Buying Property in Turkey as a Foreigner: Step by Step

As a foreigner, you buy property in Turkey by signing the official deed at the land registry office (tapu müdürlüğü). Before that, you obtain a Turkish tax number, exchange foreign currency equal to the price at a Turkish bank so it issues a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate, submit your documents online or at the registry, and sign with a sworn translator if you don’t speak Turkish. A valuation report is not required in every case, but it is required when the purchase is meant to support a citizenship application.

First question: can you buy this property?

Under Land Registry Law No. 2644, citizens of countries designated by the President may acquire real estate in Türkiye, subject to legal limits. The Land Registry (TKGM) states that citizens of the 185 countries listed in the annex to Council of Ministers Decision 2012/3504 qualify. The list itself is not published, but any land registry office can confirm whether your nationality is eligible.

Other limits worth knowing (as of October 2026):

• Property held by foreign individuals may not exceed 10% of the privately owned area of a district.
• A single foreign individual may not hold more than 30 hectares nationwide.
• Military restricted and security zone data has been entered into the land register in every province. According to TKGM, applications are assessed directly against the register, without a separate query to the military authorities.
• For property in a protected heritage (sit) area, the opinion of the relevant ministry is obtained.

For apartments in completed or registered residential projects, with condominium ownership or condominium easement in place, these checks are usually straightforward. Land without buildings is different: a foreign buyer must submit a development project to the relevant ministry for approval within two years.

The title deed process, step by step

1. Get a Turkish tax number

Title transactions use a tax identification number issued in Türkiye. You can obtain one from a tax office with your passport. If you hold a residence permit and a foreigner identification number, that number serves as your tax number.

2. Exchange currency and obtain the DAB

Every foreign individual buying property, including those already living in Türkiye, must sell foreign currency equal to the sale price to a bank (which in turn sells it to the Central Bank) and provide a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi, DAB). The bank sends the DAB to the land registry office via registered e-mail (KEP) before the sale. The official deed is drawn up using the Turkish lira amount shown on the DAB.

In practice, this means planning the transaction with a bank in Türkiye early on. For instalment payments, the DAB can be issued in parts that match each payment.

3. Check the property and its paperwork

Before signing, make sure the following are clear:

• Land register entry: the owner, any mortgage, attachment or annotation, and whether condominium ownership or easement is established.
• Declared property tax value: some municipalities make it visible online during the Web Tapu application; otherwise it is obtained from the municipality.
• Compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK): required for title transactions involving buildings such as homes and workplaces.
• Valuation report: according to TKGM, not mandatory for every transaction by a foreigner. For citizenship purchases, an Amount Determination Certificate (TTB), produced via TADEBİS from a report by a valuation firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), is required. A TTB cannot be delivered by hand and is valid for twelve months.

4. Apply and book your appointment

You can apply online through Web Tapu and send documents electronically to the registry office. To use Web Tapu, foreigners need a foreigner identification number and an e-Devlet password obtained from PTT. Buyers without these apply through the land registry office where the property is located. TKGM’s Your Key Türkiye portal explains the appointment channels in six languages.

5. Prepare your documents

The core documents TKGM lists for foreigners:

Document	Note
National ID or passport	With Turkish translation if not in Latin script
Identity Information Declaration Form	With photo, signed
Power of attorney (if represented)	If issued abroad: original or certified copy, with translation
Declared property tax value	From the municipality
Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate	Sent by the bank via KEP
Compulsory earthquake insurance	For homes and workplaces
Sworn translator	If a party does not speak Turkish

6. Translator and power of attorney

If any party does not speak Turkish, a sworn translator authorised by the regional judicial justice commission must be present. If you cannot attend in person, you can be represented under a power of attorney; one issued abroad must be submitted as the original or a certified copy together with its translation. Drafting its scope carefully from the start (purchase, fee payments, DAB-related steps) prevents avoidable delays.

7. Pay the fees and sign the deed

Title deed fee is charged at 2% (20 per mille) of the declared sale price, which may not be lower than the property tax value, separately for both buyer and seller (Fees Law No. 492, as of October 2026). TKGM also charges a revolving fund fee. Once payments are made, the parties, with the translator if needed, sign the official deed at the registry office, and ownership passes to the buyer on registration.

Extra steps if you are buying for citizenship

If the goal is Turkish citizenship by real estate investment, additional conditions apply (as of October 2026):

• The property must be worth at least USD 400,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency, with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title deed.
• Since 12.12.2023, the property must have condominium ownership or easement established, or be a building plot with a permanent structure holding an occupancy permit.
• The price on the deed, the total of payments/transfers and the TTB value must each meet USD 400,000 separately.
• Shared (fractional) ownership cannot be used for a citizenship application.

We have collected these conditions, with official sources, on our foreign investor page.

How long does it take?

There is no single figure: the legislation sets no fixed timeline for foreign buyers. In practice, timing depends on:

• whether your tax number and e-Devlet password are already in place,
• how quickly the currency transfer clears and the bank sends the DAB via KEP,
• for citizenship purchases, the preparation of the valuation report and TTB,
• appointment availability at the registry office and the sworn translator’s schedule,
• any mortgage, attachment or annotation on the property that must be cleared first.

With complete documents and a clean title, the process is predictable. Confirm exact timing with the registry office handling your transaction.

Where to start looking

Foreign buyers often consider Istanbul’s branded residences, such as Raffles Istanbul Residences in Beşiktaş, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Istanbul in Şişli, Emaar Square Residences in Üsküdar and Skyland İstanbul in Sarıyer. On the coast, our portfolio includes Folkart Blu Çeşme in İzmir and Sirius Level in Aksu, Antalya. You can filter every option by city, district and type in our project search.

Working with NeoKonut

When you leave a request, one of our advisors will call you to clarify what you are looking for. We also work on properties outside our listed portfolio. The first consultation is free of charge.

This article is for general information only; please seek legal and tax advice specific to your transaction.