Türkiye or Greece: citizenship immediately or Schengen residence permit in 2026

Briefly: verdict in 30 seconds

If you need a second passport quickly and without moving - Türkiye: citizenship for investment in real estate from $400,000, document in hand within 6-12 months, without the requirement to live in the country. If you need Europe, freedom of movement within Schengen and a strategy for the years ahead - Greece: a residence permit for the purchase of real estate, which does not oblige you to move, but does not immediately give you a passport.

Roughly speaking, Türkiye is about speed and document, Greece is about access and horizon. Next, we’ll look at the numbers, who is suitable for what, and where the pitfalls are hidden.

• Do you want a passport this year? - Türkiye.
• Do you want to live and travel around the EU? - Greece.
• Aim for the US E-2 visa - only Türkiye.
• Minimum budget to enter Europe - Greece, zone €250,000.

Side by side comparison

The table shows the main thing: you are not comparing two similar programs, but two different products. Turkey immediately has citizenship in its hands, but without Europe. Greece has European access, but citizenship is far beyond the horizon.

Türkiye: passport for real estate without moving

The Turkish program is one of the most straightforward in the world. You buy real estate in the amount of $400,000 (valuation according to the official report, linked to the Central Bank exchange rate), undertake not to sell it for three years - and after 6-12 months you receive a Turkish passport. You do not need to live in the country, take a language test, or prove your income.

We have collected a detailed analysis of the conditions, documents and nuances in the guide Turkish citizenship by investment. Here is the key:

• Threshold: from $400,000 for one or more objects (housing, commercial, land).
• Hold: 3 years, a note on the prohibition of sale is placed in the register.
• Real estate alternative: deposit or government bonds from $500,000, retention for 3 years.
• Family: The spouse and children under 18 years of age receive citizenship along with the investor.

The main trump card of Turkey is speed and no accommodation obligations. You stay where you live, and at the same time receive a second full-fledged passport. The downside is that this passport does not provide Schengen access: a Turkish citizen still needs a visa to travel to the EU.

A separate story - E-2 visa to USA. Türkiye is one of the US investment treaty partner countries, so a Turkish passport opens the way to a US E-2 visa for entrepreneurs. For those who are aiming for business in the States, this is a decisive argument. Official information about the program is provided by Turkish Migration Directorate.

Greece: Residence permit as a key to Europe

Greece does not sell citizenship. She sells residence permit for real estate investment - the so-called Golden Visa. This is an EU resident status that gives you the right to live in Greece and move freely within the Schengen area, but does not make you a citizen.

All details are in our analysis Greece Golden Visa. Briefly about the thresholds of 2026:

• €800 000 - Attica (Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population of over 3,100 people.
• €400 000 - all other regions of Greece.
• €250 000 - objects for the conversion of commerce into housing and restoration of architectural monuments throughout the country.

In all three cases, the object must be single (it is impossible to collect a threshold from small apartments) and with an area of ​​at least 120 square meters. m. The money is invested in a real asset that you can rent out and which, unlike a non-refundable contribution, remains yours. The program is administered by Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum.

What does the status give:

• Free entry and movement throughout Schengen area.
• The right to live in Greece - but without obligation be there to maintain a residence permit.
• Inclusion of the wider family: spouse, children under 24 years of age and parents of both spouses.

But Greek citizenship - this is a separate, long journey. To become naturalized, you need to actually live in the country for seven years (minimum 183 days a year), pass an exam in language, history and culture, and have a clean record. Just holding a Golden Visa and coming on vacation for a passport is not enough.

Full cost: what to consider besides the entry threshold

The entry threshold is not the entire amount. The real budget consists of investments, purchase taxes, state duties and support.

Türkiye (from $400,000 for real estate):

• Tax on transfer of rights (tapu) - about 4% of the cost.
• VAT - in some cases there are benefits for foreigners on their first purchase.
• Legal support, translation, notary, assessment.
• State fees for obtaining citizenship for each family member.

Greece (from €250,000):

• Transition tax - 3.09% for secondary housing (new buildings may be subject to VAT of 24%, but some objects are exempt from it).
• Notary, lawyer, registration - a few percent in total.
• State fee for filing an application for a residence permit and biometrics for each applicant.

Important: both Türkiye and Greece return the body of your investment - this is a purchase of an asset, not a donation. Turkey can be sold after 3 years, Greek real estate - upon refusal of status. Caribbean programs for a non-refundable fee (after the OECS reform - from $200,000) lose here by logic: the money is not returned. If you're weighing European options too, check out our review European golden visas 2026.

Time frame and process step by step

Türkiye - passport for 6-12 months:

• Step 1. Selection and verification of the object, assessment according to the official report.
• Step 2. Opening an account, transferring funds, issuing a tapu (title).
• Step 3. Obtaining a Certificate of Compliance for the investment.
• Step 4. Apply for an investor residence permit, then for citizenship.
• Step 5. Citizenship decision and passport issuance.

Greece - residence permit for 2-6 months:

• Step 1. Selection of an object, checking the purity of the transaction and area (from 120 sq. m.).
• Step 2. Obtaining a Greek TIN and opening an account.
• Step 3. Purchase of real estate and registration of the transaction.
• Step 4. Apply for Golden Visa, biometrics.
• Step 5. Issuance of a residence permit card (extended as long as the investment is maintained).

The difference is in logic: in Turkey, the end of the process is a passport. In Greece, the final stage of the process is a resident card, and a passport is already a separate seven-year marathon with real residence.

What status gives: mobility and access

This is where the two programs diverge most.

Turkish passport gives visa-free or simplified entry to about 110-plus countries - including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, most of Latin America, and the Balkans. But Schengen is not on this list: To travel to the EU, a Turkish citizen needs a visa. But the passport opens the contract E-2 with USA - a rare option among investment programs.

Greek residence permit does not give a passport, but gives freedom of movement within Schengen - you can enter and stay in the zone without separate visas. When (and if) you are naturalized, the Greek passport becomes an EU passport - one of the strongest in the world, with the right to live and work in any country in the Union. But before that - seven years of residence.

The conclusion is simple: Türkiye wins in terms of speed of obtaining a document, Greece - in terms of quality of access to Europe.

Family: who can be included

Türkiye: Citizenship is granted to the investor, spouse and children under 18 years of age. Children over 18 and parents are not included in the main application - they require separate reasons.

Greece: Residence permits are received by the investor, spouse, children under 24 years of age and - an important difference - parents of both spouses. For large families with elderly parents, Greece is objectively more generous here.

• If you have adult children (18-24) - Greece includes them in the residence permit, Türkiye does not.
• If it is important to transport your parents, Greece gives them residency, Türkiye does not in the basic scheme.
• If children need a passport right now, only Türkiye (but for children under 18).

Taxes: what is important to understand in advance

The status itself does not make you a tax resident - you become one when you spend enough time in the country (usually over 183 days) or change your center of interest. This is a key nuance that is often missed.

Greece offers special non-dom mode: A wealthy person transferring tax residence to Greece may pay a flat tax 100,000 euros per year from worldwide income, regardless of its size. For large capitals, this may be more profitable than a progressive scale. The regime is valid for a limited period and requires the fulfillment of conditions.

Türkiye It does not offer a separate flat regime for investors, but it also does not require you to become a tax resident: as long as you do not live in the country, a Turkish passport in itself does not give rise to Turkish tax obligations on global income.

Practical conclusion: the tax model must be calculated individually - depending on the structure of your income and the country of current residence. This is the part where error costs the most, and where we recommend not going by eye.

Due diligence: what BRIDGES checks for both programs

In both Turkey and Greece, failure most often occurs not at the stage of law, but at the stage of a specific object and money. What we check before you transfer funds:

• Cleanliness of the facility: absence of encumbrances, correct area (for Greece - confirmed 120 sq. m), real and not inflated assessment (for Turkey - so that the official report really reaches the threshold).
• Source of funds: transparency of the origin of the money - banks in both countries ask for confirmation, and poor preparation stalls the deal for months.
• Transaction structure: the correct reference to the course (Türkiye), the correct zone and threshold (Greece - it is a common mistake to confuse €400,000 and €800,000).
• Family composition: so that everyone you want to include actually matches their age and relationship.

These checks are not a formality. It is for them that applications submitted independently or through inexperienced intermediaries most often fail.

Common mistakes when choosing

• Confuse residence permit and citizenship. The Greek Golden Visa is a residence, not a passport. Expecting her to receive immediate European citizenship is a major disappointment.
• Wait for Schengen from a Turkish passport. He's not there. If the goal is to travel freely within the EU, Türkiye does not solve the problem.
• Take the Greek zone €250,000 without looking. These are objects for conversion and restoration - with their own restrictions and deadlines. Not every object is suitable.
• Underestimate retention in Turkey. It is impossible to sell real estate before 3 years without losing the basis of citizenship.
• Consider only the input threshold. Purchase taxes, duties and support add a noticeable amount on top.
• Ignore the tax side. Especially if you are planning to actually move - here the model must be calculated in advance.

Which program is suitable for whom?

Choose Turkey if:

• need a second passport quickly and without moving;
• E-2 visa is important for business in the USA;
• you do not plan to live in Europe, but want a backup document and increased mobility;
• The budget is focused on $400,000 in real assets with a return.

Choose Greece if:

• the goal is access to Europe and freedom of movement within Schengen;
• you are ready for the long game and want EU citizenship in the future;
• it is important to include adult children (up to 24) and parents;
• the non-dom tax regime for large global income is interesting;
• you are looking for a minimum entry into the EU - €250,000 zone.

Often the correct answer is both: Turkish passport for speed and mobility plus Greek residence permit as a springboard in Europe. Which combination works for you depends on your citizenship, taxes, and family goals.

Final verdict

Türkiye and Greece do not compete directly - they solve different problems. Türkiye gives the document: a full-fledged second passport in 6-12 months, without moving, with access to a US E-2 visa - but without Schengen. Greece gives access to: European residency, freedom of movement within Schengen and a path to EU citizenship - but only after seven years of actual residence.

If you need a passport in hand this year, it's Türkiye. If you need Europe seriously and for a long time, this is Greece. And if you are not sure which logic is closer to your goals, budget and tax situation, let's look at it together at free consultation: We will select a program for your family and calculate the full cost without surprises.