Regional guide
Türkiye for Hong Kong residents and passport holders
In short
As of November 2026, HKSAR passport holders can visit Türkiye visa-free for up to 90 days, Hong Kong documents are accepted with an apostille, and Türkiye's residence and citizenship-by-investment rules apply to them as to other foreign nationals. The point to settle first is at home: under the Chinese nationality rules applied in Hong Kong, a Hong Kong resident of Chinese descent who takes Turkish nationality is still treated as a Chinese national there unless the Immigration Department approves a declaration of change of nationality. The tax agreement between Hong Kong and Türkiye entered into force on 30 January 2026 and applies from 2027.
Facts checked 8 November 2026
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Key facts
| Entry to Türkiye | HKSAR passport: visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism and business visits (as of November 2026). BN(O) passport holders need an e-Visa. Work or study needs a visa before you travel. |
|---|---|
| Documents for Turkish offices | Apostille from the Registrar of the High Court, then a sworn Turkish translation, notarised in Türkiye. |
| Turkish mission | Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Hong Kong (also handles Macau residents' visa applications). |
| Dual nationality at home | Not recognised. A Hong Kong resident of Chinese descent remains a Chinese national in Hong Kong and the mainland unless the Immigration Department approves a declaration of change of nationality. |
| Tax treaty with Türkiye | Signed 24 September 2024, in force since 30 January 2026; applies in Türkiye from 1 January 2027 and in Hong Kong from the 2027/28 year of assessment. |
| Citizenship by investment | Same routes and thresholds as for other foreign nationals (as of November 2026): property valued at USD 400,000 or more, or one of the USD 500,000 routes, each held for three years. Typically 8 to 12 months, not guaranteed. |
| Buying property | No restriction found for HKSAR passport holders; Türkiye's list of eligible nationalities is not published, so confirm with the Land Registry (Tapu) before you sign or pay a deposit. |
Do you need a visa for Türkiye with a Hong Kong passport?
Not for short visits. As of November 2026, the Hong Kong Immigration Department's list of visa-free destinations (updated 16 October 2026) shows Türkiye at 90 days for HKSAR passport holders visiting for tourism or business, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives the same limit.
British National (Overseas) passports are treated differently: according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BN(O) holders need an e-Visa, issued only on the official portal evisa.gov.tr, and holders of the Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes apply for a visa at a Turkish mission. Whatever the document, Turkish law requires a passport valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of the permitted stay.
Visa-free entry covers visits only. To work or study you need the appropriate visa from the Consulate General in Hong Kong before you travel, and to stay beyond the visa-free period you need a residence permit.
How are Hong Kong documents certified for Turkish offices?
With an apostille. Hong Kong applies the 1961 Apostille Convention, which continued to apply after 1997, and Türkiye is a party, so a Hong Kong public document or a document signed by a Hong Kong notary public needs no Turkish consular legalisation. The competent authority is the Registrar of the High Court; check the current fee and processing time with the Judiciary before you submit.
In Türkiye, a sworn translator then translates the document into Turkish and a notary certifies the translation. For a family file, have every document it needs (birth and marriage certificates, for example) apostilled in one round so nothing is sent back.
Residence permits and buying property
Residence permits are issued by the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (No. 6458), and the categories are the same for every nationality: short-term residence (including on the basis of a home you own), family residence, student residence and, after eight years of continuous legal residence, long-term residence. You apply online through e-İkamet before your permitted stay ends.
For a home bought on or after 16 October 2023, a property-based permit needs a residential title deed showing a sale price of at least USD 200,000, converted at the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye rate on the deed date (as of November 2026); a valuation report does not count for this test. The address must also be in a neighbourhood that is still open to new foreign residents, and closures can change locally, so check the exact address before you buy.
Foreign nationals may buy property in Türkiye only if their nationality is on the list of countries kept under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law (No. 2644), and that list is not published. We found no restriction for HKSAR passport holders, but the official Your Key Türkiye portal says any Land Registry (Tapu) directorate can confirm a nationality's position, so ask before you sign a reservation or pay a deposit. Title passes at the Land Registry, not at a notary.
Property search, viewings and negotiation are provided by Bosphorus Brokers, the licensed real estate brokerage that Burak Unal operates as a registered sole proprietorship, under a written brokerage agreement. Turchina Group does not broker property and takes no seller or developer commission.
Citizenship by investment and Hong Kong's nationality rules
Turkish citizenship by investment is open to HKSAR passport holders on the same terms as to other foreign nationals. As of November 2026 there are seven routes, most often a property whose value in a report from an SPK-authorised valuation firm reaches at least USD 400,000, or USD 500,000 in one of the financial routes, each held for three years; your spouse and children under 18 are included. The process typically takes 8 to 12 months, and approval is a Presidential decision that no one can guarantee.
The question to settle first is the Hong Kong one. Under the Explanations of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of 15 May 1996 on the Nationality Law in the Hong Kong SAR, a Hong Kong resident of Chinese descent who acquires a foreign nationality remains a Chinese national in Hong Kong and the mainland unless they declare a change of nationality to the Immigration Department and it is approved. Until then, a Turkish passport can be used as a travel document but gives no right to Turkish consular protection in Hong Kong or the mainland.
After an approved change of nationality you can no longer hold an HKSAR passport, and your right of abode in Hong Kong may be affected; applications can also be refused. Check your own position with the Immigration Department, and with an independent Hong Kong lawyer if needed, before you invest.
Setting up a company and the new tax treaty
As with other foreign investors, Hong Kong individuals and companies can own 100% of a Turkish limited company (Ltd. Şti.) or joint-stock company (A.Ş.). Once the apostilled shareholder documents are ready, registration typically takes 2 to 3 weeks, and about 3 to 4 weeks to an operational company with a bank account (as of November 2026); the filings are made by an independent Turkish lawyer and the bookkeeping by a licensed accountant (mali müşavir).
The comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement between Hong Kong and Türkiye was signed on 24 September 2024 and entered into force on 30 January 2026. It applies in Türkiye from 1 January 2027 and in Hong Kong for years of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2027 (2027/28 onwards). Under it, dividend withholding is capped at 5% or 10% depending on the shareholding, and interest and royalties generally at 10%; claiming relief usually needs a certificate of resident status from the Inland Revenue Department and is subject to anti-abuse tests.
A treaty does not decide where you are tax resident. Türkiye treats you as resident if your domicile is there or you stay for more than six continuous months in a calendar year; for your own position, speak to an independent tax adviser.
How Turchina Group helps
Turchina Group is a citizenship, business and cross-border process consultancy, not a law firm, and it does not give investment advice. We explain the Turkish requirements in Mandarin or English (written Chinese is fully supported), plan the order of steps for each family member, organise apostilles and sworn translations, and prepare the application file with you and coordinate its submission.
Legal work, notarial acts, valuations and accounting are done by independent professionals whom you engage directly, and no one can promise an approval or a timeline. Whether to use any route is your decision.
Frequently asked questions
Can Hong Kong permanent residents apply for Turkish citizenship by investment?
Yes. As of November 2026, Türkiye applies the same routes and thresholds to HKSAR passport holders as to other foreign nationals. Check the Hong Kong side first: a Hong Kong resident of Chinese descent remains a Chinese national in Hong Kong unless the Immigration Department approves a declaration of change of nationality.
Will I lose my HKSAR passport if I become a Turkish citizen?
Not automatically. Unless you declare a change of nationality and the Immigration Department approves it, you remain a Chinese national in Hong Kong and the Turkish passport serves only as a travel document there. After an approved change, you can no longer hold an HKSAR passport.
Do BN(O) passport holders need a visa for Türkiye?
Yes. According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BN(O) passport holders need an e-Visa, issued only through evisa.gov.tr; check the entry type and conditions on the portal when you apply. HKSAR passport holders are visa-free for up to 90 days.
Does the tax treaty between Hong Kong and Türkiye already apply?
It entered into force on 30 January 2026 but takes effect from 2027: from 1 January 2027 for Turkish tax and from the 2027/28 year of assessment for Hong Kong tax. Until then, each side's domestic rules apply.
Where do I get an apostille in Hong Kong?
From the Registrar of the High Court, the competent authority under the Apostille Convention; documents signed by a Hong Kong notary public are apostilled there too. Check the current fee and processing time with the Judiciary before you go.
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