Can foreigners buy property in Türkiye?

Short answer: Yes. Under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644, nationals of the countries designated by the President can acquire real estate and limited real rights in Türkiye; the old reciprocity requirement was abolished in 2012. The total area acquired by foreign individuals may not exceed 10 percent of the privately owned land in a district, or 30 hectares per person across the country, and military and security zones are closed to foreigners. Since 4 March 2019 every sale to or by a foreigner also requires a valuation report, and the price declared at the land registry cannot be lower than the appraised value.

Who can buy property in Türkiye?

Article 35 of the Land Registry Law allows foreign individuals to acquire property and limited real rights (for example a usufruct) in Türkiye, provided they are nationals of a country included in the list determined by the President with regard to bilateral relations and national interests. Since Law No. 6302 entered into force in 2012, the buyer’s own country no longer has to grant the same right to Turkish citizens. The President may also restrict, suspend or prohibit acquisitions by country, person, region, period, number, type or size, so the position of a particular nationality should always be checked with the land registry before any money is paid.

Companies incorporated abroad can acquire property only under special laws. A company incorporated in Türkiye in which foreigners hold 50 percent or more of the shares, or the right to appoint a majority of the management, is subject to a separate regime under Article 36: it may acquire property only for the activities in its articles of association and only after approval by the governorship.

Area limits and undeveloped land

• The total area of property and independent, permanent limited real rights held by foreign individuals may not exceed 10 percent of the privately owned area of the district where the property is located.
• A single foreign individual may not acquire more than 30 hectares across Türkiye. The President may double this limit.
• These limits do not apply to mortgages registered in favour of foreigners.
• A foreigner who buys undeveloped land must submit the project to be built to the relevant ministry for approval within two years. If the project is not submitted or carried out in time, the property may be liquidated.

In practice the 30-hectare limit rarely matters for apartment buyers, but the district quota can: once it is reached, the land registry will not register further sales to foreigners in that district.

Military zones and other restricted areas

Foreigners cannot acquire property in military forbidden zones and certain security zones under the Military Forbidden Zones and Security Zones Law No. 2565. The land registry checks this before completing the sale, but the check can take time. Separately, the Presidency of Migration Management has closed a number of neighbourhoods to new residence registrations by foreigners. This does not prevent the purchase itself, but it can prevent you from obtaining a residence permit for an address in that neighbourhood. If you plan to live in the property, check this before you sign.

How the purchase works at the land registry

1. Obtain a Turkish tax number, which any tax office can issue on presentation of a passport.
2. Check the title deed: owner, mortgages, attachments, annotations and whether the building has an occupancy permit (iskan).
3. Apply to the land registry (through the Web Tapu system or in person) and obtain the valuation report.
4. Take out compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) and pay the title deed fee and revolving fund fee.
5. Sign the official deed at the land registry. If you do not speak Turkish, a sworn translator must be present. You may also act through an attorney holding a notarised power of attorney.

Valuation report and declared price

Since 4 March 2019, the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre requires a valuation report prepared by a licensed appraisal company for every sale in which the buyer or the seller is a foreigner. The price declared in the deed cannot be lower than the value in the report; a higher declared price is recorded as declared. The report also matters if you intend to use the property for a residence permit or for citizenship, because the qualifying value is assessed against it.

Property, residence permits and citizenship

Owning property in Türkiye is one of the grounds for a short-term residence permit under Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458; since 2024 the law expressly leaves the type and value of qualifying property to the Ministry of Interior. Buying property worth at least 400,000 US dollars, with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title deed, is one of the routes to citizenship by investment. See our answers on residence permit types and Turkish citizenship by investment.

Common mistakes

• Paying a deposit before checking the title deed for mortgages, attachments and annotations.
• Agreeing to declare a lower price than the real one: it creates tax exposure and conflicts with the valuation report.
• Relying on an informal sales contract: a sale of real estate is valid only when executed at the land registry, and a promise to sell must be made before a notary.
• Assuming that buying a home automatically gives a right to live in Türkiye: a residence permit is a separate application.
• Buying land without planning for the two-year project deadline.

For help with title checks, contracts and the land registry process, see our real estate law and international clients pages.

Sources

• Land Registry Law No. 2644, Articles 35 and 36 (as amended by Law No. 6302, 2012)
• Military Forbidden Zones and Security Zones Law No. 2565
• Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, Article 31 (paragraph 6 added by Law No. 7533, 2024)
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, Article 20(2)(b)
• General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, valuation report requirement for sales involving foreigners, in force since 4 March 2019 (reported by Bloomberg HT, 25 February 2019)

Prepared by: Att. Kaan Kaplan · Last updated: 6 November 2026. This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice on any specific matter.