US$400,000 property route, US$500,000 financial routes, fees, timeline and the US E-2 treaty
Turkey citizenship by investment starts at US$400,000 in qualifying real estate held for three years, or US$500,000 in a financial route, and takes about 6–12 months from investment to passport. Your spouse and children under 18 are included. The passport reaches around 112–114 destinations, but not Schengen, the UK, the US or Canada visa-free.
Figures verified 2 October 2026 · Licensed CICC consultant, Toronto
Every route must be held for three years. Government fees are modest: around US$574 per family member for the citizenship application, plus residence permit cards and passports. The real estate route adds a 4% title deed fee and valuation, translation and legal costs. Full detail on the cost page.
US$400,000
Official valuation by an SPK-licensed appraiser; payment through a Turkish bank. Property previously owned by foreigners and bare land do not qualify. See the real estate page.
US$500,000
The deposit must stay in place for the full holding period.
US$500,000
US$500,000
US$500,000
50 jobs
Qualifying dependants: spouse and children under 18, included in the same presidential decision. Adult children and parents must qualify on their own. The YUVAM deposit scheme has been discontinued. Figures verified 2 October 2026.
Jane Katkova has advised on citizenship and residence by investment since 1998. We confirm eligibility, the complete fee schedule and the realistic processing time before you pay anything, and we advise against a programme when it does not fit your circumstances.
The Turkey citizenship cost starts from a US$400,000 property held for three years, plus a 4% title deed fee and government fees of around US$574 per family member for the application. We plan for roughly 5–7% on top of the property price for taxes, fees and legal costs. Unlike a Caribbean contribution, the investment itself can be recovered after three years.
The Turkish citizenship requirements for investors are a qualifying investment of US$400,000 in property or US$500,000 in a financial route held for three years, investor residence permits for you and your spouse, clean criminal record certificates, and one trip to Turkey for biometrics. There is no language test and no minimum stay.
Turkish citizenship by buying property requires real estate valued at US$400,000 or more by an SPK-licensed appraiser, paid through a Turkish bank and held for three years under a title deed annotation. It is the lowest-cost Turkish route and leaves you owning the asset, with lira and resale risk attached. Figures verified 2 October 2026.
About 6–12 months from investment to passport; well-prepared real estate files can complete in around 3–6 months after the investment. Citizenship is granted by Presidential decision.
We check nationality, family composition, military-service exposure for sons and the source of funds, and compare Turkey with Grenada and the other programmes for your goals.
We review title, seller and building permit, and order the official valuation report from an SPK-licensed appraiser. The valuation, not the asking price, must reach US$400,000.
Funds move through a Turkish bank, foreign currency is sold to the bank against a currency sale certificate (DAB), and the tapu is registered at the land registry (Tapu ve Kadastro) with the three-year no-sale annotation.
The main applicant and spouse obtain investor residence permits, and adult applicants give fingerprints in Turkey. Criminal record certificates for both are filed.
The file goes to the Ministry of Interior's Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs for security checks and a Presidential decision.
Once the decision is published, the family is registered and we apply for ID cards and passports. No minimum stay follows.
A Turkish passport is held alongside your existing one, not in place of it. Here is what changes for each applicant profile.
| Your situation | What Turkey adds | What it does not change |
|---|---|---|
| US citizen | A second nationality for the family, the right to live in Turkey, a property you own | US worldwide taxation, FBAR and FATCA reporting; your passport already travels further |
| Canadian citizen | Second nationality and a residence base in Turkey; no tax there while you stay under 183 days | Canadian tax while you keep residential ties; E-2 (Canada already has its own treaty) |
| US resident on an Indian, Chinese, Nigerian or Pakistani passport | Around 112–114 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations; E-2 treaty nationality | Your US immigration status; Schengen, UK and Canada still need visas |
| Canadian PR or work-permit holder on a weak passport | A second passport your children under 18 receive with you | Canadian status; Turkish citizens generally need a visa for Canada |
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Photo: Etienne Dayer / Unsplash
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Photo: Mehmet Belet / Unsplash
Photo: yyzvic / UnsplashE-2 Treaty Investor visa. Turkey and the US have had an E-2 treaty in force since 1990, so Turkish citizens can apply for a renewable US non-immigrant visa to direct a substantial, at-risk investment in a real US business. US rules scrutinise treaty nationality acquired through an investment programme, including domicile, and the State Department and USCIS examine the bona fides of both the nationality and the business. It never becomes a green card on its own. Grenada offers the same treaty from a lower investment and with a stronger passport; we compare the two on the Grenada page and in Turkey vs Grenada citizenship.
Military service. Male applicants and sons should check the military-service rules with us before applying; age-based exemptions and a paid option are available.
Tax. Turkish citizenship alone creates no Turkish tax on foreign income; residence does, under the 183-day test. If the travel document matters more than the asset, look at Caribbean citizenship by investment or all the programmes we advise on.
Figures verified 2 October 2026. Fees and rules change; we confirm the current position on your call.
A Turkish passport adds little to your travel, because your own passport already opens more destinations. What Turkish citizenship by investment gives you is a second nationality for you, your spouse and children under 18, the right to live and work in Turkey, and a property you own and may sell after three years. It is not a tax strategy. The IRS taxes US citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, FBAR and FATCA reporting continue, and Turkey has a Model 1 FATCA agreement, so a Turkish account is reported. Canadians stay taxed by residence until they sever residential ties. Turkey taxes its residents on worldwide income, but a citizen living abroad who stays under the 183-day test is not taxed there on foreign income.
If you hold an H-1B, a green card, a work permit or Canadian PR on an Indian, Chinese, Nigerian or Pakistani passport, the Turkish passport is useful in two ways. It widens visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to around 112–114 destinations, and it makes you a national of a US E-2 treaty country, which can open a US investor visa if your own nationality has no treaty. It does not make entry to the US or Canada easier: Turkish citizens generally need a visa for both, and there is no visa-free Schengen or UK access.
Thirty minutes with Jane Katkova, licensed CICC consultant, in Toronto. We tell you whether Turkey or Grenada fits your passport, family and US plans, and what it costs in writing.
Video forthcoming: the US$400,000 property route, the 2024 rule changes and the E-2 treaty.
From US$400,000 in qualifying real estate, or US$500,000 on the bank deposit, bond, fund or fixed capital routes. Government fees are around US$574 per family member for the citizenship application plus residence permit cards and passports. Property buyers add a 4% title deed fee, the valuation report, translations and legal fees; we plan for roughly 5–7% on top of the property price. Full detail is on our cost page.
Typically about 6–12 months from investment to passport. Well-prepared real estate files can complete in around 3–6 months after the investment is finished. The time depends on the valuation, the residence permits, security checks at the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs and the Presidential decision. Since January 2024 adult applicants must also attend in person for biometrics, so plan the trip early.
Your spouse and children under 18 are included in the same Presidential decision at no additional investment. Since January 2024 your spouse also needs an investor residence permit and a criminal record certificate. Adult children and parents do not qualify as dependants; each would need their own qualifying investment, which is US$400,000 or more per applicant on the property route.
No. The Turkish passport reaches around 112–114 destinations visa-free, on arrival or by eTA, according to the Henley Passport Index 2026, but Schengen, the UK, the US and Canada all require visas. Turkish citizens generally need a visa for Canada. Its distinctive US benefit is the E-2 treaty, not visa-free entry.
Turkish citizens are eligible, because the US–Turkey E-2 treaty has been in force since 1990. You must invest a substantial, at-risk sum in a real US business you direct. US rules scrutinise nationality acquired through investment, including domicile, and the State Department and USCIS examine the bona fides. Canadian and US citizens gain nothing from it.
There is no minimum stay before or after citizenship, but adult applicants must visit Turkey for biometrics and residence permits. Men who acquire Turkish citizenship may have a military-service obligation depending on age. Male applicants and sons should check the military-service rules with us before applying; age-based exemptions and a paid option are available.
No. The US taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live; FBAR and FATCA reporting continue, and Turkey has a Model 1 FATCA agreement. Canada taxes by residence. Turkey taxes its residents on worldwide income, but holding citizenship alone does not make you resident; the 183-day test applies. Rental income from the Turkish property must still be reported at home.
Compare them side by side: citizenship by investment programmes and Eastern Caribbean citizenship options. Prefer residence to a second passport? See Latvian residency by investment or Portuguese residency routes.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Programme rules change; we confirm every figure before you commit.
A confidential consultation with a licensed CICC consultant. We assess eligibility and total cost before you commit to any programme.