Turkish Citizenship by Investment: Process, Documents and Timeline

From the first check to the passport: the stages of a Turkish citizenship by investment file, the documents and the indicative timeline, for every route.

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In short

Every route follows the same path: choose the route, make the investment with foreign currency sold to a bank in Turkey, obtain the certificate from the route's authority, obtain a residence permit and file the citizenship application, which ends with security checks and a Presidential decision. Advisers commonly report about 3 to 6 months from filing to decision for a complete file and 6 to 12 months end to end; no official time is published and none can be guaranteed.

By Burak Ünal, licensed real estate broker · Updated 17 October 2026

Key facts (as of October 2026)

Stages: Investment, certificate from the route's authority, residence permit, citizenship application, security checks and a Presidential decisionSource: NVİ, nvi.gov.tr (opens in a new tab)
Currency: Foreign currency sold to a bank in Turkey and on to the Central Bank (TCMB) with a DAB before the investment; amounts in USD or equivalent foreign currency since 6 January 2022Source: NVİ, nvi.gov.tr (opens in a new tab)
Preparation and investment: A few weeks, including the valuation and TTB on the real estate route
Certificate and residence permit: A few weeks
Filing to decision: Commonly about 3 to 6 months for a complete file, as reported by advisers; no official time is published
End to end: Often 6 to 12 months from property search to passport; never guaranteed
Military service: Men aged 22 or over in the year they become citizens are deemed to have completed it (Law No. 7179, Art. 43)Source: MSB, msb.gov.tr (Law No. 7179) (opens in a new tab)

Each figure links to its official source. Rules change, so we confirm the current position before you act.

Who it is for

Investors comparing routes before they commit
Investors who want to know what happens after the investment
Families preparing documents for several people
Investors planning travel, school or business around the file

The same path on every route

There are seven investment routes to Turkish citizenship under Article 12/1-b of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901: real estate, bank deposit, government debt instruments, real estate or venture capital fund units, private pension, fixed capital and employment. The investment differs from route to route, but the path after it is the same. Each stage depends on the one before, so a delay or an error early in the file carries through to the end.

Stage 1: choosing the route

The route decides the amount, the holding period, the authority that certifies the investment and the documents. The real estate route requires USD 400,000; the bank deposit, government debt instrument, fund unit and private pension routes require USD 500,000 held for 3 years, as does a fixed capital investment; the employment route requires jobs for at least 50 people. Before anything else, we confirm the route that fits your budget, your liquidity needs and your family, and which family members can be included.

Stage 2: the investment and the currency sale

Since 6 January 2022, the amounts are stated in USD or the equivalent foreign currency only. Before the investment, your foreign currency is sold to a bank operating in Turkey and on to the Central Bank (TCMB), and the bank issues a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB). On the real estate route, only USD, EUR and GBP are accepted for this sale, the DAB must show the USD equivalent and the citizenship purpose, and it must be presented to the land registry before the title deed transfer. Payments go through banks, never in cash.

On the real estate route this stage also includes the property checks, the valuation report (valid for 6 months), the TKGM Amount Determination Certificate (TTB) and the title deed with its 3-year no-sale annotation. Preparation and purchase usually take a few weeks once the property is chosen.

Stage 3: the certificate from the route's authority

The authority responsible for the route confirms that the investment meets the conditions:

Real estate: the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, through the land registry (TKGM).
Bank deposit: the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).
Government debt instruments: the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
Real estate or venture capital fund units: the Capital Markets Board (SPK).
Private pension: the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency (SEDDK).
Fixed capital: the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Employment: the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (ÇSGB).

Stage 4: the residence permit

With the certificate, the investor and the family members included obtain a residence permit before the citizenship application is filed. The certificate and the residence permit together usually take a few weeks.

Stage 5: the citizenship application and the security review

The citizenship application is then filed for the investor and the family members included. The authorities run security checks, and the file ends with a Presidential decision. This is usually the longest stage. Advisers commonly report about 3 to 6 months from filing to the decision for a complete, clean file; no official processing time is published.

Stage 6: the decision, identity card and passport

After a positive decision, the new citizens apply for their Turkish identity cards and passports. For men, the military service rule applies from the date of naturalisation: those who are 22 or older in that year, or who document service in their previous country, are deemed to have completed it (Military Service Law No. 7179, Article 43).

Indicative timeline

Stage	Indicative time
Preparation and investment (on the real estate route: property, valuation, TTB, title deed)	A few weeks
Certificate and residence permit	A few weeks
Citizenship application to decision	Commonly about 3 to 6 months for a complete file
End to end, from property search to passport	Often 6 to 12 months

These are typical ranges reported by advisers in 2025 and 2026, not official figures, and they are never guaranteed. In 2026 the Interior Ministry announced that citizenship decisions for 6,134 people had been cancelled or withdrawn, mainly over irregular transactions such as inflated appraisals, and the providers allowed to prepare citizenship valuation reports changed on 28 September 2026. Stricter checks and changes like these can affect timing. A complete and accurate file is the part you can control.

Documents

The documents fall into two groups. The investment documents are set by the route and are listed in the documents checklist on this page. The personal documents (identity, civil status and family relationship, for the investor and each family member) depend on your country and your family. Foreign documents must be translated into Turkish and certified in a form accepted in Turkey. We confirm the current list for your case at the start and check each document before it is submitted.

Common mistakes

Making the investment before the route, the family members and the documents are confirmed.
Transferring money without the currency sale and the DAB arranged as the rules require.
On the real estate route: paying before the valuation is known, or buying a property that cannot be used.
Personal documents with inconsistent names or dates.
Planning travel, school or business decisions around a promised date. There is no official processing time.

The routes in detail

Book a consultation or message us on WhatsApp: we will map the stages of your file and the documents your family needs.

How the process works

Route check
We confirm the route that fits your budget, liquidity needs and family, and which family members can be included.
Investment and currency sale
Your foreign currency is sold to a bank in Turkey and on to the Central Bank with a DAB, and the investment is made; on the real estate route, with the valuation, TTB and title deed.
Certificate
The authority for the route confirms the investment: TKGM, BDDK, the Treasury, SPK, SEDDK, the Ministry of Industry and Technology or ÇSGB.
Residence permit
The investor and the family members included obtain a residence permit; the certificate and permit usually take a few weeks.
Citizenship application
The application is filed, security checks run and a Presidential decision follows; commonly about 3 to 6 months for a complete file, never guaranteed.
Identity cards and passports
After a positive decision, the new citizens apply for their Turkish identity cards and passports.

Documents checklist

Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB), on every route
The certificate of the route's authority (TKGM, BDDK, Treasury, SPK, SEDDK, Ministry of Industry and Technology or ÇSGB)
Real estate route: valuation report (valid 6 months), TKGM Amount Determination Certificate (TTB), bank receipts of the payment and the title deed with the 3-year no-sale annotation
Off-plan purchase: one promise-of-sale contract for the full amount
Personal and family documents (identity, civil status, family relationship): we confirm the current list for your case

Your full list depends on your situation; we prepare it with you.

Updated 17 October 2026

The information on this page is general and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules, amounts and procedures change; contact us to confirm the current requirements before you act.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the process take?

No official processing time is published. For a complete file, advisers commonly report about 3 to 6 months from filing the citizenship application to the decision. No timeframe can be guaranteed.

Can the process be made faster?

No official processing time is published and no timeframe can be promised. A complete and accurate file avoids delays on your side; the security review and the Presidential decision are set by the authorities.

Is a residence permit needed before the citizenship application?

Yes. On every route, the certificate from the route's authority is followed by a residence permit, and then the citizenship application is filed.

Which documents do I need?

The investment documents depend on the route, such as the DAB, the authority's certificate and, for real estate, the valuation, TTB and title deed. Personal and family documents depend on your country; we confirm the current list for your case.

What can affect timing in 2026?

The security review is usually the longest stage. Stricter checks after the 2026 cancellations of citizenship decisions over irregular transactions, and the change of valuation providers on 28 September 2026, may affect timing.

Do men have to do military service?

Men who are 22 or older in the year they become citizens, or who document service in their previous country, are deemed to have completed it. Younger men may defer it for two years from naturalisation on request.

Other citizenship routes

Back to Turkish Citizenship by Investment

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