Buying Property in Turkey as a Foreigner: Tapu, Checks and Steps

Buying property in Turkey as a foreigner is common on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts and in Istanbul, and the process differs from what most buyers know at home. Ownership is shown by the tapu, the title deed, and the sale is completed at the land registry office (tapu müdürlüğü) rather than at a notary. This guide is for buyers from the UK, Europe, the Gulf and elsewhere who search how to buy a house in Turkey: who is allowed to buy, how to prepare, what to check, how the transfer of the tapu (tapu devri) works and what comes after the keys. It gives general information; the details of a particular purchase are checked by a lawyer.

1. Can you buy?Reciprocity and area limits
2. PrepareTax number, bank account, power of attorney
3. Legal checksThe tapu record, debts, zoning
4. Preliminary agreementThe terms before the registry
5. Land registryValuation, fees, the new tapu
6. After the purchaseWhat an owner keeps up

Can foreigners buy property in Turkey?

Yes, within limits set by law. Foreign individuals can own homes and land in Turkey on a reciprocity basis, and citizens of most countries qualify. The limits concern places and quantities rather than people in general:

• military forbidden zones and security zones (askeri yasak bölgeler, güvenlik bölgeleri) are closed to foreign buyers, and in some areas the registry asks the military authorities before it lets a sale go ahead;
• the law caps how much of a district's land may be held by foreigners and how much land one foreign person may own in the country;
• citizens of a few countries face additional restrictions;
• companies formed in Turkey with foreign capital buy under their own rules, which differ from those for individuals.

For an ordinary flat in a resort town or a city these limits rarely stop a sale, but they are the first thing a registry officer looks at.

Preparing for the purchase

1. Tax number. The first document a foreign buyer collects is a Turkish tax number (vergi numarası), issued by a tax office; it is quick and needed for the fees and the registration.
2. Bank account and transfer. Paying through a Turkish bank leaves a clear record of the price, which later matters for tax, for a resale and, where relevant, for a residence or citizenship application.
3. Representation. A buyer who cannot be present can authorise a lawyer by a power of attorney (vekaletname), signed before a Turkish notary or, for someone living abroad, at one of Turkey's consulates, with a photograph and, when it is made in Turkey by someone who does not speak Turkish, a sworn translator.
4. Costs by name. The title deed fee (tapu harcı), the registry's service fee, the valuation report, the notary and translator, the compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK), VAT on some new homes and the agent's commission. Because these amounts are revised, buyers usually get them in writing before making an offer.

The checks before any money changes hands

Most problems foreign buyers meet in Turkey were visible in the records before the sale. The checks a buyer's lawyer usually runs:

• the registry record of the property: the owner, the share sold, and any mortgage (ipotek), attachment (haciz) or annotation (şerh) on the title
• the kind of title: full condominium ownership (kat mülkiyeti), which a finished, approved building receives, or the construction servitude (kat irtifakı) of a building not yet completed, or a share in a plot (hisseli tapu)
• whether the building has its construction permit (yapı ruhsatı) and its occupancy certificate (iskan), and whether the flat matches the approved plans
• the zoning status of the land (imar durumu) from the municipality
• unpaid property tax, utility bills and the site's maintenance charges (aidat)
• for an off-plan home: the developer, the stage of the works and what the contract provides if completion is late

Questions on permits, additions or what can be built on a plot go to lawyers who handle building and planning permits.

The preliminary sale agreement

When the transfer cannot happen at once, the parties can sign a promise to sell (gayrimenkul satış vaadi sözleşmesi). It binds the seller only when it is made before a notary, and it can be annotated on the tapu so that the property cannot quietly be sold to someone else. Reservation forms signed in a sales office, often with a deposit, give far weaker protection. Reading any such paper through contract review before paying is cheaper than a dispute later.

Signing at the land registry

1. The application for the sale is made at the registry, in person or online, usually by the lawyer or the agent, with the passports, photos, tax numbers and the DASK policy.
2. A valuation report on the property is prepared by a licensed appraiser; for sales to foreign buyers it forms part of the file.
3. Where the area requires it, the registry waits for the military clearance.
4. The title deed fee and the service fee are paid at a bank.
5. On the appointed day both parties, in person or through their proxies, confirm the sale before the registry officer; a sworn translator is present when the buyer does not speak Turkish.
6. The new tapu is issued in the buyer's name, and the record can later be viewed through e-Devlet, the state's online portal.

The step itself is described on the page on property title transfer. The price is normally paid at or just before this appointment, which is why the earlier checks matter so much.

After the purchase

The new owner registers for the annual property tax (emlak vergisi) with the municipality and pays it each year; see property tax for foreign owners. The DASK policy is renewed every year, and electricity, water and gas contracts are moved into the owner's name. Letting the home to holidaymakers needs a permit under the rules on tourist rentals, described under holiday rental licences, and rent is taxable income in Turkey.

Owning a home is one of the grounds for a short-term residence permit, although the value conditions and the list of neighbourhoods closed to new foreign residents have changed. Turkey also grants citizenship to investors who meet set conditions, a route often called the Turkish golden visa. Property in Turkey passes under Turkish law when the owner dies, so many owners plan their inheritance early, and a later sale raises questions of tax on the gain.

Where a lawyer usually helps

A lawyer is not compulsory at the land registry, yet the record checks, the reading of the contract and the representation of a buyer abroad are the core of a property purchase lawyer's work. English-speaking lawyers on this site are based in Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, Kusadasi and Izmir. If a dispute over the title, the boundaries or a developer's delay arises, it is a matter for property rights and disputes; the rest of the property services are gathered under Property Law.

Questions and answers

Are foreigners allowed to buy property in Turkey?

In most cases. Buyers from the great majority of countries can, away from military and security zones and within the caps on land held by foreigners.

Is it safe to buy property in Turkey?

The registry system is reliable once a tapu is issued. The risks lie before that: an unpaid deposit to the wrong party, a building without an occupancy permit, a mortgage on the title or an off-plan project that stalls.

Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Turkey?

The law does not require one. Many foreign buyers still use their own lawyer, because the registry records the sale but does not advise either side on the risks.

Can I buy a house in Turkey without going there?

Yes. With a notarised power of attorney, a representative can obtain the tax number, open the file and sign at the registry.

Does buying property in Turkey give residency or citizenship?

Ownership can support a short-term residence permit, and a larger qualifying investment can lead to citizenship. Both sets of conditions have changed several times, so the current ones are confirmed before buying with that aim.

What taxes are paid when buying property in Turkey?

The title deed fee at the transfer, VAT on some new homes, and the annual property tax afterwards. Their rates are set by law and revised from time to time.