Turkish citizenship by investment lawyer services at E-Law Turkey cover the whole file: checking the investment before you pay, securing the certificate of conformity, and taking the citizenship application through to your Turkish passport. Most refused or delayed files fail at the investment stage, not at the citizenship stage, so that is where our work starts.
- We check the property or investment before any money moves.
- We manage the foreign-currency payment, the title deed annotation and the certificate of conformity.
- We file the investor residence permit and the citizenship application for you and your family.
- The whole process can be run by power of attorney, without travelling to Turkey.
- Legal fees are agreed as a fixed quote before work starts.
What Our Turkish Citizenship by Investment Lawyers Do
Citizenship by investment is a two-stage process. First the state confirms your investment, then the citizenship file opens. We handle both stages.
1. Property Due Diligence Before You Pay
For the real estate route, the property must be worth at least USD 400,000 according to a licensed valuation report. The valuation, not the contract price, decides whether it qualifies.
We check the title deed for mortgages, liens and annotations, and the building’s construction permit and occupancy certificate. You buy the property as a foreigner, so foreign-buyer rules still apply: property in military or security zones cannot be sold to you. A property that fails any of these checks cannot be used for citizenship.
2. Payment, Title Deed and Certificate of Conformity
Payment must be made in foreign currency through a Turkish bank and converted, with a currency exchange certificate. The purpose of the programme is to bring foreign currency into Turkey, even when the purchase is financed by a loan.
At the land registry, a note is added to the title deed that the property cannot be sold for three years. We then apply for the certificate of conformity (uygunluk belgesi), which confirms that the investment qualifies.
3. Investor Residence Permit and Citizenship Application
The certificate of conformity gives you and your family an investor residence permit under Article 31/1-j of Law No. 6458. The residence permit must actually be used: within 180 days for family members and within 120 days for other short-term residence permits.
We prepare and file the citizenship application for you, your spouse and your children. Children must be under 18 on the application date; some civil registry offices return the files of children who have turned 18 by then, so timing matters. Once the file is complete, the application usually takes 90 to 180 days in our practice.
4. Bank Deposit, Bond, Fund and Pension Routes
If you prefer not to buy property, you can invest at least USD 500,000 in a Turkish bank deposit, government bonds, real estate or venture capital fund shares, or the private pension system, held for three years. We coordinate with the bank or institution, obtain the certificate of conformity and run the same citizenship file.
5. After Citizenship: ID Card and Passport
After the Presidential decision, we arrange your entry in the civil registry, your Turkish ID card and your passport. No passport fee is charged for children under 25; only the booklet fee applies.
Why Use a Lawyer for Citizenship by Investment
The rules are clear, but small mismatches delay or sink files. These are the problems we see most often:
- A valuation report below USD 400,000 even though the contract price was higher.
- A bank receipt or currency exchange certificate that does not match the sale contract.
- A property without an occupancy certificate, or inside a restricted zone.
- A child who turns 18 before the application is filed.
Each of these is cheap to prevent and expensive to fix after the money has moved.
Working With Us From Abroad
You do not need to travel to Turkey. You can grant us a power of attorney at a Turkish consulate, or before a notary in your country with an apostille. We then handle the tax number, bank account, purchase, land registry, certificate of conformity, residence permit and citizenship application on your behalf.
Costs
State fees, purchase costs and bank charges depend on your investment route, your nationality and your family size. Use the cost calculator in our guide to Turkish citizenship by investment for an estimate. Our legal fees are agreed as a fixed quote before any work starts.
If Your Application Is Refused
A refusal is an administrative decision. You can file an annulment action (iptal davası) with the administrative court within 60 days of the date the decision is served on you. We review the reasons for refusal and represent you in court.
Related Guides
- How to get Turkish citizenship: all five legal routes
- Buying property in Turkey as a foreigner
- Your Turkish passport after citizenship
Speak to a Turkish Citizenship by Investment Lawyer
Tell us which route you are considering and where you are in the process. We will confirm whether your investment qualifies before you send funds. Contact E-Law Turkey to book a consultation.
This page is general information, not legal advice for your own case. Investment thresholds are set by Presidential decision and can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer for Turkish citizenship by investment?
It is not legally required, but most problems arise at the investment stage, before the citizenship file opens. A lawyer checks the property, the payment records and the documents so that the file qualifies the first time.
Can the whole process be done without travelling to Turkey?
Yes. With a power of attorney, your lawyer can complete the purchase, the certificate of conformity, the residence permit and the citizenship application on your behalf.
How long does Turkish citizenship by investment take?
Once the file is complete, the citizenship application usually takes 90 to 180 days in our practice. The law sets no fixed deadline.