Buying in Türkiye as a Foreigner: A Due-Diligence ChecklistBuying in Türkiye as a Foreigner: A Due-Diligence Checklist

Türkiye's housing market cooled in August, but foreign demand barely moved. Total home sales fell 14.7% year on year to 127,410, according to TurkStat figures reported by Daily Sabah, while sales to foreign buyers edged up 0.1% to 1,938, or 1.5% of the total. For an overseas buyer, a quieter market is a reason to slow down and check the paperwork properly. This guide sets out what the official process requires and where buyers should look closely.

What the August data show

The headline fall was broad. Bazaar Times, also citing TurkStat, reports that new-home sales declined 4.5% to 44,378, or 34.8% of transactions. Istanbul recorded the most sales of any province at 20,426, ahead of Ankara (10,851) and Izmir (6,532).

Mortgage-financed sales moved the other way. Daily Sabah reports that they rose 7.2% from a year earlier to 22,131, while other sales fell 18.3%. Over January to August, total sales were down 6.8% to 950,529.

Among foreign buyers, Bazaar Times lists Russian citizens first with 343 purchases, followed by Ukrainians with 147 and Iranians with 140. Across January to August, sales to foreigners fell 6.3% to 13,141. Foreign buyers are a small slice of the market, so these figures say little about prices. They do show that purchases by overseas buyers have been steady while the wider market has softened.

How a purchase becomes legal ownership

The Presidency's Investment Office sets out the basics. Ownership is only approved on registration at the land registry directorate. A preliminary contract, whether notarised or a private written agreement, does not transfer the property. It is only a commitment to transfer it.

That distinction matters when a developer asks for a large deposit against an off-plan contract. Until the title deed is registered in your name, you hold a contractual claim rather than ownership.

A due-diligence checklist

The same official guide points to several checks that apply to every foreign buyer:

• Encumbrances. Mortgages, liens and similar restrictions that could block a sale should be checked before the land registry procedure starts.
• Online parcel lookup. The land registry's parcel query service lets anyone look up a property by city, district, quarter, map section and plot. It shows basic details and current status, but not the owner's personal information.
• Valuation. The land registry procedure requires a document on the property's current market value issued by the relevant municipality.
• Earthquake insurance. A mandatory earthquake insurance policy for the building is among the required documents.
• Identity and translation. You need a passport or photo ID, notarised and certified translations if it is not in the Latin alphabet, and a certified interpreter if a party does not speak Turkish.
• Power of attorney. If someone acts for you, a power of attorney issued abroad must name the specific procedure and meet formal conditions, including an apostille where the issuing country is a Hague Convention party. It also needs a notarised Turkish translation.

The guide also notes that foreigners do not need a residence permit before buying. Property buyers can be granted renewable short-term residence permits under Law No. 6458.

Beyond these, there are limits on where you can buy. The Investment Office states that foreign individuals may not acquire property in prohibited military zones or military security zones. Special security zones require the governor's permission, and total foreign acquisition in a district is capped at ten percent of its private-property area. Foreign individuals may hold up to 30 hectares nationally unless the Cabinet allows more. Eligible nationalities are set by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Multi Mulk supports buyers with property purchases in Türkiye, and its investor protection page explains the checks it applies before a client commits.

If citizenship is the goal

The citizenship route adds conditions on top of ordinary purchase rules. The Investment Office lists a minimum property purchase of USD 400,000 or equivalent foreign currency, with a title-deed restriction on resale for at least three years, attested by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Other routes include USD 500,000 in a bank deposit, government bonds, or qualifying fund shares, each with a three-year hold.

Three procedural points follow from the official text:

1. The buyer must state in the acquisition application that the purchase is made for citizenship purposes. The title deed must record that purpose, and the buyer must declare they will not sell for three years.
2. Once land registry procedures are complete, a certificate of eligibility is issued for the owner. The buyer then applies to the relevant administrations for residence or citizenship.
3. Citizenship is granted on a decision of the President of the Republic, so an eligible purchase does not by itself guarantee a result.

That last point deserves emphasis after recent scrutiny of the programme. We covered the investigation into fraudulent applications separately, and the earlier overview of the amounts involved remains a useful reference. In practice, a clean file starts with a correctly documented purchase: a properly recorded value, a deed carrying the required annotation, and payment routes that can be evidenced.

Multi Mulk advises on Turkish citizenship by investment and offers a free written eligibility review. Buyers who want residency rather than a passport can compare options on the Türkiye golden visa page.

Practical takeaways

• A softer market does not make the process simpler; the steps and documents are unchanged.
• Search the parcel and confirm there are no encumbrances before paying anything.
• Treat preliminary contracts as commitments, not ownership.
• If citizenship is the aim, make sure the purpose and the three-year restriction are recorded correctly in the deed.
• Keep originals and certified translations of every document, including any power of attorney.

For a decision that depends on your nationality, budget and goals, speak to an adviser before committing funds.

Sources

• Daily Sabah — House sales in Türkiye fall 14.7% to 127,410 units in August
• Bazaar Times — Turkiye's Home Sales Fall 14.7% to 127,410 in August as Mortgage Purchases Rise
• Invest in Türkiye — Acquiring Property and Citizenship

Cover photo: mostafa_meraji on Pixabay.