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07.10.2026
How to Get Turkish Citizenship: Step-by-Step Process and Documents
Sergei Dubinets, founder and CEO of DDA Real Estate Turkey.
I explained in detail why you need a second passport and why Turkey in the article "Turkish Passport: A Backup Plan for Your Family." Here it is practice only: what to do, in what order and which documents to prepare.
The requirements in a nutshell
Property worth $400,000 or more according to an expert valuation. It can be one property or several.
Payment only through a Turkish bank in foreign currency.
The property cannot be sold for 3 years; this is noted on the TAPU.
Citizenship is granted to the investor, their spouse and children under 18.
How the process works: 8 stages
| Stage | What happens | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening a bank account | - |
| 2 | Purchasing property worth $400,000 or more | - |
| 3 | Expert valuation of the property | 1-4 weeks |
| 4 | Obtaining the DAB certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi) for selling currency to the bank | 1-5 days |
| 5 | Issuing the TAPU | about 5 days |
| 6 | Residence permit application | about 1 week |
| 7 | Confirmation that the property meets the citizenship requirements | about 2 months |
| 8 | Submitting the citizenship application and awaiting a decision | about 1 week to submit |
Note stage 6. A residence permit is issued before citizenship. This is a mandatory technical step, and you are not required to live in Turkey.
Required documents
For the property and transaction:
- expert valuation of the property;
- DAB certificate;
- dekont - bank payment receipt with the bank's signature and stamp;
- numarataj - address certificate with the property details;
- TAPU;
- proof of payment of tax and fees.
Personal documents:
- international passport: the original and a notarized copy with a Turkish translation;
- certificate of no criminal record with apostille;
- tax number (you will need a Turkish phone number and your parents' names in Latin letters);
- health insurance for yourself and your family members;
- 4 biometric photos;
- power of attorney for a lawyer.
Family documents:
- spouse's certificate of no criminal record with apostille;
- notarized copy of the marriage certificate with apostille and a certificate of marriage registration with apostille;
- notarized copy of the spouse's birth certificate with apostille;
- notarized copies of the birth certificates of minor children with apostille;
- family composition certificate (in many countries it is issued by the embassy or consulate in Turkey);
- consent of the other parent to the child's citizenship if the parents are divorced.
Three tips that save months
1. Prepare apostilles in advance. Certificates of no criminal record and marriage and birth documents are issued in your home country. This is the longest link in the chain. Start collecting them while you are choosing a property, not after the purchase.
2. Check the valuation before payment. If the expert values the property below $400,000, it will not qualify for citizenship. You need to know this before transferring the money.
3. Only work legally. In 2026, Turkey revoked the citizenship of thousands of people who inflated valuations or made sham transactions. No "simplified schemes."
At DDA Real Estate Turkey, citizenship processing is free for our Clients. We handle the entire procedure using a checklist of 19 documents, and our lawyers support the family all the way to receiving their passports.
Get a free expert consultation
07.10.2026
How to Get Turkish Citizenship: Step-by-Step Process and Documents
Sergei Dubinets, founder and CEO of DDA Real Estate Turkey.
I explained in detail why you need a second passport and why Turkey in the article "Turkish Passport: A Backup Plan for Your Family." Here it is practice only: what to do, in what order and which documents to prepare.
The requirements in a nutshell
Property worth $400,000 or more according to an expert valuation. It can be one property or several.
Payment only through a Turkish bank in foreign currency.
The property cannot be sold for 3 years; this is noted on the TAPU.
Citizenship is granted to the investor, their spouse and children under 18.
How the process works: 8 stages
| Stage | What happens | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening a bank account | - |
| 2 | Purchasing property worth $400,000 or more | - |
| 3 | Expert valuation of the property | 1-4 weeks |
| 4 | Obtaining the DAB certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi) for selling currency to the bank | 1-5 days |
| 5 | Issuing the TAPU | about 5 days |
| 6 | Residence permit application | about 1 week |
| 7 | Confirmation that the property meets the citizenship requirements | about 2 months |
| 8 | Submitting the citizenship application and awaiting a decision | about 1 week to submit |
Note stage 6. A residence permit is issued before citizenship. This is a mandatory technical step, and you are not required to live in Turkey.
Required documents
For the property and transaction:
- expert valuation of the property;
- DAB certificate;
- dekont - bank payment receipt with the bank's signature and stamp;
- numarataj - address certificate with the property details;
- TAPU;
- proof of payment of tax and fees.
Personal documents:
- international passport: the original and a notarized copy with a Turkish translation;
- certificate of no criminal record with apostille;
- tax number (you will need a Turkish phone number and your parents' names in Latin letters);
- health insurance for yourself and your family members;
- 4 biometric photos;
- power of attorney for a lawyer.
Family documents:
- spouse's certificate of no criminal record with apostille;
- notarized copy of the marriage certificate with apostille and a certificate of marriage registration with apostille;
- notarized copy of the spouse's birth certificate with apostille;
- notarized copies of the birth certificates of minor children with apostille;
- family composition certificate (in many countries it is issued by the embassy or consulate in Turkey);
- consent of the other parent to the child's citizenship if the parents are divorced.
Three tips that save months
1. Prepare apostilles in advance. Certificates of no criminal record and marriage and birth documents are issued in your home country. This is the longest link in the chain. Start collecting them while you are choosing a property, not after the purchase.
2. Check the valuation before payment. If the expert values the property below $400,000, it will not qualify for citizenship. You need to know this before transferring the money.
3. Only work legally. In 2026, Turkey revoked the citizenship of thousands of people who inflated valuations or made sham transactions. No "simplified schemes."
At DDA Real Estate Turkey, citizenship processing is free for our Clients. We handle the entire procedure using a checklist of 19 documents, and our lawyers support the family all the way to receiving their passports.
Get a free expert consultation