Turkish Citizenship by Investment: Application Process and Realistic Timeline

On paper the Turkish route looks simple: invest, apply, wait. In reality it is a chain of separate procedures handled by different offices, and each link depends on the one before it. This is the order I explain to families, built on the law, the regulation, Invest in Türkiye and the stages BRIDGES describes from its practice.

Step 1. A preliminary check of the family and the money

Before choosing any property, look at the people and the funds. BRIDGES runs a preliminary check of the applicant’s background, sanctions status and source of funds, because that is what the Turkish side will examine later. This is also the moment to decide who goes into the application and to raise the question of military service if you have sons. If something here is weak, it is far cheaper to find out now than after the purchase.

Step 2. Choose the route and check the asset

For most families the route is real estate from $400,000. The asset has to be checked before any deposit: title, encumbrances, permits, the history of previous owners and whether it was ever used for citizenship. I describe these checks in the guide to real estate and valuation.

Step 3. Tax number, bank account and the payment

You need a Turkish tax number and an account at a bank in Türkiye. The regulation requires the foreign currency to be sold to a bank operating in Türkiye before the transaction. According to BRIDGES, the bank then issues a currency sale certificate with the property number. Only the property price goes into the certified amount.

Step 4. Transfer of title at the land registry

The title is registered at the land registry directorate, with the three-year no-sale annotation. Invest in Türkiye lists what the registry asks for:

• the title deed or the location details of the property;
• your passport, with a notarised translation if it is not in the Latin alphabet;
• a power of attorney if someone acts for you;
• a document on the current value from the municipality;
• compulsory earthquake insurance for the building;
• photos of the seller and the buyer;
• a certified interpreter if a party does not speak Turkish.

Appointments can be booked at randevu.tkgm.gov.tr or through the Alo 181 call centre.

Step 5. Certificate of eligibility

After registration, the investment is confirmed by the competent body. For real estate this is the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; for a deposit it is the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, and so on for each route. Invest in Türkiye calls the result a certificate of eligibility. You use it for both the residence permit and the citizenship application.

Step 6. Investor residence permit for the family

The citizenship route in Article 12 is open to investors who hold a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458. Applications for residence permits start online through the e-residence system (e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr) and continue with the provincial directorate of migration management. BRIDGES obtains the permit for the applicant and for each family member before the citizenship file is lodged.

Step 7. The citizenship file

Under the regulation, the application authorities prepare the file on the written instruction of the Ministry of Interior, and the completed file goes to the Ministry for decision. The list of documents is in my documents checklist.

Who decides

The President of the Republic of Türkiye grants citizenship by decision under Article 12, provided there is no national security or public order obstacle. BRIDGES describes the decision as made on the recommendation of the Ministry of Interior.

Step 8. Decision, ID card and passport

The decision takes effect from its date, as Article 20 of the Citizenship Law says. After that the identity card and the passport are issued; BRIDGES mentions a ten-year passport. Nothing in Article 12 requires you to move to Türkiye at this point.

Timeline: what the law says and what practice shows

Article 12 does not give a deadline for the decision. From its practice, BRIDGES gives six to twelve months to the passport overall, and says the purchase and the investment certificate take a few weeks of that. I share these figures with families as a range, not as a promise.

Where files get stuck

Delays and refusals usually trace back to the early steps. In BRIDGES’ experience the typical causes are property related: an asset already used for citizenship, a seller who should not have been one, an appraisal below the price, or a share instead of a whole unit. On the personal side, gaps in the source of funds cause the most questions.

BRIDGES has a short note on what it checks before filing, which is a good self-test before you sign anything. For the overall picture, go back to the complete guide. Last checked 18 October 2026.