Turkish citizenship by investment: the property route for Brits in Fethiye

Spend at least USD 400,000 on Turkish property, hold it for three years, and you can apply for a Turkish passport without giving up your British one.

The short version

• Turkey offers citizenship to foreign investors who meet set thresholds. The property route needs real estate worth at least USD 400,000 (about £297,000), with a commitment not to sell for three years [3].
• Other routes need USD 500,000 (about £371,000) in a Turkish bank, government bonds, fund shares or a private pension, or an investment that creates 50 jobs [3].
• A spouse and minor or dependent children can get citizenship too if they apply together with the investor [4].
• The UK and Turkey both allow dual citizenship, so you keep your British passport [2].
• Citizenship is a decision for the Turkish President after security checks, not an automatic purchase [4].

The routes, side by side

The thresholds come from a Presidential decision, and each route is certified by a different public body before you can apply [3][4].

The amounts can be paid in an equivalent foreign currency [3]. Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = USD 1.3476, £1 = TRY 67.4414). The sterling cost moves with the dollar, so a strong pound makes the threshold cheaper and a weak one makes it dearer.

The property route in Fethiye

This is the route most Brits ask about, because many already own or plan to buy a villa in Ovacık, Hisarönü, Çalış or the hills above Fethiye. The rules [3]:

• The value. The property must be worth at least USD 400,000. The application needs a valuation document showing its current market value.
• The purpose. You state that the purchase is for citizenship, and the title deed (the TAPU) records that too.
• The three-year promise. You sign a declaration that you won't sell the property for three years.
• Earthquake insurance. Compulsory earthquake insurance is required for buildings, which in Fethiye is no bad idea anyway.

After the Land Registry has done its part, you get a certificate of eligibility and take it forward to the migration and citizenship authorities [3][4].

A word of warning about price tags. A Fethiye villa listed at "just over USD 400,000" may not pass if the official valuation comes in lower. The application rests on the valuation document [3], so don't sign until you know the valuation figure, and make sure the price on the title deed tells the same story. Our guide to buying property in Fethiye covers the TAPU, the valuation report and the checks.

Limits on what foreigners can buy

Turkey's rules on foreign buyers apply whatever the route [3]:

• A foreign individual can buy property anywhere up to 30 hectares in total.
• Foreigners' holdings can't exceed 10% of the private land in a district.
• Property in military prohibited zones or military security zones can't be bought or rented. Special security zones need the governor's permission.
• If you buy land with no building on it, you must submit a building project to the authorities within two years.

How the application works

The process comes from the official investment guide [4]:

1. Make the investment. Buy the property, or make the deposit or other investment, and get it certified.
2. Get the certificate of eligibility from the body that oversees your route (the Land Registry for property).
3. Apply for a residence permit. Investors apply to the migration office for the area where they'll live, for a short-term permit under the investment rules (Article 31(j) of Law 6458).
4. Apply for citizenship at the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship, which prepares your file and sends it to Ankara.
5. Security checks. An archive investigation checks for national security and public order issues.
6. The decision. If all is clear, the file goes to the Minister of the Interior and then the President, who makes the final decision [4].

The official guide gives no processing time [4]. Treat any promise of a passport within a fixed number of weeks with care.

What it costs, beyond the property

The investment is only the start. Expect to pay:

• the title deed fee at the Land Registry, set as a percentage of the declared price;
• the official valuation report;
• sworn translations and notarised copies of passports, birth and marriage certificates, often with an apostille from the UK;
• residence permit card and permit fees for each family member (the card alone is 964 TL, about £14, in 2026 [5]);
• a Turkish lawyer, interpreter and estate agent, if you use them;
• annual property tax and compulsory earthquake insurance.

We've described these in words because many are percentages, change each year with inflation or depend on the property. Get every figure in writing before you commit.

What citizenship means for a Brit

You keep your British passport

Turkey allows dual citizenship, and the FCDO confirms you don't have to give up your British citizenship to become a Turkish citizen [2]. When you travel to the UK, you must carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement [1].

Turkey will treat you as Turkish

Inside Turkey, a dual national is treated as a Turkish citizen. That has knock-on effects:

• Consular help. The British Honorary Consulate in Fethiye helps British nationals with passports and emergencies [6], but the British government's ability to help a dual national in the country of their other nationality is limited. Our guide to consular help from the FCDO explains why.
• Children. Dual British–Turkish children aged 18 or younger may need permission from the Turkish parent to leave Turkey [1].
• Obligations. Turkish citizenship brings Turkish duties, including military service rules for men of certain ages. Check how they'd apply to you and your sons before you apply.
• Votes. As a Turkish citizen, you can vote in Turkish elections, which foreign residents can't [2]. Your UK vote for life is unaffected: see voting from abroad.

Tax doesn't follow the passport

The UK taxes by residence, not citizenship, and becoming Turkish doesn't change your UK tax position. Turkey also taxes by residence. If you live in Fethiye, you're likely Turkish tax resident whatever passport you hold, and the UK–Turkey double taxation agreement stops the same income being taxed twice [2]. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your situation, especially for UK property, pensions and inheritance.

The State Pension

Your UK State Pension doesn't depend on your nationality. Turkey is on the DWP's list of countries where the State Pension goes up every year [7], so living in Fethiye won't freeze it.

Is it worth it?

For many Brits in Fethiye, the honest answer is no. A residence permit as a property owner lets you live here for years, and the British passport already gets you visa-free into far more countries. Citizenship makes most sense if you plan to stay for good, want certainty that a permit can't be refused, or have family reasons.

If you're weighing it up, talk to people who've done it. Our community group for Brits in Turkey has members who've been through the property route, and some who decided the ikamet was enough.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Turkey travel advice – entry requirements (updated 30 October 2026)
2. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Turkey (last updated 31 December 2025)
3. Invest in Türkiye (Presidency Investment Office): Acquiring property and citizenship (published 11 August 2026)
4. Invest in Türkiye: Guide to foreign citizens' acquisition of Turkish citizenship (PDF) (information as of 1 January 2024)
5. Presidency of Migration Management: Residence permit card fee and residence permit fee amounts 2026 (checked 8 November 2026)
6. GOV.UK: British Honorary Consulate in Fethiye (updated 7 September 2026)
7. GOV.UK (DWP): Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension (updated 27 October 2026)

Keep reading

• Buying property in Fethiye: the TAPU, valuation and checks
• Turkish residence permits for Brits: the ikamet
• Turkish taxes for Brits: the UK link and your State Pension
• Inheritance tax for Brits abroad after the 2025 residence rules