How much does Turkish citizenship cost in 2026: full cost estimate

The main thing about the price in 30 seconds

When a consultant calls the “price of Turkish citizenship,” he almost always only mentions the investment threshold. This is the largest, but far from the only line of the estimate. The real budget consists of four groups of expenses: the investment itself (real estate from $400,000 or a deposit, government bonds or shares of funds for $500,000), mandatory transaction costs (purchase tax, assessment according to the standards of the Capital Markets Council SPK, notary, transfers), government duties and registration fees, as well as service costs - legal support, powers of attorney, insurance and fees for each family member.

The key fork is recurrence. After three years of holding, the property can be sold, and the money invested (taking into account market dynamics and exchange rates) will be returned to you: this is an asset. A deposit of $500,000 is also returned after three years, but all these years it has been frozen at a low foreign exchange rate, that is, it bears lost profits. Therefore, “cheaper” at the entrance is not always “more profitable” at the end. We have collected a detailed analysis of investment paths in guide to Turkish citizenship by investment, but here we will focus specifically on money - until the last duty.

Investment thresholds 2026: five entry options

Türkiye offers several paths to citizenship by investment, and the thresholds between them differ by almost a quarter. The most popular is real estate because it has the lowest entry fee and remains your asset. The remaining options require $100,000 more, but do not lock you into the housing market.

• Real estate - from $400,000. One or more objects, the total value of which, according to the official SPK assessment, is not below the threshold. Retention - a minimum of 3 years, a mark prohibiting sale is placed on the TAPU (certificate of ownership). Payment - by international bank transfer in foreign currency.
• Bank deposit - $500,000. Placed in a Turkish bank with an obligation not to withdraw funds for 3 years. Confirmed by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).
• Government bonds - $500,000. They last for at least 3 years and are confirmed by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
• Investment fund shares - $500,000. Shares of a real estate fund or venture fund, frozen for 3 years.
• Capital and jobs. Contribution of $500,000 to the share capital of a Turkish company or the creation of 50 jobs (confirmed by SGK).

What is more profitable for a return? Real estate provides the potential for growth in value and rental income - that is, money works. Deposits and bonds are more reliable and easier to administer, but three years are worth the “lost” profitability. We discussed the intricacies of buying a home with a passport separately - in the material about Turkish citizenship through real estate.

Above the threshold: what constitutes “extra” expenses

This is the part of the estimate that advertising passes over in silence. At the threshold of $400,000, additional costs add up to a significant amount - approximately 3-6% of the transaction value, and sometimes more if the property is on the secondary market. Let's go through the lines.

• Tax on the purchase of real estate (Tapu Harcı). The fee for re-registration of ownership is 4% of the declared value. By law, it is divided equally between the seller and the buyer (2% each), but in practice in transactions with foreigners it is often transferred entirely to the buyer. At $400,000 that's $8,000-16,000.
• VAT (KDV). The housing rate ranges from 1% to 20% depending on the area and type of property. At the same time, non-resident foreigners are exempt from VAT (KDV istisnası, Article 13/i of Law No. 3065) when purchasing new housing from a developer with payment in foreign currency through a bank. This is a legal way to save up to 20%, but it is important: to qualify for the benefit, at the time of purchase you should not have a Turkish residence permit for longer than 6 months.
• SPK assessment. A mandatory report from a licensed appraiser - it determines whether the property reaches the threshold. The cost is approximately from several thousand to tens of thousands of liras, depending on the type of object.
• Notary and translations. Powers of attorney, notarization, sworn translation of passports and documents. Notarial acts usually start from several thousand liras, a power of attorney - approximately 2,500-5,000 liras.
• DASK is compulsory earthquake insurance. Without a valid DASK policy, the cadastre will not formalize the transfer of ownership. It costs little - approximately from 150 to 1,000+ liras per year, depending on the area.

State duties and registration fees

Once the investment is made and confirmed, the administrative part begins - and it has its own price. This includes government fees for filing documents, issuing a “bridge” residence permit for the duration of the review, passport fees and consular expenses. Each line is small, but in total the family runs up several thousand dollars, and they need to be counted in advance.

Before applying for citizenship, many applicants apply for a short-term residence permit (İkamet) as a technical step. From May 2026, the fee for a residence permit is approximately $631 per year and $1,857 for three years per person. For a family of four, this is already a significant amount - about $2,600 only in administrative fees, before taking into account the investment and transaction costs. Additionally paid: state fee for processing an application for citizenship, issuance of a biometric passport, issuance of an identity card (kimlik), legalization and apostille of foreign documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearance certificate), their sworn translation and notarization.

• Bridge residence permit: approximately $631/year or $1,857/3 years per person.
• Documents and transfers: approximately $500-1,000 for each family member.
• Passport and kimlik: government tariffs, payable upon issue.
• Apostille/legalization of documents in the country of origin: paid separately, before submission.

Exact tariffs are indexed annually, so we include them in the estimate with a margin and marked “approximately.” Current citizenship rates are confirmed on the portal General Directorate for Population and Citizenship (NVI).

Family Member Fees: Who Shares in One Investment

The good news is that one investment covers the entire core family. The application, together with the main investor, includes the spouse and minor (under 18 years of age) children, including dependent children with disabilities. There is no need to make any additional investment for them - the threshold is the same for the whole family. You only pay for registration: fees, documents, translations, notary and passports for each person.

Approximately, each additional family member adds $500-1,000 in administrative costs to the estimate. That is, a family of four (two adults and two children) on the threshold of a $400,000 property fits into the same investment, but adds several thousand dollars in fees and transfers on top.

A separate case is an adult child (18+). He is no longer automatically part of the main applicant's family. There are two fair scenarios here: either the adult child makes his own investment and receives a passport as an independent main applicant, or the family structures the shares in the property to cover it - but this requires that the total investment reaches the threshold, taking into account the division, and is negotiated individually. The investor's elderly parents are not included in the standard family application. These nuances should be calculated before the transaction, otherwise you will have to re-register, which means additional fees and time.

Large table: totals for one, family of 4 and with an adult child

Let's summarize all the lines into a single estimate. The figures are given for the base scenario - purchase of new housing from a developer with VAT exemption, threshold $400,000. All amounts in excess of the investment are indicative ranges for 2026; the exact figure depends on the object, city, bank and tariff indexation.

The conclusion is simple: for the threshold of real estate it is worth laying down approximately 3-7% from above, for a family - closer to the upper limit. If an advertisement tells you “all inclusive for $400,000,” this is either an oversimplification, or some of the costs are hidden and will come out later. Are you ready to calculate your personal estimate for a specific family composition and budget? Request a quote from BRIDGES GLOBAL lawyers - we’ll break it down line by line and select an object that fits the threshold without overpayments.

Recoverability: real estate as an asset versus a frozen deposit

This is the main monetary issue that determines the real cost of ownership. Formally, the entrance to the deposit and bonds is $100,000 more expensive, but you need to look not at the entrance, but at what happens to the money after three years of holding.

Real estate. After three years, the ban mark is removed, and you can freely sell the object, maintaining citizenship forever. All these years, real estate can generate rent and grow in price - that is, money works. The risks are also real: secondary market liquidity, lira exchange rate fluctuations, maintenance costs, rental tax and annual property tax (0.1-0.2% for housing). But fundamentally it is an asset that is returned to you in the form of property, rather than “burned.”

$500,000 deposit. It is returned in full after three years - but all this time it is frozen at a foreign exchange rate, which is usually more modest than the potential profitability of real estate or alternative investments. This is the hidden cost: lost profits for three years. But the path is simpler, more transparent and does not depend on the housing market, the choice of the developer and the assessment of the property. For those who value predictability and who do not want to manage real estate from a distance, deposits or bonds are more rational, despite the higher threshold.

The bottom line is : if the goal is to preserve and increase capital, real estate is usually more profitable in terms of ownership. If the goal is the simplest and risk-free path to a passport, overpaying for a deposit pays off with peace of mind. We described the step-by-step procedure for each path in the instructions on how to how to obtain Turkish citizenship.

Why “cheap price in advertising” is only a threshold

Investment migration marketing is designed in such a way that the most attractive and at the same time the most incomplete figure is included in the headline. “Turkish citizenship from $400,000” is technically correct: this is the lower limit of the investment. But between “from $400,000” and the amount that will actually leave your account, there lies the same difference of tens of thousands of dollars that we analyzed in the estimate.

What to pay attention to so as not to be misled:

• Check what is included in the quoted price. Tapu Harcı tax, SPK assessment, transfers, duties and legal services are separate lines. If “all inclusive”, ask for written details.
• Ask about VAT. Exemption from KDV for foreigners only works under certain conditions (new construction, payment in foreign currency, absence of a long-term residence permit). There are no benefits on the secondary market, and this changes the estimate.
• Consider family. Fees for a spouse and children are real, although they do not require a new investment. For a family of four, this is plus several thousand dollars.
• Add indexing. Turkish tariffs are revised annually, the lira is volatile - estimates calculated six months ago may be out of date.
• Do not confuse residence permit and citizenship. A residence permit for real estate ($200,000 threshold) is another, cheaper product that does NOT automatically lead to a passport. If you are offered “citizenship for $200,000,” most likely we are talking about a residence permit.

a estimate always looks more complicated than a slogan - and that is why it can be trusted.

Taxes and cost of ownership after receiving a passport

The passport is received - but the expenses do not end there, and this is normal for any country. It is important to understand Turkey's tax logic in order to plan for the cost of ownership and avoid any surprises.

The key principle is that tax residency is determined not by passport, but by actual residence. You become a Turkish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in the country in a calendar year. Residents pay tax on worldwide income, non-residents only on income from Turkish sources. That is, Turkish citizenship alone does not automatically make you subject to global income tax - unless you live in the country for most of the year.

• Income tax. Progressive scale from 15% to 40% (five steps, indexed annually).
• Rent tax. Income from rental housing is taxed on the same progressive scale; there is a tax-free minimum for residential rentals (approximately about 58,000 liras per year for 2026).
• Annual property tax. Housing - 0.1-0.2%, commerce - 0.2-0.4%, land - 0.3-0.6% of the cadastral value, depending on the size of the city.
• VAT (KDV). The base rate on goods and services is up to 20%.
• DASK. Mandatory earthquake insurance for the entire period of home ownership.

Türkiye is not a member of the EU or Schengen - this must be kept in mind when planning; if a European passport is important to you, check out the comparison Grenada and Turkey according to visa possibilities. But a Turkish passport has a rare advantage: Türkiye is listed as an E-2 visa partner country, giving citizens access to an E-2 investor visa in the United States. Current tax rates and thresholds should be checked on the website Turkey Revenue Board (GİB).

How to read an estimate through the eyes of a lawyer

A simple rule of practice: if the proposal does not have a separate line for each type of expense, it is incomplete, and you will pay the missing amounts later. A competent estimate for Turkish citizenship is not one number, but a table of at least eight lines, where the investment threshold is separated from taxes, taxes from duties, and duties from service fees and family expenses.

What to look for first. SPK and VAT assessment: here most often there is a gap between the “advertised price” and reality - an incorrectly priced object may not reach the threshold, and a missed VAT benefit adds up to 20% to the cost. Ownership structure, if the application includes adult children: it must be built before the transaction. And a calculation of return - real estate is an asset, a deposit is frozen capital, and the choice between them should be based on your goals, and not on a slogan.