Requirements for Foreigners Acquiring Real Estate in Türkiye

This article is an English translation of the Turkish original published by the office.

Globalisation has increased investment flows between countries, and this is reflected in real estate. With its strategic location and natural and cultural riches, Türkiye is one of the countries that most attracts foreign investors. Foreigners now come not only as tourists but also with permanent investments, the foremost of which is buying property. In this article we discuss the legal side of foreigners purchasing real estate in Türkiye.

Can foreigners own property in Türkiye?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in practice. Before going into detail, we can say that foreigners may buy property in Türkiye within certain limits. Like every sovereign country, however, Türkiye does not give foreigners unlimited freedom to acquire real estate.

What are the requirements?

Acquisition of real estate by foreigners is regulated by the Land Registry Law No. 2644 and related legislation. After the 2012 amendment removed the reciprocity condition previously required, acquisitions by foreigners increased further.

Although the way has been opened, this freedom is not unlimited: not every foreigner can buy as much property as they wish wherever they wish. The limits are set out in Articles 35 and 36 of the Land Registry Law. Article 35 provides, in summary:

• Subject to legal restrictions, foreign natural persons who are nationals of countries determined by the President, in light of bilateral international relations and national interests, may acquire immovable property and limited real rights in Türkiye. The total area of property and independent and permanent limited real rights acquired by foreign natural persons may not exceed 10% of the district area subject to private ownership, nor 30 hectares per person across the country; the President may double the per-person limit.
• Commercial companies with legal personality established abroad under their own laws may acquire property and limited real rights only under special laws; others cannot. The limits in this article do not apply to mortgages in favour of such companies or foreign natural persons.
• Where national interests require, the President may determine, limit, partially or fully suspend or prohibit acquisitions by country, person, region, period, number, ratio, type, nature, area and amount.
• Foreign natural persons and foreign companies must submit the project they will develop on undeveloped land purchased to the relevant Ministry for approval within two years; the approved project, with start and completion dates, is annotated on the title register, and its completion is monitored.
• Maps and coordinates of military forbidden zones, military security zones, strategic zones and special security zones are provided to the land registry, and transactions are carried out accordingly.
• Property and rights acquired in breach of the article, used contrary to the purpose of acquisition, for which no application was made in time, or whose projects were not completed in time — as well as those acquired by inheritance beyond the limits — are liquidated and converted into money, with the price paid to the owner, if the owner does not liquidate them within a period of up to one year given by the Ministry of Finance.

In light of this, the requirements can be summarised as follows:

• Area limit: a foreign individual may acquire at most 30 hectares across Türkiye; this may be doubled by presidential decision.
• Military zones: acquisition in military security zones and special security areas is prohibited; permission from the military authorities is required for acquisition in such areas.
• Purpose: the property must be used in line with the purpose of acquisition; otherwise ownership may be liquidated.

The purchase process

The foreign buyer or their lawyer applies to the land registry office. The application should include:

• a valuation report prepared within the last three months by a real estate valuation company licensed by the Capital Markets Board;
• the buyer’s passport or identity document;
• the title deed of the property;
• compulsory earthquake insurance for buildings;
• a document showing the declared property tax value, obtained from the municipality;
• photographs of the seller and the buyer taken within the last six months (one of the seller, two of the buyer);
• a sworn interpreter and two witnesses for parties who do not speak Turkish;
• if a power of attorney was issued abroad, its original or certified copy together with its translation.

What should foreign buyers watch out for?

• Find out whether there is any obstacle to sale, such as a mortgage or attachment; this information is available from the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
• Work with a lawyer whose reliability you are sure of.
• If a dispute arises over the sale, the case must be brought before the courts of the Republic of Türkiye.
• A promise to sell signed before a notary is not enough for the sale; the official transfer must be completed at the land registry office.
• The title deed fee is paid by the buyer and the seller.

Although the legislation is clear, difficulties may arise in practice — lengthy bureaucracy, uncertainty in determining military zones, miscommunication due to language, errors in notarial transactions, and the risk of fraud and forgery. Support from an experienced lawyer is very helpful in overcoming them.

Türker Law Office provides legal representation and advice on the legal requirements for acquisition of real estate in Türkiye by foreign individuals and companies, review of title records and encumbrances, sale and promise-to-sell transactions, powers of attorney and land registry procedures, and other matters arising from property acquisition by foreigners.