Buying property in Istanbul as a foreigner

Who can buy property in Istanbul?

Under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law (No. 2644), foreign individuals may buy real estate if their country is on a list set by the President, which replaced the old reciprocity test in 2012.

The list is not published. TKGM, the land registry authority, says it covers 185 countries, and any land registry office can confirm eligibility for your nationality. With several nationalities, the least favourable one applies; a Turkish one takes precedence.

Restrictions to check before you choose a property

Check these before you commit:

• Area caps: one foreign individual may hold up to 30 hectares across Türkiye, and foreigners together may hold no more than 10% of a district's privately ownable area.
• Military zones: foreigners cannot buy in military forbidden or security zones; special security zones need the governor's permission. These zones are annotated in the land registry.
• Heritage sites: in a protected conservation area, the registry consults the relevant ministry first.
• Undeveloped land: a foreign buyer of a plot or field must submit a development project within two years, or the property becomes subject to liquidation.
• Companies: companies incorporated abroad can buy only under special laws.

Tax number, foreign-currency payment and documents

First get a Turkish tax number, available online from the Revenue Administration's digital tax office; if you have no foreign identity number, the land registry assigns one.

Buyers who are not Turkish citizens pay in foreign currency, which is sold to a bank in Türkiye before the transfer; the seller receives lira. The bank sends a Foreign Currency Purchase Certificate (DAB) to the land registry by registered e-mail, and its lira amount is declared as the sale price. Whether you need a local account depends on the bank, so confirm early. Non-resident buyers can finance a purchase only with a foreign-currency loan, converted the same way.

You need not attend the signing: a representative can sign under a power of attorney (see the FAQ). Since 2020 any land registry office in Türkiye can complete the transfer. TKGM's core documents are:

• Passport or national ID (translated if needed) and the title or parcel details
• Identity declaration form with a recent 6x4 cm photo
• The DAB, bank-approved transfer receipts and a valid DASK policy
• The municipal property-value document, where still requested
• Foreign identity number, any power of attorney, and a sworn translator if you do not speak Turkish

The title deed (tapu) process, step by step

A notarised or private preliminary contract is only a commitment to transfer, so check the title for mortgages, liens and annotations before paying a deposit.

Valuation report: ordinary purchase vs citizenship purchase

For an ordinary purchase, no. TKGM Circular 2024/4 of 13 June 2024 removed the mandatory valuation report for foreign individuals, and TKGM's guidance now states that a report is not mandatory in foreigners' transactions. The exception is a purchase made to apply for Turkish citizenship: the investment must be confirmed by an Amount Determination Certificate (TTB), issued from a licensed valuation report. Some older guides still describe the pre-2024 rule, so confirm with the land registry office handling your sale.

What it costs: fees, insurance and taxes

The table uses official 2026 rates where they exist; lira amounts change regularly, so confirm them before completion.

Declare the real price: if the deed understates it, the missing fee is assessed and, since Law No. 7566 (December 2025), the penalty is 100% of the missing fee, up from 25%. A VAT exemption can apply when a non-resident buys a new home at first sale with foreign currency brought into Türkiye; selling within three years makes the VAT plus interest due, and if the conditions were not met the buyer is jointly liable. Take tax advice first.

Compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK)

DASK is mandatory for homes, and the land registry will not register a sale without a policy valid on the transfer date. It covers the building itself, not contents or lost rent, is renewed yearly, and is checked when you open water and electricity accounts.

The premium depends on gross area, construction type and risk group, so ask for a current quote. DASK may refuse to insure a building that departs from its approved project or whose load-bearing structure has been weakened — a warning sign in itself.

Residence permits and closed neighbourhoods

Owning a home can qualify you for a short-term residence permit. Migration Management currently requires a residential property worth at least USD 200,000 at purchase, used as your own home and not rented out. The Ministry of Interior sets this value, so confirm it before applying. You apply at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, then attend an appointment at the provincial migration directorate; fees vary by nationality. Permit terms vary, so do not plan around a fixed one.

In October 2022 the Interior Ministry announced that ten Istanbul districts, including Fatih and Esenyurt, were closed to new foreign residence registrations, with an exception for investors who bought a home there. June 2026 reports said these restrictions had eased in practice, but we have found no official announcement and reports differ on scope, so confirm the position if you plan to live there.

Building age and earthquake due diligence

The current Building Earthquake Code took effect on 1 January 2019 (earlier codes date from 2007 and 1997), and Istanbul has required independent building inspection since 2001. The permit date shows which code applied — a useful filter, though only a structural assessment shows how a building performs.

A 2019 Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Kandilli Observatory scenario for a magnitude 7.5 earthquake estimated that about 194,000 of the city's roughly 1.17 million buildings could suffer moderate or worse damage. It is a scenario, not a forecast, but it is why structural checks come first:

• Read the title's declarations section, where 'risky' buildings (Law No. 6306) and reported zoning violations are annotated.
• Check the title type. Full condominium (kat mülkiyeti) rests on an occupancy permit for the whole building; kat irtifakı may mean none is registered, and buildings without one are generally not connected to mains utilities.
• Ask whether an official risky-building assessment exists; owners can order one from ministry-licensed institutions.

If you are buying for Turkish citizenship

The property must be worth at least USD 400,000, confirmed by a TTB, with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title. The deed price and bank transfers must each reach the threshold excluding VAT, fees and taxes, so on a USD 400,000 deed the buyer's 2% title deed fee alone adds about USD 8,000. Key rules:

• Only property in your own name counts — not your spouse's, your children's or a company's.
• It must be a unit under condominium or construction-servitude title, or land with a building that has an occupancy permit; agricultural land and empty plots do not qualify.
• Shares bought since early 2023 do not qualify; buying the whole unit does.
• You cannot buy from a foreign seller, and mortgaged or attached amounts do not count.

After you buy: property tax and rental income

Property tax is paid to the municipality in two instalments (March–May and November), starting the year after purchase. Istanbul homes pay 0.2% of the official tax value, not the market value; homes with a tax value above 17,711,000 TL (2026) also pay a valuable-housing tax unless they are the owner's only home in Türkiye. Non-residents are taxed only on Turkish income; residential rent is exempt up to 58,000 TL for 2026, subject to conditions, and a gain on sale is taxable only if you sell within five years.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying a deposit before checking the title.
• Following old guidance that every foreign purchase needs a valuation report.
• Expecting one home to support a residence permit and earn rent.
• Buying for citizenship in a spouse's or company's name, or as a 50/50 share.

How Angelina Estate helps

We work with buyers from the first conversation to the keys and beyond: a private shortlist built around your goal, the title and building reviewed with you, and the purchase coordinated with trusted partner lawyers. For citizenship we plan around the official valuation and bank exchange rate, not the listing price. Our own architect leads any renovation, and our team can manage the property afterwards. Prices are shared privately on request.

Frequently asked questions