Turkish Citizenship Through Real Estate: What Changed and What Buyers Should Check in 2026

Turkish Citizenship Through Real Estate in 2026: What Has Actually Changed

At the end of September 2026, Türkiye's General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) published updated rules concerning valuation reports used in real estate transactions involving foreign buyers and certain other transactions.

The basic requirement for acquiring Turkish citizenship through real estate remains unchanged: the minimum investment is $400,000, and property acquired under the program must be held for at least three years.

For buyers, however, there is an important point to understand: finding a property priced above $400,000 does not automatically mean that it qualifies for the citizenship procedure.

In practice, the property's legal status, documentation, confirmed value, payment structure and the overall compliance of the transaction with current requirements all matter.

## $400,000 is a threshold, not a guarantee

The minimum property value remains unchanged. However, the asking price alone does not mean that a particular purchase will automatically qualify as the basis for a citizenship application.

It is important to check how the property is legally registered, what information appears on the title deed (Tapu), whether there are any restrictions, how the property's value will be confirmed and whether the structure of the transaction complies with the program requirements.

This is why these checks should be carried out before paying a substantial deposit, rather than after a property has been chosen and financial commitments have already been made.

## The valuation report is an important part of the transaction

On 29 September 2026, TKGM published updated rules concerning valuation reports used in property acquisitions by foreign nationals and certain other transactions.

For buyers, this means that valuation should not be treated as a last-minute formality completed simply for the paperwork.

If citizenship is one of the objectives of the purchase, the property's eligibility and the transaction's compliance with the applicable requirements should be checked in advance.

The price shown in a developer's presentation or property listing and the value recognised within the official procedure are not necessarily the same thing.

## Not every property qualifies

An attractive development, a suitable price and a seller ready to complete the transaction quickly do not necessarily mean that the property can be used for a citizenship application.

The legal status of the property and the way it is registered matter.

Buyers should therefore examine not only the development and the developer, but also the documentation relating to the specific property being purchased.

The principle is simple: legal verification first, purchase decision second.

## What to check before transferring funds

Before proceeding with a transaction, buyers should have clear answers to at least the following questions:

1. Who legally owns the property, and do the ownership details match the official documents?

2. How is the property registered and what information appears on the Tapu?

3. Are there any restrictions or other circumstances that could affect the transaction?

4. Can this specific property be used for the citizenship procedure?

5. What property value will be officially confirmed?

6. How will the payment be made and documented?

7. How and when will the three-year restriction on transferring the property be registered?

These may appear to be technical details. In practice, they often determine how predictable the process will be after the purchase.

## What happens after the purchase

Purchasing a property does not automatically result in a Turkish passport.

Once the investment requirement has been fulfilled, compliance with the applicable investment conditions must be confirmed. The applicant then obtains the relevant short-term residence permit and proceeds with the citizenship application.

In other words, the real estate transaction creates the basis for the procedure, but it does not replace the administrative citizenship process itself.

## What remains unchanged

At the time of publication, the principal conditions for the real estate route remain:

— a minimum property value of $400,000 or its equivalent;

— an undertaking not to transfer the property for three years;

— after confirmation that the investment requirement has been satisfied, the applicant proceeds through the subsequent stages of the citizenship process.

It would therefore be misleading to say that the rules for Turkish citizenship were completely changed in 2026.

More accurately, specific requirements and procedures surrounding property valuation and transactions continue to be updated and clarified. This makes it particularly important to verify the rules in force immediately before making a purchase.

## The INEST HOMES approach

When a property purchase is connected with citizenship, we do not believe the conversation should begin with: “Here is a property that qualifies.”

The first step is to understand the buyer's objective, check the current requirements, review the documentation for the specific property and make sure the structure of the transaction is appropriate for that objective.

Only then should the conversation move to the view, neighbourhood, architecture and floor plan.

Because good real estate is not simply a property you want to buy today.

It is a transaction you do not have to revisit tomorrow asking: “Why weren't we told about this?”

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements and administrative practices may change. Current conditions should always be verified for the specific property and the buyer's individual circumstances before proceeding with a transaction.