Turkey has become an attractive country for many foreigners due to its increasing capacities that it provides for its citizens. Thus, there is an increase in citizenship applications to Turkey. It is relatively easy to get Turkish citizenship compared to other European countries as long as the applicants meet the criteria mentioned in the Turkish Nationality Law.
Generally, the conditions to get Turkish citizenship are written everywhere but there are also important details that applicants must know before they apply for citizenship. For example, you may think that you can be Turkish citizens after you buy an immovable asset worth of at least $250.000, but if you buy your immovable asset in security areas, your investment does not count and you can’t get Turkish citizenship. Thus, you need to know the details mentioned in the below:
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What are the Details You Need to Know While Applying for Turkish Citizenship?
There are two ways to get Turkish citizenship according to Turkish Nationality Law. First one is through birth and birthplace. If one of the baby’s parents is Turkish, the baby can get Turkish citizenship. But there is detail in here if the baby’s mother is Turkish the baby gets the citizenship immediately. But if the baby’s father is Turkish the baby gets the citizenship after the DNA test proves that the baby is from father. Thus, it takes a few months for the baby to get citizenship if he or she is from a Turkish father.
Birthplace also enables Turkish citizenship, too. If the baby is born in Turkey and the parents of the baby are unknown, the baby is regarded as Turkish automatically. Additionally, if the parents of the baby are stateless, the baby also can get Turkish citizenship.
Second way to become a Turkish citizen is through application to Turkish authorities. There are mainly eight conditions that have to be met. Here are the eight conditions to get Turkish citizenship with details:
1. The person who applies for citizenship must be an adult according to its own country’s constitution. If the person is stateless, the person must be an adult according to the Turkish constitution. This is the primary rule for application. However, there are no restrictions for family applications, the parents can apply for their children who are not adult.
2. The person must live in Turkey for at least five years before the application date. It means that you must be living in Turkey for five years on the day you apply for citizenship. In some situations, such as investment or business establishing the rule of five years may not be necessary. Additionally, the minimum year is 2 for the citizens of Turkic countries.
3. The person must prove his/her intention to live in Turkey by meeting some conditions. There are numerous ways to prove the intentions to live in Turkey. These are:
Property Investment
Turkey is an appealing country for property investors because of its growing construction sector. Turkey reduced its minimum amount for immovable assets in order to get Turkish citizenship. After the adjustment in the Turkish nationality law, a person who buys an immovable asset worth of at least $250.000 can get Turkish citizenship. But there are some details to be followed:
Details of Getting Turkish Citizenship Through Property Investment
- The minimum amount has to be at least $250.000 or it's equal in other currencies. For other currencies, the amount has to be equal according to the Turkish Central Bank’s data on the day that buying takes place. The sell in different currency also has to be annotated.
- The person who applies for Turkish citizenship through property can’t sell the property for three years. After three years, the selling or giving up the property doesn’t affect the citizenship status. In the case of selling the property before three years, the citizenship status of the applicant is reevaluated by the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
- The foreigners can’t buy a property in the security areas such as places close to military bases. Thus, it needs to be proved that the property is not in the security areas of Turkey.
- The minimum limit doesn’t have to be met by only one property; the minimum limit can be met by more than one property. However, there is a limit. A foreigner can’t have immovable assets more than 10 hectares in total.
Thus, it is always better to consult a company while buying houses, offices or lands. For opportunities in big cities of Turkey such as İstanbul, İzmir, Antalya, and Bursa, you can visit here.
Capital Investment
A foreigner can get Turkish citizenship by making a capital investment worth of at least $500.000. Also, a person can get Turkish citizenship by buying state bonds worth at least $500.000.
Details of Getting Turkish Citizenship Through Investment
- The investor can take his or her investment back for at least three years after becoming a Turkish citizen.
- The investor can take sell his or her state bond for at least three years after becoming a Turkish citizen.
Marriage
Marrying a Turkish citizen also enables you to get Turkish citizenship. But there is a condition to stay married for at least 3 years to keep the citizenship. The divorces after 3 years don't affect the citizenship status.
- The foreigner who applies for citizenship must not have health conditions that endanger society.
- To have good morality, to be a trustable person and not to have bad addictions.
- To be able to speak Turkish in a necessary and desired level.
- To have the economic capacity or a job to take care of himself/herself and his/her family.
- Not to be a threat to Turkish national security and social order.
To sum, getting citizenship from Turkey is really easy if you follow the rules mentioned in the Turkish Nationality Law. Turkey accepts citizenship applications of investors, students, and workers when they met the conditions and persuade the Turkish authorities that they have the intention to live in Turkey, mentioned in the 3. criteria above.
