TURKEY

Residence Permit / Citizenship through Real Estate Purchase

Residence Permit (ikamet) is available when purchasing any real estate, but since 2023, restrictions apply in a number of districts (Antalya, Istanbul) — quotas have been introduced due to overpopulation.

Citizenship is possible when purchasing real estate from 400,000 USD. The condition is not to sell the property for 3 years. One property — one applicant.

Language

The official language is Turkish. English is common in large and tourist cities. Russian is used in the service sector in Antalya, Alanya, Mersin.

Visa Regime

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System was launched on 17 April 2013 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. This system allows visitors travelling to Türkiye to easily obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr), in approximately three minutes.

It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 at everywhere with internet connection. The applicants can obtain their visa after they fill in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport and travel dates and pay visa fee online.

Please note that e-visa is only valid when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. For other purposes, such as work and study, visas are given by Turkish Embassies or Consulates.

The term "official passports" covers diplomatic, service, special and official passports.

You are kindly advised to have a travel document/passport valid for at least 6 months as from the date of your arrival in Türkiye.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues efforts to strengthen the e-Visa system and to better enable foreign nationals to easily obtain their visas.

In this context,

- In addition to English, French, and Spanish; Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, German, Arabic and Chinese language options will be added to the e-Visa system.

- In addition to Visa and Master Card, payment is accepted from other commonly used credit cards and debit cards.

- Tour operators may apply for group e-Visas and make lump sum payments for them.

- Necessary arrangements will be made to allow foreign visitors to obtain e-Visas from authorized airline companies offices, including those companies’ offices in airports.

- Fees for e-Visas obtained via the e-Visa website (www.evisa.gov.tr) are lower than the fees for visas obtained upon arrival to Turkish airports. Information regarding visa fees can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Standard of Living (2025)

Turkey ranks 53rd in the world with an index of 134.0 points (Numbeo 2025). This is an average indicator — higher than many Eastern European and Latin American countries, but lower than most developed countries.

Quality of life depends on the region: in Istanbul and Ankara — high infrastructure, in resorts — comfortable climate, but lower level of medicine.

Inflation and the weak lira reduce the population's purchasing power.

Economy. Currency

The Turkish lira remains an extremely unstable currency.

Has depreciated by more than 75% since 2021.

In 2024, the exchange rate fell by another 25%, in 2025 — it has stabilized but remains volatile (≈35–37 lira per dollar).

Inflation at the end of 2024 — 42%,
forecast for 2025 is at the level of 30–35%. The Central Bank maintains a rate of 50% to curb price growth.

GDP in 2025 is estimated at ~3.0–3.5%, although a slowdown to 2.0–2.7% was observed in QI. The economy is supported by construction, tourism, exports, and domestic demand.

Real Estate: after a 2-3-fold increase in 2020-2023, a local price correction in currency of ~5-10% is observed in 2024-2025. Foreign demand has decreased by almost 50-65% from the 2022 peak.

Estimated real estate market volume — about 100 billion USD, with nominal growth up to 8-11% per year, but high volatility due to macroeconomics.

Purchase, Ownership, Rental, and Sale of Real Estate in Turkey: Taxes and Fees

Property Rights

foreigners can purchase housing, villas, and commercial properties (except military zones) by registering a Tapu (Title Deed) through the land cadastre with a translator.

VAT (KDV):

0% for the first sale of new housing to a foreigner with funds transferred from abroad; up to 18% for resale within less than 2 years.

Rental Income Tax: progressive scale 15–40%, often around 35%; deductions for maintenance, depreciation, and expenses are available.

Stamp duty:

about 0.948% of the contract value

Registration Fee (Tapu Transfer Tax): 4% of the cadastral value, the investor usually pays it themselves.

Annual Property Tax: 0.1–0.2% of the cadastral value for housing (in major cities).

Tax on Sale (Capital Gains): up to 40% (15–40% depending on income) when selling within the first 5 years; after 5 years — exemption.

Turkey. Summary

The Turkish market remains affordable and popular but carries high currency, tax, and political risks.

The strong price growth has already been realized. Citizenship by investment and seaside locations support demand, but for a passive investor, Turkey requires a very careful approach — especially considering taxation and the unstable lira.

ROI:

• 4–6% in real currency terms for rental
• up to 7–8% with a successful property and active management (new housing, tourist flow, quality location)

Risk: 

High. Currency devaluation, unstable regulation, possible restrictions for foreigners, political sensitivity.

It is also important to consider seismic risks and construction quality.

Taxes

• Upon Purchase: 4% (registration) + possible VAT (up to 18%)
• On Ownership: 0.1–0.2% per year
• On Rental: up to 35%
• Upon Sale: up to 35% of the value increase
• After 5 years of ownership — no tax is levied

 GLOBAL PROPETRY INVEST