Buying Property in Installments and Turkish Citizenship: 2026 Rules

Buying Property in Installments and Turkish Citizenship: 2026 Rules

Many Istanbul developers sell off-plan apartments with payment plans (taksit) over 12, 24 or 36 months. One of the first questions we hear at our Bomonti office is whether a purchase like that can lead to Turkish citizenship. The short answer is that an installment plan does not count on its own. What counts is money you have actually paid and documented: at least USD 400,000, settled before the title deed transfer or the notarised sales promise contract. Below is how that works in practice in 2026.

The rule in brief

Under the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, a foreigner can apply for exceptional citizenship after either:

• buying property worth at least USD 400,000 (or the equivalent in another currency), with a 3-year no-sale annotation on the title deed; or
• signing a notarised sales promise contract (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) for at least USD 400,000 on a unit that has condominium title (kat mülkiyeti) or floor easement (kat irtifakı). The amount must be paid in advance, and a commitment not to transfer or cancel the contract for 3 years must be recorded at the land registry.

The threshold rose from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000 in 2022, and it was still USD 400,000 as of October 2026.

Why a normal installment plan is not enough

• Only paid money counts. The land registry issues the certificate of conformity (uygunluk belgesi) needed for the application only when it can see documented payments. Future installments in a contract are just promises.
• The currency must be converted first. The money has to be sold to a bank in Turkey, and the foreign exchange purchase certificate (döviz alım belgesi, DAB) presented before the title deed transaction. Conversion after the sale is not accepted.
• The value tests are strict. The price on the title deed, the valuation report and the documented payments each need to reach USD 400,000.

So if you have paid USD 150,000 and the remainder is spread over 24 months, you cannot apply yet.

Route 1: title deed purchase, fully paid

This is the most straightforward option. You pay the price in full through the bank, obtain the DAB, and the title deed is transferred with the 3-year annotation. It works for ready apartments and for off-plan units where floor easement is already registered and the developer agrees to transfer the title deed early. Several title deed purchases can be combined to reach USD 400,000.

Route 2: off-plan with a notarised sales promise

This route was designed for projects still under construction. In practice:

• Floor easement must exist. The project must already have kat irtifakı registered for the individual units. A project at the land-plot or pre-permit stage cannot be used.
• At least USD 400,000 is paid up front, before the contract is signed at the notary.
• One contract only. Since the guidelines that took effect on 1 February 2023, the amount must sit in a single sales promise contract. It cannot be split across several contracts or combined with title deeds you already own.
• Registration. The contract is annotated at the land registry together with the 3-year non-transfer commitment.

If the unit costs more than USD 400,000, developers sometimes offer to take the remaining balance in installments after the qualifying amount has been paid. Whether that structure is accepted depends on how the land registry assesses the contract and payments. After the late-September 2026 changes, ask your lawyer to confirm it before you sign.

The 3-year commitment

The annotation (şerh) prevents a sale for three years, counted from the date it is registered. Selling after that period does not affect citizenship that has already been granted. Cancelling a sales promise or selling back to the original seller early can lead the authorities to re-examine the file. Plan to hold for at least three years.

What counts as proof of payment

• Bank transfer receipts (dekont) showing the money going to the seller's account. Cash or hand-to-hand payments are not accepted.
• The DAB, issued in the buyer's name with passport details and amounts that match the price. It should state that the purchase is for citizenship by investment.
• The full price on the title deed. The deed must show the real amount, not a reduced figure.
• A valuation report from a licensed valuation company, requested through the land registry system, showing at least USD 400,000. Changes in late September 2026 widened the choice of SPK-licensed firms and extended report validity. The detailed implementation guidance was still being finalised at the time of writing.

The property itself must also be eligible. It cannot have been used for an earlier citizenship application, and there are restrictions on properties recently transferred by foreigners and on purchases from related persons. Your lawyer should check the title history before you pay anything.

Bank transfer rules in practice

1. Open a Turkish bank account. You need to be there in person for this.
2. Send the funds from abroad in foreign currency before the appointment, not on the day.
3. Convert through the bank, not an exchange office, and obtain the DAB. Another accepted method: transfer the foreign currency straight to the seller's account, and the seller converts it and obtains the DAB in the buyer's name.
4. Pay the seller by bank transfer and keep every receipt.
5. Make sure the amounts on the contract, the invoice, the DAB and the title deed match.

Practical options if you want to pay over time

• Pay USD 400,000 up front on a larger off-plan unit and agree the balance separately, subject to legal confirmation as explained above.
• Build up payments first, apply later. Pay installments until at least USD 400,000 has been paid, then complete the title deed or sales promise. This only works if every payment went through a Turkish bank with matching DAB records. Payments that cannot be documented will not count.
• Combine fully paid title deeds. For example, a ready apartment plus another ready unit, both transferred and annotated.
• Separate the goals. Buy on a payment plan now for investment or a residence permit, and make the citizenship purchase later as a separate, fully paid transaction.
• Protect yourself in the contract. Ask for clauses on refunds or penalties if the property turns out to be ineligible for citizenship.

Checklist before you sign

• Does the project have kat irtifakı or kat mülkiyeti?
• Will at least USD 400,000 be paid before the title deed or notary date?
• Is every payment going through a Turkish bank, with a DAB?
• Has the valuation been ordered, and will it reach USD 400,000?
• Has the title history been checked for earlier citizenship use or restricted transfers?

Citizenship rules and their implementation change often, as the September 2026 updates show. Confirm your plan with a licensed Turkish lawyer before you transfer funds or sign.

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