Getting Turkish Citizenship Has Become Easier for Investors

Within the frame of “Regulations about Changing the Regulations Related to The Application of Turkish Citizenship Law” that is published in the government gazette on 19.09.2018, the minimum real estate price that foreigners had to pay for getting a citizenship has been reduced to $250 thousand from $1 million. Ministry of Interior Affairs stated that for those foreigners who want to get a citizenship new specialized offices will soon be opened and all necessary processes will be completed at the earliest.

With the published ordinance signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a 20^th clause of The Regulations Related to The Application of Turkish Citizenship Law which includes regulations about foreigners getting “Turkish Citizenship exceptionally” has been changed.

Required Documents For Application

Valid passport
- 4 passport-size photos
- Birth certificate
- Residence permit
- Medical certificate proving you are in good health and physical health
- Certification of Turkish language ability
- If applicable, documents proving your relationships with your spouse and children (marriage license, birth certificate for children's)
- Confirmation of regular income (e.g. work permit, pension, rental income)
- Document showing how long you have lived in Turkey, as well as all exits and entries into Turkey
- If applicable, Turkish ID copy and address of relatives in Turkey

How To Apply

After new regulations, the presumed capital asset in order to get Turkish Citizenship has been reduced to $500 thousand from $1 million. Also, the minimum real estate price that foreigners who own property in Turkey and want to get citizenship has been decreased to $250 thousand from $1 million.

Another condition for getting a citizenship was at least providing employment for at least 100 people and it is also changed to 50 people from 100. Additionally, the amount of money that foreigners had to deposit in the banks located in Turkey was reduced to $500 thousand from $3 million.

Aside from these fast financial ways provided by the Turkish government, there’re also other citizenship types;

Property and Residence Permit Holders: A person who owns a property in Turkey and lived in Turkey for an uninterrupted period of five years can also apply to get a citizenship but also during that 5 year period they must have stayed in Turkey for at least 185 days each year. Minimal property value doesn’t apply in this type of citizenship.

Birth: The easiest way is to be born in a family with a Turkish mother and father because citizens born to one or both Turkish parents have the right to get citizenship at once. Furthermore, if the parents are successful in getting a citizenship also their children can benefit from it too. In case of losing citizenship, it can be re-applied to.

Marriage: Another way that seems to be the most known and easiest is marriage. Marriage with a Turkish citizen does not directly grant citizenship. However, foreigners who have been married for at least three years with the Turkish citizen and whose marriage continues may apply for Turkish citizenship.

The Turquoise System: The Turquoise System was introduced in 2017 and it allows talented and educated people such as in arts, economics, technology, sports and also investors/executives to apply for a special type of citizenship which almost provides them full rights.

Application Process

If you’re currently residing in Turkey you can apply via the local governorship and if you’re living abroad you can do it via a consulate. Depending on your circumstances, the type of application you’ll make a change and also the documents needed will vary accordingly too.

As we said, it’ll vary but generally, they can include the passport, residence permit, marriage certificate, photographs, birth certificate etc. There’s also another condition for individual applicants which is attending an interview which will be done in Turkish.

The time that the whole application process will take depends on your circumstances as the documents required did but the Interior Ministry will give information about that and other updates. If your application is rejected, according to the Citizenship Law you have the right to apply again to the governorship in order to get a citizenship.