How to obtain Turkey сitizenship and passport in 2025

1. Visa-free travel around the world. Turkish citizens can visit 126 countries without a visa or by getting a visa on arrival. These countries include Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.

2. US E‑2 business visa. A Turkish passport allows getting the E‑2 business visa to the USA, which permits its holder to stay in the USA for five years with their family.

3. C‑2 Schengen visa for five years. Turkish citizens can get a C‑2 Schengen visa for five years. Turkey also negotiates visa-free status with EU countries.

The Republic of Turkey is on the list of potential members of the European Union. If Turkey joins the Union, all EU countries will become visa-free for Turkish citizens.

4. Second choice for an emergency. Citizens can visit Turkey anytime, no matter the closed borders. They can also move to Turkey if something goes wrong in their country of origin.

5. Simple procedure. Generally, getting Turkish citizenship is simple: without language or history exams. Some ways of acquiring citizenship, such as marriage, assume some questions about history and culture, but it is more the exception than the rule.

6. Multiple citizenship options. Turkish laws permit having multiple citizenships: you can get both if a country of origin allows dual citizenships.

7. Fast-track citizenship by investment. The Turkish citizenship by investment program allows applicants to obtain citizenship within 8+ months, making it one of the fastest options available globally.

Citizenship-by-investment participants are not required to take exams or live in Turkey.

Investors’ spouses and minor children can also acquire Turkish citizenship.

Uncover the advantages, terms, and details of the Turkish investment program

The Turkish citizenship law No. 5901 allows getting citizenship by foreigners without:

• criminal records or violations of migration law,

• socially dangerous sicknesses, such as HIV.

Citizens of any country except Armenia, Cuba, Nigeria, North Korea, and Syria can obtain a Turkish passport.

Turkey has a particular program for investors. It was launched in 2017 to attract foreign direct investment. The investor can choose a suitable option by investment type and amount. If all program conditions are met, the investor gets the passport.

The program is available for adults without criminal records, violations of migration law, or socially dangerous sickness. Armenian, Cuban, Nigerian, North Korean, and Syrian citizens are not eligible to join the program.

Investment options. There are several types of investing in Turkey to get citizenship: purchasing real estate or direct investments in the Turkish economy. These investments are returnable. Investors can sell them in three years after obtaining citizenship.

The options are the following:

• a real estate purchase for at least $400,000, including apartments, houses, commercial or industrial buildings, or land;

• a bank deposit of at least $500,000;

• a purchase of units in an investment fund worth at least $500,000;

• a purchase of government bonds worth at least $500,000;

• a business investment with a capital of at least $500,000 or creating at least 50 jobs.

The Turkish real estate market is a popular choice for 95% of investors, as property prices have grown 15 to 25% annually.

Investors can acquire residential and commercial properties. Land that contains a building valued at a minimum of $400,000 or has been granted a building permit can also be bought. However, purchasing shares is not permitted.

Those looking to buy multiple properties that collectively meet the $400,000 threshold must hold a TAPU for each property, which is the official document confirming ownership. In cases where the TAPU has not yet been issued, the investor must present a preliminary sales agreement listing all involved properties.

Akbar, 42 years old

Owner of a network of veterinary clinics

Pay attention to real estate for investments

Akbar aimed to invest in Turkish real estate to protect his assets. He consulted various firms to find suitable properties and noticed some offered similar options at reduced prices.

However, a legal review revealed that these "cheaper" properties had inflated prices and outdated photos. If the investor had bought one, he wouldn’t have qualified for a passport, as the real valuation fell below the necessary investment threshold.

Learn a case

Participation of family members. Investments also allow investors' families, such as spouses and minor children, to get a residence permit and citizenship.

Spouses’ parents can only qualify for residence permits with an extra fee of $5,000 per person. Significant point: if parents or adult children have their source of income, they can’t participate.

Additional expenses. There are some extra costs of getting Turkey citizenship:

• $14,000 — related taxes and fees when purchasing real estate;

• $574 per person — state fees for each family member;

• $5,000 per person — an extra residence permit fee for investors’ parents.

Naturalisation applies when one is officially working or living in Turkey. If one stays in Turkey without work, they should prove that they have enough money to live — about $500 per person per month

The short-term residence permit, or “Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni”. This type is available for long-term tourists, students, alumni of Turkish universities, business people, foreigners with Turkish relatives, patients, and migrants for humanitarian reasons. Applicants should support the occupation with documents.

The residence permit is granted for a maximum period of two years. The validity period depends on the applicant type. After the residence permit expires, it can be renewed for up to two years.

The long-term residence permit, or “Uzun Dönem İkamet İzni”. A foreigner can get it after living in Turkey for eight years. They should live in Turkey for at least 180 days per year during this period.

Citizenship can be claimed after five years of official living in Turkey. In this case, the period of residence is not the only criterion. To be eligible for Turkey citizenship by naturalisation, an individual must meet the following criteria:

• be able to speak Turkish;

• have no diseases with risk to public health;

• have enough money to provide for themselves and their family.

Getting a Turkish passport by marriage has advantages but is not universal. First of all, it is a lengthy process. What’s more important, you should have a Turkish suitor.

Turkey citizenship cannot automatically be acquired by marriage to a Turkish citizen. The spouse can aspire to a Turkish passport three years after the wedding. There are some conditions applicants should meet:

1. The marriage must have been unbroken for three years. If the applicant divorces and remarries again, the "counter" of years starts from the beginning.

2. Another meaningful criterion is that the marriage is not a sham. The core idea of getting through the citizenship process is to prove that marriage isn’t the one of convenience for obtaining citizenship.

There are some nuances. If you divorce during the application process, the probability of failure increases to the maximum. Similarly, if you are a widow or widower at the moment of application, the likelihood of failure increases to the max. If you became a widow while obtaining citizenship, you have a chance to get citizenship. If you divorce after getting citizenship and a former spouse sues to declare the marriage a sham, you could lose citizenship.

This method is suitable for applicants who have Turkish relatives or were born in Turkey.

Citizenship for newborns. When we talk about a newborn, we should consider the citizenship of its parents:

• if the parents are Turkish nationals, the newborn gets citizenship in Turkey automatically;

• if one parent is Turkish and another is a foreigner, but they are in the marriage, the newborn automatically gets Turkish citizenship;

• if the parents aren’t married, but the mother is a Turkish citizen, the newborn could also get Turkish citizenship by birth;

• if the parents aren’t married, but the father is a Turkish citizen, the baby could get citizenship only if paternity is officially recognised.

Here is another opportunity to get citizenship in Turkey by birth. The situation: parents are foreigners, and the baby is born on the territory of Turkey but has no chance to get citizenship of its "homeland" for any reason. In this situation, parents could request Turkish citizenship for their baby. The same case if parents are stateless.

Descent. Minors could also apply for a Turkish passport by descent. So, for example, the Turkish parents' child who lost citizenship could claim Turkish citizenship by descent. Turkish migrants also have the right to citizenship based on their ancestry.

Turkey allows its citizens to hold dual or multiple citizenships. This means individuals can retain their original nationality while acquiring Turkish citizenship, provided their country of origin also permits dual citizenship.

Dual citizens have the same rights and responsibilities as Turkish citizens, including voting, owning property, and accessing healthcare and education. Dual citizenship allows individuals to benefit from visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel options both countries offer.

Children born to parents with dual citizenship can acquire both nationalities, depending on the laws of the countries involved.

Applicants must prepare the following documents to apply for Turkish citizenship by investment:

• passport copies of all family members included in the application;

• birth certificates of all applicants;

• a marriage certificate or proof of marital status;

• photos of each applicant;

• proof of investment, such as a property title deed or bank statement;

• receipts confirming payment of required taxes and fees;

• criminal record certificates from the applicant’s country of residence;

• health insurance valid in Turkey;

• a residence permit or proof of legal stay in Turkey;

• completed and signed application forms.

All documents must be translated into Turkish and notarised. Some documents may require an apostille or legalisation.

1. Foreigners can get a Turkish passport by investment. Options include purchasing real estate worth at least $400,000, making bank deposits, buying government bonds, or creating jobs.

2. Living in Turkey for at least five years with a residence permit can make individuals eligible for naturalisation. Requirements include Turkish language skills, a stable income, and a clean criminal record.

3. If the marriage is genuine and the couple lives together, a foreign spouse may become eligible for citizenship after three years of marriage to a Turkish citizen.

4. Turkish citizenship is automatically granted to children with at least one Turkish parent or those born in Turkey who would otherwise be stateless.

5. Turkey permits individuals to hold dual citizenship, provided their home country also allows it.

6. Turkish citizenship provides visa-free access to over 120 countries, eligibility for a US E‑2 business visa and C‑2 Schengen visa for five years.