Turkish CBI — Everything You Need to Know

USD 500,000 (or equivalent in Turkish lira or other approved foreign currencies), maintained for a mandatory 3-year period. This threshold was set by Presidential Decree No. 106 (Resmî Gazete dated September 19, 2018). The deposit must be held at an eligible Turkish bank and the bank must issue a BDDK-compliant blockage letter confirming the funds are restricted for the required period.

USD 400,000, based on the TKGM (General Directorate of Land Registry) official appraisal value — not the asking price or contract price. The property cannot be sold or transferred for 3 years from the Tapu transfer date. Multiple properties may be combined to reach the threshold, provided each carries a separate TKGM appraisal and a citizenship annotation (şerh) is placed on each title deed.

USD is the benchmark currency. TRY (Turkish lira) equivalent deposits are accepted, calculated at the official TCMB (Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye) exchange rate on the transfer date. EUR and GBP equivalents are also accepted at most Turkish banks. Cryptocurrency is not an accepted instrument. Confirm the bank's accepted currency list before initiating the transfer, as individual bank policies may vary.

No. The full USD 500,000 minimum must be held as a single deposit at a single eligible Turkish bank. Splitting the amount across multiple banks does not satisfy the legal requirement under Presidential Decree No. 106 and will result in rejection of the BDDK certificate application.

Yes. Participation deposit accounts (katılım hesabı) at licensed Islamic participation banks — including Ziraat Katılım, Vakıf Katılım, Kuveyt Türk, Albaraka Türk, and Türkiye Finans — fully qualify for CBI purposes under the same regulatory framework. This is an important option for clients requiring Shariah-compliant instruments.

Yes, provided the existing property meets the USD 400,000 TKGM appraisal threshold and was purchased after September 19, 2018, which is the effective date of Presidential Decree No. 106 — the decision that introduced the current investment-citizenship threshold framework. The USD 400,000 real estate figure itself was set later, by Presidential Decree No. 5554 (Resmî Gazete No. 31834, May 13, 2022). A citizenship annotation (şerh) must be placed on the Tapu (title deed) at TKGM. Properties purchased before this date do not qualify.

Article 20 of the Regulation implementing Law No. 5901 provides for additional pathways, each requiring a minimum of USD 500,000 held for 3 years: (1) Turkish government bonds, verified by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. (2) A venture capital or real estate investment fund, verified by the Capital Markets Board (SPK). (3) Fixed capital investment, verified by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. (4) Creating employment for at least 50 Turkish nationals, verified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. (5) A private pension (BES) contribution kept in the system for 3 years, verified by the SEDDK. Bank deposit and real estate are by far the most commonly used pathways. Turak Law can advise on the other options by consultation.

All BDDK-licensed Turkish deposit banks qualify. The most commonly used are: Ziraat Bankası (state bank, Turak Law's primary banking partner), Halkbank, Vakıfbank, İş Bankası, Garanti BBVA, Akbank, and Yapı Kredi. Participation banks (Ziraat Katılım, Vakıf Katılım, Kuveyt Türk, Albaraka Türk) also qualify. The bank must be capable of issuing the specific BDDK Certificate of Eligibility (Uygunluk Belgesi) required for the application. Not all branches have experience with this — using a bank that your attorney has an established relationship with significantly reduces delays.

The BDDK (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency) Certificate of Eligibility (Uygunluk Belgesi) is the document issued by your Turkish bank confirming that you have deposited the minimum required amount and that the funds are blocked for the 3-year mandatory period. This certificate is a mandatory attachment to the citizenship application package. Without it, the NVİ (General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs) will not accept the application.

Yes. Under the citizenship investment procedure the foreign currency transferred is sold to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) and the lira proceeds are held under blockage for the 3-year term. Interest (faiz) therefore accrues on the Turkish lira amount held under blockage, not on a foreign-currency balance. The rate is determined by the bank and market conditions. The rate is not floating: it is fixed for a term selected by the account holder — 1, 3, 6 or 12 months — and renewed at the end of each term at the rate then applicable. Participation accounts at Islamic banks earn profit shares (kâr payı) rather than interest. The Central Bank guarantees the foreign-currency value of the principal against depreciation of the lira across that period. The qualifying principal must remain intact; only the interest/profit returns may be accessed per your account agreement. Confirm exact terms with your bank at account opening.

Yes. Turak Law handles the full bank account opening process remotely on your behalf under the Power of Attorney, including coordination with T.C. Ziraat Bankası. No in-person visit is required for this step.

Once the 3-year hold has elapsed — measured from the date the bank deposit block (blokaj) is registered, not from the date of the Presidential Decree — the blockage is lifted. You may then withdraw, transfer, or close the account freely. Turak Law tracks your lock-in expiry and notifies you at months 30, 32, and 34. If you wish, Turak Law can also represent you for the fund repatriation process after the lock-in. This is the Exit Strategy Service.

Yes. When Turak Law opens a Turkish bank account on your behalf, you receive full online banking credentials, allowing you to monitor your deposit balance 24/7 from anywhere in the world. This is a core component of our transparency commitment — you maintain direct visibility over your funds throughout the entire 3-year period.

The TKGM (General Directorate of Land Registry) official appraisal value (ekspertiz değeri) is what counts — not the asking price, not the contract price, and not the bank valuation. The appraisal is conducted by a TKGM-licensed appraiser. If the appraisal comes in below USD 400,000 even if the purchase price is higher, the property does not qualify.

The property must be purchased from a Turkish citizen or a Turkish development company. Purchases between two foreign nationals do not qualify for citizenship purposes. Additionally, if a property has previously been used by another investor to obtain Turkish citizenship, it cannot be used again for a new CBI application — the TKGM tracks this status on the title deed.

Yes. Multiple properties may be combined provided: (1) each property has its own separate TKGM appraisal, (2) a citizenship annotation (şerh) is registered on each property's Tapu, and (3) the total combined TKGM appraised value meets or exceeds USD 400,000. They do not need to be in the same city or of the same type.

Yes. There is no legal restriction on renting out the property during the 3-year restriction period. Turak Law provides a full rental representation service: tenant screening, drafting of the Turkish lease agreement with certified translation, and legal compliance for rental income collection. The Tapu annotation (şerh) restricts sale and transfer, not rental use.

After the 3-year holding period — measured from the Tapu (title deed) transfer date, not from the date of the Presidential Decree — the şerh (annotation) on the Tapu is lifted by TKGM upon application. You are then free to sell, transfer, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of the property. Turak Law's Exit Strategy Service covers the full Tapu transfer process for clients selling their CBI property after the holding period.

Istanbul real estate has historically appreciated significantly in USD terms due to limited developable land in central districts. Several investors from the 2021–2022 cohort have seen substantial capital appreciation alongside rental income over the holding period. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

Foreign nationals purchasing Turkish real estate may qualify for a VAT exemption under Article 13/i of Law No. 3065, provided the purchase is paid in foreign currency brought from abroad. The exemption applies to residential and commercial properties. Eligibility requires that the buyer has no income or earnings in Türkiye and that the foreign currency is transferred from a foreign bank account. Turak Law's KDV Exception Advisory service handles the eligibility assessment and exemption application.

Two different periods are commonly quoted, and they measure different things. From submission of the citizenship application to the decision, the typical period is 4–6 months. Measured from the signing of the Power of Attorney through to completion, the full engagement typically runs 4–6 months; some cases complete in 4–5 months from the signing of the Power of Attorney, but that is the fast end of the range rather than the norm. The difference between the two figures is accounted for by the stages that precede submission: receipt of the signed Power of Attorney, collection of the client's documents, the Tapu transfer where the real estate pathway applies, and issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility (Uygunluk Belgesi). Each of these takes time. Processing after submission is conducted by the Turkish authorities and reflects their workload — it is not within attorney control, and no date can be committed to.

Yes, for the bank deposit pathway, the Investor Residence Permit is a mandatory step per Göç İdaresi General Müdürlüğü requirements. It must be obtained before the citizenship application can be submitted. For the real estate pathway, the requirement depends on individual case circumstances. Turak Law assesses the requirement at intake and coordinates the İkamet application as part of the standard service.

Yes — once. Turkish citizenship applications are conducted under a notarised Power of Attorney (Vekâletname) granted to the attorney, and that instrument allows a foreign investor to be represented in Türkiye without being present at each stage. Signing it does not require travel: it may be issued by a Turkish consulate in the investor's own country, or executed before a local notary and completed with an apostille (Hague Convention states) or through the certification chain provided by Turkish notarial law ending at the Turkish consulate. What does require travel is the applications themselves — you must be physically present in Türkiye when the İkamet application is submitted, and again for the citizenship application, which follows approximately four to five business days later; biometric registration is taken at both stages. Representation under Power of Attorney does not extend to either appearance, so in practice this is a single visit of roughly one week, and Turak Law states this in advance rather than at the point when travel can no longer be avoided.

The Vekaletname (Power of Attorney) grants Attorney Abdulsamed Burak Turak comprehensive authority to complete the full citizenship application cycle on your behalf — including coordinating fund transfers to the investment account or developer as required by the pathway. The scope is limited to CBI-related acts. Clients retain full control of their assets; the PoA is an instrument of legal representation, not asset management. It may be revoked at any time, though any revocation should be discussed with Turak Law in advance to avoid disrupting an active application.

The Vekaletname must be notarized in a form recognized by Turkish law. Clients outside Türkiye have three options: (1) At a Turkish Notary (Noterlik) during their visit to Türkiye — this is the most straightforward route. (2) At the Turkish Consulate or Embassy in their country of residence — the consular officer acts as the notarizing authority and the document is recognized directly by Turkish institutions without further legalization. (3) Before a local notary in their home country, followed by an apostille issued by the competent authority of that country (for Hague Convention signatories) — the apostilled document is then presented to a Turkish Notary for recognition. Where the country is not a Hague Convention signatory, the document is instead certified locally — the notary's signature and seal certified by the authority to which that notary is attached — and then certified by the Turkish consulate in that same country. This chain is completed abroad, before the document is brought to Türkiye. Turak Law provides the Vekaletname template and guidance specific to your country.

The Vergi Numarası (Tax Identification Number) is a 10-digit number issued by the Turkish Revenue Administration (GİB). It is required before you can open a Turkish bank account or complete a Tapu transaction. For foreign nationals, it is obtained at the Dijital Vergi Dairesi (Digital Tax Office) — typically within 1 business day. Turak Law handles this as Step 1 of the engagement, under the Vekaletname.

Yes. Under Article 12 of Law No. 5901, your spouse and children under 18 can be included in the same citizenship application at no additional government fee for each dependent. Each family member receives their own Turkish passport. Dependents must also provide their own identity and family documents in apostilled and translated form. There is no minimum investment increase for including family members.

After the citizenship application is submitted to NVİ, Turkish security agencies (MIT, EGM, Jandarma) conduct a background investigation. This is a routine part of all citizenship applications. No additional action is required from the applicant. The investigation covers criminal records, security databases, and immigration history. Duration is typically 6–12 weeks and falls within the typical 4–6 months from submission of the citizenship application to the decision. You are not notified of the investigation process — only the final decision.

The standard document package includes: (1) Valid passport (all pages, apostilled and certified translation). (2) Birth certificate (apostilled + certified translation). (3) Marital status document — marriage certificate if married, single status certificate if unmarried (apostilled + certified translation). (4) Children's birth certificates if dependents are included. (5) Biometric photos (specific dimensions per NVİ requirement). (6) Proof of Turkish Tax ID. (7) Bank statement showing deposit. (8) BDDK Certificate of Eligibility issued by the bank. (9) Investor Residence Permit card. (10) Completed VAT-4 application form. Additional documents may be requested on a case-specific basis.

An apostille is an internationally recognized certification that verifies the authenticity of a public document for use in a foreign country. It is issued under the Hague Convention of 1961. Türkiye is a signatory. Documents originating from your home country (birth certificates, police clearances, marriage certificates) must carry an apostille from the competent authority of your country before they are accepted in Türkiye. Documents from countries that are not Hague Convention signatories follow a different route: they are certified locally in the country of origin — the notary's signature and seal certified by the authority to which that notary is attached — and then certified by the Turkish consulate in that same country. The chain is completed abroad, not in Türkiye.

Yes. All non-Turkish documents must be accompanied by a certified Turkish translation (yeminli tercüme). The translation must be performed by a sworn translator (yeminli mütercim) registered with a Turkish notary. Turak Law works with a registered sworn translator. Translations prepared abroad without Turkish notary certification will be refused immediately by NVİ. Every translated document must include the sworn translator's name and certification stamp.

Translated and notarized documents are generally accepted by NVİ within 6 months of the notarization date. Biometric photos must be recent (typically within 6 months). Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the expected application decision date. If documents expire during the process, they must be renewed and re-translated. Turak Law monitors document validity throughout the application lifecycle.

Yes. A criminal record certificate (sabıka kaydı equivalent from your home country) is mandatory for both the Investor Residence Permit application and the citizenship application. The certificate must be apostilled and certified-translated. It is a foundational document in the package. Turak Law coordinates this from your home country authorities as part of the standard service.

A certified translation in the Turkish legal system means the translation is performed by a sworn translator (yeminli mütercim) who is registered and authorized by a Turkish Noterlik (notary public). The translated document is then notarized by the notary public, who certifies the translator's credentials and the authenticity of the translation. A regular translation by a bilingual person, a translation agency, or even a licensed translator without this specific notarization chain is not accepted by Turkish government institutions for CBI purposes.

Your spouse does not receive citizenship automatically — they must be formally included in your application. Under Article 12 of Law No. 5901, your spouse is included in the same CBI application (no additional investment required). They must provide their own documents: passport, marriage certificate (apostilled + translated), and biometric photos. The spouse receives their own TC Kimlik number and Turkish passport.

Children under 18 years of age at the time of application may be included as dependents. Children who turn 18 during the process may still be included if they were under 18 at the time of submission. Children over 18 must apply separately and independently if they wish to obtain Turkish citizenship. Adopted children may also be included — documentary requirements for adopted children are more extensive.

Parents are not eligible for inclusion as dependents in a CBI application under the current framework. The dependent category is limited to spouse and minor children. Parents who wish to obtain Turkish citizenship must pursue their own independent pathway.

Turkish citizenship acquired through CBI is personal and permanent once granted by Presidential Decree. A divorce after citizenship has been granted does not affect either party's Turkish citizenship status. The 3-year investment lock-in obligation remains on the principal applicant — it is not affected by changes in marital status.

Yes. Under Turkish citizenship law, a child born to a Turkish citizen parent (either parent) automatically acquires Turkish citizenship by birth, regardless of where the birth occurs. This applies whether the parent acquired citizenship by investment or by any other pathway.

Turkish tax residency and Turkish citizenship are separate legal concepts. Acquiring Turkish citizenship does not automatically make you a Turkish tax resident. Tax residency in Türkiye is determined by physical presence (spending more than 183 days per calendar year in Türkiye) and other factors under Law No. 193 (GVK). If you do not reside in Türkiye, you will generally not be subject to Turkish income tax on foreign-sourced income.

Yes — the framework is now enacted law. Law No. 7582 (published in the Official Gazette No. 33270 on June 4, 2026) added Mükerrer Article 20/D to Income Tax Law No. 193: real persons who become Turkish tax residents are exempt from income tax on foreign-sourced earnings and revenues for 20 years, provided they had no residence or tax liability in Türkiye during the three calendar years preceding settlement. The provision is effective for persons settling in Türkiye from January 1, 2026. The implementation circular (Gelir Vergisi Genel Tebliği Seri No. 333, Official Gazette No. 33300, July 4, 2026) sets the application procedures — exempt foreign income requires no Turkish tax return filing. The same legislative package includes a 1% flat inheritance and gift tax provision for qualifying individuals. Eligibility, in particular the prior non-residency condition, is a fact-specific determination assessed at consultation.

Yes — and it is a different instrument from the 20-year exemption above. Presidential Decree No. 11257, published in the Official Gazette (Resmi Gazete No. 33239) on April 30, 2026, is in force effective January 1, 2026. It amends two existing provisions of Turkish tax law: (1) Under Article 89 of the Income Tax Law (GVK) and Article 10 of the Corporate Tax Law (KVK), the deduction available on income earned from services provided exclusively to foreign clients (architecture, engineering, software, design, data processing, and similar) has been increased to 100% — meaning the full amount is deductible from the Turkish tax base, subject to full repatriation of the income to a Turkish bank. (2) The minimum shareholding threshold to qualify for the foreign affiliate dividend exemption under GVK Article 22 and KVK Article 5 has been reduced from 50% to 20%. These are distinct, enacted measures available immediately. CBI clients who are service-sector entrepreneurs may benefit directly upon establishing Turkish tax residency.

Some countries impose exit taxes or deemed disposition rules when a citizen emigrates or acquires a foreign nationality. This is a complex matter of your home country's tax law and is outside Turak Law's scope. We strongly recommend obtaining advice from a tax attorney or accountant in your home country before finalizing any citizenship or residency decisions.

Government fees are set by Turkish authorities and vary. Standard fee categories include: NVİ Citizenship Application Fee, Residence Permit (İkamet) Application Fee, Residence Permit Card Fee, Passport Issuance Fee, Notarization Fees (Vekaletname and certified translations), and TKGM Title Deed Transfer Fee (real estate pathway). Current fee schedules are provided at the engagement stage.

Turak Law's professional fee covers legal representation from initial consultation through to citizenship grant — including document coordination, government filings, correspondence with TKGM, NVİ, BDDK, and Immigration authorities, and case management throughout. All government fees, notarization costs, translation fees, and third-party expenses are separate and are the client's responsibility. A complete breakdown is provided at the engagement stage.

There are no hidden costs in Turak Law's engagement. The items outside the standard fee scope that clients should budget for separately include: (1) Government fees (listed above — these vary and cannot be fixed in advance). (2) Health insurance (mandatory for the Residence Permit — annual cost varies by provider and age). (3) Translation costs for any documents not included in the standard package. (4) Travel and accommodation costs for Türkiye visits. (5) Home country notarization or apostille fees. These are disclosed in full at the engagement stage.

The full USD 500,000 (bank deposit) or USD 400,000 (real estate) must be in place as a lump sum at the time of the BDDK Certificate application or Tapu registration. Funds may be transferred to Türkiye in stages prior to application, but the Certificate of Eligibility can only be applied for once the full threshold amount is confirmed in place. There is no instalment option under the current regulatory framework.

As of 2026, the Turkish passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 110+ countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, and many others. For exact and current rankings, consult the Henley Passport Index or Passport Index. Note that the Schengen Area and UK require a prior visa for Turkish passport holders. A Turkish passport does not grant EU free movement rights as Türkiye is not an EU member state.

Yes. Turkish citizenship provides an unconditional right to reside, work, start a business, vote, and access all public services in Türkiye permanently — identical rights to all other Turkish citizens. There is no minimum residency obligation post-citizenship. You may live anywhere in the world and return to Türkiye freely on your Turkish passport.

No. Türkiye imposes no minimum residency obligation after citizenship is granted. You do not need to live in Türkiye for any period to maintain your Turkish citizenship. You are free to reside in any country while remaining a Turkish citizen. The only obligation after the citizenship grant is the 3-year investment lock-in period.

Turkish citizenship obtained by investment can theoretically be revoked if it was obtained through fraud, misrepresentation, or provision of false documents — this applies to all Turkish citizens, not only CBI recipients. Citizenship cannot be revoked solely because the investment was sold or transferred after the 3-year lock-in period ends. Honest and complete applications do not face revocation risk.

Turkish citizenship does not expire. It is permanent once granted by Presidential Decree. Your Turkish passport, however, must be renewed every 10 years (adult passport) or 5 years (child passport). The citizenship status itself is separate from the passport document.

Yes. Turkish citizenship is inheritable. Any child born to a Turkish citizen parent after the citizenship has been granted automatically acquires Turkish citizenship by descent, regardless of where the child is born. This perpetual family lineage benefit is one of the significant long-term values of the programme.

The three-year holding obligation begins from the date of the title deed (Tapu) transfer for real estate investors, or from the date the bank deposit block (BDDK blokaj) is registered for bank deposit investors — not from the date of the Presidential Decree. The lock may be released before three years if the client chooses, but this results in automatic rejection or cancellation of the citizenship application.

Three substantive reasons: First, the firm has been specializing in CBI proceedings since 2019 — three years before the 2022 Presidential Decree No. 5554 that raised the real estate threshold to USD 400,000. This means genuine accumulated case experience, not recently-onboarded staff following a checklist. Second, we operate in 9 languages — English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified + Traditional), Persian, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, and Korean — which eliminates loss of nuance through interpreters at critical legal stages. Third, we maintain an established banking relationship with T.C. Ziraat Bankası, Türkiye's leading state-owned bank, which is the primary institution used for bank deposit CBI applications. We do not make outcome guarantees, which Turkish Bar Association (Istanbul Bar Association) rules prohibit, but we bring the preparation and process precision that maximizes application quality.

The full end-to-end representation under Power of Attorney: intake and eligibility assessment, Tax ID application at Dijital Vergi Dairesi, bank account opening coordination, Vekaletname preparation and notarization coordination, BDDK certificate coordination, Investor Residence Permit application at Göç İdaresi, citizenship application filing (VAT-4 form), biometric appointment scheduling, government correspondence and follow-up, sworn translation coordination, and post-grant passport application coordination. Government fees, health insurance, and travel are not included in the professional fee but are disclosed at intake.

Yes. Turak Law does not use case managers, paralegals, or intermediaries for client communication. When you are a client, you communicate directly with Attorney Abdulsamed Burak Turak. Communication is available via WhatsApp, email, and video consultation. Languages available: English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified + Traditional), Persian, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, Korean, and Turkish.

The initial assessment is free of charge and confidential, and its scope is deliberately limited: it determines whether your matter falls within the scope of the office's practice and which consultation format is appropriate. The case-specific legal assessment (eligibility, options, timeline and cost) is the subject of the paid legal consultation, which ends with a written summary. There is no obligation to engage the office afterwards.

CBI rejections are rare when applications are properly prepared. The most common reasons for rejection are undisclosed criminal records or documentation deficiencies. Turak Law conducts a thorough pre-submission review specifically to identify and address these risks before filing. In the event of a rejection, Turak Law analyzes the stated reason from NVİ and advises on the appropriate corrective path — which may include re-application with remedied documents.

Yes. All communications between you and Turak Law are protected by attorney-client privilege under Turkish law (Avukatlık Kanunu). This means your personal information, investment details, and the contents of your case file cannot be disclosed to any third party without your explicit consent. Privilege applies from the first consultation. High-net-worth investors routinely discuss sensitive financial and personal matters with Turak Law in full confidence that this protection is in place.

Turak Law does not publish client names, case details, testimonials, or outcomes. Case information is disclosed to the client, about the client's own matter, and nowhere else. This is not a marketing posture. Under the Turkish Attorneys' Act (Avukatlık Kanunu) an attorney is prohibited from disclosing matters entrusted to them or learned in the course of the engagement. It is a statutory professional duty enforceable by the bar, it attaches to the attorney personally, and it continues after the engagement ends. Personal data is separately governed by the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK, Law No. 6698). The distinction matters when deciding who handles your file: an investment migration agency is not bound by attorney confidentiality, because its staff are not attorneys. What you give an agency — passport data, source of funds, family circumstances — is protected by that company's contract and internal policy, and by data protection law. What you give an attorney is protected by a professional obligation with disciplinary consequences behind it. The absence of testimonials and named references from this website is deliberate.

No. Turkish citizenship applications are decided by the Ministry of Interior and finalized by Presidential Decree — these are government decisions that no attorney anywhere can guarantee. Any law firm or consultant that guarantees citizenship approval is misrepresenting what is legally possible and likely violating their professional obligations. What Turak Law guarantees is: thorough eligibility screening before engagement, complete and compliant application preparation, professional government liaison, and transparent progress reporting throughout.