Peculiarities of purchasing property in Turkey

The procedure of forming rights for property

02.06.2006 was made new way of forming the documents while purchase the property in Turkey. Certification of the right of property now is forming with residence permit which was given for 3 years (before it did not need). Residence permit is forming in places of security agency, in places of work with foreigners. While giving the application form and receiving residence permit, client need to be there personally. After its receiving, you need not later than in 3 months give a copy of Certification of the right of property or certificate of cadastral department to this residence about that property is bought but documents for this moment are on the stage of forming, otherwise residence permit will be canceled.

Documents which are necessary for give in announcement:

- Working foreign passport for the term not less than 6 months;
- 4 colored photos 3,5x4,5;
- Coping from the account of any bank about sum not less than 1200 dollars or 1200 euro (or certificate about changing this sum into Turkish liras);
- Application forms (on-site).

Also you have to have 350 Turkish liras to pay the form Residence permit, fees and dues (pay on-site).
The term of receiving Residence permit – 1 week.
Further, on the bases of residence permit and concluded contract with property agency, documents are giving to Cadastral department (it is made by agency, client does not go there), where requests go to Izmir and Ankara. Terms with absents unforeseen moments – 3 months.
With positive answer client get Certification of the right of property (CRP).
In future residence permit prolong in security agencies.

New law for purchase propertyThe law was adopted on 29th of December 2005. According to this law, in Turkey foreign physical persons could purchase property or get in use by right of limited corporeal right in correspondence with following conditions:

Limitation by square

The total square of the property which possess to the foreigner could not be more than 61 acres (250 thousand sq. ft.) in the whole Turkey. However, the Cabinet Council could high this rate to 74 acres. In view of this, while forming the documents in register of property foreigner should sign the application form where it is said that square of property which he possess does not increase 61 acres and agreed that otherwise he must set free extra territory which will be sold and received sum will be transferred into his account.

New law add additional limitation of square: in each region not more than 0,5% from the whole square of this region could possess to foreign people. Together with it the Cabinet Council could fix this number separate for each region but not more than 0,5%. The exception is legal inheritance.

Limitation by type of property

For foreigner could be formed only property which is registered in register of property as accommodation or working place. Under “working place” is understood the complex of property which is used in commercial purposes, it could be as office or hotel, factory with all constructions.

Conditions of maintenance “principal of correlation”

“Principal of correlation” gives the same rights to foreigners as it gives to Turkish. So, foreigner could purchase the property in Turkey only in that case if country, the citizen he is, legal and in practice let to purchase citizens of Turkey property on its territory. For example, citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia could buy in Turkey only buildings but not off-plans, when Germen do not have such limitation.

Other law limitations

It is about military area and security area and also strategy important regions. These areas are defined by Ministry of Defense and other ministries. The law obliged the ministry of defense in a term of three months make maps of all regions of Turkey with showing parts which could not be sold, but before this information will not get to Managing cadastral department, everything will be as it was.

Limitation for legal persons:

Among foreign legal persons law permit to purchase property only to commercial organization.
Foreign commercial organizations could purchase the property in Turkey only in private laws (Law about motivation the tourism, Law about industrial regions and Law about oil), for this they should give permissive documents from corresponded state institution.
It should be mentioned that above limitations do not spread for companies with foreign fund, which were founded according to the Law about straight investments.



In Turkey there is a title system of forming rights for property. It means that forming rights for property is prerogative of state organs – cadastral department which gives title CRP. This title means timeless and absolute owner’s right which after concluding of transaction purchase and sale could not be contest in legal process. CRP is a document certifies the right of property of the person for the definite object of property.

Notaries do not have a right to form and register the transactions of purchase and sale of property. You could just form the contract, the subject of which will be purchase and sale of the object where will be regulated the price and conditions of payment. But it will not be the document which certifies the transition of the right of property to the new owner. On practice this contract purchase and sale conclude between client and real estate agency, which sales this property. In contract is written data about client, information about the object, price and conditions of payment.

Real estate agency provides full consultation of the client by questions of buying and sale the objects of property, conducting the procedure of buying, servicing of familiarization with objects taking into account client’s wishes, checking “cleaning” the property (absents of mortgage and other charges on the property). With absent of such the transaction becomes absolutely reliable.



There are 2 variants of purchase the property: as private person and for the name of registered company. The whole procedure of purchasing including the registration of the company will take a week. The registration of the company will cost 1000-1500 euro, including all registered expenses.

The procedure of property purchase by private person will take longer time. It connects with getting the permission for purchase from Military department in Izmir and Main cadastral department in Ankara. This procedure could take from 3 to 8 weeks.

After receiving this declaration all formalities will take 1 day.

For purchasing property by private person it will need only passport with its translation into Turkish. This translation could be done in Turkey.

The order of property purchase in Turkey: having chosen the property, client and agency agreed as to the price. Then they conduct the contract on two languages – Turkish and Russian. At the moment of signing the contract goes payment of deposit (usually it does not increase 2000-5000 euro). For beginning of the procedure of forming property, client should take resident permit for 6 months. This procedure goes about 5-7 working days. For start client should give 4 colored photos 3,5x4,5 and copy of foreign passport.

Then according to the way of payment, which is written in the contract, client pay the whole cost of the property. For under construction objects there is a payment by installments. While buying the finished object, usually need to pat 80-85% during several weeks after signing the contract. For this you need to show to the bank the purchase and sale contract on Russian language.
Simultaneously client is waiting while permission comes from Main cadastral department in Ankara for property owning after what client come to Turkey again for forming the certification of property (TAPU). Where you should pay the tax for purchase property 3% from cost which is in TAPU (usually it is less than real).



One of the important new innovation for property market was in 2007 the law about mortgage which gives a right to get a credit for purchase of property as Turkish as foreigners, including Russians and Ukrainian. For this law, Turkish banks did not work with mortgage that is why those who wanted to buy property should have whether whole sum or take usual credit for high interest.





Prices (USD)

Lawyer 1000

Notary and official translator 200

Checking the information by state services 1000



Tax for purchase 3% from the cost of plot or property

Stamp tax and plot registration 80-90

Tax for earthquake 60-120



Registration water and electricity for the name of owner 300-350



Tax for purchase 60-120

Electricity depends on usage

Water depends on usage

Tax for property (0,3% from the cost of property)

Tax for land (0,1% from the cost of land)

Expenses for utilities and service

Service is keeping clean residential complexes (houses and territory), garden, pool, porches and etc. Staff, which is usually live in this complex, give service and responsible for it.

The cost of services in different residential complexes is different and is about from 10 to 150 euro, depending on the structure of the complex and number of services.

There are meters for water and electricity in all houses. Payment is 1 time in 1-2 months depends on expense according to the following activity price: