Having a passport that gives you access to more than 110 countries, as well as being from one of the most important countries in terms of economic growth in recent decades, Turkey, would be an incredible thing for anyone in the world. 

With a huge culture, as well as several major cities, Turkey is simply an attractive place to live and to do business. People from all over the world would want to settle down in this country. 

Not to mention the advantageous geographical location being the bridge between Europe and the Middle East, Turkey has a vast territory with diverse climates pleasant to anyone, especially in the regions close to the Mediterranean Sea. 

Turkish citizenship offers numerous advantages that perhaps other European countries do not that the Turkish government has to offer is an attractive aspect for those seeking economic advantages, so anyone would want Turkish citizenship. Among those reasons we have: 

-Diplomatic and commercial bonds with 110 countries in the world, which means that you can enter these countries without having to apply for a visa, including some benefits to do business in the United States.

-You can have Turkish citizenship without the need to renounce your original nationality. 

-Citizenship by investment. A minimum investment of $250,000 is required and there are numerous ways to obtain this type of citizenship. 

-The bureaucracy for an initial residency permit is relatively minimal, so with just a few documents and the corresponding form you can opt for it without major issue. 

It is easy to see why opting for Turkish citizenship could be beneficial for a whole family, since besides having a passport with strong diplomatic ties, the economic advantages of a booming market in various fields make life projects more solid in this country. 

Residence Permit

However, to apply for Turkish citizenship and enjoy all the benefits it provides, you must first opt for a residence permit, which allows foreigners to live in Turkey legally for some time. 

This residence permit gives those who obtain it the right to live, work and buy property within Turkish territory. 

Generally, a person can apply for this permit for one or two years. 

One of the supporting documents required to obtain Turkish citizenship is the investor’s residency, which is different from the tourist residence.

Through the tourist residency, it is possible to enter Turkey without a visa, be present in Turkey and live in it, and enter its schools, ext... We can obtain it for a period of one or two years, depending on the duration of the health insurance and also the opinion of the Immigration Department and it is renewed annually. But the investor's residency is taken for one time and for a period of one year only, and it is specific to the Citizenship by Investment Law.

For submitting the application for investor residency (related to the Turkish CBI Law):

I.Information required to make an appointment to apply for investment residency:

1.biometric photo

2.A copy of the passport

3.An address in Turkey

4.A Turkish phone number

5.The investor's email

II.The required papers to submit the investor residency:

1.Matching Certificate 

2.Residence tax payment receipt

3.Signed and paid health insurance for one year

4.Reservation file of the appointment

5.Two biometric photos

6.A translated passport

7.Copy of the last entry stamp to Turkey in the passport, if any

8.Copy of the last entry visa to Turkey, if any

Once these documents are submitted, it is then a matter of waiting for a response from the corresponding entity, which usually takes no more than two months, and in case that your application is approved, you can live in Turkey for two years. 

Many people make use of this residence permit to visit the many cultural sites within Turkish territory, as well as to work temporarily or even to spend a long holiday, given the status of "temporary citizenship". 

Applying for the Citizenship

Nevertheless, there is another group of people whose main objective after applying for a residence permit is to apply for Turkish citizenship directly, for various reasons, be it economic, political, social, or simply because Turkey seems like a good place to raise a family. 

We must clarify that there are several ways to obtain Turkish citizenship, the conditions vary for each person, as well as the requirements, however, we will talk more in-depth about citizenship by investment.

Though depending on the circumstances of each person who wants to apply for Turkish citizenship, that person must be legally advised to take one of the following paths: 

By Permanent Residence. After five years of residency, whether through normal residency or work residency a person can apply for Turkish citizenship.

By Turquoise Card. It means that if an individual stays 5 years in a row in Turkey with a Turkish card, that individual can apply for Turkish citizenship. 

By Judgment of Legal Authority. After having resided in Turkey for 5 years and having mastered the language, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs can issue a ruling granting citizenship. 

By General Acquisition. You can apply for citizenship after completing 5 years of residence and filling out the form of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

By Exceptional Acquisition. This is granted to those individuals who possess special qualities in areas such as science, sports or the arts, as the government considers them to be people who add value to the country. 

Marriage. This is granted after the third year of marriage to a Turkish citizen. 

Adoption. This is given to foreign children whose adoptive parents are Turkish unless the child is considered a major threat to national security, but this rarely happens. 

Citizenship by Investment. You may have read somewhere about citizenship by investment, which is simply investing a certain amount of capital in the country you are applying for, in this case, Turkey. 

There are also different ways to apply for citizenship by investment in Turkey, although it means investing a minimum amount of 250,000$ in one of the areas we will mention. 

The concept of this type of citizenship is to bring added economic value to the country by being a foreigner, and in return, the government will grant Turkish citizenship to these people who meet this fundamental requirement. 

There are 6 ways to invest in Turkey to obtain citizenship by investment, depending on the interests of the investors.

Real Estate Investment. It consists of a minimum investment of $250,000 in a property within the territory of Turkey, in addition to holding the property for at least 3 years and indicating that the property was purchased to obtain citizenship on the citizenship application. 

One of the strengths of the Turkish economy is its real estate market properties with incredible conditions are currently available for the minimum amount to qualify for citizenship, which places Turkey among the emerging real estate markets in Europe. The steps to applicate for citizenship by this way are as follow: 

1.Go to the Turkish consulate with your passport and a biometric photo after you receive a sample of the power of attorney from us. 

2.The signature and preparation of the Power of Attorney will have to be done at the Turkish Consulate, after being properly translated by the corresponding officials. 

3.The passport will be translated and stamped for government status at the same consulate. From now on, we will need your passport translated into Turkish and the photo of the notarized power of attorney. 

4.You will then need to send us the power of attorney and the original passport by mail. We recommend you to use a professional courier company. 

5.Once we have these documents, we will obtain your tax number (which is like the ID card given by the Turkish government for legal purchases and transactions).

6.Once we have all these documents, we can open a bank account in Turkey on your behalf, if requested.

7.We will send you a document with the map of your house and the title deed details while sending the money to your Turkish bank account, which will prove to the government that you are buying the property in order to obtain citizenship. 

8.After all payments are verified, the citizenship procedure will begin. 

If the investor chooses to obtain Turkish citizenship through real estate investment, there is no need to open a bank account in Turkey, he can transfer his money directly from his own foreign account to the development account in Turkey.

Most importantly, the bank account of the money transfer should be on the investor name, whether inside or outside Turkey, to the owner of the apartment name.

Fixed Capital Investment. It is also possible to apply for citizenship by investing not less than $500,000, or the equivalent in a foreign currency, in anything other than real estate, which must be approved by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. 

For Job Creation. The creation of at least 50 jobs within the Turkish territory would be considered as a valuable contribution, which enables the investor to obtain citizenship by investment. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services must attest to this. 

Bank deposit. On the condition of not moving the money for 3 years, an investor can deposit $500,000 to a Turkish bank to apply for citizenship. 

State Bond. This applies quite similarly to the bank deposit. A government bond worth $500,000 must be purchased on the condition that it is not sold for at least 3 years for the investor to be eligible for citizenship. 

Investment Funds. As with the previous two, the purchase of real estate investment funds or venture capital equivalent to 500,000 with the condition of not selling it for 3 years, can enable the investor to apply for citizenship.

These various ways of obtaining citizenship in Turkey only denote the country's extensive progress in terms of its fiscal policies, as well as the progress Turkey has made in recent decades in economic regards. If you want to apply for worthwhile citizenship, Turkey is certainly worth it. 

We, at MUNDO, are always ready to assist you in the process once you’ve made up your mind to get a Turkish passport!

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