Ways to Acquire Turkish Citizenship

The ways to acquire Turkish citizenship can be divided into several categories

BY INVESTMENT

Option 1: Property

The most widely known, and arguably easiest out of all the financial options, is by buying commercial or residential property worth at least $250,000.

After your purchase of said property, you are rewarded with temporary residency.

If you do not sell it or let it for rental income for three years, you are granted Turkish citizenship at the end of this period. You are free to sell or let after 3 years are up.

You are not limited to buying a single property either. As a foreigner, you have the right to invest in multiple properties.

If you have a spouse or children under 18, they will also get citizenship.

If you own an immovable property of any value for 5 years, on condition that the title-deed aka “Tapu” is in your name for that period, you could also apply for citizenship.

You can do so by obtaining a touristic residence permit for real estate ownership purposes for 2 years, and annually extending this period for another 3 years.


Option 2: Cash deposits and fixed capital investment

If you have deposited a minimum of $500,000 or the equivalent amount in any other foreign currency or Turkish Liras to a Turkish bank that operates inside the country (and not its branch abroad) and promise to keep this amount intact for at least 3 years, you will quality for citizenship.

You are not required to have that amount in one bank or one account, it can be scattered across several banks, as long as you keep it deposited in those banks for 3 years and the total equals $500,000.
If you have invested at least $500,000 is state investment instruments or venture capital funds and do not withdraw that amount for 3 years, you also quality for citizenship.

Option 3: Generating Employment

Contribution to the Turkish job market and the labor economy is another way of acquiring citizenship. If as an employer/company, you legally employ 50 people in Turkey, you qualify for Turkish citizenship.

3.1. By employment
After you have been employed for 5 years in Turkey (with a foreign worker permit) and plan on continuing to work here with continued social security and pension benefits to be provided by your VIA MARRIAGE

Long gone are the days when foreigners automatically acquired Turkish citizenship after marriage. Nowadays, a foreigner must be married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years and meet a series of conditions before applying for citizenship.

The applicants

Must be living together as a family unit,

Must not engage in any behaviour or activity that endangers or goes against the union or marriage

Must not pose a threat to national security or public order.

If the Turkish spouse dies after the application has been made, the condition of living as a family unity is not required.

What about children?

If you and your spouse are foreigners and have a child while in Turkey, they will not automatically get Turkish citizenship as nationality is based upon descent.

However, if as parents you acquire Turkish citizenship together later, your child will also be granted citizenship.

Children adopted by Turkish citizens are also granted citizenship as of the date of adoption.
employer, you can apply for citizenship.

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