Turkish Citizenship by Investment Cost: Every Fee Explained (2026)

The Turkish citizenship by investment cost runs well past the USD 400,000 headline figure, and as of this writing (updated November 2026) the real budget has three parts: the qualifying investment principal (set by Turkish regulations at USD 400,000 for property or USD 500,000 for a deposit or fund), government charges and taxes, and professional fees such as valuation, translation, and notarisation. Below we itemise each line so you can see the full picture before you sign.

Key Takeaways

• As of November 2026, the investment threshold set by Turkish regulations is USD 400,000 for a property purchase or USD 500,000 for a deposit or fund, held for three years from the title transfer or the deposit date; confirm the exact standard with an advisor before you apply.
• On the property route, the title deed fee (Tapu Harcı) is, as of November 2026, 4% of the declared sale value in total, 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller by law unless agreed otherwise, on a declared value that may not be lower than the property's tax value, collected at the Land Registry.
• It is the valuation figure from a valuation firm authorised by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), not the contract price, that must reach USD 400,000; the valuation fee is quoted by the firm, so confirm it in writing before you order the report.
• When the whole family applies, a spouse and children under 18 can be included with the main applicant, and passport, ID card and residence card fees stack up per person; as of November 2026, the official charges for one 10-year Turkish passport total about TRY 14,761.
• Funds must be transferred into Turkey through a Turkish bank under the mechanism set by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB), so currency movements can affect your total cost measured in US dollars.

What the Turkish citizenship by investment cost actually includes

The Turkish citizenship by investment cost breaks into three blocks: the investment principal, government charges and taxes, and professional or miscellaneous fees. Many adverts quote only the USD 400,000 threshold (as of writing) and gloss over the other two, so clients discover the gap only after signing.

On the cases our Istanbul team has handled, the first consultation lays all three blocks out as an itemised list in Chinese, showing the amount range, who collects it, and whether it is recoverable. Insist on the full list, not a single figure with "from" in front of it.

As of writing, the citizenship route has two main paths (the property purchase and the deposit or fund), and their thresholds, add-on fees, and capital flexibility differ, as the sections below explain. To see when each payment falls due, our guide to Turkish citizenship processing time walks through the steps in order.

Why the investment threshold is the largest part of the Turkish citizenship by investment cost

The investment principal is by far the largest single line in the Turkish citizenship by investment cost. As of writing, Turkish regulations set the property route at a minimum of USD 400,000 and the deposit or fund route at USD 500,000, held for three years from the title transfer (property) or the deposit date (deposit).

Whether a property qualifies is decided not by what you paid, but by whether the valuation from an SPK-authorised valuation firm reaches USD 400,000 (as of November 2026, any such firm may issue it since 29 September 2026). Under the Land Registry's official Your Key Türkiye guidance for foreign buyers, the sale price on the title deed and the payments actually transferred must each reach USD 400,000 as well. A high contract price cannot rescue a low valuation, so leaving a buffer between price and threshold keeps a valuation slightly below the line from sinking the application. Our guide to the USD 400,000 property route explains the test in detail.

This principal is not a sunk cost: after three years the property can be sold or the deposit withdrawn, although what the property fetches depends on the market, the location and the exchange rate, and no one can predict whether the principal returns in full. If you want a home you can both live in and resell later, our Turkish citizenship by investment and real estate in Turkey teams weigh both "qualifies" and "sells well" when helping you choose.

How government charges and the title transfer fee affect your Turkish citizenship by investment cost

The second block is government charges, and the central one is the title deed fee (Tapu Harcı). Under the Fees Law (Harçlar Kanunu, Law No. 492), as of November 2026 it is 4% of the declared sale value in total, 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller, although contracts often shift the whole fee to the buyer. It is calculated on the price the parties declare at the Land Registry, which may not be lower than the property's tax value (emlak vergisi değeri). Under the Land Registry's circular 2019/1, the valuation figure is not binding as the fee base. Declaring less than the real price exposes both parties to back fees and penalties, and on a citizenship purchase the price on the deed must itself reach USD 400,000.

Besides the Tapu fee, there are smaller charges such as the Land Registry's revolving fund fee (döner sermaye), set each year, and notary and document fees. The citizenship stage has its own charges too. As of November 2026, under the 2026 tariffs published by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, a Turkish passport valid for more than three years (the 10-year passport) carries a fee of TRY 13,410.40 plus TRY 1,351 for the booklet, TRY 14,761.40 in all; a residence permit card costs TRY 964, and a residence permit fee that depends on nationality and duration may be added; the ID card (kimlik) has its own card charge. These stack up with each family member, so confirm the amounts with an advisor first.

Taxes: VAT, stamp duty, and annual holding costs in the Turkish citizenship by investment cost

Taxes are the block many buyers underestimate, including both one-off and annual charges. The most important one-off item is property VAT (KDV). As of writing, foreign buyers who meet specific conditions may qualify for a VAT exemption when they buy a developer's first-sale new property with foreign currency, though the exemption has strict conditions judged case by case by the Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı).

The transaction stage may also involve stamp duty and the compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK), whose premium is set by DASK's own tariff according to floor area, construction type and seismic risk zone. During the holding stage there is annual property tax (emlak vergisi), levied by the local municipality according to the property's tax value and type, at a rate that varies by district.

These rates and exemptions are set by Turkey's tax and municipal authorities and can change, so include the annual taxes across the holding period, not just the outlay on signing day.

Valuation, translation, notarisation, and other professional fees

Professional and miscellaneous fees form the third block, each line smaller than the principal but numerous and easy to overlook. As of writing, this block usually covers the valuation report from an SPK-authorised firm (quoted by the firm; since 29 September 2026 you can choose among more firms, so get the fee in writing), sworn translation of passports and documents, notary (noter) fees, obtaining a tax number and a Turkish bank account, and utility transfers plus account deposits. The fee of the independent Turkish lawyer you engage is agreed directly between you and the lawyer.

If you cannot stay in Turkey for long, you may also need a power of attorney (vekaletname) so an agent can sign on your behalf, adding a further notarial cost. If you buy through a licensed brokerage, such as Bosphorus Brokers, the brokerage Burak Unal operates through his registered sole proprietorship, the commission is set in the written brokerage agreement within the legal cap, as of November 2026, of 4% plus VAT of the price in total, shared equally between buyer and seller unless agreed otherwise.

The advisory fee is a separate line that should be written into the contract; some firms charge a fixed amount, others a percentage of the investment. At Turchina Group our position is independence and transparency. We take no developer commissions, and we set out the scope, milestones, and fees in a Chinese-language contract, so there is no "sign cheap, add later."

How the Turkish citizenship by investment cost stacks up when the whole family applies

The main applicant can include a spouse and children under 18 in one application, and the investment threshold does not rise with family size, though the per-person fees stack up. As of writing, the USD 400,000 or USD 500,000 threshold (set by Turkish regulations) is shared across the family, while passport, ID card, and residence card fees, plus each person's translation and notarisation, are counted individually; at 2026 rates each 10-year passport is about TRY 14,761.

The eligibility conditions for accompanying members, such as a child's age, follow that year's Turkish rules, and adult children and parents are not covered. If your family is also thinking about a child later sitting the Joint Entrance Examination for Overseas Chinese Students (华侨生联考), note its real conditions: overseas Chinese candidates must keep Chinese nationality and meet the residence and stay requirements through long-term residence abroad or at least five continuous years of lawful residence, with the parents meeting residency-duration requirements too, so a child included in the citizenship application can no longer sit it in that category. China does not recognise dual nationality, with real consequences for household registration, social insurance and schooling, so decide early whether to include the child. The earlier you arrange status, the more options you keep, but no path is a sure-thing shortcut.

Turkish citizenship by investment cost at a glance

The table below groups the main fee items on the property route so you can build a total-budget framework. All amounts and rates are a snapshot as of November 2026, and the exact figures should be confirmed with an advisor.

Adding these four categories together gives the real total Turkish citizenship by investment cost, not just the first row's threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum Turkish citizenship by investment cost?

As of November 2026, the investment threshold is a USD 400,000 property valuation or USD 500,000 in a deposit or investment fund, set by the relevant Turkish regulations. That is only the principal, and the real budget must add government charges, taxes, and professional fees, so confirm the exact amounts with an advisor.

Beyond the USD 400,000 threshold, what extra fees are there?

The main extras beyond the investment principal are the title deed fee (4% of the declared value in total as of November 2026), VAT (which may be exempt when you qualify), stamp duty, annual property tax, the valuation fee, translation and notary fees, passport and residence card charges, and account opening, lawyer and advisory fees. These are not "hidden," just often left out of adverts, and a transparent advisor itemises every one before you sign.

Can the USD 400,000 investment principal be recovered later?

Yes, there is room to recover the investment principal once the three-year holding period is met: you can sell the property or withdraw the deposit. What the property sells for depends on the market, the location, and the exchange rate, so no one can predict whether the principal returns in full.

Does applying as a whole family double the Turkish citizenship by investment cost?

No, applying as a family does not double the cost. As of November 2026, the USD 400,000 or USD 500,000 threshold (set by Turkish regulations) is shared across the family and does not rise with the number of people. What stacks up with headcount are the per-person items such as passports (about TRY 14,761 each for 10 years), ID cards, residence cards, and each person's translation and notarisation.

Do you pay VAT when buying property for Turkish citizenship?

Foreign buyers who meet specific conditions may qualify for a VAT (KDV) exemption. As of writing, it can apply when you buy a developer's first-sale new property with foreign currency, but it carries strict eligibility and holding conditions, so it must be judged case by case.

Does the exchange rate affect my Turkish citizenship by investment cost?

Yes, the exchange rate can affect your total cost. As of writing, the funds must be transferred into Turkey and converted through a Turkish bank, which issues the DAB certificate, under the mechanism set by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB), so the conversion step and currency movements can affect your total outlay in US dollars or renminbi, and fees set in lira move with the rate too. Keep a buffer in your budget for exchange rate swings.

How is the advisory service fee usually charged?

Advisory fees vary from firm to firm: some charge a fixed amount, others a percentage of the investment. Turchina Group takes no developer commissions and sets out the scope, milestones, and fees in a Chinese-language contract; when comparing quotes, confirm which government charges you would pay separately.

When are the fees paid, from signing to receiving the passport?

Payments are spread across the whole process. The investment principal is paid at the purchase or deposit stage, the Tapu fee and taxes at transfer, the valuation, translation, and notary fees while preparing documents, and the residence card, citizenship and passport charges in the later application stage. The exact timeline follows your case and that year's process.

For a full list with every line of your Turkish citizenship by investment cost worked out, contact us to book a free consultation in Mandarin or English. Our Mandarin-speaking Istanbul team will itemise the principal, government charges, taxes and professional fees for your family so you see the full account before you sign.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, immigration, or investment advice. Policies and figures change; please confirm the current details and your personal eligibility with a qualified advisor before acting.