Buying Property in Turkey as a Foreigner: The Tapu Process, Costs, Rules and Turkish Vocabulary

Buying a flat by the sea in Antalya or a renovated house in Istanbul is a serious step, and the Turkish land registry process is efficient but unforgiving of mistakes. The whole transfer happens in one appointment at the land registry office (tapu müdürlüğü), in Turkish, and the deed (tapu) you sign there is final. This guide explains who can buy, the legal limits, each step from first viewing to registration, the official costs, the citizenship rules, and the Turkish you will hear along the way.

Disclaimer: This is a language-learning guide, not legal or financial advice. Property rules, fees and citizenship thresholds change. Check the current rules with the Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) and consider an independent lawyer before you pay anything. Facts below were checked on 14 October 2026.

Who can buy, and the legal limits

The rules come from Article 35 of the Title Deed Law (Tapu Kanunu, No. 2644):

• Foreign individuals can acquire property if they are citizens of countries designated by the President. The citizenship directorate (NVİ) states that Türkiye lets citizens of 183 countries buy property without requiring reciprocity.
• The total area acquired by foreign individuals may not exceed 10% of a district’s private land, and 30 hectares per person across Türkiye. The President may double the per-person limit.
• The President may also restrict or stop acquisitions by country, region, or type of property where national interests require.
• If you buy undeveloped land, you must submit your development project to the relevant ministry within two years.

In practice this means some plots cannot be sold to foreigners at all. The land registry checks this, not the estate agent, so don’t pay a large deposit until the registry has confirmed the sale can go ahead.

Step by step: from viewing to tapu

1. Get a tax number and a bank account

You need a Turkish tax number (vergi numarası) for the transaction and a local account to move money and pay fees. Our bank account guide covers both.

2. Check the title before you commit

Ask the seller for a copy of the title and have it checked for:

• mortgages (ipotek) and seizures (haciz) recorded on the title;
• annotations (şerh), such as a lease or a sale promise in someone else’s favour;
• the ownership status: kat mülkiyeti (full condominium ownership, usually for completed buildings with an occupancy permit) or kat irtifakı (condominium servitude, common in new or unfinished projects);
• that the seller named on the tapu is the person you are dealing with, or holds a valid power of attorney (vekâletname). See our notary and power of attorney guide.

3. Get a valuation report

TKGM requires a valuation report (değerleme raporu) for sales in which a foreigner is a party. It must come from an appraisal firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK). You can request it through TKGM’s Web Tapu system, and for citizenship applications it must be obtained that way.

4. Arrange compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK)

Under the Disaster Insurance Law (No. 6305), residential units must have compulsory earthquake insurance (zorunlu deprem sigortası, usually called DASK). Owners must renew it every year. The land registry will not register a transfer of a covered property unless a valid policy is shown. The same law makes water and electricity companies check DASK when you open a subscription, which matters for your utility set-up.

5. Book the appointment and pay the fees

The sale is booked as an appointment (randevu) at the land registry office. Before the appointment both sides pay their fees:

The 2% rate comes from Tariff 4, item 20(a) of the Fees Law (No. 492). The law says the fee is calculated on the declared transfer price, which may not be lower than the property’s tax value (emlak vergisi değeri). Under-declaring the price to save on fees is illegal and can cost you later, for example when you sell or apply for citizenship.

6. Sign at the land registry

On the day, buyer and seller (or their attorneys) sign the official deed (resmî senet) in front of a registry officer. If a party does not speak Turkish, TKGM rules require a sworn translator (yeminli tercüman) to attend and sign the deed as well. Bring your own translator rather than relying on someone provided by the seller’s side. Buyers and sellers usually settle the payment on the same day, and the new tapu is issued in your name.

7. After you get the keys

• Register your address with the civil registry: see our address registration guide.
• Open water, electricity, gas and internet subscriptions in your own name.
• Renew DASK every year, and pay the annual property tax (emlak vergisi) to the municipality (belediye).

Property and residence permits

Göç İdaresi’s e-İkamet guidance says that if you apply for a residence permit because you own property, the property must be a dwelling and actually be used as one. You show the tapu (and, later, a certified copy confirming you still own it). If family members are co-owners, the home can support their applications too. Owning property does not guarantee a permit; the migration office decides each case. See our residence permit guide for the appointment itself.

Property and citizenship

Article 20 of the citizenship regulation allows exceptional citizenship for a foreigner who buys property worth at least US$400,000 (or the foreign-currency equivalent) with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title. Since an amendment published on 12 December 2023, the property must be under kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı, or be a plot with a building on it. Bare land no longer qualifies.

The process runs through a certificate of compliance (uygunluk belgesi) issued via TKGM, then a residence permit, then the citizenship application. Read our citizenship requirements guide for how this compares with the five-year residence route.

At the estate agent and the tapu office

Notice the genitive-possessive compounds (dairenin tapusu, “the flat’s deed”) and the conditional (varsa, “if there is”).

Siz:      Bu dairenin tapusu kat mülkiyetli mi, kat irtifaklı mı?
          (Is this flat's title full condominium ownership or condominium servitude?)

Emlakçı:  Kat mülkiyetli. İskânı da var.
          (Full condominium ownership. It also has an occupancy permit.)

Siz:      Tapuda ipotek veya haciz var mı?
          (Is there a mortgage or a seizure on the title?)

Emlakçı:  Hayır, temiz. İsterseniz tapu kaydını birlikte kontrol edelim.
          (No, it's clean. If you like, let's check the title record together.)

Siz:      Satış bedeli tapuda gerçek fiyat olarak yazılacak, değil mi?
          (The sale price will be written in the deed as the real price, right?)

Emlakçı:  Evet, gerçek bedel yazılmalı. Zaten emlak vergisi değerinin altında olamaz.
          (Yes, the real price must be written. It can't be below the property tax value anyway.)

At the land registry:

Memur:    Türkçe biliyor musunuz?
          (Do you speak Turkish?)

Siz:      Biraz biliyorum ama tercümanım burada.
          (I know a little, but my translator is here.)

Memur:    Tamam. Satış bedelini ve harçları ödediniz mi?
          (OK. Have you paid the sale price and the fees?)

Siz:      Evet, dekontlar burada.
          (Yes, here are the receipts.)

Property vocabulary

Common mistakes

• Paying a big deposit before the registry check. Some properties cannot be sold to foreigners, or carry debts. Check first.
• Under-declaring the price. It is illegal, and a low declared price can sink a later citizenship or residence application.
• Assuming any purchase qualifies for citizenship. After December 2023, bare land does not. The US$400,000 threshold and three-year annotation both apply.
• Using the seller’s translator. The translator signs the deed too. Bring someone who works for you.
• Forgetting DASK renewal. It is yearly, and utilities and future sales check it.

Next steps

If you are not ready to buy, our renting guide covers contracts and landlord vocabulary. Practice the accusative case (daireyi aldım, “I bought the flat”) before your viewing, so you can follow what the estate agent is saying.