Turkish citizenship under the simplified system for foreign citizens is the right to entrepreneurial activity, hired work, free education, free medical care, the right to use state programs for reimbursement of university tuition and pensions.

Turkish Citizenship by Investment: New Rules and All the Pitfalls

Sunny Turkey is hospitably open to immigrants from any country. The high level of all services and services, including the spheres of education and medicine in this country differs significantly from its counterparts in the CIS countries.

This is not the only plus why the number of people wishing to stay here for permanent residence is increasing every year. A favorable climate and a hospitable attitude towards foreigners create comfortable living conditions.

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In addition, Turkey maintains the complete confidentiality of its citizens by not divulging or providing any information, including assets, to third parties.

The constant demand for Turkish citizenship has become the main reason for the changes and amendments to simplify the procedure for obtaining the coveted passport by the Turkish authorities.

One of the reliable and accurate options is to invest in a business or purchase a home in Turkey.

Now we are witnessing a real boom in those wishing to acquire housing for this purpose, and this is about 400 thousand real estate objects every year.

In this article, we will discuss:

General information about the Turkish Citizenship by Investment Program.

The citizenship by investment program in Turkey has been in operation since 2018. The criteria in this procedure were quite strict, and the amount of investment was substantial. However, in December 2019, they were led to the current quite moderate requirements. In order to become a Turkish citizen under the simplified procedure, you must choose one of the following paths:

– investment in real estate in the amount of 400,000 US dollars one-time;
– Contribution of $500,000 to a bank deposit;
– opening your own company with the provision of 50 jobs to Turkish citizens.

The advantage of obtaining Turkish citizenship by investment over the “traditional” one is:

The nuances of obtaining citizenship by investing in real estate

Given the requirements for other methods, investing in real estate is the easiest and most affordable option.

• The amount of $400,000 must be the cadastral value indicated in the TAPU certificate of ownership, which is often much lower than the market value. Moreover, this difference can be very noticeable and also differs depending on the region. For example, in Istanbul it is 5-10%, in Antalya it is already 40-50%, and in Alanya the gap can reach a whopping 65%.

This difference is not indicated in the ads, so it is very difficult to independently determine the cadastral value of real estate. To do this, it is necessary to contact the seller or even the municipality to see the amount recorded in the documentation. It is even more difficult if the object is still under construction – then you have to wait until the developer issues a preliminary version of the TAPU.

This is one of the reasons why anyone who plans to buy a home for the sake of obtaining Turkish citizenship needs to contact a local broker – a guide who is guided by all the local intricacies. After all, if you buy housing for a smaller amount of at least one dollar or make a deal incorrectly, then you will not be able to apply for citizenship under a simplified procedure.

• This method only works for real estate purchased from a Turkish citizen. If you purchase it from a non-resident of the country, then you will not be able to apply for citizenship, even if everything is in order with its cadastral value. The authorities introduced this program in order to attract and preserve capital within Turkey, which is why they are very jealous of ensuring compliance with the conditions.
• Strict adherence to the execution of all documentation for your future housing in the cadastral office of the municipality of the city where the object is located. At the conclusion of the contract of sale in the Cadastral Office, it is necessary to indicate that it is acquired specifically for the registration of citizenship. Otherwise, the purchase will not be counted and you will have to buy another home …

IMPORTANTLY!The cost of a mistake in formal matters can be very high. It is better to entrust this important point to our qualified lawyers who have an impeccable reputation and scrupulously check every point.

• It is necessary that the authorities record the transfer from your bank account to an account in Turkey of an amount not lower than the threshold of 400 thousand dollars.

My advice: I recommend making this payment higher by at least 5 thousand dollars to cover possible commissions and other unexpected bank costs. Because, a small error in the limit can cost you a refusal for “instant” citizenship.

I will add that you can buy not only ready-made housing, but also at the construction stage. It’s a little more complicated, but it’s more profitable if you do it together with ExpertProperty. The state selects the largest and most reliable construction companies that get the right to issue TAPU at an early stage with an eye to obtaining citizenship.

With this version of TACU, you can already start applying for citizenship. It is issued to the developer when the easement of the building and floor has already been carried out, as well as other criteria have been met and it is already clear that the construction project has taken place and will be completed. Then there is a great chance that citizenship can be obtained almost simultaneously with settling in a new home.

Stages of obtaining a Turkish passport, thanks to real estate investment

The list of documents for obtaining a residence permit is as follows

IMPORTANTLY!The process of buying and selling must be accompanied by a specialized lawyer or lawyer so that officials do not forget about your future citizenship.

In order for not only the buyer, but also his entire family to apply for citizenship, the package of documents must necessarily include a marriage certificate, which must be apostilled – that is, brought to the international standard in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of your country and certify a copy. Together with their parents, children under the age of 18 can obtain citizenship – it is necessary to issue their passports or birth certificates in the same way.

IMPORTANTLY! Apostilled copies of passports and birth certificates must be drawn up and notarized for the whole family, if we are talking about a minor. Please note that these copies must be translated into Turkish by a certified translator.

There is also an official requirement to present the same notarized and translated police clearance certificate. However, if it is not there and there are problems with obtaining it in the client’s homeland, then we can issue it directly in Turkey through an official request – our agency has already come to the rescue in such cases. It is also important to understand that only criminal convictions are considered as part of obtaining citizenship, and economic and administrative penalties are not taken into account.

“Pitfalls” and risks in paperwork

Unfortunately, I quite often come across complaints about inexperienced agents, unqualified brokers and even bloggers who try to help with obtaining citizenship through the purchase of real estate, but make unforgivable mistakes. These mistakes eventually lead to refusals, and the investor paid more than 400 thousand dollars for this!

The high demand for Turkish citizenship opens up too many opportunities for scammers and non-professionals. Be vigilant and contact only those agencies that take full legal responsibility for the completion of the transaction for the purchase and sale of real estate and the correct execution of documentation. The ExpertProperty team is ready to be the guarantor of obtaining Turkish citizenship, scrupulously following every process.

I am often asked, is it possible to use a bank loan (mortgage) if you do not have the full amount of 400 thousand dollars? Alas, this will not work because the goal of the state is to attract funds to the Turkish economy. Attracting credit funds even by 5% or 10% closes the possibility of using housing to obtain citizenship under a simplified procedure. You will have to wait 5 years or more to obtain citizenship through the usual procedure.

IMPORTANTLY!The first three years after obtaining citizenship are considered a probationary period. If there are administrative or criminal violations, then the “crusts” can be canceled – both for the investor himself and for his entire family. During this three-year period, you also cannot sell the property that you used as a reason for obtaining citizenship. It cannot be pledged to banks or individuals, but it can be rented out.

WHAT DOES “SECOND” CITIZENSHIP MEAN IN TURKEY?

Clients often ask about a second citizenship – is it possible to get it in Turkey without giving up the previous one in the Russian Federation, Ukraine or Kazakhstan? This is an important point, because in most CIS countries, dual citizenship is prohibited by law. However, this is only a formal ban, because your country must submit an official request to Turkey about whether you received citizenship there, and Turkey never provides such information to anyone.

In other words, no one will know about your Turkish citizenship unless you decide to declare it in your homeland. It has been proven by thousands of immigrants from the CIS who have received a second citizenship in Turkey and do not experience any problems – the demand for a second Turkish citizenship is now simply enormous. You just need to be careful and leave Turkey with a Turkish passport, and enter your country with a national document, and vice versa – when entering Turkey. It’s a matter of habit.

Moreover, as I have already written, if you wish, when registering in Turkey, you can change your name and surname so that your identities do not match in different passports. The state provides investors with such a privilege, and we help with the paperwork.

The government pursues a policy aimed at maximizing the confidentiality of its citizens for representatives of foreign government agencies. This also applies to your assets, which is one of the reasons for such a rapid demand for Turkish citizenship in the post-Soviet space.