Türkiye · Residency by investment

Short-Term Residence Permit on the Basis of Property Ownership (Law No. 6458, Article 31/1-f)

Open Last verified July 2026

Since 16 October 2023 a nationwide minimum property value of USD 200,000 applies for residence permits based on home ownership. That value must be recorded on the title deed and backed by a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate. Separately, since 1 July 2022 the Interior Ministry has closed individual neighbourhoods (mahalle) to new foreign registration once foreigners make up more than 20% of residents there. A large share of the most desirable districts in Istanbul, Antalya and Alanya are already closed.

This is the only sensible route for a family that wants genuine Turkish domicile. That happens to be exactly what the US E-2 three-year rule demands and what the Article 20/D exemption rewards. At USD 200k, it costs half the CBI threshold. A family that takes this route, lives in Türkiye for three years and naturalises through residence after five years sidesteps the E-2 investment-nationality restriction entirely. Their citizenship comes from residence, not investment.

Qualifying routes

$200k

Residential property purchase

The property must be classified residential (mesken/konut) and sit in a district still open to foreign registration.

The facts

Minimum investment: $200k
Total landed cost: Budget USD 200k for the property itself, plus roughly 6–8% in transaction costs. On top of that come permit fees, mandatory health insurance and translation and notary costs, which usually run to roughly USD 1–3k per family per cycle.
Route type: Residency by investment
Timeline: 1–4 months (The real bottleneck is getting an appointment at the Presidency of Migration Management, not how the application is judged.)
Physical presence: There is no formal minimum stay. But long absences work against renewal, and the 5-year naturalisation clock requires being in the country almost continuously.
Family: SpouseDependent children under 18 qualify
Permanent residency: A long-term residence permit requires 8 years of continuous legal residence. Time spent on a permit granted for tourism does not count toward that.
Citizenship: Citizenship requires 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence. Across that whole period, no more than 180 days can be spent outside Türkiye.
Language test: Applicants need Turkish good enough for everyday communication. This is judged at interview by the commission, not through a formal exam.
Dual citizenship: Permitted
Requirements: a residentially classified property with a title deed value of at least USD 200,000a property located in a mahalle that is open to foreign registrationa Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB) evidencing the transfervalid health insurancea clean criminal recorda biometric appointment at the Presidency of Migration Management

What can go wrong

DISTRICT CLOSURES ARE THE BINDING CONSTRAINT. The 20% mahalle quota has closed off much of the property market that foreigners actually want. Buy in a closed district and you get a title deed, but no permit. Confirm the mahalle is open before you sign, not after.
TOURISM-BASED PERMITS ARE ROUTINELY REFUSED. In 2026, renewals of short-term permits held on tourism grounds are being refused as a matter of course, particularly in Antalya and Alanya. Pensioners have no automatic right to an extension. The property-based route is more robust, but it remains discretionary.
THE NATURALISATION CLOCK IS UNFORGIVING. Five years of unbroken residence permits only 180 days of total absence across the entire period, about 36 days a year. Most internationally mobile families will break that limit without realizing it.
Residence makes you a tax resident. Once you pass 183 days, you are taxable on your worldwide income. That is manageable only if you qualify for the Article 20/D exemption, which requires that you had no Turkish tax liability in the preceding three years. Get this sequencing right before you buy.
The USD 200k must be shown on the tapu itself and backed by a DAB. Understating the deed value to save on transfer tax, still a suggestion some brokers make, will destroy the basis for your permit.

Sources (2)

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residency. A long-term residence permit requires 8 years of continuous legal residence. Time spent on a permit granted for tourism does not count toward that.

Citizenship. Citizenship requires 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence. Across that whole period, no more than 180 days can be spent outside Türkiye.

Language test. Applicants need Turkish good enough for everyday communication. This is judged at interview by the commission, not through a formal exam.

Dual citizenship. Permitted

Frequently asked

How long until citizenship through the Short-Term Residence Permit on the Basis of Property Ownership (Law No. 6458, Article 31/1-f)?

Citizenship requires 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence. Across that whole period, no more than 180 days can be spent outside Türkiye. A language requirement applies: applicants need Turkish good enough for everyday communication. This is judged at interview by the commission, not through a formal exam.

What does the Short-Term Residence Permit on the Basis of Property Ownership (Law No. 6458, Article 31/1-f) cost?

The minimum qualifying investment is $200k. Budget USD 200k for the property itself, plus roughly 6–8% in transaction costs. On top of that come permit fees, mandatory health insurance and translation and notary costs, which usually run to roughly USD 1–3k per family per cycle.

How much time must I spend in Türkiye?

There is no formal minimum stay. But long absences work against renewal, and the 5-year naturalisation clock requires being in the country almost continuously.

Who can I include in the application?

Spouse; Dependent children under 18 qualify.