turkey. Changes in the registration procedure in 2025.
New changes for property owners in Turkey in obtaining a residence permit by TAPU! These changes apply to those owners who did not apply for a residence permit before or who previously applied for a residence permit, but then did not renew their residence permit within 3 months.
On January 15, 2025, new rules for obtaining a primary residence permit (residence permit) based on real estate will come into force:
✅ If the property was purchased before January 15, 2025, an expert assessment will be required to confirm that its value is at least $200,000.
✅ If the property was purchased after January 15, 2025, the amount of $200,000 must be specified in TAPU — without expert evaluation.
⚠ Consider these changes when planning to buy a property in Turkey!
Additional costs when applying for a Turkish residence permit based on the purchase of real estate
When applying for a residence permit in Turkey, it is important for property owners to take into account the additional costs associated with the procedure, in addition to the price tag for the property. We will discuss the main ones below.
State duty
When it comes to buying property in Turkey and obtaining a residence permit, it is necessary to take into account the mandatory payment of government fees. This amount depends on the buyer's nationality and the length of the requested legal stay status in Turkey. The typical rate starts at $25 for the first month and $5 for each month thereafter for most countries.
For citizens of countries such as Russia, Micronesia, Ethiopia, Hong Kong and South Korea, fees are slightly lower — $7 for the first month and $1.5 for each subsequent month of stay.
In addition, applicants are required to pay an amount of 565 TRY for making an ikamet card.
Fees can be paid through the cash desks of the Turkish Ministry of Finance or banks such as Halkbank, Vakıf Bank and Ziraat Bankası. It is important to remember to include your residence permit application number on the payment order.
Medical insurance policy
When applying for a residence permit in Turkey, a prerequisite is to have medical insurance that covers treatment and partially the purchase of medicines. The period of validity of the policy must coincide with the period for which the residence permit is requested. The cost of insurance varies depending on the applicant's age, state of health, coverage and insurance company rates. On average, the cost of a health insurance policy for foreigners is 3,000 TRY per year. Foreign citizens over 65 years of age do not need an insurance policy when applying for a residence permit.
Translation and notarization of documents
All documents obtained in your country of permanent residence must be translated into Turkish by a licensed translator. The translation is notarized.
In 2024, the average cost of a notarized translation is about 200—400 TRY. The rate is determined by the total volume of the text and its complexity.
Notary services for document certification — about 450 TRY per page. It is better to find out the latest data on current prices directly at the notary's office.
Expert opinion on the value of real estate
If you want to buy an apartment in Turkey with a residence permit, you will definitely need an expert opinion on the cost. The price tag of such an opinion is determined by the characteristics of the property and will cost investors at least 13,500 TRY in 2024.
An expert assessment is required only if the property was registered within a certain period — from April 26, 2022 to October 16, 2023.
Numaratage certificate
Numaratage or number certificate is another mandatory document that certifies the cadastral address (exact location) of the property. The certificate is issued by the municipality, based on the official address registration database. This allows you to exclude the sale of non-existent or unregistered housing, that is, to secure your investments. A certificate is required only when submitting documents for the first time. If the property was not previously registered in the Turkish address system UAVT, the owner will have to pay a certificate fee of about 1,750 TL.
The amount of additional costs may vary, so we recommend that you check the latest information in advance.
A step-by-step algorithm for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey through the purchase of real estate
To obtain a residence permit in Turkey by purchasing real estate, investors will need to go through several steps:
1. Apartment selection
The main condition for the search is that the property must be suitable for the investment program in value and be located in an open area.
Implementation time: 1-2 weeks.
2. Making a deal and obtaining TAPU
At this stage, documents for the transaction are prepared, accompanied by a licensed realtor, the title documents for the property are checked, real estate taxes are paid, and the Cadastral Office registers for the new owner of TAPU.
Implementation time: 1-2 weeks.
3. Preparation of documents for a residence permit
The depositor prepares documents according to the current list, fills out an application for official website of the Migration Service and chooses a date for a rendezvous with the inspector.
Also in 2024, changes were made to the procedure for applying for a residence permit: documents will no longer be submitted manually to the Migration Service, but will be sent through a notary. The purpose of the innovations is to make the process more convenient and systematic, that is, when renewing, your previously issued documents will already be visible in the system. But this change is not yet in effect in all Turkish cities.
Implementation time: about 1 week.
4. Job interview
At a meeting with the Inspector of the Migration Department, which is held on an individual basis, it is necessary to answer questions and confirm the authenticity of the application. If the applicant does not know Turkish or English, an interpreter must be present.
The residence permit fee is also paid on this day, and if you need to submit additional documents, you will be given an additional 30 days.
A certified application gives you the right to stay in Turkey when issuing an ikamet card. At the same time, a foreign applicant has the right to leave the country for no more than 15 days.
Implementation time: 1 day.
5. Obtaining an ikamet card.
It usually takes two to three weeks to process and receive an ikamet card. After its issuance, a foreigner receives the right to reside in Turkey and to renew the residence permit after its expiration.
Implementation time: no more than 3 months.
How long a residence permit is issued in Turkey when buying an apartment depends on various factors, including, for example, how long the medical insurance is issued for. But, as a rule, a residence permit for investing in real estate is issued for a period of no more than 2 years.
Investment prospects
Obtaining a residence permit through the purchase of real estate is considered one of the most reliable ways for those who want to settle in Turkey, avoiding the naturalization procedure. In addition, Turkish apartments have been considered a reliable asset for many years, due to constant demand and rising costs per square meter.
If real estate in Turkey is chosen wisely, investors will be able to receive guaranteed dividends in the form of stable rental income in the future. If the property is located in a popular tourist center in the country, for example, in Alanya or Antalya, in a good location, then the profit from renting for a short or long term will be about 6-12% per year.
Purchasing several apartments in a residential complex under construction at an early stage of construction is another profitable strategy that allows you to earn up to 20-30% by quickly reselling properties after construction is completed.
