Turkish citizenship by investment in 2026: what is checked and where files fail

The legal basis

Citizenship by investment is an exceptional route under Article 12 of the Turkish Citizenship Law (No. 5901). The investment options and amounts are set out in Article 20 of the Regulation implementing that law. The best-known option is buying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 and undertaking not to sell it for three years. The other options, such as a bank deposit, government bonds, fund shares or a fixed capital investment, generally require USD 500,000.

The threshold has not changed in 2026. What has changed is how closely each file is examined, and that is where most of the risk now lies.

What the authorities check in a property file

A property file is not approved simply because a title deed exists. The Land Registry, the valuation report and the bank records have to tell the same story. In practice the following points are checked:

• The value in the official valuation report must reach the threshold on its own. A high sale price does not cure a low valuation.
• The sale price written on the title deed and the amount actually transferred must match. Payments must go through a bank, and the transfer records have to show the money reaching the seller.
• A three-year non-sale annotation is registered on the title deed. The property cannot be sold during that period without losing the basis for citizenship.
• The property must not have been used for a previous citizenship application, and transfers between related parties attract closer scrutiny.
• After the investment eligibility certificate is issued, the police and the intelligence service carry out a security and archive check of the applicant and family members.

Why 2026 is different

In September 2026 the Ministry of Interior announced that it had cancelled or withdrawn 6,134 citizenship decisions, covering 1,413 investors and their family members. Most cases involved inflated valuation reports or payment flows that did not reflect a real sale. Investigations into sham property sales were also opened in Istanbul.

Cancellation does not only affect the investor. Family members who acquired citizenship through the investor's application are also affected. A cheap shortcut can therefore cost a whole family its status years later.

Valuation practice has also been changing. Reported changes include longer validity for valuation reports and more valuation firms being allowed to prepare them. Because implementation guidance is still being updated, the rules applicable on the date of your own transaction should be confirmed before you pay.

Warning signs

Be cautious if you are offered citizenship for a property that costs clearly less than USD 400,000, if the seller suggests writing one price on the deed and paying another, or if you are asked to pay part of the price in cash. Also be cautious if the valuation firm, the seller and the agent all appear to work together. Each of these is a common feature of the files that were later cancelled.

A sensible order of steps

Before paying anything, check the title deed records (ownership, mortgages, annotations, zoning status) and ask for an independent valuation. Make sure the purchase contract states the price, payment method and timing clearly. Keep every bank record. Only then apply for the eligibility certificate and, after that, for citizenship through the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship.

An independent lawyer reviewing the file before payment costs far less than defending a cancelled decision afterwards.