Turkey Could Open Golden Visa Program With Path to Citizenship by End of Year
Following a dip in foreign investment during the election campaign period, Turkey is set to consider plans for a golden visa program.
The world’s most popular direct citizenship program, the Turkey CIP offers a wide variety of investment options, giving investors the freedom to pick among several asset classes.
More than 13,000 investors and their families have obtained Turkish citizenship through the program since it lowered its minimum investment requirements in 2018.
This Program Page is sponsored by CIP Turkey, the trusted specialist in Turkish citizenship by investment.
Program Type | Direct Citizenship Program |
Time to citizenship | 3-6 months |
Time to permanent residency | 3-6 months |
Minimum investment | US$ 400,000 |
Physical presence requirement | None |
Application processing time | 3-6 months (2-month fast-track available) |
Grants visa-free travel to | 110 destinations |
Contribution types available | Property Investment, Bank Deposit, Business Investment, Bond Investment, Public Shares Investment, Fund Investment |
General program requirements
There are multiple investment options for the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program:
$400,000 worth of real estate;
$500,000 investment as a fixed capital contribution;
$500,000 deposit into a Turkish bank account;
$500,000 investment in government bonds;
$500,000 real estate investment fund share or venture capital investment fund share;
$500,000 investment in private pension system;
Create jobs for at least 50 people, as attested by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.
Dependents may be included in the application. These can include spouses and children under the age of 18.
Any property or investment needs to be held for a minimum of three years after the awarding of citizenship.
All amounts may be invested in Turkish Lira but investors need to be aware of currency fluctuations when making the investment. The US dollar equivalent needs to be met at the time of processing.
Program benefits
Requirements to qualify for citizenship
After applicants have chosen the qualifying investment option, a residence permit application shall be made on the family’s behalf. The main applicant is then required to open a bank account in Turkey.
Once all application documents have been prepared (including applicable certifications and translations), the investment can be completed and the documents submitted to the government.
Once the application has been received by the government, the review process will begin and an interview may be requested. Applications are typically approved within 3-4 months,, following which the citizenship certificates are issued to the applicants. The passport application can then be submitted and received remotely.
Legislation upon which this program is based:
Exceptional Acquisition of Citizenship Article 12 of the Law No. 5901 promulgated on July 28, 2016
See more statistics on this and other programs in the IMI Data Center.
Answers provided by CIP Turkey, the trusted specialist in Turkish citizenship by investment.
You would not be required to stay in Turkey for a minimum amount of days throughout the year.
No. Unlike many other programs, there is no requirement to learn Turkish.
Aside from yourself, your spouse, and all children under 18 years of age would automatically qualify under your application.
Turkey has signed a double taxation with most nations in the developed world. If you have already paid the relevant taxes on income earned outside of Turkey, then you are unlikely to be taxed again by the Turkish government, even if it was earned in a country that has not signed a double taxation treaty with Turkey.
If you have more queries relating to the Turkish tax structure, then we advise you to contact a Turkish tax specialist.
No. The Turkish tax authorities will not ask you any questions about your financial status, or existing assets.
A Turkish passport would grant you visa-free/ or on arrival access to 110 countries, as well as easy visa access to the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia.
Depending on the lawyer that you use, you should expect to receive your citizenship documents within 3 to 6 months from the time your application is submitted.
Yes. In fact, the Turkish government have no restrictions on the number of citizenships held by an applicant.
Yes. However, please be aware that you would not be eligible to qualify for Turkish citizenship until you have fully paid off your mortgage. If you can acquire financing from overseas to pay for your property, you would then be deemed as eligible for Turkish citizenship, so long as the property has been paid for in full.
No. Once you have held onto your investment for the minimum period of 3 years, you will become a Turkish citizen for life, as will your spouse and children.
As the hub for investment migration professionals, IMI is regularly in touch with program specialists in every corner of the globe.
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Programs that offer citizenship within months in exchange for investments or donations, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Programs that offer citizenship in exchange for investments following a 1-2 year period, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Bulgaria Investor Program (discontinued)
Malta MEIN
Programs that offer residence permits within months in exchange for passive investments, with limited physical presence requirements.
Andorra Residence Without Lucrative Activity
Anguilla Permanent Residency Program
Australia BIIP Investor Streams
Bahamas Economic Permanent Residence
Barbados SERP Program
Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate (EIC) Program
Brazil Investor Visa (VIPER)
Cambodia My 2nd Home
Cayman Islands Investor Visa
Colombia Investor Visas M and R
Costa Rica Investor Visa
Curaçao Investor Permit Program
Cyprus Golden Visa
Georgia Investor Visas
Greece Golden Visa
Guernsey Investor & Entrepreneur Residency
Ireland Immigrant Investor Program (discontinued)
Italy Investor Visa
Latvia Investor Visa
Luxembourg Investor Visa
Malaysia M2H Visa
Malta Permanent Residence Program
Mauritius Permanent Residency Program
Monaco Carte de Séjour
Netherlands Investor Visa
New Zealand Investor Visa
Nicaragua Investor Permanent Residency Program
Panama Qualified Investor Visa
Paraguay Investor Permanent Residency Program (SUACE)
Philippines Special Investor Residence Permit
Portugal Golden Visa
Russia Investor Visa
South Korea Investor Visa
Spain Golden Visa
Taiwan Golden Visa (APRC Plum Blossom Card)
Thailand Elite Residence Program
UAE Golden Visa
UK Investor Visa (discontinued)
United States EB-5
Uruguay Investor Visa
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who can demonstrate income or personal wealth above a certain level, usually requiring that the holder not take up employment locally.
Argentina Rentista and Pensionado Residency
Austria Independent Means Visa
Barbados Welcome Stamp
Brazil Retirement Visa
Chile Independent Means Visas
Colombia Independent Means Visas
Costa Rica Independent Means Visas
Gibraltar Category 2 HNWI Residence
Greece FIP Visa
Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS)
Ireland Independent Means (Stamp 0)
Italy Elective Residency Visa
Jersey High Value Residency
Mexico Legal Residency Visa
Nicaragua Pensionado and Rentista Visas
Panama Rentista Retirado Visa
Paraguay Independent Means Visa
Peru Independent Means Visa (Rentista)
Portugal D7 Visa
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Uruguay Independent Means Visa
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who physically relocate to start and/or run a business. Startup and entrepreneur visas fall under this category.
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