Promise of Sale Contract Turkish Citizenship: How It Works
By Burak Ünal, Founder & Managing Partner, Gordion Partners
· 10 min read
In short
Turkish citizenship through a notarised promise of sale contract is possible, but the single satış vaadi must commit the full USD 400,000 and be annotated by the land registry. A promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship application cannot combine separate contracts, and the property is held for three years.
Contents
- What Is a Promise of Sale Contract Turkish Citizenship Route?
- Promise of Sale Contract vs Title Deed Transfer
- Rules for a Promise of Sale Contract Turkish Citizenship Application
- How Does a Promise of Sale Contract Work, Step by Step?
- Costs Beyond the USD 400,000 Investment
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Timeline From Signing to Turkish Passport
- Family Members Included in the Application
- Considering Turkish Citizenship or Moving to Turkey?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- About Gordion Partners
Yes, a promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship application is allowed: you can qualify using a notarised satış vaadi sözleşmesi rather than an immediate title deed transfer, provided one contract commits the full USD 400,000 and the land registry annotates it. As of October 2026, it suits off-plan property with no title yet.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
- A promise-of-sale (satış vaadi) application for citizenship needs the full USD 400,000 in one notarised contract; separate contracts cannot be added together.
- The real estate minimum for Turkish citizenship is USD 400,000, in place since 13 June 2022.
- The property is held for three years, recorded as an annotation on the title deed.
- The valuation report is prepared by an SPK-licensed firm and is valid for six months.
- Payment goes through banks with a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB), never in cash.
- Citizenship by investment usually takes 8 to 12 months from the investment to the passport.
Sources: TKGM, citizenship by property, Population and Citizenship Affairs
If you are buying an off-plan apartment or a unit that does not yet have its own title deed, you may still be able to use it for citizenship through a notarised promise of sale contract. This guide explains how the promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship route works, what the land registry checks, and where applications go wrong.
What Is a Promise of Sale Contract Turkish Citizenship Route?
A promise of sale contract is a notarised agreement in which a seller promises to sell and a buyer promises to buy a defined property on fixed terms. In Turkish law it is the satış vaadi sözleşmesi, prepared and certified by a notary and then annotated on the title deed register. For citizenship, it can stand in for a completed title transfer when the unit is not yet ready to be titled in your name, for example a building still under construction. For the wider picture, see the real estate route to Turkish citizenship.
The point many buyers miss is simple. A plain notarised contract is not enough on its own. The promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship route only works once the contract is recorded, or annotated, at the land registry against the specific property, so the state can see your committed interest. A notarised promise of sale contract that is never registered gives you no citizenship claim, however much you have paid.
Promise of Sale Contract vs Title Deed Transfer
The title deed transfer and the promise of sale contract are two different ways to meet the same USD 400,000 real estate rule. A title deed transfer registers the property in your name at once. A promise of sale contract records a notarised promise to transfer it later, which fits off-plan property that cannot yet be titled.
| Point | Title deed transfer | Promise of sale contract |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | Ownership passes to you immediately | A notary certifies a promise to sell, annotated at the land registry |
| Typical use | Completed, titled units | Off-plan or not-yet-titled units |
| Minimum | USD 400,000 | USD 400,000 in a single contract |
| Hold period | 3 years | 3 years |
| Recorded by | TKGM land registry | Notary, then annotated at TKGM |
For Turkish citizenship off-plan property buyers, the promise of sale contract is often the only workable path until the building is finished and its own title can be issued.
Rules for a Promise of Sale Contract Turkish Citizenship Application
A promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship application must put the full USD 400,000 into one single contract. Separate contracts cannot be added together to reach the threshold, although several units may sit inside that one contract. This is the rule buyers most often get wrong.
- The whole USD 400,000 must be in one notarised promise of sale contract; separate contracts are never combined.
- Since 12 December 2023 the property must be an independent unit (bağımsız bölüm) under Condominium Law No. 634. Vacant land does not qualify.
- Three figures must each reach at least USD 400,000: the price in the contract, the payments proven by bank records, and the market value in the valuation report.
- Payment goes through banks with a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi, DAB), never in cash.
- The property is held for three years, with an annotation on the title deed that it will not be sold during that time.
- The property must not come from another foreigner, from someone who gained citizenship by investment, or from a seller who received it from such a person in the last three years.
Whether a promise of sale contract fits your purchase depends on the developer, the payment schedule and the valuation. Our Turkish citizenship by investment advisory can assess it in a short consultation before you sign anything.
How Does a Promise of Sale Contract Work, Step by Step?
A promise of sale contract works through a set order of steps, from the valuation report to the citizenship decision, with a named authority at each stage. So, how does a promise of sale contract work in practice? The steps below follow the order the authorities expect, and each one has to be completed before the next.
- Order a valuation report from an SPK-licensed valuation company that is a TDUB member connected to TADEBİS; it stays valid for six months.
- Open a Turkish bank account and transfer the funds in as foreign currency, so the bank can issue the DAB that proves the currency was sold through a bank in Turkey.
- Sign the notarised promise of sale contract at a notary, stating the full USD 400,000 and the units it covers.
- Have the notary apply to annotate the contract at the TKGM land registry against the specific property.
- Apply to TKGM for the Amount Determination Certificate (Tutar Tespit Belgesi, TTB), which confirms the value meets the threshold.
- Submit the citizenship file, with the certificate of conformity, to the Citizenship and Population Directorate.
Costs Beyond the USD 400,000 Investment
Beyond the USD 400,000 itself, a promise of sale contract carries notary fees, the valuation fee and the usual title costs. These are separate from the investment and should be budgeted from the start.
Official costs include the title deed fee of 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller, charged on the declared price, which may not be lower than the property tax value, plus a revolving fund fee set per transaction. Notary certification of the promise of sale contract is charged separately, and the valuation report has its own fee.
Other costs to plan for are the bank charges on bringing in the currency, translation and apostille of your documents, and the fees of the professionals you engage. Property prices and exchange rates can rise or fall, and past movements do not predict future ones, so budget with a margin rather than assuming today's lira figure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistakes with a promise of sale contract are avoidable with a careful review before signing. Each one can delay or sink a file.
In our experience advising foreign investors, the single most common reason a promise of sale contract file stalls is a notarised contract that was never annotated at the land registry, so the state holds no record of the committed purchase. We also see valuation reports lapse because a file is assembled slowly: the report is valid for only six months, and a late application means paying for a second one.
- Splitting the USD 400,000 across separate contracts. Only one contract counts, so the threshold is missed.
- Signing at the notary but never annotating the contract at the land registry.
- Paying part of the price in cash, or without a DAB to prove the currency came through a bank.
- A valuation that reports less than USD 400,000, or one that has passed its six-month validity.
- Buying a share of a property, or land, rather than an independent unit under Condominium Law No. 634.
- A property that comes from an ineligible seller, such as another foreigner or an earlier investment-citizen.
Timeline From Signing to Turkish Passport
A promise of sale contract usually takes 8 to 12 months end to end, from the valuation and the contract to the passport. That is a typical range from current practice, not a guarantee, and it moves with the volume of files at each authority.
The valuation report and the bank steps usually take a few weeks. Signing the promise of sale contract and annotating it at the land registry can be done quickly once the funds and documents are ready. The Amount Determination Certificate follows. Then the citizenship review itself is the longest stage, usually several months. A secure payment system for title deed sales (Güvenli Ödeme Sistemi) applies to buyers, and its mandatory start was postponed to 1 December 2026.
Family Members Included in the Application
The investor's spouse and children under 18 can be included in the same citizenship application. No other age rule applies: children aged 18 or over apply on their own.
This mirrors the other immigration routes. The Turquoise Card, for example, also covers the holder's spouse and children under 18. A promise of sale contract does not change who qualifies as family; it only changes how the investment itself is recorded.
Used correctly, a promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship application opens the real estate route to off-plan and not-yet-titled property, as long as one notarised contract commits the full USD 400,000 and the land registry annotates it. Get the valuation, the single contract and the annotation right, and the rest of the file follows the usual path. Because immigration and investment rules change often, confirm the current detail with an advisor before you commit.
Considering Turkish Citizenship or Moving to Turkey?
Gordion Partners is an Istanbul-based investment advisory company that has advised foreigners on Turkish citizenship by investment, investing in Turkey, and residence and work permits since 2021. To discuss your own situation, reach us by phone or WhatsApp at +90 533 140 04 96, by email at contact@investment.com.tr, or visit us at Merkez Mahallesi Hasat Sokak No: 12A, 34384 Şişli, İstanbul. Contact us for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a promise of sale contract for Turkish citizenship?
A promise of sale contract for Turkish citizenship is a notarised satış vaadi, annotated at the land registry, that commits the full USD 400,000 to one property purchase. It lets you qualify before an immediate title deed transfer, which suits off-plan units that cannot yet be titled.
Can you get Turkish citizenship with a promise of sale contract?
Yes. You can get Turkish citizenship with a promise of sale contract as long as the single notarised contract commits the full USD 400,000, the land registry annotates it, and the property is an independent unit held for three years.
Can separate promise of sale contracts be combined for the USD 400,000?
No. Separate contracts cannot be added together. The whole USD 400,000 must sit in one promise of sale contract, though that one contract may cover several units.
Can I use off-plan property for this route?
Yes. A promise of sale contract is common for Turkish citizenship off-plan property purchases, where the building is not yet finished and cannot be titled. The contract must still be notarised, annotated and worth the full USD 400,000.
How long does the promise of sale contract route take?
A promise of sale contract Turkish citizenship application usually takes 8 to 12 months from the contract to the passport. That is a typical range, not a guarantee, and it depends on the workload at each authority.
About Gordion Partners
Gordion Partners is an Istanbul-based investment advisory company. Since 2021, our advisors have guided international clients through Turkish citizenship by investment, investment decisions in Turkey, residence and work permits, and company set-up, working in twelve languages: English, French, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, German, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Bengali. The firm is led by its founder and managing partner, Burak Ünal, who holds an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Business Management from Boğaziçi University. We focus on clear, responsive and professional guidance at every step. Gordion Partners does not list, market or sell property. Where a client needs real estate brokerage, it is provided by Burak Ünal, a registered real estate broker, through his own brokerage.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and you are strongly advised to consult a professional to evaluate your personal situation. No liability is accepted that may arise from the use of the information in this article.
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