Property-Based Residence in Türkiye in 2025: The US$200,000 Threshold and Key Checks

[سفير تركيا]

Türkiye has changed several requirements affecting foreigners who seek short-term residence on the basis of owning a home. These changes matter directly to anyone considering a property purchase as part of a plan to live in the country.

This guide explains the US$200,000 threshold and the related questions that foreign buyers and families need to check. It retains the 2025 context, with factual clarifications checked on 10 October 2026. The threshold should not be described as a new rule first introduced in 2025, nor as a guarantee that every application or renewal will succeed.

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1. What is the main financial requirement?​

• Official residence-application guidance states that the home must have a value of at least the Turkish-lira equivalent of US$200,000 at the date of acquisition. It does not set separate lower figures for smaller cities.
• The change was already being discussed in Parliament in October 2023. In the sitting of 19 October, MP Cavit Arı described the threshold as having risen to US$200,000 from 16 October, replacing earlier figures of US$75,000 in metropolitan municipalities and US$50,000 elsewhere. This is a contemporary parliamentary account, rather than the operative administrative instruction itself.
• Do not assume that the rule began in 2025 or that the same transitional treatment automatically applies to every earlier purchase and every renewal. The acquisition date and the applicant’s own file need to be checked with the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

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2. Which value matters: the title deed or a valuation report?​

There are two different questions:

1. The recorded purchase price and the title deed — Tapu
   • Check the amount formally recorded for the purchase, the acquisition date and the exchange-rate calculation accepted for the residence application. The official guidance expresses the requirement as a Turkish-lira equivalent at acquisition; confirm the applicable Central Bank exchange-rate basis with the authority before completing the transaction.
   • A seller’s advertised dollar price is not a substitute for the official ownership and value evidence.
2. The property valuation report
   • A valuation report is not universally required simply because the purchaser is foreign. Distinguish ordinary ownership transactions, property-investment citizenship procedures and residence documentation. Check the Land Registry’s current circulars; its official index lists an update to circular 2024/4 on 29 September 2026.
   • Residence applications also have specific documentary requirements. For a home acquired through inheritance or a gift, check the specific value-evidence requirements in the official checklist rather than relying on a standard purchase checklist. Check what applies to your transaction instead of assuming that one report settles both the purchase and the residence application.

Practical consequence
A sales agent saying that “the property is valued at US$210,000” does not establish eligibility by itself. If the officially accepted purchase-value evidence falls below the US$200,000 requirement, a higher marketing estimate or appraisal is not a safe basis on which to expect approval. Resolve any discrepancy in the title-deed price and supporting records before buying.

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3. What if the home was bought before 16 October 2023?​

• Earlier purchases need a separate assessment. The historical figures described in the October 2023 parliamentary account were US$75,000 in metropolitan municipalities and US$50,000 elsewhere.
• Those figures do not prove that every property acquired before 16 October 2023 qualifies under an identical exemption. Obtain confirmation of the transitional treatment applicable to the actual acquisition date, ownership records and previous residence history.
• Keep the purchase, title-deed and any relevant valuation documents complete and consistent. On renewal, Migration Management may request further information or supporting evidence and examine discrepancies in the file.

An earlier purchase may therefore require different treatment from a new one, but it should never be presented as an automatic right to renewal or as a guarantee that no further checks will be made.

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4. Who can apply on the basis of property ownership?​

• The foreign owner: An owner may apply for a short-term residence permit — Kısa Dönem — on this basis if the property and the applicant meet the relevant conditions. The home must be residential and used as the applicant’s residence; the official checklist excludes using that home for rental or similar income-generating purposes under this residence basis.
• A spouse and children: Their position depends on ownership and the appropriate permit category. Migration Management states that family members with shared or joint ownership rights in the home may also apply on the property-ownership basis. Family members without such rights need their own qualifying residence basis; a family residence permit may be an option if the sponsor and applicants meet its conditions.
• Family residence eligibility: This can cover a legal spouse and qualifying minor children, including the spouse’s children, as well as qualifying dependent adult children. It is therefore inaccurate to describe all children over 18 as automatically excluded or to assume that marriage alone guarantees approval.
• Shared ownership: Do not rely on a blanket claim that a US$200,000 home can support only one foreign owner, or that adding any unrelated co-owner automatically gives that person residence rights. Family co-ownership is expressly recognised in the official guidance. For unrelated owners, obtain confirmation of how the shares, value and each applicant’s circumstances will be assessed before committing funds.

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5. Duration and renewal​

• For this ordinary short-term residence category, the legal maximum is two years at a time. The authority determines the actual period; a one-year permit is possible, and the maximum should not be treated as a promised initial duration.
• Apply for renewal during the final 60 days of the existing permit and before it expires.
• Be ready to demonstrate continued ownership and that the applicable residence conditions remain satisfied, including the address, health cover and financial means. The official property checklist requires a title-deed continuation certificate for renewal applications.

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6. Closed neighbourhoods and document checks​

Property value is only one part of the assessment:

• Restrictions on new registrations and residence applications: Certain neighbourhoods with a high concentration of foreign residents have been closed to specified applications or address changes. These restrictions predate 2025 and can matter even where the purchase meets the financial threshold. The published policy includes exceptions, such as newborn children and nuclear-family reunification; confirm the current position for the particular address and application type.
• Financial and document evidence: Be prepared to substantiate the financial means declared and provide any additional records requested. False documents, misleading declarations and sham arrangements can jeopardise an application. These are substantive checks, not a reason to assume that paying a particular price secures approval.

US$200,000 alone is insufficient: the address, purpose of use, ownership evidence and the rest of the application must also satisfy the applicable requirements.

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7. What does this mean for a buyer or family?​

1. Do not budget for a “cheap flat with guaranteed residence”.
   • For a new purchase relying on the US$200,000 requirement, allow for the qualifying property value as well as the other conditions and transaction costs.
   • Consider another lawful basis where appropriate, such as study or a qualifying family relationship. Employment generally requires a work permit, which can serve in place of a residence permit; an ordinary residence permit alone does not authorise work. Citizenship through a larger qualifying investment is a separate procedure with different requirements, not an automatic consequence of buying a home.
2. Assess the property as a home and a financial commitment.
   • Consider access to transport, services and, where relevant, a university or school.
   • Assess the local resale market and any future rental options separately, without assuming a return or overlooking the requirement to use the home as your residence while relying on this permit basis. The purchase should make sense beyond an expectation of receiving a permit.
3. Check the transaction before paying a deposit.
   • Use a suitably qualified lawyer and carefully check any property intermediary you engage.
   • Confirm that the title-deed price and other official records accurately reflect the transaction agreed.
   • Ask the competent migration authority whether the address and your circumstances are eligible, including any neighbourhood restriction or exception.

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Important note
This is a news and public-information guide about the rules discussed in the 2025 context, not individual legal advice. Requirements and administrative guidance can change. Later official material checked on 10 October 2026 supports the clarifications above; it should not be mistaken for proof that every detail applied identically throughout 2025.

Before making a purchase that may be difficult to reverse, seek advice from a lawyer specialising in foreigners’ law in Türkiye and obtain case-specific information from Migration Management. The Presidency states that it does not work with private third-party persons or companies handling residence applications: a private “immigration office” should not be assumed to be officially authorised or able to guarantee a decision.

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Conclusion
The key points are the US$200,000 requirement, sound evidence of the acquisition value and ownership, and a complete application meeting the other conditions. Property-based residence can be a realistic route for an eligible applicant with the necessary budget, but it is neither a low-cost shortcut nor a guaranteed outcome. Earlier acquisitions, family ownership and renewals each require attention to the actual file.

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Related topics ​

• Residence Permit Types
• Residence and Rental Accommodation
• Residence Appointment Preparation
• Health Insurance for Foreign Residents
• The e-Devlet Guide
• Booking an NVI Appointment
• Rent Increase Rules
• Consumer Complaints
• VAT and KDV