Türkiye citizenship by investment 2026: USD 400,000 real estate route, other options and timeline
Türkiye's citizenship-by-investment programme is one of the oldest and most used in the world. Its main attraction is that it works through real estate and financial products, but its passport does not give visa-free travel to the Schengen area, the UK or the US.
Investment options (as reported for 2026)
| Route | Minimum | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate purchase | USD 400,000 | Held for at least 3 years; the contract price, appraisal and registered value must not be below the minimum |
| Bank deposit | USD 500,000 | Kept in a Turkish bank for 3 years |
| Government bonds | USD 500,000 | Held for 3 years |
| Real estate or venture capital fund units | USD 500,000 | Held for 3 years |
| Private pension system | USD 500,000 | Held for 3 years |
| Business investment | USD 500,000 | Confirmed by the relevant ministry |
| Job creation | 50 employees | Confirmed by the Ministry of Labour |
A lower-value residence permit route exists for real estate purchases, but it is residence only and does not lead directly to citizenship.
Timeline
Summaries differ: some quote two to six months and others six to twelve months from the qualifying investment to the citizenship decree. Plan for several months, including valuation, registration, application and security checks.
Family and fees
- A spouse and children under 18 can be included in one application. Parents and adult children cannot.
- Costs on top of the investment include title-deed and transfer taxes, valuation, notary, translation and legal fees, plus agent fees.
- Real estate purchases must go through Turkish banks at the exchange rate on the day of the deal, and the seller must be a Turkish citizen or company.
Recent changes and watch points
- Reports say property-purchase funds will be held in a state-protected payment system until ownership is registered, from autumn 2026. Confirm when and how this works.
- A 2026 package of tax-relief measures for new residents was described by promoters, with parliamentary approval still required according to at least one source. Check the final law and take tax advice.
- Men aged 22 and over who naturalise are treated as having completed military service, according to one summary, but verify your own position.
- The passport does not provide visa-free access to the Schengen area, the UK or the US, and it does not lead to EU citizenship.
- Summaries say that Turkish citizenship may give access to the US E-2 investor visa, but one source says investment-route citizens must live in Türkiye for three years first. Check this carefully if the E-2 is your goal.
Who it suits
- Investors who want a real asset and who are comfortable holding Turkish property for at least three years.
- People who want a base in a large market with strong links to the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia.
Risks
- Property values and the Turkish lira can be volatile.
- Rules and thresholds have been changed several times in recent years.
- Valuation reports and title records need careful independent checking.
Take independent legal and tax advice and confirm the current thresholds with the Turkish authorities before buying anything.
Citizenship-by-investment programmes change often and are frequently suspended, repriced or restricted without much notice. Amounts and timelines below were gathered in October 2026 from law-firm and industry summaries, which sometimes disagree with each other; they are not official price lists. Always confirm figures with the government's own CBI unit or a licensed agent before paying anything, and take independent legal and tax advice. Visa Ray is not an immigration adviser. You can run a free assessment on Visa Ray to compare residence and citizenship pathways.