Search for Turkish citizenship online and you will still find pages promising it for USD 250,000. Some are old articles nobody updated. Others are current advertisements from intermediaries who know better. Either way, an investor who plans around that figure is planning around a threshold that stopped existing in June 2022. This article sets out what changed, what the current position is, and what happens to a file built on the old number.
What the figure used to be
The investment routes were introduced in 2017 with a real estate threshold of USD 1,000,000. In September 2018 it was reduced to USD 250,000, and that reduction produced the boom most people remember: Türkiye became one of the least expensive citizenship-by-investment programmes in the world, and application volumes rose accordingly.
The threshold was raised to USD 400,000 by presidential decision, published in the Official Gazette and effective from 13 June 2022. It has remained at that level since, and it applies in 2026.
Why it was raised
Understanding the reasoning helps explain why a return to the old figure is unlikely.
The USD 250,000 threshold worked exactly as intended in attracting capital, and produced side effects the government did not intend. Demand concentrated in a narrow band of properties priced just above the threshold, with sellers pricing to the requirement rather than to the market. Residents of the affected districts saw prices rise sharply. And a secondary market developed in which the same properties circulated between successive applicants at inflated valuations.
Raising the threshold addressed all three at once. It also shifted the programme toward investors with larger capital, which was a deliberate objective rather than a side effect.
The position in 2026
| Route | Threshold | Holding period |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | USD 400,000 | 3 years |
| Bank deposit | USD 500,000 | 3 years |
| Fixed capital investment | USD 500,000 | — |
| Government bonds | USD 500,000 | 3 years |
| Investment fund shares | USD 500,000 | 3 years |
| Employment | 50 employees | — |
There is no reduced threshold, no regional variation, no discount for particular nationalities, and no transitional provision still open. USD 400,000 is the floor for the property route, measured against an SPK-licensed appraisal at the Central Bank rate.
What happens to a file built on USD 250,000
It fails, and it fails at the certificate of conformity — after the money has been spent.
The sequence matters here. The purchase completes; title passes; the annotation is entered. The file then goes to the ministry, which measures the appraised value against the threshold and refuses the certificate. The investor now owns a Turkish property, has paid the title deed fee, and has no citizenship application.
The remedies are limited. Buy an additional property to bring the aggregate above USD 400,000 — which requires capital that may not be available. Or sell, subject to whatever the market offers for a property bought at a citizenship premium, and start again. Neither is quick, and both cost more than getting it right initially.
How the misinformation persists
Three sources, roughly in order of harm.
Stale content. Articles, brochures and videos from 2019 to 2022 that were never updated. Genuinely outdated rather than dishonest — but no less expensive to rely on.
Ambiguous advertising. "Properties from USD 250,000" and "citizenship opportunities from USD 250,000" placed close enough together that the reader connects them. Each statement is defensible in isolation; the impression is false.
Deliberate misdirection. A minority of intermediaries advertise the old figure to generate enquiries, then explain the real threshold once the client is engaged. If the first number an adviser gives you is out of date, the question worth asking is what else you are being told that is convenient rather than accurate.
Related figures that are also out of date
- USD 1,000,000 — the original 2017 real estate threshold. Long superseded.
- USD 3,000,000 — the original fixed capital figure, later reduced to USD 500,000.
- USD 3,000,000 deposit — likewise reduced, now USD 500,000.
- 100 employees — the original employment threshold, now 50.
- USD 75,000 for a residence permit — this concerns property-based residence permits in certain districts, not citizenship. The two are routinely conflated in marketing material.
That last item causes real confusion. A property purchase below the citizenship threshold may still support a short-term residence permit, and there is a legitimate route there — but a residence permit is not citizenship, and no amount of renewals converts it automatically. Ordinary naturalisation after five years of continuous residence is a separate process with its own requirements, including Turkish language.
Will the threshold change again?
It could. It has moved twice, both times by presidential decision published in the Official Gazette and effective immediately or nearly so. Nobody outside the process receives advance notice.
The practical implication for an investor already committed is straightforward: complete the transaction rather than wait for a hoped-for reduction. Applications are assessed against the threshold in force at the relevant time, and there is no mechanism for grandfathering an intention.
Checking a figure yourself
You do not need a lawyer to verify a threshold. Three checks take minutes:
- Look for the date on any article you are reading. Anything written before mid-2022 predates the current figure.
- Ask the adviser to identify the legal source — Article 20 of the Regulation implementing Law No. 5901 — and the date of the amendment they are relying on.
- Compare what you are told against official sources rather than against another intermediary's website.
An adviser who cannot cite the provision behind the number they gave you is quoting from memory or from marketing copy.
Frequently asked questions
Is USD 250,000 available anywhere in Türkiye? No. The threshold is national and uniform.
I bought a property in 2021 for USD 260,000. Can I still apply? Applications are assessed against the threshold in force at the material time. A file that was not lodged then cannot be revived on the old figure now; a specific review of dates and documents is needed.
Can I add a second property to reach USD 400,000? Yes. Values are aggregated and each title carries its own annotation.
Does the currency I pay in matter? The threshold is measured in US dollar equivalent at the Central Bank rate on the relevant date.
Is USD 400,000 a fair price for a qualifying property? The threshold is a legal minimum, not a market price. The appraisal tells you whether what you are buying is worth what you are paying — which is exactly why it is compulsory.
What if a property is offered at USD 250,000 as "citizenship eligible"? Either the seller is out of date or the description is false. Neither is a good basis for a transaction.
Before you commit
The cost of relying on an obsolete figure is not the difference between USD 250,000 and USD 400,000. It is the entire transaction: a property bought for a purpose it cannot serve, with fees paid and a resale market that may not be kind.
Dural Hukuk confirms the current threshold, the appraisal position and the title status before any funds are committed, and represents foreign investors through the certificate of conformity and the citizenship application. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Thresholds are set by presidential decision and can change; verify the current position before committing funds.