Turkish Citizenship by Investment (Exceptional Acquisition under Art. 12(b), Law No. 5901)
Türkiye grants full citizenship — and a passport — to foreign nationals who make a qualifying investment, the entry point being the purchase of real estate with an SPK-certified value of at least USD 400,000, held for three years. It is the only true citizenship-by-investment route in our European/Mediterranean set and the fastest to a passport (typically 6–12 months) with no residence or language requirement. The legal basis is the exceptional-acquisition power in Article 12(b) of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, operationalised by Article 20 of the implementing Regulation; the real-estate threshold was raised from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000 by a June 2022 amendment and is unchanged since. A Turkish passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 110 destinations but does not include the Schengen Area, the UK, the USA or Canada, so it is a passport play rather than a European-mobility play. Spouse, children under 18 and disabled children of any age are included on a single investment; parents and adult children are excluded.
Purchase of one or more properties with a combined value of at least USD 400,000 (or TRY equivalent at the CBRT rate on the transaction date). Value must be confirmed by an SPK (Capital Markets Board)-licensed independent valuation report dated before the title transfer. A 3-year no-sale annotation (kısıtlama şerhi) is registered on the TAPU (title deed) and the deed must reflect the citizenship purpose. Funds must be converted via a Turkish bank and evidenced by a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi / DAB); the seller cannot be a foreign national, nor a company or person the buyer is connected to (the property must be bought from a Turkish citizen or Turkish entity). This is the most-used route.
Fixed-capital investment of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent FX), certified by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. No fixed multi-year hold period is defined in the regulation for this route.
Deposit of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent FX) into a bank operating in Türkiye, with a commitment not to withdraw for 3 years. Certified by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK/BRSA). The standard USD 500,000 deposit applies.
Purchase of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent FX) in Turkish government debt instruments, held for 3 years. Certified by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
Purchase of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent FX) in shares or units of a real-estate investment fund or venture-capital investment fund, held for 3 years. Certified by the Capital Markets Board of Türkiye (SPK/CMB).
Contribution of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent FX) into a Turkish private pension system (Bireysel Emeklilik Sistemi / BES) fund, kept in the system for at least 3 years. Supervised by the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Authority (SEDDK).
Create employment for at least 50 people, certified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Directorate General of International Labour Force / UIGM). The 50-job level must be reached for approximately 6 months before application and maintained for at least 2 years after the application. There is no monetary minimum — qualification is by headcount.
— no visa-free access to the Schengen Area or EU. Türkiye is among the highest-ranked passports whose holders still need a Schengen visa.
(typically a B-1/B-2 visitor visa).
(eTA not available to Turkish passport holders without a visa).
Over 110 destinations are accessible visa-free or visa-on-arrival/eTA. Coverage centres on the Western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa, parts of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. A Turkish passport does not provide Schengen, UK, USA or Canada access.
Most clients who consider Türkiye want the same things: stronger mobility, a Plan B held in reserve, and optionality for the family. Türkiye can grant a second passport — but it confers no right to live, work or settle in the European Union, and no path to an EU passport.
If a European foothold is any part of your objective, residence by investment achieves it directly — a euro-denominated home, legal residence in the EU, and, held over time, a lawful route to European citizenship. We map both, honestly, against what you are actually trying to achieve.
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article 12(b) (exceptional acquisition of citizenship) — adopted 29 May 2009; implemented by Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. The investment categories were introduced by the amendment published in the Official Gazette dated 19 September 2018 (Presidential/Council decision no. 106), which reduced the original 2017 thresholds — real estate from USD 1,000,000 to USD 250,000 and fixed capital from USD 2,000,000 to USD 500,000. The real-estate threshold was then raised from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000 by the amendment published in the Official Gazette on 13 June 2022. The residence-permit basis for investor-applicants is Law No. 6458 (Foreigners and International Protection), Art. 31(j). These figures and instruments are the current law. · Administered by General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü, NVİ), Ministry of Interior — citizenship grant by Presidential decision. Real-estate eligibility is certified by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM), Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Other routes are certified by their sector regulators: Capital Markets Board (CMB/SPK) for investment funds; Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA/BDDK) for deposits; Ministry of Treasury and Finance for government bonds; Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Authority (SEDDK) for the private-pension route; Ministry of Industry and Technology for fixed-capital investment; Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Directorate General of International Labour Force, UIGM) for the 50-job route..
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Our own focus is European residence — but if Türkiye citizenship is genuinely of interest, leave your details and we’ll speak personally, understand your objectives, and introduce you to vetted, admitted counsel who handle this programme. No obligation, held in confidence.
This briefing is general guidance, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Figures are indicative and verified to 2026; final positions, eligibility and timelines are confirmed in writing by licensed counsel on engagement. 8T20 Capital coordinates the engagement and facilitates applications through admitted local counsel; it is not a law firm. Final eligibility, thresholds and timelines are confirmed in writing by licensed counsel before any commitment.